About us

The goal of the Finnish BrainData databank is to become a national resource for brain imaging data. The databank will include data from functional and anatomic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetoencephalography (MEG), magnetic resonance encephalography (MREG), and electroencephalography (EEG) as well as physiological and behavioral data related to these recordings. The Finnish BrainData databank will enable sharing of data amongst researchers and clinicians in Finland. A network consisting of Finnish universities and university hospitals contribute to the databank. By creating a national imaging databank that can be integrated with Finnish biobanks containing biological samples and genome data, and with national health registries, the databank will enable breakthroughs in brain research and diagnostics of brain disorders. 

The Finnish BrainData databank was established as a collaboration between Aalto University, University of Oulu/Oulu University Hospital, University of Helsinki/Helsinki University Hospital, University of Turku/Turku University Hospital, and CSC IT Center for Science. The Finnish BrainData databank and website are developed, coordinated and maintained by Aalto University and hosted by CSC IT Center for Science and Seravo.

Finnish BrainData has received funding from Neurocenter Finland for setting up the databank.

Finnish BrainData will contain a searchable metadata database that contains relevant information about the data stored in the databank. In addition, information will be stored about datasets that are available upon request from researchers at Finnish universities and university hospitals.

Researchers with existing datasets that they wish to make available to the wider scientific community can upload information about their datasets into the metadata database. Read more about the metadata database here. 

In the first stage, researchers at Finnish universities and university hospitals can apply for access to data stored in the metadata database by contacting the researcher in charge. Read more on how to apply here. 

In the next stage, resting-state MEG and MR imaging data, structural MR data and related physiological data recorded at the contributing sites will be stored in the imaging databank. This data will provide the basis for a normative databank that enables estimation of variability in brain signatures in healthy individuals. Read more about the databank here. 

Researchers at Finnish universities and university hospitals will be able to apply for access to the data stored in the databank, while ensuring the anonymity of the participants.

Currently, no actual imaging data is stored in the databank.