Goran Papenberg awarded project grant from the Swedish Research Council
KI researcher Goran Papenberg has been granted a project grant from the Swedish Research Council for his research on the brain's ability to produce new neurons and its relevance for long-term memory and depression in aging.
Goran Papenberg, Principal researcher at the Aging Research Center (ARC), is granted funding for a period of four years for the project Quantifying hippocampal neurogenesis in the living human brain and its relevance for long-term memory. The total amount awarded is SEK 5 779 000.
Could you tell us more about the project?
"We will investigate the brain's ability to produce new neurons, known as neurogenesis, and its relevance for long-term memory and depression in aging."
Neurogenesis in adulthood takes place in the hippocampus and is necessary for a well-functioning long-term memory. Until now, the importance of neurogenesis in human long-term memory and mental health has been elusive, due to difficulties in measuring neurogenesis in the living human brain.
"With new ground-breaking developments in neuroimaging, we will be able to detect human neurogenic signals in the brain to understand its role for long-term memory and mental health."
What does this grant mean for your research and you personally?
"I received funding for a very exciting and timely project. This is of course very motivating and rewarding. Given the importance of neurogenesis for long-term memory and depression, a noninvasive neurogenic biomarker would be highly valuable to identify individuals at risk for memory decline and depression and evaluate the efficacy of interventions."
Marc Guitart-Masip and Francesca Mangialasche from Karolinska Institutet represent the clinical perspective in the project. The project is also an international collaboration with researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and UC Irving, USA, and University Collage London, UK.