As a computational neuroscientist, I study the brain through models that reduce it to data points and 3D reconstructions, yet watching Dr. Obaid perform live neurosurgeries showed me what models alone could not capture. Here I describe how witnessing the living human brain — fragile, unique, and devoid of clear landmarks — became a turning point, reminding me that our models must not only simulate the brain, but also stay grounded in its complexity and individuality.
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S.L. and S.O. contributed to conception of and wrote the manuscript.
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Larivière, S., Obaid, S. What witnessing neurosurgery taught me about modeling the brain. Nat Methods (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-025-02898-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-025-02898-7
