Project description
Neuronal communication model
Neuroscience has made tremendous progress in elucidating the structural and functional interconnections of the brain, yet there is still much we do not know. Cortical microcolumns are repeating functional units, comprising synchronously active cells sort of like parallel processors in computers. They are likely to be a neural substrate of learning and memory as its malfunction has been linked to diseases associated with progressive loss of memory and cognition. STOICISM is applying principles and techniques from information theory and mathematical modelling to create a powerful in silico test bench to test theories of molecular communication.
Objective
Neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer’s disease, currently affects 15 million people in the US with a death rate of 29.5% among 65+ years old and produces a cost around 200 billion dollars per annum. These type of pathologies are caused by neuronal communication failures in multi-scales of the cortical microcolumns. Neuroscience has historically provided theories and experiments to explain the signal propagation and neurodegeneration inside cortical microcolumns, but these behaviours are far from being fully explained. The newly formed research area of molecular communications can bring light to this challenge by using information and communication theory in this scenario. A novel interdisciplinary methodology (multi-scale modelling + neurological modelling + information theory) can analyze and quantify the dynamics in the synaptic plasticity and provide further understanding about cortical microcolumns. With this approach, STOICISM project aims to i) model the multi-scale cortical microcolumn neurology; ii) model and quantify the neuronal communication; iii) investigate the long-term plasticity dynamics and control strategies. STOICISM will develop a complete in-silico model of the 2mm cortical microcolumn that will account for its multi-scale communication. The synaptic plasticity variation will be modelled as a stochastic model based on in-vitro experimentation of the neuron-astrocyte communication. This action requires the researcher to move to a world-center in computational biophysics, such as BioMediTech, where he can get appropriate training, perform biological experiments and collaborate with other top researchers while being supervised by the renowned leading academic Prof. Jari Hyttinen. STOICISM will change the way we understand the effects of neurodegeneration which will enable future non-invasive detection and drug discovery, potentially creating a longer-term impact on the ageing society.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
33100 Tampere
Finland