Co-creating the Virtual Brain Twin: advancing personalised brain care

How can digital brain models support clinicians and patients in real-world settings?

On 23-24 April at the Virtual Brain Twin (VBT) Co-Lab in Bonn, patients, clinicians, researchers and expert users came together in a hands-on, co-creation workshop to explore how this emerging technology designing personalised brain models can support clinical understanding and decision-making. 

A structured co-creation approach

Over two days, participants engaged with VBT workflows, outputs and use cases, sharing individual perspectives and contributing during the group discussions on what information is most meaningful for different users and what different stakeholders should know about the VBT tools to trust their use and results. The aim was to identify how VBT can be used responsibly in clinical practice.

Clinical relevance

Discussion highlighted the established value of VBT technology in epilepsy, where modelling already support the analysis of brain dynamics and clinical decision-making. At the same time, work is progressing to extend these methods to complex conditions such as schizophrenia, contributing to the understanding of complex brain conditions, research on brain function and personalised care.

From data to personalised simulations

By combining brain imaging and activity data with advanced computational modelling, the Virtual Brain Twin enables the simulation of treatment effects in a personalised context. This could support clinicians in exploring how different therapeutic options (i.e. choice of medicine and dosage) may affect brain function. It was also discussed the importance of patient understanding in shared decision-making.

Ethics, trust and responsible innovation

Ethical reflection was central throughout the Co-Lab, with a focus on patient autonomy, data protection, and transparency in how model-based results are used and communicated. Participants also emphasised practical requirements for clinical use, including clear and easy to use outputs, appropriate training, and robust validation processes as the technology progresses towards clinical environments. 

A tool to support - not replace- care

A shared understanding emerged: the Virtual Brain Twin is not a replica of the brain or an autonomous system, but a scientific tool that that models brain dynamics to support clinical reasoning - helping more informed dialogue between clinicians and patients. 

Rather than providing automated recommendations, the VBT acts as a decision-support tool  for the clinicians - keeping human expertise at the centre.

As development progresses, the priority remains to ensure that VBT solutions are usable, trustworthy, and aligned with both clinical needs and patient expectations, contributing to more personalised and informed approaches to brain health.

Discover more about the Virtual Brain Twin project here.

Author: Andrea Bedorin

Contact: press@ebrains.eu