The BBRC receives financing from EBRAINS to streamline the use of data applied to neuroscience

The Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Centre (BBRC), a research centre at the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, has received financing from the call launched by EBRAINS to finance projects which foster access and reuse of data in neuroscience.

EBRAINS is a digital research infrastructure designed to facilitate access to data, tools and advanced models in neuroscience. Its platform integrates neuroimaging, artificial intelligence, and computational simulation resources, and allows researchers from around the world to collaborate and share data under the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) principles.  

Under the “Recruiting large data collections for FAIR data sharing and analysis in EBRAINS” call, 4 research projects will be financed for a year, with a monetary contribution of €60,000 and the project led by the BBRC is among them. This call is designed to improve accessibility and reuse of large neuroscientific data collections, with special priority for the studies based on large databases on the human brain.

ALFA+EBRAINS: Data to advance towards a future without Alzheimer's

The project introduced by the BBRC, titled “ALFA+EBRAINS: Integrating ALFA+ cohort study in EBRAINS for Neurodegenerative Research” is led by Xavier Serra Picamal, Strategic Sata Integration Manager at the centre. The project’s purpose is to advance in the adoption of the FAIR principles, improving ease of search of the ALFA+ study data, making them visible in the EBRAINS structure. Thus, and under the strategic governance of the BBRC, the scientific community will be able to access this valuable data set more efficiently in order to advance research into Alzheimer's disease.

The ALFA+ study is a longitudinal study within the ALFA cohort, including data from 2,743 individuals without cognitive impairment between 45 and 74 years old. ALFA+ collects key information on neuroimaging, genetics, cognition, lifestyle and clinical aspects of over 400 participants with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Its inclusion in the EBRAINS infrastructure will contribute to enhancing the impact of these data on the global scientific community.

This recognition reinforces the BBRC's position as a benchmark in Alzheimer's disease research and highlights the importance of longitudinal cohorts like ALFA. Furthermore, it highlights the relevance of analysis and integration of these data in open infrastructures, such as EBRAINS to foster high impact findings in the scientific community.

This project is co-funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Research Infrastructures programme under grant agreement no. 101147319 (EBRAINS 2.0).