Research at the Paul Flechsig Institute is focused upon clinically relevant molecular and cellular mechanism of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In particular, it is devoted to study the pathomechanism of neurodegeneration. Research projects range from basic research on cellular interactions in CNS at the borderline between normal and disturbed function, up to the development of approaches to novel strategies in diagnosis and therapy. Within the framework of a co-laborative network with preclinical (Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry) and clinical (Psychiatry, Neurology, Nuclear Medicine, Ophthalmology) neuroscience departments of the Faculty of Medicine, with the Faculty for Biology, Pharmacy and Psychology, the Faculty of Physics and Geo-Sciences, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics (IZBI), the Biotechnology-Biomedical Centre (BBZ), the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ); the Helmholtz Centre Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) the institute is aimed at
- establishing interdisciplinary research and training at the 'cutting edges' between medical neuroscience and basic research in physics, mathematics, biology, and others (such as, e.g., in the DFG Training School "InterNeuro");
- establishing and maintaining advanced methods in neuroscience (such as confocal and two-photon microscopy including various imaging techniques, electronmicroscopy, stereology, transgenic animal models with conditional inducible gene expression; hier weiter methoden einfügen);
- applying these tools to perform original basic research on the molecular and cellular pathomechanisms of neurodegeneration;
- applying this capacity and expertise to collaborative research projects with the clinical partners in the Medical Faculty, at the national (DFG-SPPs; BMBF network program) and international level (Centre of Coordination for European Research Consortium), and by doing so,
- providing education and training for young scientists, particularly of the Medical Faculty (e.g. Clinician Scientists).
