Neuro research is one of ‘Les 10 découvertes de l’année 2013’

The BigBrain atlas developed by Dr. Alan Evans and colleagues at The Neuro’s Brain Imaging Centre has been chosen as one of the top 10 discoveries of the year in Quebec Science.

BigBrain: a revolutionary new 3D digital brain atlas

Imagine being able to zoom into the brain to see various cells the way we zoom into Google maps of the world and to look at houses on a street. Although the brain is considered the most complex structure in the universe with 86 billion neurons, zooming in on it is now possible thanks to a new brain atlas with unprecedented resolution.  BigBrain, the first 3D microstructural model of the entire human brain, is free and publicly available to researchers world-wide. The model was created at The Neuro in collaboration with researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany.  The BigBrain atlas offers nearly cellular resolution, that is detail close to the level of the cell, a capability that has not been previously available in 3D for the human brain. The implications of BigBrain to explore and analyze the human brain are innumerable. It can be used to integrate and correlate data from a wide range of modalities: genetic, molecular neuroscience, electrophysiological and pharmacological among many. It will enable and accelerate computational modelling for simulation of brain functions, normal development and degeneration caused by disease.

Please add YOUR vote for the top scientific discovery of 2013. Voting closes February 20, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. http://www.quebecscience.qc.ca/10-decouvertes-2013/1-Un-guide-pour-voyager-dans-le-cerveau

The Neuro

The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital — The Neuro, is a unique academic medical centre dedicated to neuroscience. Founded in 1934 by the renowned Dr. Wilder Penfield, The Neuro is recognized internationally for integrating research, compassionate patient care and advanced training, all key to advances in science and medicine. The Neuro is a research and teaching institute of McGill University and forms the basis for the Neuroscience Mission of the McGill University Health Centre.  Neuro researchers are world leaders in cellular and molecular neuroscience, brain imaging, cognitive neuroscience and the study and treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and neuromuscular disorders. For more information, visit theneuro.com.