Every moment of our waking lives, images fall onto our eyes and go through a series of processing steps in the brain to inform us about what is going on in the world. A team of researchers led by HBP partner University of Amsterdam, finds that the time the brain needs to make a visual decision depends on auditory and tactile inputs, not only on the visual properties of the stimuli.

Is it possible to differentiate biological sex from other factors that can influence the brain, like culture or life experiences? Is sex a simple binary variable or a complex interplay of several factors? To which extent are brain functions affected by sex hormones? Can it be ethically justified to only study homogenous groups when diagnosing and treating diseases, if that means neglecting human diversity? Which intersections of sex with further diversity traits should be considered, especially for neurodegenerative diseases?

Human Brain Project researchers collaborate with Intel to bring AI closer to the energy efficiency of the brain.

World Schizophrenia Day is observed on May 24 every year to spread awareness about the mental disorder that affects about 24 million people across the world, according to the World Health Organization. Schizophrenia involves impairments in the way reality is perceived and behaviour changes, causing symptoms like delusions, hallucinations and disorganised thinking. The Human Brain Project (HBP) supports research that contributes to a better understanding of schizophrenia. In a recent study, scientists analysed a mechanism that may be behind one of the characteristic symptoms of the disorder.

The HBP Summit 2021 has been honoured by Visit.brussels as one of the best events taking place in Brussels over the last two years. The HBP summit organization team was among 14 congress organisers named ambassadors of Brussels at the Brussels Events Ambassadors Evening on 16 May 2022.

On 16th May 2022, the first HBP Young Researcher’s Event of this year took place in Copenhagen, Denmark. HBP and EBRAINS together with the University of Copenhagen invited the entire scientific community, in particular early career researchers, to join the event in Copenhagen or virtually and learn more about how EBRAINS supports next-generation basic and clinical neuroscience. 127 participants from 36 countries participated in a versatile scientific programme. In addition, an evening Networking Reception hosted by the EBRAINS Community Building team provided ample opportunities for socialising and networking and invited participants in Copenhagen to join the EBRAINS Community Space.

Professor Paolo Carloni was presented with the Hans and Marlies Zimmer International Scholar Award at a symposium in Cincinnati (USA) in April 2022. The HBP researcher was honoured for his work in the field of computer-based chemistry and biophysics.

Researchers of the Human Brain Project (HBP) found that in Parkinson’s disease the volumes of certain brain regions decrease over time in a specific pattern that is associated with clinical symptoms and largely coincides with the pattern described in Braak’s famous staging theory. The new study published in Cortex provides a detailed description of the structural changes over a long period of time and with an unprecedented spatial detail.

There is a need to re-think RoI in EU-wide research initiatives. In this blog, the Human Brain Project‘s Ethics Advisory Board (EAB) focuses on how we can leverage the HBP experience toward EBRAINS and a culture of reflective science practices by design.