Current “Model Systems” for Brain Function are Not Representative of the Real Human Brain
Current in vivo and in vitro models often fail to capture human brain function. Innovative model systems—including digital reconstructions, embodied simulations, and new biological models—are needed.
Foundational Capabilities (7)
Use machine learning to construct functional digital emulations of human
and primate brain systems. These models, built at varying levels of fidelity,
support automated interpretability and data-driven discovery.
Construct a digital replica of a model organism’s brain (e.g., C. elegans) that accurately recapitulates neuronal activity and behavior.
Systematically map how specific brain regions like the hypothalamus and brainstem (arguably the “steering subsystem” of the brain) drive innate behaviors and learning signals, and understand their role in obesity, chronic pain, fertility, inflammation, and other disorders.
Use rich data collection and machine learning to correlate natural behavior with neural activity in animals and humans and decipher the “grammar” and subcomponents of bodily movement.
Develop virtual models (e.g., a virtual fly, rodent) to simulate neuro–cognitive processes in a controlled, embodied environment.
Develop an in-dish model that mimics the structure and function of the human cortex, providing a controllable platform for studying cortical development, function, and disease.