European Brain Research Institute (EBRI)

On 11 March 2019, the European Brain Research Institute organized a public seminar in the Aula Magna of Rome University “La Sapienza” on “Simulating the Human Brain”. The event concerned one of the two largest scientific projects ever funded by the European Union, the Flagship “Human Brain Project”. The aim of this ambitious project is to integrate into computer models all we know about the brain in order to create a European scientific Research Infrastructure for Brain Research, Cognitive Neuroscience, and other Brain-inspired Sciences. After a general Introduction by the President of EBRI, Professor A. Cattaneo, scientists from the Rome HBP Institutions (EBRI, Italian Institute of Health, National Institute of Nuclear Physics) presented their projects. On 12 March 2019, E. Cherubini, EBRI Scientific Director, and F. Malerba, EBRI researcher, conducted an interviewed on Radio 32. The interview was broadcasted live from a book shop “Lo Yeti” in Rome. While E. Cherubini discussed EBRI research on Autism Spectrum Disorders, F. Malerba described her project on Alzheimer’s Disease. The public present expressed interest in the topics that were discussed (autism, vaccines, and scientific fake news), and in the role of caregivers in AD, and the symptoms for early diagnosis of AD. On 15 March 2019, F. Malerba met with the students of the middle school “Scuola Media Antonio Rosmini” (Rome) and spoke about Rita Levi-Montalcini and the discovery of the Nerve Growth Factor. The students were completely charmed by the story of Levi-Montalcini and were also very curious about Francesca’s work as a researcher.