Portugal joins European research infrastructure for neurosciences

INESC TEC has become part of EBRAINS, a new digital research infrastructure created by the EU-funded Human Brain Project (HBP) to promote brain research, and to help translate the latest scientific findings into benefits for patients and society in general.

According to João Paulo Cunha, INESC TEC researcher,  coordinator of the Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research (C-BER) and professor at FEUP, joining BRAINS will “allow us to increase the internationalisation of our Neuroengineering R&D area, 10 years after it was created at BRAINlab and the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto – through the adoption of the first curricular unit in this area at FEUP and the University of Porto. It will also be a way to improve and share INESC TEC knowledge and experience in this area, as well as the Institute’s infrastructures with the scientific community, at national and European level”.

Duarte Dias, researcher at INESC TEC, mentioned that this will also “strengthen INESC TEC position in the area of Biomedical Engineering, more specifically in Neuroengineering, where the high scientific and technology transfer success has been widely acknowledged”. Moreover, this is a very important step, since “it will ensure greater engagement between the most important European brain research centres, in order to seek funding for research projects”.

EBRAINS is an infrastructure that brings together data, tools and research facilities related to the study of the brain and – based on cutting-edge neuroscience – ensures free access to information, computer models and software tools for researchers, clinical staff, scientists, and students. The goal is to accelerate the efforts to understand how the human brain works and the main associated diseases.

In practical terms, Duarte Dias ensured that EBRAINS will favour “INESC TEC improvement in this area, providing (nationally and internationally) physical and digital infrastructures to accelerate and facilitate research in neurological diseases”.

“We are delighted to welcome INESC TEC as an associate member of EBRAINS”, stressed Paweł Świeboda, CEO of EBRAINS, also mentioning that “the Institute is involved in a number of activities related to brain research and technology, in particular neuroengineering”.

EBRAINS’ mission is to revolutionise the way neuroscience is conducted. The digital ecosystem provided enables advances in brain research that translate into innovation in neuroscience, healthcare, and technology for the benefit of patients and society.

INESC TEC has led numerous research and development projects in this area, leading to several patents, prototypes, and the establishment of spin-offs like InSignals Neurotech and iLoF.