The Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science is a cross-departmental neuroscience research institute at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The institute's core focus areas include brain-computer interfaces and computational neuroscience The institute also focuses on research into mechanisms of cell death with the interest of developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

A brain–computer interface (BCI), sometimes called a brain–machine interface (BMI), is a direct communication link between the brain's electrical activity and an external device, most commonly a computer or robotic limb. BCIs are often directed at researching, mapping, assisting, augmenting, or repairing human cognitive or sensory-motor functions. They are often conceptualized as a human–machine interface that skips the intermediary of moving body parts (hands...), although they also raise the possibility of erasing the distinction between brain and machine. BCI implementations range from non-invasive and partially invasive to invasive, based on how physically close electrodes are to brain tissue.