How to Foster Challenging Interdisciplinary Collaborations: Can Philosophy Support Neuroscientists?
Abstract
New conceptual and technological developments bring neuroscientists closer to other disciplines and other fields in neuroscience with different traditions. Although some neuroscientists may underrate the potential benefits of successful interdisciplinary collaborations, others may be unaware of the typical difficulties of such collaborations or are not trained in skills that render them fruitful. Here, we argue that interdisciplinary interactions have long been part of neuroscience, although they are often challenging, because neuroscientists may be confronted with concepts, assumptions, and interpretative horizons that differ from their own. This can lead to misunderstandings and little mutual appreciation. Using the historical development of brain imaging techniques, we distinguish between different types of interdisciplinary interactions and illustrate some of their benefits. In addition, we present various challenges for collaborations at the interface between traditional laboratory-type approaches and those of clinical or computational neuroscience or of ecological field approaches. To address these challenges, we invite neuroscientists to consider philosophers as collaboration partners with complementary expertise, which includes special consideration of language use, underlying assumptions and proficiency in conceptual analysis. This expertise can be used by neuroscientists to increase their understanding and address some difficulties in interdisciplinary interactions more effectively. The benefits of these interactions can be expected to outweigh challenges in the dialogue with philosophers. Importantly, neuroscientists can choose between reading philosophical literature, participating in joint events with philosophers, and integrating philosophers into neuroscience projects. This may allow neuroscientists to explore unforeseen possibilities to improve or initiate collaborations with scientists from other fields and disciplines.
Related
- Leveraging collaborations between researchers, wildlife managers and citizen-volunteers to monitor endangered carnivore populations across space and time
- Brain sustain partnerships: Equity-orientation and decolonization theory to promote Global North-Global South collaborations in health professions education
- Lorlatinib in frontline treatment of advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: a highly efficient new standard of care but still challenging to manage
- Challenging the loss of complexity theory: Insights from isometric force output in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- BioPhys-Bridge: A Benchmark for Interdisciplinary Scientific Reasoning in Physics-Grounded Biological Research
BibTeX
@article{kunze2026foster,
title = {{How to Foster Challenging Interdisciplinary Collaborations: Can Philosophy Support Neuroscientists?}},
author = {M. Kunze and C. Brun and J. Badaut and M. Darnaudéry and F. Gross and L. Peltier and T. Pradeu and I. Sarto-Jackson and J. Konsman},
journal = {European Journal of Neuroscience},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1111/ejn.70542},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05860420v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - How to Foster Challenging Interdisciplinary Collaborations: Can Philosophy Support Neuroscientists?
AU - M. Kunze
AU - C. Brun
AU - J. Badaut
AU - M. Darnaudéry
AU - F. Gross
AU - L. Peltier
AU - T. Pradeu
AU - I. Sarto-Jackson
AU - J. Konsman
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/07
JO - European Journal of Neuroscience
DO - 10.1111/ejn.70542
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05860420v1
AB - New conceptual and technological developments bring neuroscientists closer to other disciplines and other fields in neuroscience with different traditions. Although some neuroscientists may underrate the potential benefits of successful interdisciplinary collaborations, others may be unaware of the typical difficulties of such collaborations or are not trained in skills that render them fruitful. Here, we argue that interdisciplinary interactions have long been part of neuroscience, although they are often challenging, because neuroscientists may be confronted with concepts, assumptions, and interpretative horizons that differ from their own. This can lead to misunderstandings and little mutual appreciation. Using the historical development of brain imaging techniques, we distinguish between different types of interdisciplinary interactions and illustrate some of their benefits. In addition, we present various challenges for collaborations at the interface between traditional laboratory-type approaches and those of clinical or computational neuroscience or of ecological field approaches. To address these challenges, we invite neuroscientists to consider philosophers as collaboration partners with complementary expertise, which includes special consideration of language use, underlying assumptions and proficiency in conceptual analysis. This expertise can be used by neuroscientists to increase their understanding and address some difficulties in interdisciplinary interactions more effectively. The benefits of these interactions can be expected to outweigh challenges in the dialogue with philosophers. Importantly, neuroscientists can choose between reading philosophical literature, participating in joint events with philosophers, and integrating philosophers into neuroscience projects. This may allow neuroscientists to explore unforeseen possibilities to improve or initiate collaborations with scientists from other fields and disciplines.
SN - 0953-816X
SN - 1460-9568
ER -