National Node

Switzerland

Overview

EBRAINS Switzerland is led by the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and brings together universities, university hospitals, infrastructure and research centers across the country. Its mission is to support the neuroscience community in Switzerland and connect it to the wider EBRAINS ecosystem, ensuring that Swiss researchers benefit from this major European neuroscience initiative while contributing their own scientific expertise, strong infrastructure and high-quality data to Europe.

Services offered

The focus of EBRAINS Switzerland is on trusted research environments (TREs), infrastructure for sensitive and non-sensitive data and high-performance computing, computational modelling and simulation, analytical tools and FAIR data management.

Infrastructures

EBRAINS Switzerland will deliver a leading-edge ecosystem of Trusted Research Environments (TRE) for sensitive human neuroscience and clinical data. It will enable secure storage, AI-driven analysis, and large-scale simulation, seamlessly integrated with exascale high-performance computing—without compromising data protection.

At its core is a federated TRE portfolio that combines:

Secure-by-design TREs with isolated workspaces and containerised analytics
Federated data analysis that preserves data sovereignty (code-to-data)
Secure HPC execution on Switzerland’s flagship supercomputer ALPS, ultimately enabling AI training and digital twin workflows on sensitive data

This legally compliant, scalable, and future-proof research environment will support work across institutional, cantonal and national boundaries while meeting the expected standards of security, auditability, and regulatory compliance. It positions EBRAINS Switzerland as a strategic digital node for advanced, AI-driven neuroscience and clinical research in Europe.

The Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) provides critical infrastructure through its new frontier system ALPS, one of the most powerful public supercomputers worldwide, purpose-built for the heavy computational demands of AI research.
Exoscale, a commercial Swiss and European cloud provider specialising in secure infrastructure, operates its cloud in secure, HDS- and ISO-certified European data centres, including facilities in Geneva and Zürich. Designed for sensitive and regulated workloads, these data centres comply with the Swiss Federal Data Protection Act (FDPA and revised FDPA) and align with GDPR requirements, ensuring strong data protection, confidentiality, and regulatory compliance.

Trusted research environments

The CHORUS TRE delivers a Kubernetes-based secure and scalable platform for sensitive health data. It supports data-driven medical research with tools for storage, curation, sharing and analysis. The Human Intracerebral EEG Platform (HIP), powered by CHORUS (CHORUS.HIP) focuses on multiscale human iEEG and imaging data, supporting research in epilepsy, cognition, consciousness, connectomics and in general, brain-related disorders.
The Medical Informatics Platform (MIP) offers a full solution for federated clinical data analysis and clinical research. As part of the EBRAINS infrastructure, it is one of three GDPR-compliant Kubernetes based platforms designed for clinicians and clinical scientists with a focus on structured clinical data.

AI, NeuroAI

With CSCS as a key partner in the Swiss Neuroinformatics Network and a major contributor to the Swiss AI Initiative, the neuroscience community has an exceptional opportunity to carry out innovative projects involving sensitive data. ALPS enables advanced AI research by giving scientists access to state-of-the-art computational resources. EBRAINS Switzerland also hosts cutting-edge laboratories working on computational neuroscience models and neuro-inspired AI, with integration into The Virtual Brain, and Neuromorphic Platforms. Integration of Brain-Score as a standard benchmarking and validation service, enabling automated, reproducible assessment of NeuroAI models against large-scale neural and behavioural brain data is foreseen.

Simulation and analytical tools

EBRAINS Switzerland regroups and offers simulation and analytical tools developed across multiple partner institutions, covering the full computational neuroscience workflow—from single-neuron modelling to large-scale brain region simulations and cortical learning systems. The portfolio includes tools for neuronal morphology visualisation, analysis, and repair, as well as platforms for spiking neural networks, probabilistic inference, plasticity-rule discovery, neuromorphic benchmarking, and brain–computer interface development.

Building on these capabilities, EBRAINS Switzerland aims to advance scalable and energy-efficient simulation of whole-brain dynamics, notably through accelerated workflows for The Virtual Brain. By exploring neuromorphic-inspired approaches tailored to continuous-time dynamical systems, this work enables more efficient large-scale and long-timescale simulations relevant to learning, disease modelling, and personalised medicine, while strengthening Switzerland’s contribution to next-generation brain research infrastructures.

