The project which will be carried out by Flavie Lavoie-Cardinal, who is also the Research Thrust Leader for Thrust 2 – Health and Life Sciences of IID, is part of the “Enabling Identification and Impact of Synaptic Weight in Functional Networks” initiative, supported by $ 4.5M in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), and led by Professor Kristen Harris of the University of Texas.

As part of this initiative, research teams will work to unravel the relationship between the weight (or strength) of synapses, their structural components and their activity. Using multidisciplinary approaches, advanced imaging technologies and various computer resources, the researchers will generate data capable of predicting the functioning of certain neural circuits, which could lead to the development of more advanced brain imaging technologies and analyses.

This funding is part of the NeuroNex Network in the fields of neuroscience and neurotechnology, a program supporting international efforts in forming vast networks of research in neuroscience and technologies, funded by Canadian, American, German and British institutions. In Canada, this funding is managed by the CIHR and the Quebec Research Fund: Fonds de recherche du Québec (FQR).

Press release from the Fonds de recherche du Québec

Press release from the National Science Foundation