The European Neuroscience Institute at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm

Many of the pioneering efforts of Neuroscience originate at the Karolinska institutet, like those of Gustaf Retzius (neuroanatomy), Ragnar Granit (neurophysiology, Nobel prize 1967), Ulf von Euler (neurochemistry, Nobel prize 1971) and Nils-Ake Hillarp (transmitteridentified neural systems).
 
They have been succeeded by a generation of Neuroscientists that currently have become leaders in several different fields like Kjell Fuxe and Tomas Hokfelt (neuropeptides), Per Roland (Brain imaging), Lars Olson (transplantation and regeneration), Staffan Cullheim and Krister Kristensson (neuro degenerative processes) and Sten Grillner (intrinsic function of neuronal networks - Neuroinformatics).
 
In addition, a younger very successful generation of professors mostly in their forties are now having a major impact in developmental and molecular neurobiology like Jonas Frisén (stem cells), Carlos Ibanez and Patrik Ernfors (neural growth factors), Ernest Arenas and Urban Lendahl (development), Lennart Brodin (synaptic endo/exocytosis), Johan Ericsson, Ole Kiehn and Abdel ElManira (brainstem spinal cord development, networks and modulation) and Tatiana Delia gina (postural control systems).
 
This taken together makes basic neuroscience at the Karolinska institute one of the strongest environments in Europe, even not conside ring clinical neuroscience located at the university hospitals, which adds further to the strength.
 
These different research groups in basic neuroscience are located in two buildings close to each other at the Karolinska campus – thus creating optimal conditions for collaboration and interaction between different subdisciplines. There is also a great variety of seminar series and major lectures in neuroscience, and programs for postdoctoral and doctoral students, which create a stimulating and competitive environment.
 
Karolinska institutet is very heavy in research and in a national perspective it takes, for instance, a progressively larger part of the budget of the Swedish Medical research council (43% for 2004). We therefore feel, that the young groups we propose will have a stimulating environment that should be beneficial for all the ENI partners.