IISc’s brain research centre inks deal with UK institute

Bengaluru: The Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) have announced an international partnership to accelerate scientific understanding and innovation in brain health.

By integrating expertise and cutting-edge technologies — including blood-based biomarkers, AI-driven data analysis, and digital cognitive monitoring tools — the partnership aims to develop innovative approaches to understanding and preventing cognitive decline.

The CBR and UK DRI will harness diverse population studies across India and the UK, combining unique research cohorts spanning urban and rural communities.

In collaboration with Health Data Research UK, the partnership will leverage extensive epidemiological datasets to maximise research impact.

CBR Director Prof KVS Hari said: "Through this endeavour, we aim to drive forward a research synergy that can address one of the most pressing health challenges of our time and provide solutions that benefit our aging society."

UK DRI Director Prof Siddharthan Chandran said: "This collaboration represents more than a research programme — it’s a global effort to understand and mitigate the challenges of cognitive ageing. By coming together, we can generate insights that would be impossible through isolated studies."

Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of Infosys and founder trustee of Pratiksha Trust, which supports CBR, emphasised that forward-looking "team science" initiatives leveraging technology and data are the need of the hour.