cortex

About cortex

cortex scientists and students will study the basic mechanisms of damage of common brain disorders as well as the development of the CNS to harness the ability of the CNS to adapt when challenged.

Under the acronym of cortex graduate schools in Berlin, Bochum, Helsinki, London, Oslo, Prague, Stockholm, Zurich offer a joint PhD training scheme funded by the EU under the Marie Curie Mobility Action Early Stage Training (EST).

Brain cells die following trauma, stroke and in chronic neurodegenerative disease. The mature brain cannot replace lost nerve cells in, and of, itself. An important goal of treatment and prevention is therefore to minimize nerve cell death. However, recently and quite unexpectedly, experimental strategies have emerged to foster regeneration in the CNS. In addition to understanding the complex mechanisms of brain damage, we must understand how the nervous system develops and continues to change throughout life. This information has profound implications for the treatment of nervous system diseases. Harnessing the capacity of the nervous system to adapt by reactivating developmental mechanisms allows for great hopes in regards to restoring function in the injured or diseased brain. cortex scientists and students will study the basic mechanisms of damage of common brain disorders as well as the development of the CNS to harness the ability of the CNS to adapt when challenged.

The cortex neuroscience schools each cover a broad range of neuroscience expertise in the fields of brain damage, regeneration, and development of the CNS. Bridging from the molecular to the behavioral and clinical level is a common theme of The cortex Partners. However, each cortex member school has one or several unique areas of excellence. Bringing together these complementary fields of excellence within cortex offers young doctoral students the entire panoply of neuroscientific possibilities and technologies which are available in modern neuroscience, leading to an optimally structured PhD of the highest quality.

The Berlin program has a major focus on translational aspects of neuroscience: 'bedside to bench', as well as 'bench to bedside'. Acute neurodegeneration (stroke), neuroinflammation (MS) and neuroimaging, are key topics on the research agenda.

Bochum does leading research in vision and cognition research (including computational approaches), and is unique in featuring top level primate and avian research in these fields.

The Helsinki faculty hosts leading researchers in ionic mechanisms underlying neuronal functions, in electrophysiology (including magnetic source imaging) and in the biology of neurotrophins.

London contributes with a major focus on all aspects of synaptic transmission at the single synapse and network level.

Oslo does outstanding work on neurodegeneration and brain edema, with an emphasis on glutamate toxicity, as well as DNA damage and repair.

Prague specializes in extrasynaptic transmission, diffusion studies and the diffusion parameters of the extracellular space using MRI and ion-selective microelectrodes, neuron-glia interactions, and the use of stem cells in brain and spinal cord injury.

Stockholm offers highly visible work on the motor system (including lower vertebrate models), imaging of brain function, and mechanisms of synaptic transmission.

In the Zurich faculty, internationally-renowned researchers work on regeneration (in particular spinal cord) and on neural development.

Thus, cortex participants complement each other to bundle at the highest possible level research and training in the development, damage and repair of the central nervous system (CNS).