Project description
The role of neurodevelopment in psychiatric disorders
Many neuropsychiatric disorders are treated using drugs that target the transmission of the neurotransmitter serotonin. However, the suboptimal efficacy of these drugs alongside new lines of research highlighting a role for serotonin in neurodevelopment have urged scientists to revisit the origins and treatment of these disorders. The EU-funded SEROTONIN and BEYOND project will work under the hypothesis that serotonin-related neuropsychiatric disorders are caused by neurodevelopmental changes. To address this scientific concept, the project will train early-stage researchers in state-of-the-art techniques, preparing them for a bright career in the field.
Objective
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.
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Coordinator
6525 GA Nijmegen
Netherlands