The new Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona gathers around seventy research groups in this field

The Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona is a new institute attached to the University with sixty-six research groups of several disciplines related to neuroscience. This centre aims to gather all the research activity carried out at the University regarding the nervous system, in all its analytic levels -in the same centre.

The new centre has a budget of 28,36 million euros for research, and the 72% of its funds comes from international projects. In 2010-2015 its researchers published more than 2.000 articles; more than the 60% appeared in journals of reference of the first quartile. It has thirteen patents, two intellectual properties, an industrial secret and two spin-offs. The recent ICONO study, from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), published last June, states that the University of Barcelona is one of the institutions with more scientific performance regarding neuroscience in Spain. Among its members, there are four ICREA researchers, four ICREA Academia, a Proof of Concept project and a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).

These figures put the Institute “as a national and international reference in the field of neurosciences, both for its research quality and international recognition of its researchers, and for including all modern neuroscience fields” says Carles Escera, Director of the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona. According to the researcher, “one of the distinguishing characteristics of this institute is the will and conviction of the possibility of gathering -in the same structure- the approximations to the understanding of the nervous system which have been parallel, often ignored and underestimated, although sharing the same study target”.

Today Tuesday September 20, the opening event for the Institute of Neurosciences was held, chaired by the rector. In his speech, Dídac Ramírez reminded the attendants that, as previously said, “The Institute of Neurosciences has to serve society” and emphasized that the centre will work from the responsible research and innovation perspective. The event counted with the participation of the vice-rector of research Jordi Alberch, who highlighted that “the Institute allows the potentization and international projection reaching one of the main challenges of the 21th Century, the study of human brain functioning. To fulfil this challenge we have to carry out multidisciplinary tasks that range from molecular and cellular biology to conduct studies, and the researchers at the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona have the experience and skills to face these kind of studies”.

From nerve cells to human behaviour

This centre has studies related to topics ranging from neurons and molecules involved in their activities, to brain as a complex entity responsible for human behaviour, such as speaking and emotions. It also touches on the consequences from imbalances that provoke neurological and mental illnesses (Alzheimer, Parkinson, schizophrenia), as well as other illnesses such as phobias, antisocial behaviour, language acquisition problems or dyscalculia. The Institute has researchers on cellular and molecular neurobiology, physiopathology in nervous system diseases, psychiatry and neurology, cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, cognitive functions and computational models, as well as clinical psychology.

New opportunities for research

“The institute was created as a platform to promote synergies between the existing groups in the University, so the advances in the different fields of neuroscience are able to have more projection and be more visible” says Escera, who thinks the Institute will be an attraction pole for talent for the development and consolidation of research studies in the field of neurosciences. According to the director of the Institute “the transverse and integrating structure it offers is a key element for talent attraction” and on the other hand, the offer is “more attractive when they offer individually the research groups that create it.

The Institute offers a platform so that researchers can build competitive consortiums for the participation in European projects in Horizon 2020 program, and the European Institute of Technology, through their health program (EIT Health), in which the University of Barcelona takes part and was one of the promoters.

The Institute was essentially created in December 2015 and comes from the Research Institute on Brain, Cognition and Conduct (IR3C) which was created in 2008. The two hundred members that are part of the Institute belong to the Faculties of Psychology, Medicine and Health Sciences, Pharmacy and Food Science and Biology.

Image: L’Institut de Neurociències de la Universitat de Barcelona és un nouThe Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona is a new institute attached to the University with sixty-six research groups of several disciplines related to neuroscience.