Modi Launches IIT Madras Mission to Map 100 Human Brains, Releases World’s First Ischemic Stroke Atlas
The initiative aims to create the largest collection of whole-human-brain 3D maps at cellular resolution, providing researchers and medical professionals with detailed insights into brain structure, cellular changes and neurological disorders, the Institute said in a release.
During the visit, Modi released C-STROKE, described by IIT Madras as the world’s first human ischemic stroke atlas, developed by the Centre.
The atlas bridges pre-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, which capture brain structures at the millimetre scale, with microscopic examination of whole-brain tissue at cellular resolution.
The atlas contains more than 1,000 annotated brain sections from a stroke-affected brain.
It maps cellular markers associated with neuronal health, neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier disruption, hypoxia and axonal injury, enabling researchers to examine clinical imaging patterns at the microscopic level.
The initiative is supported by IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus and Fairfax Financial Chairman Prem Watsa.
The Centre is using advanced brain-imaging technology and high-performance computing to process whole post-mortem human brains into digital 3D maps at cellular resolution.
The resulting atlases are made publicly accessible through a multimodal image visualisation and computing platform for researchers, medical professionals and other users worldwide.
The 3D maps were generated using the Param Shakti supercomputer, supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The platform includes an open-access data viewer and analytical tools to help researchers investigate cerebrovascular diseases and identify potential therapeutic targets.
The mission brings together more than 200 researchers, engineers and technicians at SGBC, over 10 medical institutions across India and more than 30 leading researchers from over 10 countries.
Kris Gopalakrishnan, Infosys co-founder, IIT Madras Distinguished Alumnus and a major donor to the Centre, said the Prime Minister’s visit would inspire scientists working on the initiative and encourage philanthropists to support the expansion of advanced scientific research in India.
Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, Head of SGBC at IIT Madras, said the mission brought together brain science, engineering, medicine and technology, adding that the maps and atlases could have significant implications for neuroscience and neuromedicine for decades.
The Centre aims to expand the collection of brain atlases across different ages and disease conditions, creating a publicly accessible resource for advancing research into brain function and neurological disorders.
