Project description
Mapping the social brain to rethink cognitive interactions
Our brains are shaped by and shape social interactions, linking neural and social environments dynamically. While research has pinpointed brain areas for empathy and perspective-taking, the intricate neurobiology of social thinking remains elusive. With this in mind, the ERC-funded SOCO project aims to address this gap by examining how brain structure and function underpin social skills and adapt to social contexts. This study merges precision neuroimaging, using ultra-high resolution brain scans, with population neuroimaging, exploring life-span brain changes. By combining these approaches, SOCO seeks to find out how genetic and social factors, such as caregiving and socioeconomic status, contribute to our social capabilities.
Objective
Our brain both shapes and is shaped by social interactions, creating a dynamic link between neural processes and our social environment. Although previous research has identified brain regions involved in social functional processes such as perspective-taking and empathy, and has shown environmentally guided brain plasticity, we still lack a full understanding of the neurobiological basis of social thinking that combines internal brain processes and external social factors. Specifically, we do not fully understand how brain structure and function enable our social abilities while also being influenced by our social surroundings. This knowledge gap limits our understanding of human social behavior and how the brain adapts to changing social demands. This ERC Starting Grant ‘Social Connections’ (SOCO) aims to fill this gap by investigating the connection between social cognition and the social environment. My project uniquely combines precision neuroimaging, describing the microarchitectural basis of social cognition at the highest resolution, with population neuroimaging, tracking lifespan brain trajectories linked to social processes. First, I will map key social functional processes, perspective-taking and empathy, using a naturalistic social task. For this, I will use in vivo ultra-high resolution structural and functional brain scans (7 Tesla MRI) and independent post-mortem histological data to understand how the brain enables social cognition. Second, using publicly available large-scale datasets, I will investigate how genes, based on genome-wide association studies, and social environment, such as caregiving, socioeconomic status, and loneliness, interact to form the structure and function of brain areas involved in social behavior throughout life. By illuminating how internal functional processes and external social factors come together, I will advance our understanding of the neurobiological basis of social cognition with a novel and integrative approach.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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)
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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-2025-STG
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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.