National Brain Research Centre
Manesar

Mandate

NBRC is the only institute in India dedicated to neuroscience research and education. The institute's mandate is to i) Pursue research to understand brain function in health and disease, ii) Generate trained human resources with the capability to carry out interdisciplinary research in neuroscience, and iii) Promote neuroscience in India through networking among institutions across the country.

Campus

NBRC has a sprawling campus located in the foothills of the Aravalli range in Manesar. The total land utilized by the NBRC (38.78 acres) has been leased to it by Indian Vaccines Corporation Limited (IVCOL), a Union Govt company of DBT.

Research Focus

Using multidisciplinary approaches, NBRC research is focused on investigating the complexities of the brain functions and cognition in health and diseases. There are five Neuroscience research divisions at NBRC, namely Cellular and Molecular, Systems, Cognitive, Computational, and Translational. ore focus is on i) development of therapeutic tools and platforms to assess and cure brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, Japanese Encephalitis, Zika virus disease, Neuro, AIDS, brain tumor, spinal cord injury, and stroke, and ii) to elucidate detailed understanding of senses of touch, hearing, speech learning, memory, and spatial navigation.

Human Resource

The institute currently has 14 scientists 110 Research Fellows involved in high-caliber research, supported by 27 technical staff and 14 administrative staff at the institute.

Key Scientific Achievements

Major achievements in the last 5 years (2017-22) are as follows:

• A national level multi-centric Dementia Science Program that provides insights into the prevalence of dementia and discovers biomarkers, risk factors, and protective factors was launched in 2017. For the diagnosis and classification of dementia, all centers use robust, uniform criteria that are internationally accepted, adapted, and validated in the Indian context.
• In 2019, a flagship program entitled “Comparative mapping of common mental disorders (CMD) over the lifespan” was launched to understand the science of well-being. This involves comparative mapping of common mental disorders (CMD) over the lifespan: This flagship program understands how information-processing networks in the brain are affected in CMD, including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The program also studies underlying brain mechanisms that differentiate between these disorders and whether these networks are affected similarly in different age groups.
• Development of computational analysis platforms processing a wide variety of data, including neuroimaging as well as big data decision framework, which integrates non-invasive MRI, MRS, and neuropsychological test outcomes to identify early diagnostic biomarkers of neurodegenerative disorders.
• The researchers at NBRC have received key awards and recognition for their scientific contributions, such as J.C. Bose National Fellowship, Ramalingaswami Fellowship, Tata Innovation Fellowship, K T Shetty Memorial Oration Award (Indian Academy of Neurosciences), NASI Reliance Platinum Jubilee Award, Basanti Devi Amir Chand Prize (ICMR), Global Artificial Intelligence Award, Hargobind Khorana Innovative Young Biotechnologist Award, IBRO start-up grant, several travel grants (from International Society for Neurochemistry, DST-SERB, International Cytokine & Interferon Society, International Brain Research Organization), etc. Several scientists are also elected Fellows and members of prestigious national and international academies and societies.
• The institute has organized outreach and public engagement events such as its Open Days, National Science Day celebrations, participation in India International Science Festival, and public talks.

Services Offered

1. Distributed Information Center (DIC): DIC is established under the initiative of BTISNET initiative of DBT. DIC manages information and communications technology (ICT) and e-governance activities of NBRC. It provides ICT science & technology services.
2. Experimental animal facility: The facility contains animal models, including primates and transgenic mice.
3. National neuroimaging facility
4. Neuroimaging and neurospectroscopy laboratory: This laboratory functions on the metabolic analysis of different neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., AD, PD) using MRS technique
5. Centre for Excellence for Epilepsy/MEG facility: This center studies epileptogenesis, better diagnosis, and localization of epileptogenic foci and new therapeutic techniques.
6. Speech and Language Laboratory (SALLY): Research in this lab focuses on unravelling cortical pathways involved in Hindi–English biscriptal adults and children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Brain_Research_Centre - cite_note-31
7. Computational neuroscience and neuroimaging laboratory: The unit works on imaging-based diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and planning pulsed radiotherapy and chemotherapy for treating brain tumors from translational medicine aspect.
8. Translational & clinical neuroscience unit: This unit provides neurological OPD services and assesses the occurrence of neurological cases in Gurgaon. Patients visiting the unit have access to several facilities, including MRI, computed tomography, etc.