Denis Jabaudon and Christian Lüscher have been awarded two ERC Advanced Grants, the most prestigious funding scheme of the European Research Council, reserved for active researchers who have demonstrated exceptional scientific impact. Both grants will support projects in fundamental neuroscience.

Denis Jabaudon: tracing the origins of the human brain

How did the associative cortex — the brain region underlying our most complex cognitive abilities — acquire its distinctly human characteristics? To find out, Denis Jabaudon, full professor and head of the Department of Basic Neurosciences, will compare brain development in mice, a primitive primate, and humans. The aim is to identify the evolutionary mechanisms behind the expansion and late maturation of these regions in our species, and to test whether modulating them can shed light on the origins of our cognitive capacities and certain neurological vulnerabilities.

Project: Molecular mechanisms of associative cortex expansion and maturation during evolution

Christian Lüscher: understanding vulnerability to addiction

Why do some people develop addiction while others, exposed to the same substances, remain resilient? This is the central question of the VARIANT project, led by Christian Lüscher, full professor in the Department of Basic Neurosciences and attending physician in the Division of Neurology at Geneva University Hospitals. Working with genetically identical mice, his team will investigate neuroepigenetic mechanisms — chemical modifications that do not alter DNA but influence how genes are expressed in brain circuits. The project will seek to identify predictive markers of addiction risk, assess the role of stress in increasing vulnerability, and test whether positive environmental influences can restore resilience, paving the way for personalised therapeutic approaches.

Project: Vulnerability and resilience in addiction: Integrating epigenetics, synapses, circuits, and behavioral trajectories (VARIANT). Further information