Category: news

The future of Alzheimer’s research took center stage at this year’s Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) Annual Conference, where Dr Eric Hill delivered a compelling talk to an audience of 300 registrants. This prestigious event, the leading national conference for dementia research in the UK, brought together scientists, clinicians, and experts to discuss groundbreaking advancements in the field. Dr Hill’s talk, titled “Future of Alzheimer’s Research”, explored emerging technologies, novel therapeutic approaches, and the pivotal role of neuromorphic computing in understanding neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s.

The Future of Alzheimer’s Research

Dr Hill’s presentation provided a forward-thinking perspective on the direction of Alzheimer’s research. He highlighted the integration of artificial intelligence, brain-on-a-chip technology, and advanced imaging techniques in accelerating discoveries. One of the key themes was the necessity for multidisciplinary collaboration, bringing together expertise from neuroscience, computing, and bioengineering to unravel the complexities of neurodegeneration.

The discussion also touched on the importance of humanised models for studying Alzheimer’s, reducing reliance on animal-based research while improving the relevance of experimental findings to human patients. Attendees engaged in a lively Q&A session, reflecting the growing excitement around innovative research methodologies that could pave the way for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments.

Public Engagement: ‘Our Wonderful Brains’

Surrounding this landmark conference was an equally exciting public outreach event, ‘Our Wonderful Brains’, hosted at the Birmingham Exchange. Designed to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and the public, this event featured Dr Eric Hill and Willow Hall, who engaged people of all ages in hands-on activities showcasing the wonder of the human brain.

From retired ramblers to schoolchildren, visitors had the opportunity to explore brain science through:

• Creating intricate brain patterns with beads, visually representing neural connectivity.
• 3D printing demonstrations, allowing attendees to see and touch models of neurons and brain structures.
• Interactive brain models, providing a tactile experience of different brain regions and their functions.
• 3D-printed takeaway cells, giving attendees a unique souvenir while sparking conversations about neuroscience.

The event was a resounding success, fostering curiosity and enthusiasm about brain research among a diverse audience. It also underscored the importance of public engagement in science, making complex topics accessible and inspiring future generations of researchers.

Looking Ahead

Both the ARUK Annual Conference and ‘Our Wonderful Brains’ showcased the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of Alzheimer’s research. With increasing collaboration between scientists, engineers, and the public, we are moving closer to transformative discoveries that could reshape the future of dementia treatment.

At NeuChip, we remain committed to supporting research at the intersection of neuromorphic computing and neuroscience, driving innovations that could one day lead to breakthroughs in neurodegenerative disease therapies. Events like these reinforce the importance of bringing science to the forefront of society and ensuring that research remains both impactful and accessible.

For more updates on our work, visit www.neuchip.eu and follow our latest developments in neuromorphic computing for brain research.

Jordi Soriano from University of Barcelona is participating in the school ENREDANDO 2024, a school on complex networks and nonlinear dynamics that is taking place at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, in Bogotá. The school covers aspects from epidemics to neuroscience and artificial intelligence. and it is thought to motivate young students to engage themselves in these research topics or related fields. 

FENS Biocomputing

Our partners in Technion have recently published a new article covering their work on training memristive devices. Please see more on our publication page.

Dr Eric Hill and colleagues from Aston enjoyed an “exciting new immersive exhibition” to support the open delivery and accessibility of science to the community through large scale kinetic installations with glass, light and body recognition software.

This is an accumulation of over 7 years work, with an amazing online gallery here.

David Jenkins yet again shows off the multi-couloured delights of his neurons in a linked video here. Two of his fellow researchers are partially colour blind, so to help with their visualisation of the cell types and domains he has selected colours that they can discriminate.

See more of the amazing images in the NEU-CHiP gallery.

Loughborough School of Science hosted 3 excellent students and 2 amazing teachers from St. John’s College Cardiff over a week in the summer. Everyone had hands on experience of multiple lab practicals ranging from culturing living cells to making micro-devices in a clean room. The students fed back from their experience that they learned a lot and were able to explore areas of science that they have never thought about.

During July, I undertook a work experience with Dr Roach at Loughborough University which was an incredible experience. It really brought my passion for science alive and I was able to experience chemistry and biology in a practical setting. My most memorable moment was probably gas chromatography which interested me by how many uses it had and the explanations by the members of staff were brilliant. I was able to use this experience to strengthen my application for medicine and it motivated me to continue along this career path.

Matthew Logan

Using Schlieren photography you can visualise small changes in air density, even the thermal changes from a hand.

We went to Loughborough University to undertake work in the laboratories there with Dr. Roach for work experience, during which we experienced quite a lot of amazing things that combined chemistry, physics and biology together. My favourite part was looking at electron microscopy, as I could look into any part I wanted to observe and the appearance was so magical that it let me realize that a very, very small corner on the earth could have such a wonderful world inside. Besides this we also done many fantastic things such as cell cultures, fluorescent imaging and analysis Chemistry which greatly broadened my horizons. As an overseas student, I haven’t done any formal practical work before the AS level, so this trip was quite challenging for me, but it really taught me a lot of useful skills and developed my interest in natural science. Really want to thank Dr. Roach as he was so kind and knowledgeable that he arranged our rewarding trip perfectly and helped us so much along the way.
Thank you very much for this amazing trip!

Estella Shi

It was quite a long week with lots to see and do, but everyone left smiling and making plans for a return next year. St. John’s College Cardiff students are welcome anytime – and their teachers are pretty fun too.

Paul Roach

Last week I had my first poster presentation at the @EMBO workshop “Neural stem cells: From basic understanding to translational applications” in Greece. It has been a pleasure to attend such interesting talks as well as meet amazing people. @NSC_BrainDamage @NeuChiP – Anna-Christina Häb from the University of Barcelona

Held at the University of Barcelona, almost all partners were able to make a physical meeting (save 2 who sadly had covid and couldn’t fly, so dialed in virtually). This was a really exciting meeting, sharing updates, feeding in for further progression of the project and enjoying each other’s company in the very scenic environment.

We have progressed a lot over these last months, with a lot more to do building on the capabilities of the team. This is such an exciting project to be a part of, with many avenues to explore and innovate.