VBT Highlights at the EBRAINS Summit 2025: From Research to Clinical Impact

The Virtual Brain Twin (VBT) project took centre stage at the EBRAINS Summit 2025, showcasing the transition of digital twin technology from a research concept to a transformative clinical tool. Through a dedicated booth and a featured public session, VBT engaged with the scientific community to define the future of personalised medicine.

At the VBT booth, researchers and consortium members gathered to discuss ongoing collaborations and define concrete next steps for advancing virtual brain technologies with clear clinical relevance. Among the VBT resarchers present, Lia Domide,   Managing Director at Codemart, highlighted the direct clinical impact of the twinning methods under development. She noted that feedback from the scientific community was very encouraging: 

“The digital twin is no longer perceived as a frightening avatar that ‘steals your soul,’ but rather as an ethical ‘guinea pig’ that can help determine the most appropriate treatment course”.

The VBT booth also featured the HYGIE video, which was shown repeatedly throughout the Summit and helped engage visitors demonstrating the potential of digital twin simulations in healthcare beyond research. 

The EPINOV Trial: A New Era for Epilepsy Surgery

On 9 December, the Summit’s Public Day featured a high-profile session “EPINOV trial: Impacts and lessons learned”, moderated by Viktor Jirsa, Chief Science Officer, EBRAINS. The session brought together leading experts across neuroscience, industry, and computational modelling to discuss a major milestone: the translation of VBT research into clinical application for drug-resistant epilepsy.

Viktor Jirsa shared the first insights from the EPINOV clinical trial, which marks a major step in translating research from the Virtual Brain Twin project into clinical application for the treatment of epilepsy in drug-resistant patients. 

During the session it was stressed how the Virtual Epileptic Patient (VEP) technology - used to created personalised "virtual brain twins" - can help simulate a patient's specific brain network, more accurately locate the Epileptogenic Zone (EZ) triggering seizures, and support surgeons to plan more effective, individualised interventions.

In conclusion, the strong interest and positive reactions received during the EBRAINS Summit confirmed the growing maturity and acceptance of digital brain twins as ethical, trustworthy tools for clinical decision-making.

Watch the HYGIE video

Learn more above the EPINOV session here