EXC 2049:  NeuroCure – Comprehensive approaches to neurological and psychiatric disorders – from mechanisms to interventions –

• Subject Area: Neurosciences ; Basic Research in Biology and Medicine ; Medicine
• Term: since 2019
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390688087

Disorders affecting the nervous system impose a significant burden on patients and society, yet our understanding of the molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms at play remains limited. To overcome challenges in translating knowledge into clinical advancements, NEUROCURE is introducing a promising and innovative research agenda. This initiative brings together scientists with cutting-edge expertise in diverse research domains and technologies with the potential to revolutionize basic and translational neuroscience. Our primary objective is to bridge the gap between fundamental and clinical neuroscience, and to foster the development of effective therapies and diagnostic tools. To achieve this, we are implementing programs and establishing structures that facilitate collaborations and the exchange of knowledge and methodologies between basic researchers and clinicians. Rather than focusing solely on a particular brain disease, our overarching goal is to unravel shared pathophysiological processes common to various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Our proposal focuses on collaborative projects in three key areas of neuroscience research: development and its disturbances, maintenance of synapses and circuits in health and disease, and aging and age-associated disorders. These research areas will be complemented by digital approaches and specialized modules that support the translational process: the Neuroscience Clinical Research Center will facilitate access to patients with acute and chronic brain disorders, SPARK aims to aid and expedite the translational pipeline to market, while Value and Open Science strengthens the robustness and predictive power of our research. The success and sustainability of our research activities are also supported by structural measures. These include structured research data management, which makes our research results accessible and transparent, career development for early career researchers, initiatives that make our dynamic research environment diverse and inclusive, and communication formats that encourage dialogue with society and public engagement with our research. With our comprehensive set of structures supporting an ambitious research program, we aspire to accelerate the application of advancements in clinical settings and position Berlin at the forefront of international research in translational neuroscience. We expect that the structures we develop here will serve as a blueprint for other scientific institutions around the world.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence (ExStra)
• Applicant Institution: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
• Co-Applicant Institution: Freie Universität Berlin; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• Participating Institution: Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP); im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V.; Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC); Max-Planck-Forschungsstelle für die Wissenschaft der Pathogene; Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE); c/o Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Dr. Carmen Birchmeier; Professor Dr. Michael Brecht; Professorin Emmanuelle Charpentier, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Britta Eickholt; Professor Dr. Matthias Endres; Professor Volker Haucke, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Peter Hegemann; Professorin Christine Heim, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Andreas Heinz; Hanna Hoernberg, Ph.D.; Professor Matthew Larkum; Noa Lipstein-Thoms, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Marina Mikhaylova; Professorin Ana Pombo, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Harald Prüß; Professor Dr. Nikolaus Rajewsky; Professor Dr. Christian Rosenmund; Professorin Dr. Ashley Sanders, Ph.D.; Dr. Lisa Scheunemann; Professorin Dr. Susanne Schreiber; Professor Dr. Markus Schülke-Gerstenfeld; Professor Dr. Stephan J. Sigrist; Susanne Wegmann, Ph.D.
• Spokespersons: Professorin Dr. Andrea Kühn; Professor Dr. Dietmar Schmitz