Human Brain Project

Human Brain Project
Name	Human Brain Project
Established	2013
Focus	Neuroscience, Neuroinformatics, Brain simulation
Headquarters	EPFL, Geneva
Key people	Henry Markram, Katrin Amunts
Affiliations	European Union

Human Brain Project. A large-scale, decade-long scientific research initiative launched by the European Union in 2013. Coordinated from the EPFL in Geneva, it aimed to create advanced ICT tools to accelerate understanding of the human brain. The project concluded its final phase in 2023, leaving a legacy of open digital platforms for the global neuroscience community.

Overview

The initiative was one of the European Commission's flagship Future and Emerging Technologies projects, receiving funding through the Horizon 2020 program. It emerged from pioneering work at the EPFL's Blue Brain Project, led by neuroscientist Henry Markram. The consortium brought together hundreds of scientists from over 100 institutions across Europe, including major partners like the Jülich Research Centre, University of Heidelberg, and Karolinska Institutet. Its ambitious scope aimed to bridge the gap between experimental neuroscience and digital technology.

Scientific Goals and Approach

The primary objective was to build a unified, multi-scale digital research infrastructure for the brain. This involved integrating vast amounts of experimental data from projects like the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the BRAIN Initiative. A core, and often debated, goal was the development of detailed computational models and simulations of rodent and ultimately human brain circuitry. The approach emphasized the creation of collaborative platforms rather than a single monolithic "brain in a machine," fostering a new paradigm of collaborative, data-driven neuroscience.

Key Research Areas

Research was organized into distinct subprojects focusing on specific domains. These included detailed mapping of brain organization, known as brain atlasing, led by researchers like Katrin Amunts at the Jülich Research Centre. Another major area was computational neuroscience, developing software for simulating networks of neurons and synapses. Further divisions studied cognitive architectures, neuromorphic computing inspired by brain design, and the application of high-performance computing from centers like the Barcelona Supercomputing Center to neural data analysis.

Infrastructure and Platforms

A central legacy is the set of open digital platforms collectively known as the EBRAINS infrastructure. These include the Brain Simulation Platform for building and testing models, the Neuroinformatics Platform for sharing curated data, and the Neurorobotics Platform for simulating embodied agents. The infrastructure also features tools for medical informatics and access to advanced neuromorphic computing systems like SpiNNaker and BrainScaleS, developed in collaboration with the University of Manchester and the Heidelberg University.

Governance and Funding

The project was governed by a board of directors and scientific directors, with oversight from the European Commission. It operated in distinct phases: a ramp-up phase from 2013-2016, a core operational phase until 2020, and a final specific grant agreement phase concluding in 2023. Total funding from the European Union exceeded 600 million euros, managed through the Horizon 2020 framework. The consortium included academic institutions, industrial partners like IBM, and was reviewed by external bodies such as the International Scientific Advisory Board.

Impact and Legacy

Its impact is seen in the establishment of the sustainable EBRAINS infrastructure, now a core component of the European Open Science Cloud. It advanced the field of digital neuroscience, providing tools used in subsequent projects like the Destination Earth initiative. The project spurred significant debate about large-scale big science approaches in biology and influenced global brain research efforts, including interactions with the BRAIN Initiative in the United States. Its datasets and software continue to serve researchers at institutions worldwide, from the MIT to the Riken institute in Japan.

Category:European Union projects Category:Neuroscience research Category:2013 in science