Research
Two SDU researchers awarded grants for new brain function studies
DKK 13.3 million from the Lundbeck Foundation will support research into the brain’s ability to repair itself and how attention works.
Two researchers from the University of Southern Denmark have each been awarded an Ascending Investigator grant from the Lundbeck Foundation. The grants support ambitious projects that explore the brain’s regeneration in dementia and the rhythmic nature of human attention. The projects will run over four years and have received a combined total of DKK 13.3 million in funding.
The brain’s self-repair mechanisms in dementia
Agnieszka Wlodarczyk from the Department of Molecular Medicine has received DKK 7 million for the research project REMEMBER: REstoring MEmory via Microglia-driven Brain rEpaiR.
The project investigates how specialised cells in the developing brain – microglia – can help restore memory and cognitive functions in patients with dementia. By identifying the regenerative factors released by microglia, the researchers hope to pave the way for new treatments that can repair brain damage and improve quality of life for people with memory-related diseases.
Investigating the rhythm of attention
Søren Krogh Andersen from the Department of Psychology has received DKK 6.3 million for the project Does selective visual attention sample rhythmically? Although we experience the world as a continuous stream, recent research suggests that our attention may operate in rhythmic ‘snapshots’ – around 7–8 times per second.
This theory has been widely discussed, but there is still uncertainty surrounding it. Through a series of EEG and behavioural experiments with healthy adults, the project aims to determine whether this rhythmic attention is real – and thereby offer new insight into how we perceive and process the world around us.
A total of 15 research talents have received funding for new projects focusing on the brain. Read about all of them on the Lundbeck Foundation’s website here.