Projet SEROTONIN and BEYOND (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Doctoral Networks
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter playing a crucial in the onset and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Most of the drugs currently used in psychiatry target serotonin (neuro)transmission. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the efficacy of these drugs is suboptimal. As a result, the prevalence and burden of these disorders remain high. A new wave of research revealed that serotonin plays important role in neurodevelopment. Changes in serotonin levels lead to changes in developmental processes with consequences for the serotonin system and beyond. This makes it plausible that the origins of these disorders do not per se lie in disturbed serotonin neurotransmission, but rather in serotonin-mediated neurodevelopmental changes. This would require a radical different view on disease burden reduction. We hypothesize that it are the serotonin-mediated non-serotonergic downstream changes in neurodevelopment that are at the basis of serotonin-related neuropsychiatric disorders. SEROTONIN and BEYOND will establish an interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international scientific network to test this hypothesis. It will enable paradigm shifts in the understanding of vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders, and provide groundwork for critical windows in development for future interventions. To achieve these goals, top-class academic and industrial scientists will train Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in the full spectrum of state-of-the-art neuroscientific technical approaches. We will also equip these ESRs with translational and entrepreneurial thinking by providing intersectoral and transferable skills training. In summary, we will train a new generation of ESRs in the integrated field of serotonin, neurodevelopment and psychiatry to deliver 15 excellent young researchers who are optimally prepared for their future academic and industrial careers.

Mots clés : serotonin, prefrontal cortex, neuropsychiatry, translational neuroscience, neurotechnology, open science, good, research practice

Participants :
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Allemagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 261499.68 €
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (Allemagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 505576.8 €
- Radboud University Nijmegen (Pays-Bas) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 531239.76 €
- Metris bv (Pays-Bas) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 265619.88 €
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 303172.56 €
- Capital Region of Denmark (Danemark) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 297522.0 €
- Erasmus MC (Pays-Bas) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 265619.88 €
- Philipps University of Marburg (Allemagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 252788.4 €
- University Hospital Würzburg (Allemagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 252788.4 €
- University of Pisa (Italie) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 261499.68 €
- Institut du cerveau (France) — Partner, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 549604.08 €
- Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 265619.88 €