Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has become the first research organisation in the world to release the most detailed 3D high-resolution images of the fetal brain.
- For the first time, in the world, 5,132 brain sections have been captured digitally using the cutting-edge brain mapping technology developed by the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre in the Institute.
- This Data Set has been termed ‘DHARANI.’
- This is the first time such advanced human neuroscience data has been produced from India. The project was done at less than 1/10th of the costs in western countries.
- The research was undertaken by a multidisciplinary team at IIT Madras with researchers from India, Australia, US, Romania and South Africa and medical collaborations with Chennai-based Mediscan Systems and Saveetha Medical College Hospital.
- This research is critical for India as the country accounts for nearly one-fifth of the world’s childbirths at 25 million each year.
- This makes it vital for the country to understand the brain development from the fetus to a child, to adolescence, and to a young adult, and developmental disorders like learning disabilities and autism.
