UMD Leads $7M MURI to Study Brain’s Hidden Astrocytes

University of Maryland Physics Professor Wolfgang Losert is leading a multi-university research initiative funded by the U.S. Army Research Office to explore a largely unstudied component of the human brain, astrocytes, and their potential to improve artificial intelligence. Current AI systems primarily mimic neurons, but these cells comprise only half of the brain’s total volume; the remaining half is dominated by astrocytes, star-shaped cells whose computational role has remained mysterious until recently. The project, a Multi-University Research Initiative, aims to integrate the principles of these biological mechanisms with traditional…