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We are pleased to announce that Maiken Nedergaard, Co-Director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine (CTN) at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Professor of Glial Cell Biology at the University of Copenhagen, has been elected as an Academician of WAAC for her pioneering contributions to astrocytes and the glymphatic system, as well as the mechanisms of sleep-dependent clearance of brain metabolites.
Over the years, Professor Nedergaard has advanced a research program centered on “glia — glymphatic system — sleep-driven clearance — clinical translation,” building an evidential chain from basic science to application: in 2012, her team reported in Science Translational Medicine the brain’s glymphatic system, showing that cerebrospinal fluid can enter and exchange with the parenchyma via perivascular pathways; in 2013, in Science, they showed that sleep or anesthesia expands the interstitial space and markedly enhances clearance, providing a direct physiological account of sleep’s restorative function. Subsequent work in reviews and clinical imaging/modeling has continued to extend the field, helping shape evaluation paradigms and intervention strategies anchored in testable “physiological phenotypes of consciousness,” and offering key levers for comparative research on “consciousness–state–function” across artificial and biological systems.
- Global Collaboration and Academic Ecosystem
Academicians of the World Academy for Artificial Consciousness hail from institutions such as Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Cambridge, the University of California, the French Academy of Sciences, the University of Padua, the University of Queensland, Columbia University, and the University of Exeter. Honorary Academicians come from a wide range of countries and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Australia, Spain, and China. In addition, leading scientists from prominent research institutes and technology companies—such as Google, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and ZEEKR—also participate.
- About WAAC
The World Academy for Artificial Consciousness (https://www.waac.ac/) is a global academic institution established in Paris in 2025. Its mission is to advance frontier research and international collaboration in artificial consciousness through the integration of science, technology, and philosophy. The Academy publishes open research, policy recommendations, evaluation standards, and more. The current President is Academician Yucong Duan, and the Secretary-General is Dr. Yingbo Li. The Honorary Academician List: On May 3, 2025, WAAC released its first batch of Top 100 Honorary Academicians, recognizing scholars who have made foundational or leading contributions to the theory of artificial consciousness.