20 January 2025
How we're funding world-leading research into new neurotechnologies
As part of our Precision Neurotechnologies programme, we are funding a co-ordinated portfolio of 18 research teams across academia, non-profit R&D organisations, and startups dedicated to advancing brain-computer interface technologies.
The programme will direct £69 million over four years to unlock new methods for interfacing with the human brain at the neural circuit level, in order to treat many of the most complex neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, from Alzheimer’s to epilepsy to depression. By addressing bottlenecks in funding and the lack of precision offered by current approaches, the outputs of this programme will pave the way for addressing a much broader range of conditions than ever before, significantly reducing the social and economic impact of brain disorders across the UK.
Funding will be awarded across four focus areas, each with its own objective:
- Non-invasive interfaces: developing cutting-edge technologies to read and modulate brain activity through electrical and acoustic fields, without direct brain contact.
- Remote interfaces: Enhancing the interaction of external fields with the brain, either via biological modification of the brain (e.g., genetic engineering) or microscopic brain implants.
- Biological interfaces: pioneering the use of engineered cells as "living" interfaces to repair damaged neural pathways and develop innovative approaches for long-term, circuit-level brain interfacing.
- Factors impacting future adoption: exploring how neurotechnologies can be designed inclusively, recognising the importance of engaging clinicians and people with lived experiences of brain disorders.
ARIA’s funding will unlock the development of a broad spectrum of new methodologies and technologies, including research behind a clinical trial in the NHS to test one of the most advanced brain-computer interfaces in the world. Through a partnership between the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Plymouth, and US-based non-profit Forest Neurotech, the collaboration will test Forest 1: a minimally invasive, whole-brain computer interface that uses ultrasound (sound waves) to measure and modulate brain-wide activity, developed by Forest Neurotech.
The study1 will investigate the safety and tolerability of Forest 1, while exploring its potential to better understand brain activity by safely using ultrasound. Recognising that many neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders stem from disruptions in neural circuits – the brain’s intricate ‘wiring’ – this research aims to pave the way for personalised therapies by precisely targeting neural networks with minimally invasive methods. The device could be used to treat conditions like depression, addiction, and OCD.
"The ARIA award presents an extraordinary opportunity to advance our work on developing ultrasound neurotechnology for whole-brain imaging and modulation,” said Aimun Jamjoom, consultant neurosurgeon within the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, who leads the project. “This holds the promise of delivering a new class of life-changing therapies for individuals living with neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders."
“To date, there’s been little serious investment into methodologies that interface precisely with the human brain, beyond ‘brute force’ approaches or highly invasive implants,” said ARIA Programme Director Jacques Carolan. “Through trials like this – a first for the UK – we’re showing that it’s possible to develop elegant means of understanding, identifying, and treating many of the most complex and devastating brain disorders. Ultimately, this could deliver transformative impact for people with lived experiences of brain disorders.”
Other teams funded by the programme include one at Imperial College London who is developing an entirely new class of biohybridised technology focused on engineering transplanted neurons with bioelectric components. A Glasgow-led team will build advanced neural robots for closed-loop neuromodulation, specifically targeting epilepsy treatment, whilst London-based Navira will develop a novel technology for delivering gene therapies across the blood-brain barrier, a crucial step towards developing safer and more effective treatments.
1The study will run for three and a half years starting from March 2025. In the first 8 months, the team will dedicate time to completing the regulatory process. The objective of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of an ultrasonic neural interface called Forest 1, developed by Forest Neurotech. As ultrasound waves do not penetrate the skull effectively, the collaboration will be recruiting up to 30 individuals who have had craniectomies (skull defects) to test Forest 1. Alongside this, it will aim to develop computational models by measuring and modulating brain activity, with the aim of developing personalised neuromodulation strategies for mood improvement. The device will be placed on the surface of the skin at the site of the skull defect to interface with the brain. Forest 1 is on a development roadmap with the aim of developing an implantable closed-loop system.
Explore the funded projects in the Precision Neurotechnologies programme