ARIA’s Precision Neurotechnologies program aims to ‘revolutionize’ the treatment of brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Scientists at universities across the UK have been awarded £69 million in funding from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to advance groundbreaking research on neurodegenerative diseases. Over the next four years, ARIA’s Precision Neurotechnologies program seeks to revolutionize the understanding and treatment of complex and devastating brain disorders by developing innovative technologies to interface with the human brain.
The new ARIA program aims to unlock the full potential of neurotechnology, alleviate bottlenecks and move closer to a world where personalized brain healthcare is available to all. It focuses on developing next-generation precision neurotechnologies capable of interfacing with the human brain at the “circuit level,” with cell type specificity across distributed brain regions.
The Precision Neurotechnologies program is funding 18 teams across the UK with expertise across various disciplines and institutions, aiming to foster a collaborative environment to drive innovation in neuroscience and neurotechnology. By leveraging advances in brain-computer interfaces, AI, computational power and gene therapies, ARIA aims to achieve more precise and effective treatments for brain disorders.
The project is funding four research teams working on technologies to read and modulate brain activity without direct brain contact, as well as five teams working to enhance remote interaction with the brain through biological modifications or microscopic implants. It is also supporting four teams pioneering the use of engineered cells as ‘living’ interfaces to repair damaged neural pathways, and another five teams of researchers exploring how neurotechnologies can be designed inclusively, recognizing the importance of engaging clinicians and people with lived experiences of brain disorders
Four research projects at Imperial College London have secured nearly £15 million from the initiative, and Professor Mary Ryan, the university’s Vice-Provost, said: “These projects have the potential to unlock the complexities of the human brain, enabling us to understand and ultimately influence its activity with unparalleled precision. This could revolutionise the treatment of brain disorders, such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.”
