Pioneering research labs set to lead way in brain research
A research project that aims to improve diagnosis and treatment of brain disease, new prosthesis technologies and intelligent robots has been bolstered with the official opening of the Neuro Electronics Research Flanders (NERF) labs on imec's campus in Leuven.
The occasion also saw the launch of the European Brain Project, one of the projects shortlisted for the European Flagship Programme.
Funded by the Flemish government, the NERF initiative is supported by imec, VIB and KU Leuven, each of which is pooling its knowledge in disciplines such as nanoelectronics, biotechnology and neurology. The new labs provide a unique combination of research instruments and tools.
NERF will also contribute to the Human Brain Project, led by the Swiss EPFL, which is set to bring together information on the workings of brain molecules, cells and connections into one huge databank. This will serve as a basis for making biologically accurate and detailed simulations of the entire human brain with the aid of informatics, modelling and supercomputing.
