Large brain circuit models run on supercomputers
Official title: CRCNS: Training large-scale bio-realistic simulations of brain circuits
Funded at Allen Institute · NIH-11538506 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to create and share powerful computer models of huge brain circuits to understand how thinking and behavior emerge in diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Allen Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 16, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $443,758 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NS153770-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11538506 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This grant is basic-science focused and does not recruit patients directly; findings could eventually influence Alzheimer’s research.
✕Less likely to help
There is no direct patient participation in this grant.
What this research studies
This project will develop a fast, scalable brain-simulation platform called Neulite that can run on modern supercomputers to model millions of neurons and billions of connections. It also plans to train these large-scale brain models using gradient descent techniques so the simulations can closely match real biological data. Finally, the team will build and release full-scale models of the mouse thalamocortical system to study how brain networks support cognition, which could inform our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. The work blends high-performance computing with neuroscience data to make more realistic brain models available to researchers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit in the long term from better understanding of brain dysfunctions linked to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, which may inform future therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior efforts have produced large-scale mouse brain models and show promise for realistic simulations, though extending to whole-brain scales is challenging and ongoing.
Where this research is happening
-
Allen Institute
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Arkhipov, Anton — Allen Institute
- Study coordinator: Arkhipov, Anton
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.