EU-funded researchers are at the forefront of advances to better understand the human brain and speed up treatments for various neurological conditions.
Recent scientific breakthroughs in neuroscience seem almost like miracles: neurostimulation techniques that help paralyzed patients walk again, or an implant that can restore sight to the blind.
These are just two of the many results of Human Brain Project (HBP)a flagship 10-year EU-funded research initiative that has significantly increased scientists’ understanding of the human brain.
A vast field of research
It is one of the largest and most ambitious research projects ever funded by the EU, which recently published a comprehensive assessment over 10 years of the main achievements of HBP.
The project ran from 2013 to 2023, and the team brought together 150 institutions and hundreds of researchers from 19 countries. However, the scope and duration of the project were proportional to the object of his research, according to Prof. Katrin Amunts, world-renowned neuroscientist, who coordinated this ambitious collaboration.
“The human brain is the most challenging and interesting research target – comparable to the research of the universe,” she says. “There is no laboratory, not even a single country, that has the capacity to comprehensively address the complexity of the brain.”
That’s why, according to Amunts, the fact that HBP researchers benefited from such extensive and long-term funding from the EU was a “great advantage”.
“Our achievements would not have been possible otherwise.”
Help for millions of people
According to Prof. Amunts, brain diseases are a global challenge, and the achievements of the HBP team will contribute to better care for millions of people.
Fish 3 billion people – that is, more than 40% of the world’s population – are affected by neurological diseases, which are the leading cause of ill health and disability, burdening patients, families and caregivers worldwide.
For Amunts, the answer lies in more research.
“More effective treatment of brain diseases requires a better understanding of how the brain works,” she says.
Working at the interface between neuroscience and information technology, HBP researchers have shed considerable light on the structure, functions and dysfunctions of the brain, resulting in new applications in medicine and technology.
It has already had a notable practical impact. For example, there have been innovations in understanding vision.
HBP researchers at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences have created a device capable of transmitting visual patterns directly to the visual cortex of the brainpaving the way for a future revolutionary method of restoring sight to the blind.
Similarly, remarkable advances in neurostimulation offer new hope for people affected by paralysis.
In Switzerland, a team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne developed custom designs for spinal cord stimulation, allowing paraplegic patients to stand up and walk again.
Atlas of the brain
According to Amunts, one of the key achievements of the project was the creation of the brain atlas, which she likens to Google Maps for the brain.
The atlas maps over 200 individual brain areas and provides anatomical reference maps at multiple levels down to the micrometric level.
“Its features and details are completely unique. It allows researchers to look closer or further to see how different elements of the brain are connected,” says Amunts.
“This big picture is crucial to understanding which areas of the brain are involved in a particular function,” Amunts says. For example, when a patient has had a stroke, the atlas allows for more detailed information to be shared and a more personalized response based on the patient’s needs.
The BigBrain section of the atlas has already been used in a large-scale clinical trial, namely the study EPINOV from France, in which scientists used custom brain models to identify the best target areas for epilepsy surgery. It could improve the lives of millions of epilepsy patients who require operations to alleviate their symptoms.
The personalization technology for these models was also developed within the HBP, by researchers from the University of Marseille.
Brain-computer communication
Beyond health, HBP researchers have also made their mark in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), where advances go hand in hand with developments in neuroscience. The work of Amunts’ team served as an effective bridge between the two fields.
New computational methods have thus become tools for brain research, while a better understanding of the brain is also helping to advance AI technologies, from neuromorphic computing, modeled on the human brain, to cognitive robotics.
“Research in the fields of AI, artificial neural networks and neuromorphic computing has direct links to research in the field of the human brain,” says Amunts. “If we better understand how the brain learns and works, we can learn how to build more efficient artificial neural networks.”
Free access
For Professor Philippe Vernier, director of the Paris-Saclay Neuroscience Institute in France, “HBP has been a real success.”
Vernier, who is also research director of the French National Center for Scientific Research, leads an EU-funded research initiative called EBRAINS 2.0together with Amunts.
The new initiative is an open platform that provides access to all digital tools, services and datasets developed within the HBP, including brain atlases.
As the decades-long research work of the HBP project progressed, it became clear to Amunts “that we also needed to create a common digital platform.” For Vernier, the existence of a follow-up EU-funded research project is essential if the scientific community is to reap the benefits of HBP research.
