ERC Advanced Grant Awarded to Neurobiologist Professor Stephan Sigrist for Research on Brain Resilience

Researcher at Freie Universität Berlin to receive over 2.2 million euros in funding from the European Research Council. Professor Stephan Sigrist from the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy at Freie Universität Berlin has been selected for an ERC Advanced Grant by the European Research Council. He is set to receive over 2.24 million euros over the course of five years to carry out his research project "SynProtect." The neurobiologist and his team aim to conduct research on the biochemical foundations for brain resilience and in doing so also make a contribution to the development of potential therapies to treat dementia. ERC Advanced Grants provide support for well-established, prominent researchers who are looking to explore new fields of study. Every second person over the age of sixty suffers from a sleep disorder, which may result in dementia later on. This means that treatments to tackle these symptoms are crucial if we want to improve our lifespans, health, and quality of life. Neurobiologist Stephan Sigrist and his team want to conduct research on brain resilience and the ability of the brain to cope with and adapt to stressful situations such as chronic sleep deprivation.