FAIR data management

EBRAINS Switzerland provides a FAIR-compliant, privacy-preserving data management framework that enables discovery and reuse of high-quality neuroscience and clinical data while keeping sensitive data securely within trusted environments. Built on MarmotGraph, the metadata platform developed at CSCS and powering the EBRAINS Knowledge Graph, non-sensitive metadata from the Swiss neuroscience community are made discoverable using harmonised standards, ensuring interoperability across EBRAINS, EOSC, and the European Health Data Space. This approach preserves data sovereignty and regulatory compliance while strengthening the visibility and reuse of Swiss and international datasets. Key MarmotGraph developers based at CSCS provide strong FAIR data expertise to the Swiss Neuroinformatics Network.

Teaching

Several services and institutions of EBRAINS Switzerland support education with resources for teaching and outreach. Open Educational Resources are being developed to support the EBRAINS community through a dedicated portfolio of training materials. This includes webinars on topics such as Artificial Intelligence in Neuroscience, privacy and security of medical data, data anonymisation techniques and relevant rules and regulations, or the generation of synthetic data. The webinars will be delivered in English, French, or German, depending on the involved partner institutions. The collection will also be expanded with recorded demonstrations and tutorials for tools provided by EBRAINS Switzerland.

Students interested in biological deep learning, neuro-inspired AI and neuromorphic applications are encouraged to apply for a lab visit at the NeuroTMA Lab at the University of Bern.

Onboarding

EBRAINS Switzerland aims to broaden its offering and progressively integrate new partners, complementary tools and data that meet the needs of the Swiss scientific community. Universities, research institutions, and researchers or educators affiliated with Switzerland who wish to engage in node activities, using EBRAINS resources, or integrating their tools and/or data to the EBRAINS ecosystem are encouraged to contact EBRAINS Switzerland using the form below for further details. The email will go to EBRAINS Switzerland coordination.

Testimonials

Professor of Neurology, UNIL and Head of Department of Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV; Affiliated Professor at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Node Leader

Philippe Ryvlin

"EBRAINS Switzerland offers a unique AI‑driven research infrastructure that links an exceptional scientific community to advance medical and brain research. Core components include our TREs, with the MIP and CHORUS.HIP as central pillars. CHORUS.HIP, a TRE for human iEEG and neuroimaging, enables unmatched large‑scale data sharing and supports secure foundational models decoding physiological and epileptic activity."

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, CHUV and UNIL

Jean Louis Raisaro

"I’m excited to support the launch of the EBRAINS Swiss Node and contribute my expertise in trustworthy clinical AI and secure data analytics. Through tools such as CHORUS, our secure processing environment, I look forward to enabling privacy-conscious data sharing and accelerating the development of compliant, reproducible AI solutions across the Swiss and European neuroscience ecosystem."

Unit Head Engineer & Lead Architect for Cloud, DevOps, Data & Trusted Compute, ETHZ, CSCS

Pim Witlox

"EBRAINS is enabling technological advances at CSCS, enhancing cloud and HPC support for sensitive workloads. This collaboration improves how we assist Swiss researchers with sensitive processing, empowering them to leverage cutting‑edge resources to achieve impactful scientific advancements."

Prof. Dr., Chair of Digital Circuits and Systems, ETH Zürich & University of Bologna

Luca Benini

"As part of EBRAINS Switzerland, Luca contributes the PULP-Platform to bridge the gap between advanced neuroscience and energy-efficient computing. Our open-source hardware enables the community to deploy sophisticated brain-inspired models onto miniaturized, low-power devices. Recently, we have extended this vision to Foundational Models for biosignals, providing the community with robust, pre-trained architectures that simplify complex neural decoding tasks. By combining these advanced models with our high-performance hardware, we foster a new era of collaborative research for next-generation, portable neuro-technologies."

Senior Programme Manager (CHUV), Node Manager

Birgit Schaffhauser, PhD

"EBRAINS offers a unique opportunity to transform neuroscience in Europe and beyond. Through EBRAINS Switzerland, we aim to build, align, and strengthen Swiss efforts within a shared European ecosystem. EBRAINS enables powerful global collaborations, connecting scientists with high‑quality data, advanced tools, cutting‑edge computing, integrated services, and international initiatives that accelerate discovery and innovation."

