The Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine addresses under the program “Decoding the Human Brain” human brain organization on its different temporal and spatial scales. Due to the complexity of the brain and its extensive changes during the life span and in neuropsychiatric disorders, this can only be achieved by using advanced neuroimaging techniques and high-performance computing. Basic neuroscience goes hand in hand with modeling/simulation to face the challenges Brain Complexity and Big Data Analytics and to develop robust control techniques. This knowledge enables translational medicine to understand, diagnose and cure neurological and mental disorders, which become increasingly relevant in an aging society.