NCCR Guide 2013 - Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF)

Achievements of the previous years
The power of neuroscience
has been brought to
bear on the understanding
of the diseases of the
brain and spinal cord and
the possibility of restoring
neural functions. The
NCCR Neuro has achieved
major milestones in translating
basic neuroscience
into therapy since its
beginning in 2001. The
colla boration between
experimental and clinical
neuroscience has been
further strengthened and
extended to include neuroinforma
tics, brain imaging
and engineering sciences.
Therapeutic advances
Immunotherapy has
reach ed the clinical stage in
the treatment of spinal cord
injury and NCCR groups
are participating in the first
clinical trials. Similarly,
the stage is set for clinical
trials of immunotherapy
for Alzheimer‘s disease.
Devices from rehabilitation
engineering are in clinical
and commercial use.
Basic science
Basic neuroscience has
been strongly promoted in
new avenues of stem cell
research, neural differentiation,
neurooncology
and neuroimmunology as
well as in the process of
rehabilitation of the injured
CNS.
Awards
The achievements of the
NCCR were recognized by
a large number of internationally
and nationally
prestigious prices awarded
to members of the NCCR
Neuro.
New professorships
To advance the NCCR, ten
new professorships have
been created since the beginning:
one each in clinical
and experimental analysis
of multiple sclerosis (MS),
two in rehabilitation engineering,
one in animal
brain imaging, one in stem
cell biology, one each in
experimental and clinical
neurorehabilitation, one
in systems biology of Alzheimer‘s
disease and one
in clinical neuroimmunology
and MS research.
Central facilities
A core structure provides
methodological support for
the diverse projects of the
NCCR. This facility consists
of four integrative units:
The center of transgenesis
expertise, the center
of behavioral assessment
(closed), the center dedicated
to animal imaging
and a center on systems
proteomics.
Education
The Neuroscience Center
Zurich (ZNZ) offers the International
Ph.D. Program
in Neuroscience. About
70 Ph.D. students of the
NCCR Neuro are currently
enrolled in this program.
Knowledge transfer
Major efforts have been
made to extend joint
projects with major pharma
companies. In addition,
three spin-off companies
arose from the NCCR and
provide new positions for
young scientists. From
2009-2011, two applied
projects have been carried
out within the economic
stimulus package (ALS and
Robot-Assisted Neurorehabilitation
of the Arm).
Sixty-one patents have
been issued since 2001.
Dialogue with society
The dialogue between the
NCCR and society at large
is an important aspect.
Regular press contacts are
organized. The BrainFair
Zürich attracts thousands
of visitors each year. An
informative and balanced
communication with the
public is essential for our
work.
Outlook
Based on the past achievements,
the NCCR will
continue to promote basic
science, provide new
insights into disease
mechanisms and advance
therapies for injuries and
disorders of the CNS.
Further information see
www.nccr-neuro.uzh.ch
• Institut de Génomique
Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, FR
• Institut des Systèmes Intelligents
et de Robotique, Université Pierre
et Marie Curie, Paris, FR
• Institut für Allgemeine Zoologie
und Genetik, Westfälische
Wilhelms-Universität Münster, DE
• Institut für Klinische Chemie
und Pharmakologie,
Universitätsklinikum Bonn, DE
• Institut für Klinische
Neuroimmunologie, Klinikum
der Universität München, DE
• Institut für Molekulare
Regenerative Medizin, Paracelsus
Medizinische Privatuniversität,
Salzburg, AT
• Institut für Virologie und
Immunbiologie,
Universität Würzburg, DE
• Institute for Pharmacy and
Molecular Biotechnology,
University of Heidelberg, DE
• Institute für Immunologie,
Friedrich-Löffler Institut,
Tübingen, DE
• Institute of Basic Medical
Sciences, Department of
Physiology, University of Oslo, NO
• Institute of Biochemistry,
Goethe University, Frankfurt, DE
• Institute of Biomaterials and
Biomedical Engineering,
University of Toronto, CA
• Institute of Cell Biology,
Department of Immunology,
Tübingen, DE
• Institute of Developmental
Genetics, Helmholtz-Zentrum
München, DE
• Institute of Experimental
Medicine, Hungarian Academy
of Sciences, Budapest, HU
• Institute of Experimental
Pathology, Univ. of Münster, DE
• Institute of Medical Biology,
Medical Biotechnology Centre,
Odense, DK
• Institute of Virology, Technische
Universität München (TUM)/
Helmholtz-Zentrum, DE
• Interfaculty Institute for Cell
Biology, Univ. of Tübingen, DE
• Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-
Institute of Zoology and
Anthropology, University of
Göttingen, Göttingen, DE
• Klinik für Neurologie,
Universitätsklinikum Essen, DE
• Laboratoire de Neurobiologie de
l’Apprentissage, de la Mémoire et
de la Communication, Orsay, FR
• Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk
Institute for Biological Studies, US
• Laboratory of Molecular Biology,
Nencki Institute of Experimental
Biology, Warsaw, PL
• Laboratory of Preclinical Imaging
and Imaging Technology,
University Hospital Tübingen,
Tübingen, DE
• Leibniz Institute for Age Research,
Fritz Lipmann Institute, DE
• Max Planck International
Research Network on Aging,
Rostock, DE
• MRC Laboratory for Molecular
Cell Biology, University College
London, GB
• Neurological Clinic,
University of Tübingen, DE
• Neurologische Klinik, Technische
Universität München, DE
• Neuro-Psychiatry, Institut de
Recherches Internationales
Servier, Cedex, FR
• Neurorehabilitation, Kliniken
Schmieder Allensbach, DE
• Neuroscience Center,
University of Helsinki, FI
• Neurosciences Group,
Weatherall Institute of
Molecular Medicine, Oxford, GB
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