Brain Regeneration usIng medical Devices, Gene vectors and stEm cells (BRIDGE)
DIRECTOR: Gianvito Martino
DEPUTY DIRECTOR AD INTERIM: Luigi Naldini

This proposed Research Program entitled “Human Brain In-vivo Mapping with Neuroimaging” (BRAINMAP) will have the following two main aims: a) To join and strengthen the decennial expertise already developed in this field at our Institute; and b) To develop new research lines in the field of neuroimaging, through a multidisciplinary and inter-departmental approach. The objective of such an approach will be to develop, in the field of basic technology research, and apply, in that of clinical research, conventional and newer neuroimaging techniques for the evaluation of the physiological maturation and aging processes of the CNS and the assessment of the different pathological substrates of the main neurological and psychiatric diseases. The structure of the program will be based on the three main pathophysiological mechanisms of damage and repair of the human CNS: a) inflammation; b) degeneration; and c) regeneration and cortical plasticity. Such mechanisms will be addressed by different work packages, which will be complementary for the translation into the clinical arena of novel neuroimaging tools and/or findings of potential relevance/value for the understanding of healthy and diseased CNS in humans.