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Scientific

The USC has joined EBRAINS, the leading European platform for neuroscience

  • Through the Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), this represents a strategic step forward in its commitment to excellence in interdisciplinary research at an international level
  • The initiative provides scientists, healthcare professionals and companies with data, digital tools and robotic devices for the study of the brain and its diseases

The University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), through the Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), has just joined EBRAINS as an associate member. EBRAINS is a European initiative that aims to promote brain-related research and to help translate laboratory findings into industry, for the benefit of patients and society. 

EBRAINS comprises a digital infrastructure made available to scientific staff, healthcare professionals and companies, offering access to data, atlases, modelling and simulation tools, as well as easy access to high-performance computing resources and robotic and artificial intelligence platforms.


European neuroscience research ecosystem

“Joining Ebrains represents a significant strategic step for the USC, reinforcing our commitment to excellence in neuroscience and interdisciplinary research”, says Professor José Luis Labandeira, Principal Investigator in the Neurodegenerative Diseases Area at CIMUS and the USC’s representative at EBRAINS. “Through EBRAINS, our researchers gain access to cutting-edge digital infrastructure, including data repositories, simulation tools and collaborative platforms that enable us to tackle complex challenges relating to the brain from multiple perspectives,” he adds.

Joining this European infrastructure involves the participation of other researchers from the Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit at CIMUS, such as Ana Isabel Rodríguez, Jannette Rodríguez, Daniel Torrecilla, Pablo Aguiar and Alba Vietes, amongst others, whose research in neuroscience will help to strengthen the university’s presence within this international collaborative ecosystem.

For the USC and CIMUS in particular, membership of EBRAINS represents a unique opportunity to link molecular medicine with computational neuroscience on a large scale.

According to the USC’s representative at EBRAINS, “this participation strengthens our role within the European research landscape, fostering synergies with leading institutions and enhancing the global impact of our scientific output.”


Gaining a better and faster understanding of our brain

Ebrains brings together a range of services whose main purpose is to accelerate and deepen our understanding of the brain. This initiative represents a strategic advantage for the USC, as it will enable various highly qualified laboratories to enhance their research activity at both national and international levels.

All these tools draw on the achievements of the Human Brain Project (HBP), Europe’s largest brain research initiative and one of the largest projects funded by the European Union (EU). At the intersection of neuroscience and computer science, the HBP investigates the brain and its disorders using highly advanced methods from computing, neuroinformatics and artificial intelligence, and drives innovation in fields such as brain-inspired computing and neurorobotics.

About CiMUS at the USC

CiMUS at the University of Santiago de Compostela is dedicated to cutting-edge research in the field of chronic diseases. Its mission is to generate high-impact knowledge that is connected to society and serves patients.

Its work is organised into two main programmes: Molecular Mechanisms of Disease and Integrative Translational Research. These programmes bridge the gap between fundamental knowledge and clinical application, with a clear focus on technology transfer and therapeutic innovation.

CiMUS is an open and collaborative centre that fosters synergies with universities, healthcare centres, patients' associations, the business sector and innovation organisations at regional, national and international levels. It holds CIGUS accreditation from the Xunta de Galicia (ED431G/2023/02), which endorses the quality and impact of its research, and is ‘funded by the Regional Ministry of Education, Science, Universities and Vocational Training’ and ‘co-financed by the European Union’ through the Galicia ERDF Programme 2021–2027. It has also been accredited at the national level as a María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence, awarded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (grant CEX2024-001463-M).