Coordination Funds

研究单位FOR 1847要求第二阶段的资金，使参与的科学家能够继续共同努力，促进对人类大脑如何实现感知，通信或运动指导等复杂功能的理解，这一目标需要表征信息处理在多个层面，从突触和神经元，到局部微电路中的信息处理，远距离大脑区域之间的大规模相互作用。对非人类灵长类动物大脑的侵入性研究，作为人类大脑的模型，在研究高级大脑功能的神经元基础方面发挥着关键作用。它们可以利用人类和非人类灵长类动物的认知和行为能力以及潜在的大脑结构的相似性，这两者都是两个群体系统发育接近的直接后果。该研究单位汇集了一群科学家，他们试图解开非人类灵长类动物大脑中复杂行为的信息处理，部署行为范式和尖端神经生理学，神经药理学和光遗传学方法的复杂组合。研究小组成员强烈认为，要回答高度发达的大脑如何产生复杂功能的问题，需要了解信息处理及其在不同神经元回路中的差异（研究小组A），以及了解信号如何在回路和区域之间交换（研究小组B）。与第一个资助期一样，神经生物学研究计划将得到建立和发展最高动物实验标准的活动的补充，并提高公众对现代神经科学研究这一核心方面的认识和接受程度（灵长类动物福利，伦理和外展项目）。非常成功的研究生培训计划将继续培养下一代灵长类神经生物学家。因此，拟议的研究单位将为灵长类动物神经生物学提供相当大的附加值，不仅在科学方面，而且在结构上的好处。小组组成的适度变化，终止了一个相当边缘的项目（A4），增加了两个新项目（A6和B5），有望促进小组的一致性，并为小组关于愿景和行为相互作用的工作提供额外的动力。

The research unit FOR 1847 asks for a second period of funding to enable the scientists involved to continue their joint efforts to promote the understanding of how the human brain realizes complex functions such as perception, communication, or the guidance of movement, a goal that requires a characterization of information processing at multiple levels, from synapses and neurons, to the processing of information in local microcircuits, up to large-scale interactions between distant brain areas. Invasive studies of the brains of non-human primates, used as models of the human brain, play a key role in research on the neuronal underpinnings of higher brain functions. They can take advantage of the similarity of the cognitive and behavioural repertoire of humans and non-human primates and of the underlying brain architectures, which are both direct consequences of the phylogenetic proximity of the two groups. The research unit brought together a group of scientists who try to unravel information processing in the brain of non-human primates underlying complex behaviours, deploying sophisticated combinations of behavioural paradigms and cutting edge neurophysiological, neuropharmacological and optogenetic methods. The group members strongly believe that answering the question of how highly developed brains generate complex functions requires an understanding of both information processing and its differences in distinct neuronal circuits (research group A), as well as an understanding of how signals are exchanged between circuits and areas (research group B). As in the first funding period, the neurobiological research programme will be supplemented by activities to establish and develop the highest standards of animal experimentation and to improve the public,s knowledge and acceptance of this core aspect of modern neuroscience research (primate welfare, ethics, and outreach projects). The very successful graduate training programme will continue to train the next generation of primate neurobiologists. The proposed research unit therefore will provide considerable added value for primate neurobiology not only in terms of scientific but also of structural benefits. The modest changes of the group composition, termination of one rather marginal project (A4) and addition of two new projects (A6 and B5), promise to promote the group coherence and additional momentum for the groups work on the interaction of vision and behaviour.