The value of basic neuroscience, Prof. Cryan and other neuroscientists interviewed by Irish Times at Neuroscience Ireland conference

13 Oct 2015

'At the ninth Neuroscience Ireland conference, chaired by Prof Oliver Dolly at DCU, researchers spoke about their research into brain basics. Some even went beyond the brain, as in the case of Prof John Cryan, of University College Cork, who studies how the bacteria living in our guts (our gut microbiome) could influence brain function'.

'Cryan agrees that fundamental research is key to developing new strategies for tackling brain diseases and disorders. “We are still in the early days of finding out how the brain works, especially in the context of the neural basis of neurodegenerative and psychiatric brain diseases,” he says.

“In my own research we are focused on how the gut microbiome can signal to the brain. This is a complete paradigm shift in neuroscience and requires a lot more basic research to tease apart the complex mechanisms at play.

“It is gaining a lot more attention in basic neuroscience circles and is a really exciting field [that] may lead to innovative strategies for treating stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.”'

Link to IRISH TIMES article  'How does the brain work, and what happens when it doesn’t?'