Health and NAT explore possibility of new joint research centre

The faculties of Health and Natural Sciences are in dialogue with the Lundbeck Foundation about establishing a new research centre within biological psychiatry. Although there is still a long way to go before a research centre becomes a reality, the three parties have now progressed to a point where they have agreed on a shared vision and outlined a joint framework for the centre.

The Lundbeck Foundation has issued a so-called Letter of Intent, signalling that the foundation sees a strong academic basis and significant potential in co-financing a new centre at Aarhus University.

“If we succeed in putting the right academic and organisational frameworks in place, the foundation has offered to allocate as much as DKK 530 million to the new centre over a ten-year period. This would provide an exceptional boost to an important research area here at AU and to psychiatric research nationwide,” says Dean Anne-Mette Hvas, who leads the collaboration with the Lundbeck Foundation.

The first step is to appoint a centre director

Before the foundation grant – and thus the centre itself – can become a reality, it is essential to recruit the right centre director. That recruitment process is now underway and is being managed by a working group consisting of the Dean of Health as well as representatives from leadership and academic environments at both Health and Natural Sciences.

Once a potential director has been identified, the work of developing a comprehensive and detailed research strategy for the centre will begin. However, the parties have already agreed on the overall structure and thematic focus of the future centre.

Among other objectives, the centre aims to:

• increase our understanding of how genetic differences influence brain development and function
• investigate how genetic changes can lead to disruptions in neural networks and behaviour
• understand the biological mechanisms in the brain that play a role in psychiatric disorders
• build on existing knowledge of neural networks in neurodevelopmental disorders
• apply advanced data and computational methods to improve understanding of psychiatric diseases
• examine how rare genetic variants influence the development of conditions such as schizophrenia, depression and autism

The research centre in biological psychiatry will rest on two academic pillars

The vision is for the centre to be built on two equal academic pillars. One will focus on neural circuits in the brain and on understanding how disruptions in these networks arise and affect behaviour and mental functions.

The second pillar will be DANDRITE, which is already a well-established, internationally recognised neuroscience centre.

As part of the agreement between AU and the Lundbeck Foundation, DANDRITE will retain its current name and its affiliation with EMBL. The existing group leaders will continue their research projects as before, while future recruitments will be targeted towards strengthening the centre’s shared strategy and ambitions.

A shared physical location on campus

If the centre becomes a reality, it will be based in the Anatomy Buildings 1233 and 1234, which are currently undergoing renovation and, if the project proceeds, will be transformed into new laboratories, offices and shared academic spaces.

The majority of the centre’s staff will have their daily workplace there, regardless of faculty affiliation. The aim is to strengthen day-to-day collaboration across groups and laboratories.

Contact

Advisor Tanja Hansen
Aarhus University, Health Administration Centre – Faculty Secretariat
Phone: +45 93 50 81 08
Email: tanja.hansen@au.dk