HBP research was presented by leading scientists from the project at “Brain Research & Tech: How can Horizon Europe improve human brain health and performance?”, a conference organized by the EU office of Aix-Marseille University (AMU), which took place in March at the premises of the Committee of the Regions in Brussels. 

Held under the high patronage of MEP Françoise Grossetête, the event brought together researchers across Europe and representatives from industries with Members of the European Parliament and Representatives of the European Commission and Member States for a high-level exchange. 

HBP’s Scientific Research Director Prof. Katrin Amunts gave an overview on the project and took part in the Panel “Designing and implementing Horizon Europe: the brain in Europe and its impact on society”. [pictures (c) AMU/Danica BIJELJAC]

Prof. Viktor Jirsa’s talk introduced the use of personalized brain models for epilepsy surgery. The Director of the System Neuroscience Institute of AMU also coordinated the conference. In HBP he is Deputy Leader of the research area of Theoretical Neuroscience and Scientific Leader of the multimodal and multi-scale HBP human brain atlas. [pictures (c) AMU/Danica BIJELJAC]

Prof. Pieter Roelfsema, Director of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and Deputy leader of the HBP research area on Human Brain Organisation. In his talk “Reading and Writing in the brain: Novel technology for the blind”, he presented research for developing a visual brain-prosthesis. [pictures (c) AMU/Danica BIJELJAC]

Prof. Kathinka Evers, Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB) Uppsalla University Sweden and leader of HBP’s research area Ethics and Society, took part in the Panel “Neurotechnology, where we are, where we go?”, which included a Q&A with the public. [pictures (c) AMU/Danica BIJELJAC]

The conference also featured representatives from other major European initiatives, industry, and key policy actors. Pictured are (from top left) Dr. Pierre Meulien, Executive Director of the European Innovative Medicine Initiative, Dr. Thomas Brionne from Medtronic, and Dr. Thomas Skordas, European Commission, DG CONNECT. [pictures (c) AMU/Danica BIJELJAC]

For more about the event’s programm and its participants see the event brochure: https://www.univ-amu.fr/system/files/2019-03/Livret%20VD2.docx.pdf