Prestigious ERC grant for three KI researchers

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– I feel very proud to have received the scholarship for the third time. Competition is fierce and many projects are unfunded even though they are very good. I see the grant as confirmation of the importance of my research and of great medical importance.

What do you hope to achieve in five years?

– I hope that the discoveries of our research group will lead to completely new possibilities for treating mitochondrial diseases in humans. Unfortunately, these diseases are often severe with symptoms from many different organs and the mortality rate is high. The need for new effective treatments is great.

What are the challenges associated with research?

– Research relies on animal models and is therefore expensive and time consuming. Recently, there has been important progress through the development of techniques to engineer mtDNA mutations in laboratory animals. Niels-Göran Larsson says the new technology means it will now be easier to make animal models to mimic mitochondrial disease in humans, and study the inheritance of mitochondrial DNA.

Abdel Mounira, Professor Department of Neuroscience.

target for Abdel MouniraThe doctor's research project aims to reveal the complex organization of the brainstem and how it controls the speed and direction of movement in vertebrates, i.e. their locomotion and locomotion patterns.

In order to survive, animals must move with a high degree of flexibility, which requires precise and rapid changes in both speed and trajectory.

This flexibility depends on the brain's ability to choose appropriate motor programs by activating the neural networks in the spinal cord that control movements.

What do you hope to achieve in five years?