Leader of the Neuro-TMA Lab, Department of Physiology, University of Bern

Mihai Petrovici, PhD

"We have been active members of the HBP and EBRAINS consortia for more than a decade, contributing to neuromorphic, neurorobotic, neurocomputing and virtual brain platforms. The EBRAINS infrastructure and community have been indispensable for advancing our recent work on continuous‑time neuronal dynamics, including enhanced TVB modelling, a novel platform for accelerated emulation, and applications in neurorehabilitation and neurorobotics."

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, EPFL

Martin Schrimpf

"I am excited to join EBRAINS Switzerland to integrate modern NeuroAI with the platform’s extensive neural and behavioral data. Stimulus-computable “digital twins” can complement the ongoing biophysical modeling. Advancing digital brain models will enable us to decode the neural mechanisms underlying human intelligence and accelerate clinical applications."

Clinical neurologist and neuroscientist, CHUV

Carolina Ciumas, MD, PhD

"EBRAINS Switzerland offers a distinctive ecosystem comprising neuroinformatics tools, brain atlases and data-sharing infrastructures that directly support my research. The ecosystem enables the integration of multimodal clinical and imaging data, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and accelerates the translation of advanced computational analyses into clinically meaningful insights for patients with epilepsy."

Exoscale Ambassador

Sébastien Pittet

"Complex, sensitive neuroscience data and long-term research simulations aligns perfectly with our brand positioning. By hosting critical workloads for one of Europe's most ambitious scientific projects, Exoscale solidifies its reputation as the go-to provider for infrastructure where there is no room for uncertainty. EBRAINS elevates Exoscale from a "service provider" to a strategic institutional partner."

Full Professor and the Director of the EPFL Neuro (EPFL), Director (.NeuroRestore), Professor (UNIL)

Gregoire Courtine

"I am excited to join EBRAINS and take full advantage of its computational tools and brain atlases to develop advanced therapies. I am also looking forward to sharing my data and expertise with the EBRAINS community to help develop next generation of EBRAINS tools."

Senior attending physician and the Director of the Service of Neurosurgery (CHUV), Professor (UNIL), Director (.NeuroRestore)

Jocelyne Bloch

"I plan to utilize EBRAINS AI tools to advance existing and develop new neuromodulation treatments that will help people with neurological disorders regain their lost functions, improve their independence, and increase their ability to take part in social life."

Assistant Professor (EPFL); Group leader (.NeuroRestore)

Eduardo Martin Moraud

"EBRAINS opens the doors to leverage cutting edge computational and AI techniques to help understand the causes and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Combining these tools with my therapies has the potential to transform the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease."

Assistant Professor (UNIL); Group leader (.NeuroRestore)

Henri Lorach

"I am eager to join the EBRAINS community and leverage their artificial intelligence tools to enhance the brain-computer interface therapies being developed and tested in my lab. Together, we can finally restore normalcy to the lives of people paralyzed by stroke and spinal cord injury."

Assistant Professor (UNIL); Group leader (.NeuroRestore)

Jordan Squair

"I will work with the world-class EBRAINS experts to integrate their cutting-edge tools and atlases into my research projects. I’m confident these tools will enhance my therapeutic strategies and accelerate their integration into clinical practice."

Assistant Professor (UNIL); Group leader (.NeuroRestore)

Mark Anderson

"I will work within the EBRAINS community to accelerate the translation of my promising therapy concepts into safe and effective therapies. Their modeling environments have the potential to optimize the therapy delivery and identify potential failure points, thus playing a critical role in the effort to cure spinal cord injury."

Head of Data Center Operations (ETHZ/CSCS)

Stefano Claudio

"HBP and now EBRAINS have strongly enabled technological advances at CSCS, enhancing cloud and HPC support for neuroscience. This collaboration improves how we assist Swiss medical researchers, particularly with sensitive data, empowering them to leverage cutting‑edge computing and achieve impactful scientific breakthroughs."

Product Owner and Senior Software Engineer / Architect (ETHZ/CSCS)

Oliver Schmid

"The scientific data management established within HBP and EBRAINS (openMINDS in combination with a mature curation process) not only supports the increased adoption of FAIR research data within the Swiss neuroscience community but also provides the tools and exemplifies how this challenge can be approached in other disciplines."