Toronto: Two prestigious universities - Oxford in Britain and McGill in Canada- have joined hands for research on the human brain. The two universities are among world leaders in neuroscience research.

Montreal-based McGill University said on Friday that it is partnering with Oxford "to broaden understanding of the human brain and take research to new heights".

Under the collaborations in training and research in neuroscience, the two universities will have regular exchanges of students and professors.

"I am absolutely delighted to formalise this historic collaboration between our two great centres of learning in this important field," McGill principal and vice-chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum was quoted as saying in a joint statement by the two universities.

"Our respective distinguished records in neuroscience research on both sides of the Atlantic suggest that, in joining forces, we can have a powerful impact. Together, we will attract new funding, accelerate the pace of research and, most important, the delivery of results," he said.

Oxford vice-chancellor John Hood said: "The partnership will bring together the world-class research expertise of Oxford and McGill universities in one of the great challenges of this century: understanding how the brain works.

"By working together, we can increase the scope of our research and teaching and look forward to new advances in a wide range of conditions, from autism to Alzheimer's."

McGill University, which has 34,000 students from 160 countries on its rolls, runs one of the largest integrated programmes in neurosciences, aided by its Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute.

Oxford University has over 130 principal investigators conducting brain research. It also has about 250 research assistants and more than 200 postgraduate research students.

Its Centre for Functional MRI for the Brain offers the latest developments in brain imaging. IANS