Project description
A closer look at how the environment shapes the mind
If our biology and social surroundings impact our behaviour, how do our physical and biological environments affect brain function, health and mental well-being? The emerging field of environmental neuroscience is aimed at bridging this knowledge gap by investigating the bidirectional relationships between brain activity and the social and physical surroundings of organisms. The ERC-funded BrainScape project places particular emphasis on studying healthy living environments, evidence-based urban planning and the impacts of climate change to identify pivotal aspects of the physical environment. Project work will employ cutting-edge technologies in controlled studies, including a unique study involving discordant monozygotic twins. The overall aim is to uncover the pathways and mechanisms responsible for environmental impacts that directly influence brain function and mental well-being.
Objective
BrainScape constitutes a timely approach to study a widely unexplored aspect in the neurosciences, namely whether and how the physical environment that surrounds us day in, day out impacts our brain, well-being and mental health. BrainScape aims to spearhead the emerging field of Environmental Neuroscience and will make an impact by building a knowledge base for evidence-based urban planning to promote healthy living environments with significant practical implications. Given that our environment is undergoing rapid changes (urbanization, climate change), understanding how these changes may impact humanity is a crucial challenge of our time. First evidence suggests that long-term as well as day-to-day variations in exposure to solitary environmental factors (e.g. air pollution) may be relevant. The goal of BrainScape is twofold: (1) to identify the “active ingredients” of the environment by introducing a more holistic understanding of the environment, as a multi-layered complex phenomenon and (2) to gain insight into the pathways and mechanisms by which the environment affects the brain and mental health. To accomplish this, BrainScape will utilize existing large-scale cross-sectional and longitudinal neuroimaging data sets (UK Biobank, NAKO, HCHS, IMAGEN) to identify the most important features of the physical environment. These features will be at the core of prospective controlled studies, including a discordant monozygotic twin study. Here we will combine the assessment of objectively experienced (e.g. wearable sensors) and subjectively perceived environment with brain plasticity measured using 7 T MRI. The identification of the most influential environmental salutogenic features will inform a targeted intervention study and experiments in highly controlled lab environments using innovative VR technology combined with fMRI and fNIRS. The results will unravel the “active ingredients” of nature and the neural mechanisms by which they affect human beings.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2022-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.