The INECO Foundation’s “Brain and Economy” Institute was established to conduct applied interdisciplinary scientific studies measuring the bidirectional impact between the economy and brain capital in emerging and developing countries, with brain capital understood as the combination of brain health and brain skills in the era of AI.
It also seeks to coordinate initiatives, debates, and work proposals on this topic with other private- and public-sector institutions, international organizations, and civil society organizations, and to hold annual scientific exchange forums with their support in order to disseminate new knowledge and solutions.
Its founding research areas encompass macroeconomic and sectoral research, public policy analysis and proposals, and experimental studies in the fields of private-sector activity, brain health, economics, and education. Key projects include:
- Measurement: integrating brain capital into National Accounts systems and growth accounting.
- Impact assessment of brain capital deterioration in skill-intensive industries and firms in Argentina and Latin American countries.
- Public policies to prevent irreversible harm resulting from brain deterioration, particularly at early ages in developing and emerging countries. This area includes experimental studies based on interventions designed by our team and other collaborators (funding to be sought jointly with provinces, municipalities, and/or schools or universities interested in participating).
- The launch of a specialized journal on brain economics and interdisciplinary studies at the intersection of neuroscience, the social sciences, the natural sciences, and other disciplines. The journal will issue calls for contributions on this and related topics, with a focus on middle-income, lower-middle-income, and low-income countries.
Director: Dr. Martín Grandes
Co-Director: Dr. Ariel Coremberg
Team:
Ariel Coremberg holds a PhD in Economics from the National University of La Plata. He is a former Senior Fulbright Researcher at Harvard University and a CONICET researcher at IIEP-UBA-CONICET. He is an expert in National Accounts and economic measurement and teaches Economic Growth at the University of Buenos Aires.
Martín Grandes holds a PhD in Economics from the Paris School of Economics and is a former Senior Fulbright Researcher at the University of California, Davis. He is an Independent Researcher at CONICET and IIEP-UBA-CONICET, and an associate researcher at the INECO Foundation. He teaches Economic Growth at the University of Buenos Aires and served as Executive Director of the INECO Foundation from 2012 to 2014. Link: https://economicas.uba.ar/iiep/grandes-martin/
Damián Silva holds a Master’s degree in Data Science from ITBA, Master in finance-UCEMA and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires. He is an Assistant Professor of Economic Growth at the University of Buenos Aires.
María Roca holds a PhD in Psychology from Favaloro University and is an Independent Researcher at CONICET, Favaloro University, and INCYT-CONICET. She is Director of INECO Organizations, a unit of the INECO Group that provides mental health and neuroscience services to companies. Links: https://ineco-organizaciones.com/ and https://www.fundacionineco.org/profesionales/dra-maria-roca-coordinadora-cientifica/
Blas Couto holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Favaloro University and is Head of Research at the INECO Foundation. Link: https://www.fundacionineco.org/dr-juan-blas-couto/
Facundo Manes holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Cambridge. He is co-founder of the INECO Group, Honorary President of the INECO Foundation, and a Principal Researcher at CONICET, Favaloro University, and INCYT-CONICET. Link: https://facundomanes.com/cv-espanol/#cv
Teresa Torralva holds a PhD in Psychology from Favaloro University. She is President of the INECO Foundation and Director of Neuropsychology at the INECO Group, and a researcher at the INCYT–INECO Foundation Neuropsychology Laboratory. https://www.ineco.org.ar/profesionales/torralva-teresa/
Karen Fernández, Neuropsychologist and Assistant at the INECO Foundation: https://www.ineco.org.ar/profesionales/karen-fernandez/