ArdorComm Media News Network
April 23, 2026
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), through its Centre for Brain Research (CBR), has announced a ₹2 crore AI-driven challenge aimed at enabling early detection of cognitive decline.
The initiative invites researchers and innovators from Indian institutions to design predictive models using extensive brain-aging datasets, including longitudinal data collected within India. The six-month competition is being conducted in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative and Microsoft Research India.
According to K.V.S. Hari, Director of CBR, early identification of cognitive decline can pave the way for cost-effective and scalable interventions, especially benefiting the elderly population. He emphasized that artificial intelligence has the potential to uncover deeper insights into brain health and accelerate advancements in this field.
The challenge focuses on developing AI models capable of predicting mild cognitive impairment and dementia, while also enhancing the understanding of disease progression. Participants will work with multi-modal datasets to build robust, scalable solutions addressing critical brain-aging concerns.
Senapathy Kris Gopalakrishnan highlighted that leveraging AI in brain research can significantly improve prediction accuracy, research capabilities, and treatment outcomes, ultimately addressing the growing burden of dementia.
Applications for the challenge are open from April 20 to May 20. Entries will be evaluated by an expert panel, and selected winners will receive a combination of cash prizes and research grants totaling ₹2 crore to further develop their innovations.
Source: The Hindu