Joint labs to focus on brain health, AI tech

The Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence at Fudan University announced that it will establish a joint laboratory with a domestic hospital management enterprise centered on the early prediction of brain disorders on Monday, the 10th anniversary of the institute's founding.

The facility aims to provide affordable early genetic testing for degenerative brain diseases, priced between 100 yuan ($14) and 200 yuan, said Feng Jianfeng, dean of the institute, in an exclusive interview recently.

In collaboration with the China Railway 24th Bureau Group, the institute will also set up another lab to apply artificial intelligence and brain-inspired technologies to construction sites, aiming to enhance the capabilities of the country's construction sector.

"The labs, each with an investment of 12 million yuan from the industrial partners, showcase how our scientific research is being practically applied in various industries," Feng said.

Emphasizing that the future of medicine lies in prevention rather than treatment, Feng said the institute has developed techniques to conduct protein tests through blood samples, combined with other data and AI algorithms, to identify early signs of degenerative brain diseases, allowing for early intervention and prevention. The new labs are expected to facilitate the industrialization and commercialization of such research.

In 2024, in collaboration with Shanghai Huashan Hospital, the institute achieved a breakthrough in devising a method to predict Alzheimer's disease up to 15 years in advance with 91 percent accuracy.

Alzheimer's disease poses a significant burden in aging societies. Shanghai's latest government data showed that as of 2024, 5.77 million residents with permanent household registration in the city were age 60 and above, comprising 37.6 percent of Shanghai's population.

"We pioneered the use of peripheral blood for such predictions in the research published in the journal Nature, avoiding the need for invasive procedures such as spinal taps and PET-CT scans," Feng said.

Another major achievement was the creation of the world's first digital twin brain at the neuronal level. A news article in Nature Computational Science hailed the result as a milestone and a first-of-its-kind platform globally for advancing AI. Feng said the innovation holds promise for medicine, basic biological research and the future development of general AI.

A third breakthrough involved brain-spine interface surgeries that enable paralyzed patients to control movements through their thoughts, allowing them to stand and walk again. Four such surgeries have been completed in Shanghai hospitals, Feng said.

Such world-class achievements have attracted international attention and collaborations, significantly enhancing the global visibility and influence of the institute, which was the first of its kind at Chinese universities.

"We were bombarded with emails from all over the world after those results were published. For example, scientists in the United States approached us to discuss possibilities of early breast cancer detection, and European scientists expressed interest in deploying our digital twin brain technology," Feng said.

"Our brain-spine interface success led to collaboration requests as well as inquiries from foreign consulates about assisting their citizens," he said.

Feng noted that the research capabilities of the institute are closely linked to the country's overall strength.

"China's comprehensive national power and the pace of scientific development are escalating year by year, which in turn enhances the global influence and appeal of our research outputs," he said.

The institute has attracted world-class experts, including computational neuroscientist Gunter Schumann, who joined as a distinguished professor in 2021. Leveraging Schumann's dataset tracking adolescent brain development over a decade and the strong data analysis capabilities of other members, the institute has made significant progress in this field, Feng said.

"These foreign experts praised the mathematical and physical prowess of our young Chinese faculty and students, who have enabled them to achieve long-sought scientific goals. At the same time, Shanghai offers a conducive environment with world-class research facilities and data access," Feng said.

"I enjoy working here with a team of colleagues who are very gifted and motivated. I find human resources are the most important. The students here are very smart, and the senior colleagues are of international standard, with strong neuroimaging capacities and passion for their work," Schumann said.

Looking ahead, Feng said the institute aims to cultivate talent with original innovation who will become leading figures in the field and guide development in areas such as brain-computer interfaces, embodied intelligence, brain-inspired intelligence and big data applications.

"I firmly believe that the most important aspect of scientific research is people, rather than computing power, algorithms or data," he said.

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn