The UMC Utrecht Brain Center represents all research and (international) educational activities of the UMC Utrecht. Specifically, the Utrecht-BCI Lab is a group of multidisciplinary researchers, who study the neuronal mechanisms underlying human brain function in order to understand the relationship between electrical, metabolic, cerebrovascular and neurochemical processes of neuronal populations on the one hand, and normal and abnormal behaviour on the other hand. To that end, we focus both on methodology, application in brain imaging research and on the development of neurotechnology such as implantable Brain-Computer Interfaces.

There are currently several fundamental and applied topics of active research in the group, namely:

1.  Development of Brain-Computer Interfaces (see website);
2.  Mapping of brain function in epilepsy and tumor patients;
3.  Relationship between functional MRI and the underlying neuronal activity;
4.  Development of tools for simulation of neuronal bioelectrical activity and for neurosurgical mapping.

The Bioengineering Department is the most recent department at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), the engineering school of the University of Lisbon. The department is strongly multidisciplinary and covers the most relevant areas of Biomedical Engineering, including biomedical imaging, biosignals and instrumentation, as well as biomaterials, nanotechnology and regenerative medicine.

The topics of neuroengineering, neuroimaging and brain-computer interfaces are of special importance for this program. The faculty associated with these topics develop their research activities in the research institutes affiliated with IST: Institute of Systems and Robotics – Lisboa (ISR-Lisboa), Telecommunications Institute (IT), and INESC-ID. 

Important partnerships with national and international research institutes in neurosciences in close connection with public and private hospital infrastructures are established in the scope of this research activity.