Advanced Grants 2024: Examples of projects

Move, eat, think: How lifestyle shapes your brain One of the biggest challenges of ageing is cognitive decline, but up to 40% of dementia cases may be delayed or prevented through lifestyle changes. Scientists know that physical activity and eating well can help protect your memory and thinking, but they don’t know why. Juan P. Bolaños and his team at the University of Salamanca will investigate astrocytes - brain cells that connect blood vessels to nerves. These cells could be central to how lifestyle choices influence the brain. The team will explore how various diets and exercise habits modify astrocyte behaviour and how those shifts impact learning and memory. To find this out, they will study mice with different lifestyles to determine which molecules produced by astrocytes may influence chronic brain function. This way, Bolaños hopes to learn and maybe intervene in the process of cognitive decline by focusing on the metabolism of brain cells. Juan Bolaños is Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Salamanca. Researcher: Juan P. Bolaños Project: Astrocytic metabolism-driven epigenetics at the cornerstone of cognitive aging (Neuro STARS)Host Institution: University of Salamanca (ES)ERC funding: €2.48 million over 5 years Developing a preventive vaccine for breast cancer Breast cancer is one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide. Despite significant advances in immune and targeted therapies, we have yet to find a cure – especially...