World’s largest fetal-brain mapping dataset is being built here in India! | Dr Richa Verma on S2E10

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

September 26, 2025

Duration

55m

Channel

Best Place To Build

Watch on YouTube

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📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

What if neuroscience and brain research's future is being built here in India? 🧠✨ In this Best Place to Build episode, we explore the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras, one of the world’s most advanced interdisciplinary brain centres. From brain imaging and mapping to AI models and neural networks, researchers here combine biology, engineering, and computer science to unlock the secrets of the human brain. We dive into:

• Why brain imaging technology is key to understanding disorders and treatments
• How brain mapping data sets are transforming neuroscience research
• The role of wet labs, neurobiology, and AI models in building the future of brain science
• Why IIT Madras is emerging as a hub for cutting-edge neuroscience innovation in India
• If you’re curious about the future of neuroscience in India, the power of AI in brain research, or how interdisciplinary labs are changing science, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre: https://iitm.humanbrain.in/index.html Subscribe for more conversations on innovation, research, and the future of science in India. #Neuroscience #BrainMapping #IITMadras #HumanBrain #DataSets #Collaboration #bestplacetobuild Take a deeper dive, here: 00:00 Intro 00:42 Welcome to the Best Place to Build Podcast 01:11 Introducing Dr. Richa Verma | CSO, Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre | IITM 01:40 What is brain mapping and why it matters? 04:30 What does the brain centre at IITM do? 08:30 Why is imaging the brain a huge engineering challenge? 12:21 Taking a look inside the Dharani dataset of the brain 16:15 The innovative processes that went into creating the dataset 26:50 Who are the collaborators of this project? 28:55 Could a living human brain be studied like this someday? 32:00 How is neuroscience and brain studies a booming field of research? 38:40 Dr. Richa’s journey to neuroscience research 41:20 The interdisciplinary nature of brain imaging studies 43:35 Can you really stick to your degree when most things are so interdisciplinary now? 49:40 Dr. Richa’s message to the youth 50:50 Nvidia X Dharani collaboration 53:16 What is the Neurovoyager? 54:10 Closing thoughts & reflections #Neuroscience #BrainImaging #BrainMapping #IITMadras #AIModels #Neurobiology #Innovation #India #bestplacetobuild

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Dr. Richa Verma

  guest

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Best Place To Build, featuring Dr. Richa Verma, World’s largest fetal-brain mapping dataset is being built here in India! | Dr Richa Verma on S2E10 explores inside IIT Madras’ Dharani atlas: cell-level fetal brain mapping revolution Brain mapping is framed as building a “Google Maps”-like atlas of the brain, moving from region-level views to cell-level resolution across the whole organ to create reference maps for health and disease.

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