DS-AI Seed Grants: Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain - A Revolutionary iEEG Repository

The human brain is an intricate network of neurons that govern our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Understanding how this network functions to support health and disease such as in epilepsy is a critical challenge in neuroscience. Epilepsy affects millions worldwide, causing sudden seizures that disrupt daily life and pose significant health risks. This groundbreaking project aims to tackle this challenge by creating one of the world’s largest repositories of intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) data, an invaluable tool for understanding brain activity and seizure dynamics.

This innovative repository will house continuous recordings of brain activity collected from over 80 patients with epilepsy, offering two weeks of uninterrupted data per individual. With more than 7,500 recording channels, synchronized video footage, and precise electrode mapping to brain regions, the dataset will provide an unprecedented window into the brain’s electrical activity during seizures and at rest. To enhance its utility, the repository will include rich metadata such as patient demographics, neuropsychological assessments, and detailed records of medication use.

The team's goal is to empower researchers to develop next-generation tools for epilepsy management. By analyzing this dataset, scientists can refine machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to predict seizures with greater accuracy, identify the exact regions in the brain where seizures begin, and study how different medications influence brain activity. These insights can pave the way for personalized treatment plans, improve the success of surgical interventions, and enhance patient safety.

The project is designed with scalability in mind. As more patients contribute data, the repository will expand, becoming a living resource that grows with the needs of the scientific community. By adhering to strict privacy standards and using the latest data-sharing technologies, we will ensure the repository is accessible to researchers at the University of Minnesota. This initiative represents a major leap forward in neuroscience research, offering hope for millions living with epilepsy while also laying the groundwork for breakthroughs in other brain disorders, such as traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases. By harnessing the power of data and collaboration, the researchers aim to transform how we understand and treat brain conditions. Moreover, this project further cements the University of Minnesota's leadership in human neuroscience and neuromodulation research. By creating a resource of this scale and significance, we continue to drive innovation and discovery in brain health, solidifying our position as a global hub for transformative neuroscience advancements.

The project is supported by an interdisciplinary team of experts from the University of Minnesota, spanning multiple departments and schools, including:

• Department of Neurology, Medical School (Dr. Tom Henry, Dr. Zhiyi Sha, Dr. Sandipan Pati)
• Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School (Dr. Robert McGovern, Dr. Michael Park, Dr. David Darrow)
• Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical School (Dr. Ziad Nahas, Dr. Alex Herman, Dr. Alik Widge)
• Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering (Dr. Theoden Netoff)
• Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Science and Engineering (Dr. Keshab Parhi, Dr. Yogatheesan Varatharajah)
• Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy (Dr. Jim Cloyd)
• Department of Neuroscience, Medical School (Dr. Esther Krook-Magnuson)
• The Hormel Institute (Dr. David Guinovart)

This cross-disciplinary collaboration ensures the project's success and highlights the University of Minnesota's commitment to fostering innovation across diverse fields to advance neuroscience and improve patient care.

This project received a DSI (now DSAI) Data Sets Seed Grant and was featured during the Seed Grant Showcase in February 2025. DSAI Seed Grant funds are intended to promote, catalyze, accelerate, and advance U of M-based data science research so that U of M faculty and staff are well prepared to compete for longer term external funding opportunities. Priority is given to projects that will enable or bridge applications to larger funding opportunities and/or create new cross-disciplinary or cross-system collaborations, and to those that align with at least one of the areas of the MnDRIVE initiative. Projects must align with one of the current DSI focus areas: Foundational Data Sciences, Digital Health and Personalized Health Care Delivery, or Agriculture and the Environment. This project falls under the Environment research area of the MnDRIVE initiative and the Agriculture and the Environment focus area.