A groundbreaking paper co-authored by the lab of MCB’s Jeff Lichtman has been named a recipient of the 2024 Good Tech Awards by The New York Times. This prestigious award celebrates innovations that use technology to make a significant positive impact on the world.
The award-winning paper, titled “Mapping the Human Brain: 150 Million Synapses and Counting,” was published in Science and described in a May MCB news story. The research represents an extraordinary collaboration between the Lichtman Lab and Google Research, leveraging advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create an unprecedented map of human brain connectivity.
“This recognition surprised me and reflects the power of collaborative work on connectomics with the crack team of AI experts in Viren Jain’s lab at Google,” says Lichtman. When asked why he thought the paper was so highly recognized he adds, “I think there is a fascination with things that are unfamiliar, and despite each of us having one, the brain is rather mysterious; The complexity and beauty of the human brain doesn’t hurt either.”
The study, recognized for its technical brilliance and potential to transform neuroscience, utilized cutting-edge imaging and machine learning techniques to analyze a human brain sample of an individual with epilepsy at the nanoscale. This effort culminated in the detailed mapping of 150 million synapses, providing insights into the intricate architecture of neural circuits and laying the groundwork for future discoveries in brain function and disease.
“In these heady times, AI is advancing neuroscience in at least two ways,” explains Venki Murthy, Raymond Leo Erikson Life Sciences MCB Professor, and Paul J. Finnegan Family Director of the Center for Brain Science. First, AI can provide ways of understanding how brains work, even if not mechanistically, at least metaphorically. Second, AI is driving neuroscience as a tool to acquire, extract, and organize large data sets. “Connectomics is intrinsically “big data” science, and AI techniques are indispensable for extracting information from the tsunami of pixels that come out as raw data. It is exciting to see Jeff’s pioneering work get recognized more broadly and outside academia. We are fortunate to have this pioneer in our community as a scientist and a leader!”
Looking ahead, the team within the Lichtman lab is eager to study other brains and tissues from individuals who do not have epilepsy. “We want to see if the things we found in this paper were related to epilepsy or just a part of human brains,” he adds.
The New York Times’ recognition underscores the broader societal and scientific implications of this work. By advancing our understanding of neural connections, the study sets the stage for breakthroughs in fields ranging from artificial intelligence to neurology.
Congratulations to the Lichtman Lab and all collaborators on this remarkable achievement!
