The Human Brain Project’s neuroscientists and invited guests will present their latest achievements in understanding neurocircuit dynamics at microscales, meso- and macroscales, including the emergence of consciousness, at the Symposium “From Cortical Microcircuits to Consciousness”. The three-day event started this Monday at the Institut Catholique de Paris, France.

Katrin Amunts, scientific director of the HBP, welcomed the participants of the Corticon event. She spoke about the goals for the final phase of the HBP, one of the largest research projects in the world and one of three FET (Future and Emerging Technology) Flagship projects.

“The Human Brain Project started with a great ambition: to contribute to a deeper understanding of the human brain, but to do it at the intersection of computing, neurotechnologies and medicine,” said Amunts about the EU funded project. “This is something special. It’s not just a neuroscience project but a project that tries to make an impact on this intersection.”

HBP scientists are now focusing on three core scientific areas – brain networks, their role in consciousness and artificial neural networks – as well as on expanding the HBP’s innovative EBRAINS infrastructure.

Amunts also gave examples of how EBRAINS, can be used for collaborative research that is openly accessible to the research community, not limited to Europe.

Text: Helen Mendes Lima