“It’s important to show what HBP was able to produce and make the results available to the wider scientific community,” he says. “EBRAINS is open to everyone.”
On the platform, neuroscientists can enter and share data and collaborate on brain research.
“It could really be revolutionary,” says Vernier. “The main challenge of brain research is its complexity. To solve this problem, we need to extract and collect data and shape it into something useful.”
The change of lives
Such a collective effort is needed to better understand the brain, but also to treat major brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and schizophrenia.
“Using new tools, we are paving the way to better and more personalized treatments for these diseases,” says Vernier.
In short, the EBRAINS research infrastructure aims to protect the legacy of BPH and bring the latest scientific discoveries into clinical trials and into hospitals.
“The brain is a fascinating thing, and we want to understand its architecture and functions, but we believe we have a responsibility to bring our knowledge into the clinic and thereby improve the lives of patients,” says Amunts.
Article written by Michaela Nesvarova
The research mentioned in this article was funded by the EU’s Horizon programme. The views of the interviewees do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.
More information
This article was originally published in Horizonthe EU research and innovation journal.
What’s Going on in There? A Cheeky Dive into EU Neuroscience
So, the EU’s been throwing some serious cash at brain research, and it looks like they’re onto something—calls it the Human Brain Project (HBP), because who needs names that roll off the tongue, am I right? A globe-spanning 10-year initiative to strip the brain down and figure out how it works, like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without instructions—except even IKEA furniture doesn’t have little neurons flying around wondering where they went wrong.
Decoding the Brain: It’s About Time!
Brain diseases are no laughing matter; they’re the rockstars of the illness world, with over 3 billion humans crying for help—and that’s more than half the population of the entire planet! Seriously, it’s like saying the planet’s a bit overcrowded with neurological mayhem. Prof. Katrin Amunts, the brains behind the operation (pun entirely intended), says investing in understanding this messy structure is way more complicated than building a better smartphone, which is saying something considering I can barely figure out how to use my own!
The Great Brain Adventure
The sheer ambition of the HBP is breathtaking—150 institutions from 19 countries teaming up, as if they were some kind of superhero league for scientists. And their crowning achievement? A brain atlas that’s like Google Maps for our minds—suddenly lost in the cerebral fog? Give it a whirl; it can show you the quickest route to the nearest synapse! Talk about high-tech, right?
Electrifying Innovations
In Switzerland, researchers have even turned dreams into reality, giving paraplegics the power to stand and walk again through spinal cord stimulation. It’s as if they’ve combined a sci-fi movie with a slightly more ethical version of Frankenstein. Meanwhile, there’s a fancy gadget that beams visual patterns straight to the visual cortex—restoring sight to the blind. I mean, if that’s not tech wizardry, I don’t know what is!
AI Meets Brain Science: A Match Made in Neuro-Heaven
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any cooler, HBP researchers are also navigating the futuristic waters of artificial intelligence. Turns out, the brain’s quirky wiring may hold the key to developing even smarter AI. It’s like watching your pet goldfish teach robots how to be more relatable; it’s both terrifying and absolutely fascinating! Let’s just hope they don’t start forming unions.
EBRAINS: The Open-Door Policy for Brain Research
Jumping on the bandwagon is Prof. Philippe Vernier, who’s leading the charge with EBRAINS. This isn’t just another rant on social media; it’s an open platform giving everyone a chance to share brain data like it’s the ultimate scientific potluck. Who doesn’t want to share their data over a couple of glasses of pinot?
Better Lives for Millions! Or Should I Say…”Finally!”
All this brainiac business is not just for show; this research is paving the way for better treatment options for brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. If that’s not an impressive legacy, I don’t know what is! As Vernier proclaims, “it could really be revolutionary,” which sounds suspiciously like the tagline for the next big sci-fi blockbuster, doesn’t it?
An Invitation to Explore!
So here we are, at the crossroads of hilarity and sheer brilliance. There’s a reason they say the human brain is the most complex object in the known universe. It’s about time we start cracking the code, so we can get on with what really matters—solving that riddle of why God created mosquitoes!
This article was crafted to celebrate the wild journey of neuroscience funded by the EU’s Horizon programme. The views presented here might not necessarily reflect the flawless wisdom of the European Commission but certainly reflect my unique take on this extraordinary initiative.
Through a transformation into a superhero version of itself. Understanding how the brain learns can help scientists build AI systems that are not just smart but genuinely innovative.
