On Friday the German Research Organisation (DFG) has announced its funding for 20 new collaborative research centers. Magdeburg also had a cause for rejoicing, because the Collaborative Research Center SFB 1436 "Neuronal Resources of Cognition", jointly applied for by scientists from LIN, DZNE and Otto-von-Guericke University, will be fully funded from January 2021.
LIN research group leader and co-speaker Michael Kreutz explains what the network is all about: "Everyone knows that our cognitive performance depends on many external factors and can be strongly influenced by, for example, sleep deprivation, emotional states or stress. We want to uncover the neurobiological causes of different cognitive performance and identify the principles that limit the brain's ability to perceive and recognize. Which mechanisms in the molecular machinery and networks of the brain limit us in our ability to fully utilize our own cognitive abilities?
In addition to scientists from the Otto-von-Guericke University and the DZNE Magdeburg, 15 LIN members are involved in the new Collaborative Research Center. The neuroscientists, psychologists, molecular biologists and anatomists conduct interdisciplinary research on rodents, macaques and human subjects. Their aim is to develop basic theories on neuronal capacities in younger and older adults and to gain concepts for the protection or improvement of cognitive performance.
The press release of the Otto-von-Guericke University can be found here.