The brain is the most complex organ in our body. To a large extent, it is what makes us what we are as human beings, as individuals, and as a species. Understanding how the brain develops and functions is one of the most fascinating and complex scientific questions. It has major implications for medicine, since many brain diseases remain without an efficient cure.
The nervous system relies on multiple levels of complexity interacting with each other: from genes to neurons, from neurons to neural circuits, from neural circuits to perception, behaviour, and consciousness. To understand how the brain works or dysfunctions, we must discover the mechanisms by which these levels are interconnected, from the microscopic levels of molecules and cells, to the higher levels of mind and consciousness.
This requires a multidisciplinary approach, taking into account all dimensions of brain complexity, and this what we intend to do at the ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI). UNI aims to integrate and synergize ULB brain researchers of all neuroscience perspectives, from molecular and cellular neurobiology to systems / cognitive and clinical neurosciences.
UNI benefits from the support of a variety of sponsors and agencies, including: