IIT Madras releases world’s most detailed 3D atlas of human brainstem
IIT Madras has released ANCHOR, the world’s most detailed 3D atlas of the human brainstem at cell resolution. Developed by the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, it was unveiled during the 3rd BRICS Neuroscience Symposium held June 5-7, 2026 on campus.
ANCHOR stands for Atlas of Neurochemical Characterization of the Human Brainstem with 3D Reconstruction. It combines MRI, histology and neurochemical mapping to create multi-modal 3D maps spanning prenatal, childhood and adult stages. The atlas maps more than 200 brainstem nuclei and fibre tracts, reconstructed from hundreds of serial sections using eight complementary immunostains across 500+ sections.
The brainstem controls breathing, heart rate, sleep, movement and consciousness. Until now, doctors relied on MRI/CT scans at millimetre resolution. ANCHOR zooms to micron level, showing individual cells. Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, Head of SGBC, said this is the first time such a detailed brainstem map has been created across life stages.
The team has made ANCHOR publicly available at anchor.humanbrain.in to help researchers, clinicians and patients worldwide. Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to Govt of India, said the maps can help identify specific cell populations affected in brainstem lesions and aid clinical applications.
SGBC now plans cell-resolution maps for the entire human brain across lifespan and diseases. It follows their 2025 release of ‘DHARANI’, a digital brain atlas. The centre has 200+ researchers working with 20 global collaborators.
