The National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) is an autonomous institute of the Government of India dedicated to research on the brain and neurological disorders. It functions as a deemed-to-be university and is the only institute in India devoted exclusively to neuroscience research and education. NBRC is funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
| Name | National Brain Research Centre |
|---|---|
| Type | Autonomous research institute; deemed-to-be university |
| Location | Manesar, Gurugram district, Haryana, India |
| Parent body | Department of Biotechnology, Government of India |
| Focus | Neuroscience research and education |
NBRC was established to bring together scientists from diverse backgrounds — including biology, medicine, computer science, mathematics, physics, and engineering — to investigate the structure and function of the brain. Its research programmes address fundamental questions in neuroscience as well as applied problems related to neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, autism, and other neurodegenerative and developmental conditions.
The institute was granted the status of a deemed-to-be university by the University Grants Commission, enabling it to offer its own postgraduate and doctoral programmes in neuroscience. The campus is located in Manesar, on the southern outskirts of the National Capital Region.
NBRC offers doctoral (Ph.D.) and master's level programmes in neuroscience, admitting students with backgrounds in the life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, computer science, and medicine. The teaching curriculum is interdisciplinary and is paired with active laboratory rotations and thesis research.
Research at NBRC is broadly organised around themes such as:
The centre houses neuroimaging facilities, including magnetic resonance imaging systems used for both human and animal studies, along with electrophysiology, microscopy, and molecular biology platforms.
As India's dedicated neuroscience institute, NBRC plays a central role in coordinating brain research at the national level, contributing to capacity-building through training, hosting collaborative networks, and producing peer-reviewed scientific work. It collaborates with hospitals, universities, and international research institutions on projects ranging from basic neurobiology to clinical neuroimaging.