Page 10 - Establishing the Institute for Brain and Neural Sciences

The adult brain is a complex network of roughly 100 trillion connections among billions of neurons. Proper functioning of this network demands an e cient wiring of circuits, optimized yet exible enough to handle the uncertainties of daily living.
1 CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEURAL NETWORKS
How does the brain, with its extreme diversity of cells, wire to form complex networks? What happens when the process goes awry?
W eizmann scientists aim to reveal how the diversity of speci c
types of neurons emerge during development, how neurons migrate
to their correct locations, and how neurons’ extensions are guided over long distances to nd their targets. Topics will include understanding
the formation of neural connections (synapses), remodeling of synapses and circuits, development of sex di erences in neural networks, the role of neural support sta (e.g., glia and myelin), as well as neuronal metabolism.
Research will be driven by a range of technologies, including a diversity of preclinical disease model organisms, as well as miniature human neuron clusters or ‘organoids’. Ultimately,
this center will provide an essential foundation for understanding the pathology underlying a variety of diseases and disorders—from epilepsy and fragile X syndrome to a range of mental illnesses related to irregularities in brain development.
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