Division of Neuroscience
DIRECTOR: Gianvito Martino
DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Flavia Valtorta

ORGANIZATION

The Division of Neuroscience is made up of more then 300 scientists – rostered in 21 basic research units and 17 clinical research units – working together to investigate key issues in all main neuroscience areas. Among the units affiliated to the Division, those involved in translational medicine (11 basic research units and 6 clinical research groups) have been assembled into the Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE). Three clinical departments are affiliated to the Division of Neuroscience: the Department of Neurology, the Department of Clinical Neuroscience and the Department of Head and Neck. Members of the Division are part of the faculty of the Schools of Medicine, Biotechnology, Psychology and Philosophy. In addition, the Division is actively involved in the training of graduate students, organizing Ph.D. Courses in Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology, Neurobiotechnology, Developmental Psychopathology, and taking part in the Ph.D. Course in Cellular and Molecular Biology.

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY

Our lon-term goal is to understand the normal function of the brain and to discover cures for the nervous system ravaged by disease. The impressive advances in our knowledge of the nervous system and the promising developments in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders have made neuroscience one of the most active branches in modern biology and medicine. Scientists within the Division study the nervous system from many perspectives, spanning from the molecular level to behaviour and cognition, but always with the final aim of integrating basic research with clinical applications. The following main goals can be identified: (i) understand the healthy nervous system; (ii) understand neurological and psychiatric diseases; (iii) enable early and routine diagnosis of neurological and psychiatric conditions; (iv) develop new therapeutic strategies; (v) accelerate the process of therapy development; (vi) develop new technologies for observing the nervous system; (vii) develop new strategies to probe neural functions; (viii) implement databases and biobanks for neurological and psychiatric disorders.