NCCR-Synapsy

The Synaptic Bases of Mental Diseases

Identification of a behavioral and neural signature of trait anxiety related to differences in effortful motivated behavior

The combined expertise of Carmen Sandi and Christoph Michel’s labs allowed to better understand the neurological basis of trait anxiety, a risk factor for the development of neuropsychiatric diseases. Trait anxiety is a personality dimension related to the extent to Read more…


High-risk youth symposium at the 18th ESCAP congress in Vienna

The symposium “Neural correlates of cognitive control impairment in high-risk youth” organized by Synapsy member Dr. Camille Piguet, from UNIGE, together with prof. Ayse Belger, Director of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Read more…


The insular cortex processes pain and drives learning from pain

ABaleisyte-news

Neurons and their synapses in the mouse brain.  © Aiste Baleisyte, EPFL Neuroscientists at EPFL have discovered an area of the brain, the insular cortex, that processes painful experiences and thereby drives learning from aversive events. Acute pain, e.g. hitting Read more…


Back to the sources of neural diversity

jabaudon_progen

By deciphering the genetic programs of neurons of the cerebral cortex, Swiss and Belgian researchers unravel the mechanisms controlling the genesis of cells in one of the most essential parts of our brain. The cortex is a complex brain region Read more…


Public Lecture – Daniel Schechter

public conference

Public lecture (April 15) by Professor Daniel Schechter as part of his appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. « The trauma-imbued care-giving environment during early sensitive periods for emotion regulation : Longitudinal findings » LOCATION : UNIGE Read more…


Mindfulness to treat anxiety in high-risk adolescents of WP#4

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Anxiety and stress regulation will be the focus of Phase-3 investigations in high-risk clinical cohort of Synapsy’s WP#4 (Developmental Stress). Synapsy clinical researchers Dr. Camille Piguet and Dr. Paul Klauser, together with Dr. Daniel Schechter have launched a collaborative study Read more…


A Swiss network brings stress researchers together

stress-network

In an effort to promote stress research in Switzerland, Professors Carmen Sandi (EPFL Brain Mind Institute) and Dominique de Quervain (University of Basel) have founded stressnetwork.ch, a network of over 30 renowned scientists from Swiss universities working in different areas Read more…


How does the brain learn by talking to itself?

UNIGE scientists uncover the role of synaptic feedback systems in shaping learning processes in the brain’s cortex – a discovery that may prove valuable for developing efficient artificial intelligence. Human beings, like other animals, possess an enormous learning capacity that Read more…


Carmen Sandi wins the first Ron de Kloet award

carmen sandi-dekloet award

Professor Carmen Sandi at EPFL’s Brain Mind Institute, has won the first Ron de Kloet award from the STRESS-NL consortium. The STRESS-NL is a consortium of different institutions that “envisions that combining forces between researchers across the Netherlands ranging from Read more…