Diversity, Culture, and Context in Human Brain Health Research

Human brain health research is moving beyond universal “norms” toward models that treat culture, language, environment, and structural conditions as central drivers of neurodevelopment, neuropsychiatric risk, diagnostic accuracy, and treatment response. This Collection highlights methods and evidence that improve validity, generalizability, and equity in clinical neuroscience by embedding context into study design, measurement, and interpretation across the lifespan.Here, culture is understood in a practical, research-facing way: it shapes how people communicate, learn, interpret tasks, and engage with clinical settings—through language, education, community practices, and the day-to-day conditions that influence attention, stress, and participation. This includes differences in how individuals access and respond to testing environments and clinical interactions, particularly when sensory processing, hearing or vision status, or communication needs affect what a measure can validly capture.We welcome contributions that clarify how conclusions shift when research asks not only who is represented, but also what settings and expectations are built into “standard” protocols. We also invite work that refines what counts as meaningful change, prioritizing function, wellbeing, and participation alongside symptom metrics.Desired contribution types:• Cross-cultural, multilingual, and accessible assessment science: measurement invariance across language and access needs; bias detection; task design that supports captioning, AAC-compatible responses, and sensory-accessible formats; translation/adaptation protocols that consider communication and sensory demands; norms stratified by language, education, and sensory status.• Context-aware neuroimaging/EEG methods: harmonization across sites/devices; fairness audits for preprocessing and QC; sampling designs that reduce SES and access-related bias.• Exposome + brain health: pollution, noise, heat, nutrition, sleep, stress biology, and neighborhood factors linked to brain development and psychopathology.• Structural determinants and mechanisms: discrimination, poverty, education, immigration experiences, housing instability modeled as mechanisms, not nuisance variables.• Fair and interpretable computational models: subgroup calibration, transportability, uncertainty reporting, clinically meaningful interpretability.• Intervention and implementation studies: culturally responsive care; outcomes tied to participation and autonomy; accommodation-forward approaches alongside symptom-focused targets.• Community-engaged research: co-design, governance, and feedback loops that improve relevance and trust.Submissions may include original research, methods papers, systematic reviews, or perspectives with clear clinical neuroscience relevance. Topic editors: Livia Goto Silva, Maurizio Giustetto, Yassine AIT BALI Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78788/diversity-culture-and-context-in-human-brain-health-research