News

In a new interview, we talk to EBRAINS Chief Science Officer Viktor Jirsa about his impressions from the EBRAINS Roadmap Symposium, and how the discussions will inform the writing of the EBRAINS Roadmap.

A new study supported by EBRAINS 2.0 and the Virtual Brain Twin Project has presented a biologically grounded computer model of the cerebellar cortex – the part of the brain involved in coordinating movement and supporting learning – that simulates brain activity with remarkable realism.

Researchers developed tailored computational mean-field brain models to capture how different cerebellar regions generate and shape neural activity. Integrated into The Virtual Brain platform using EBRAINS infrastructure, this work enables biologically grounded, multi-scale brain simulations for clinical applications.

A team of researchers from the University of Pavia has introduced a tool that automatically converts detailed spiking neural network models into simpler “mean field model” (MFM) equations – mathematical descriptions that capture the dynamics of populations of neurons.

The NEST Simulator has been included for the first time in the SPEC CPU 2026 industry benchmark. In early May 2026, the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC) released a new, updated benchmark suite—the first since 2017—that reflects modern, compute-intensive workloads typical of today’s real-world software. It is used to objectively measure and compare processor (Central Processing Unit, CPU) performance under realistic conditions. NEST is included in the updated benchmark suite as scientific simulation software because it represents complex, compute-intensive workloads characteristic of modern server and workstation architectures. The current suite contains 52 benchmarks—nine more than the 2017 version.

Since Monday, 20 April 2026, the Institute of Neuroscience an Medicine (INM-1) has been presenting the Julich Brain Atlas and the digital research infrastructure EBRAINS at the Hannover Messe 2026. The presentations are part of the exhibition stand with which Forschungszentrum Jülich is showcasing itself at one of the world’s most important platforms for technologies of industrial transformation.

Researchers are using EBRAINS to generate personalised virtual brain twins of patients that may transform the treatment of schizophrenia. Their innovative approach, which combines advanced neuroscience, modelling, AI, and high-performance computing, could pave the way for more effective, tailored therapies for one of the world’s most challenging mental health conditions.

Brain Health Day 2026: Advancing a European Strategy for Brain Health Across Policy, Research and Society

EBRAINS is pleased to announce that the University of Helsinki has joined the EBRAINS AISBL as a full member.