Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has unveiled the world's most detailed 3D atlas of the human brainstem, developed through its high-throughput brain imaging and computing platform. This platform transforms whole human brains into 3D cell-resolution atlases.
ANCHOR: A Comprehensive Brainstem Atlas
The atlas, named 'ANCHOR' (Atlas of Neurochemical Characterization of the Human Brainstem with 3D Reconstruction), was created by the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (SGBC) at IIT Madras. According to the institute, ANCHOR comprises the most comprehensive, multi-modal, 3D maps and atlases of the human brainstem to date, spanning from the prenatal period to childhood and adult brains.
These maps include over 200 brainstem nuclei and fiber tracts, reconstructed from hundreds of serial sections. To resolve distinct neurochemical cell types, eight complementary immunostains were applied across more than 500 sections, enabling detailed mapping.
Launch at BRICS Neuroscience Symposium
ANCHOR was released during the 3rd BRICS Neuroscience Symposium 2026, held from June 5th to 7th at the IIT Madras campus.
Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, stated at the launch: "This is a significant accomplishment in the field of neurobiology. This is a multimodal framework integrating MRI, histology, and detailed chemo-architecture. It will be the most detailed and comprehensive maps of the human brainstem and made available publicly in digital form. These maps will help in identifying specific cell populations affected in brain stem lesions, which could be critical for clinical applications."
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, said: "I always take pride that at IIT Madras we are exploring a lot of things, but this particular exploration puts IIT Madras at the frontiers of the most complex creation this world has witnessed - the human brain. This Centre is also studying brains affected by different diseases like rabies, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. We now have a way to say what happens to the basic structure of the brain due to diseases. This is a very important first step in understanding what happens in the human brain."
Prof. Mu-Ming Poo, Scientific Director at the Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who participated virtually, noted: "The choice to release the first atlas in the brain stem is very important and a wise choice. I am particularly impressed with such rapid progress of the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras on the Human Brainstem Atlas. It is the beginning of a long journey. The brainstem is very important to the human body. It is the connection between the brain and the spinal cord and for all our motor movements. It also controls very important aspects such as physiology, how we awake, how we sleep, and how we breathe - they are all controlled by centres in the brainstem."
About the Author: Maitree Baral is a health journalist dedicated to making medical science digestible and healthcare approachable. She covers everything from wellness trends to life-changing medical research, turning complex health topics into engaging, actionable stories.
