Multiscale brain modelling and brain digital twins

This seminar will be held in person, with no option for online attendance.

 A summary of the seminar content and details of the speaker are below:

 Neurotechnologies have recently taken on a profound biomimetic capacity to the point of generating brain digital twins, i.e. digital replicas of the individual’s brain capable of simulating its internal dynamics. Digital twins rely on a multiscale modelling strategy going far beyond mapping the properties of cells and tissues as they can simulate brain function using generative models. On the one hand, the rapid progress of computer science and engineering is providing powerful computational tools that make it possible to model the multiscale organization of the brain. On the other hand, imaging technologies (such as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, MRI) provide detailed, structural and functional images of the brain. Digital twins of the brain first allow us to decode MRI and EEG signals in terms of neuronal activity and provide physiological insight into the relationship between microscopic and large-scale brain phenomena. This approach can be applied to investigate cellular and network phenomena as well as resting-state and task-dependent brain activity addressing the relationship between neural functions and behaviour.  From an application perspective, digital brain twins are demonstrating the ability to predict neural alterations in various pathologies. Digital twins of the brain are destined to play an increasingly important role in personalized and precision medicine: they can be used to improve diagnosis and predict the evolution of disease and to define the most appropriate pharmacological and interventional approach, supporting clinical decisions and improving patient profiling. 

Speaker

Egidio D’Angelo, Full Professor of Physiology, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia (UNIPV), Director of the Digital Neuroscience Centre, IRCCS Mondino, Pavia, Director of the Erice School “Brain cells and circuits: Camillo Golgi”, President of the EBRAINS Italian Community (EIC).