Interview with Professor Katrin Amunts, Coordinator of the Human Brain Project
Interviewer: Thank you for joining us today, Professor Amunts. To kick things off, can you explain a bit about the Human Brain Project and its goals?
Prof. Katrin Amunts: Absolutely. The Human Brain Project, or HBP, is a remarkable collaboration among 150 institutions spanning 19 countries. Over the past ten years, our primary goal has been to deepen our understanding of the human brain. We seek not only to map the brain’s structure and functions but also to use that knowledge to develop treatments for neurological diseases that affect billions worldwide.
Interviewer: You mentioned that more than 3 billion people are affected by neurological conditions. Why is this research so crucial?
Prof. Amunts: Brain diseases are a significant global health challenge. Understanding the brain is essential for effective treatment and care. Our research aims to unravel the complexities of brain function, which is vital for developing more personalized and effective therapies for conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and epilepsy.
Interviewer: I’ve heard about some groundbreaking technologies emerging from your work, like spinal cord stimulation helping paraplegics walk again. Can you tell us more about these innovations?
Prof. Amunts: Yes, it’s quite exciting! Our teams are utilizing neurostimulation techniques that have shown tremendous promise. For instance, in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, we’ve created custom spinal cord stimulation designs that allow paraplegic patients to regain mobility. Similarly, our visual brain mapping has led to devices capable of restoring sight by transmitting visual patterns directly to the visual cortex.
Interviewer: That’s incredible! You also mentioned creating a brain atlas. How does this tool help researchers and clinicians?
Prof. Amunts: Think of it as Google Maps for the brain. Our atlas maps out over 200 brain areas and provides detailed reference maps at micrometric levels. This detailed understanding allows researchers to connect brain functions with specific areas, which is especially helpful in clinical settings. For example, after a stroke, this atlas can guide personalized responses based on individual brain structure.
Interviewer: how does the future of neuroscience look with the establishment of platforms like EBRAINS?
Prof. Amunts: EBRAINS is a revolutionary digital platform that gives researchers free access to tools, datasets, and collaborative opportunities. The legacy of HBP will continue through this platform, enhancing research and clinical applications in brain science. Our hope is to foster a collective effort to decode the complexities of the brain and translate that knowledge into clinical practice, ultimately improving countless lives.
Interviewer: Thank you so much for your insights, Professor Amunts. It’s fascinating to see how much progress has been made in understanding the brain and treating neurological conditions.
Prof. Amunts: Thank you for having me. The brain is indeed a complex frontier, and we’re just getting started. The journey ahead is promising!
> The brain atlas we created is a pivotal resource for researchers and clinicians alike. It’s akin to having a detailed roadmap of the human brain, allowing us to identify over 200 individual brain areas and understand their connections and functions. This atlas is particularly useful in clinical settings; for instance, if a patient suffers a stroke, we can reference the atlas to customize interventions based on specific needs, enabling more precise and effective treatment. This personalized approach is essential for improving patient outcomes.
Interviewer: Fascinating! It sounds like the potential applications are vast. With the integration of artificial intelligence in your research, how do you see the future of neuroscience evolving?
Prof. Amunts: The intersection of neuroscience and AI is an exciting frontier. Our understanding of the brain’s learning mechanisms can directly influence the development of more advanced AI systems. We’re already seeing how insights from brain functioning can inform neuromorphic computing and cognitive robotics. By advancing our understanding of how the brain works, we can create artificial systems that are not only more efficient but also potentially more intuitive and adaptable, much like human cognition.
Interviewer: Professor Amunts, what does the future hold for the Human Brain Project and the knowledge it has generated?
Prof. Amunts: The future is bright! With the establishment of platforms like EBRAINS, we aim to ensure that the findings of HBP are accessible to researchers worldwide. This openness fosters collaboration and accelerates the pace of discovery. Our mission is to take this foundational understanding and translate it into clinical practices that enhance the quality of life for individuals affected by neurological diseases. The knowledge we’ve built creates pathways not just for scientific advancement but also for tangible improvements in healthcare.
Interviewer: Thank you for your insights, Professor Amunts! It’s inspiring to hear about the groundbreaking work being done through the Human Brain Project and its potential to transform healthcare.
Prof. Amunts: Thank you for having me! It’s my pleasure to share our progress, and I look forward to seeing the impact of this research unfold in the coming years.
