Mental illnesses remain a major health and economic concern in India, affecting 10.6% of adults, according to a National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences survey (2015–16). Against this backdrop, Bengaluru-based neuroscientists have developed CALM-Brain — India’s first multimodal digital repository mapping brain structure and function across major psychiatric conditions.
Built at the Rohini Nilekani Centre for Brain and Mind — a collaboration between NIMHANS and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)— this platform brings together clinical, neuroimaging, behavioural, and genetic data on five disorders: addiction, bipolar disorder, dementia, OCD, and schizophrenia.
🔗 Read my detailed interview report with Prof. Pratima Murthy, former Director, NIMHANS, Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson of the Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Prof. LS Shashidhara, Director of NCBS, Prof. Y.C. Janardhan Reddy and Prof. Raghu Padinjat, CBM co-ordinator at CBM-NCBS, Prof. Biju Viswanath, NIMHANS:
https://www.etvbharat.com/en/health/calm-brain-launch-event-enn26032604823
By integrating tools like fMRI, EEG, cognitive testing, genetic analysis, and stem cell biobanking, CALM-Brain aims to identify biomarkers, enable early diagnosis, and pave the way for more personalized treatments in neuropsychiatric care.
Researchers can now access this rich dataset to better understand disease onset, progression, and underlying biology — a step that could significantly transform how mental illnesses are diagnosed and treated in India and beyond.
#MentalHealth #Neuroscience #IndiaScience #BrainResearch #HealthInnovation
