Last year, BioRTC, in collaboration with Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) (Barcelona, Spain), led by Prof. Alberto Compte, and University of Sussex led by Prof. Miguel Maravall, initiated the development of a computational neuroscience cluster to serve Nigeria and the wider West African region. This effort, supported by the Simons Foundation and the Yobe State Government, led to the delivery of BioRTC’s first computational neuroscience training programme.

To build on this foundation and ensure long-term sustainability, we are pleased to support two of our researchers, Muhammad Umar and Muhammad Baba Goni, for advanced training in Barcelona. This visit, hosted and supported by IDIBAPS, is designed to further strengthen expertise that will be directly reintegrated into BioRTC’s growing computational neuroscience platform.

Both researchers have now arrived in Barcelona and are being hosted by Prof. Alberto Compte and his team within the Theoretical Neurobiology of Cortical Circuits group at IDIBAPS.
As part of this programme, they will also engage with leading groups across Barcelona, including training with Jordi Soriano at the University of Barcelona on iPSC-derived neuronal models, microelectrode array (MEA) systems, and computational modelling. In addition, they will interact with Jaime de la Rocha on cortical circuit dynamics. The aim is to translate this experience into the establishment of comparable experimental and computational capabilities at BioRTC.

This initiative reflects BioRTC’s continued commitment to building advanced technical capacity, strengthening international scientific partnerships, and positioning its researchers at the forefront of contemporary neuroscience. Through efforts such as this, BioRTC continues to develop as a hub for globally connected, high-impact research and training across Africa.