Neuronal circuits in health and disease

FWF funds Cluster of Excellence Neuronal Circuits in Health and Disease with 21 million euros: MedUni Vienna-led consortium investigates the role of inhibitory neurons in the development of diseases Scientists from MedUni Vienna together with other research institutions from Austria will carry out a large-scale project in the field of brain research as part of the Cluster of Excellence Neuronal Circuits in Health and Disease funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF and the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. The funding volume of the FWF amounts to 21 million euros. Biomedical research and technological advances in the 21st century are accelerating at unmatched speed in almost any field. From the design of artificial intelligence systems outperforming human operators, to vaccine development in record times, humanitys greatest aspirations for the first time seem within reach. Yet, the last decades have seen only moderate progress in our understanding of the pathologies that afflict the very organ that is the fundamental basis for all these accomplishments the brain. It is the complexity of the human brain that accounts for the most formidable achievements of the mind while at the same time determines the intricacy of its diseases. At present, the evolution of neuroscience allows for deconstructing the brain into functional units, which are interconnected nerve cells that produce specific behaviors. Understanding the organization and function of neuronal circuits is the challenge that this Cluster of Excellence will take on. A team of frontrunners of neuroscience research in Austria will benefit from cutting-edge innovation to address how the brains functional modules, develop, process, and store information to control behaviors. A specific focus will be on a cell type that is indispensable from any neuronal circuit: inhibitory neurons. This is because the ubiquitous existence of their many subtypes in all neuronal circuits drives the inherent flexibility of the human brain to perceive and filter environmental stimuli and execute proportionate responses. Genetic deficits in these inhibitory GABA cells are linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, by fostering our many experimental strategies, patient cohorts, and computational models, we will not only advance our knowledge of the brain, the core driver of human development, but also set the path to meet the needs of its medical management. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite leaders of the Austrian Neuroscience community, including both discovery research and clinical experts, to join a large-scale effort for tangible advances in understanding brain function and develop treatments for brain diseases. explains Tibor Harkany, Director of Research, about the objectives of the Cluster of Excellence. Understanding when, how and why a particular subtype of GABA neurons is assigned to a specific task in a given neuronal circuit will deliver causality to both behaviors and diseases, and produce the first and most critical steps towards the personalized therapy of neuropsychiatric diseases.