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NeuroInsight, which has been developed by SFI research centres FutureNeuro and Insight, aims to use data to advance our understanding of neurological conditions.
A new research training programme called NeuroInsight is aiming to create a pipeline of professionals with advanced skills in the areas of neuroscience and data analytics.
It will train scientists working in Ireland with the appropriate tech and data skills to further research into neurological conditions, including epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and motor neuron disease.
The initiative, which is being led by the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, has been awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions co-fund worth €4.7m. It was developed by Science Foundation Ireland research centres FutureNeuro and Insight, which focus on neurological diseases and data analytics, respectively.
‘We are generating more and more data, insights from which can help us better understand and treat neurological disease’
– PROF GIANPIERO CAVALLERI
The centres plan to deliver an integrated and applied training programme for research fellows that will draw on their respective areas of expertise.
Patients will provide inputs for the programme and the research fellows will be seconded to hospitals and industry settings. This will help ensure that their findings are transferable to real-life devices, diagnostics and treatments.
NeuroInsight will provide 33 experienced researchers with 24-month fellowships. These will focus on a range of topics, including AI and precision medicine. The programme is now taking expressions of interest from potential candidates here.
The programme’s lead, Prof Gianpiero Cavalleri, is deputy director at FutureNeuro and professor of human genetics at RCSI’s School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences.
“As a society, and particularly in our healthcare systems, we are generating more and more data, insights from which can help us better understand and treat neurological disease,” Cavalleri said.
“This programme is about training and equipping the next generation of researchers to safely and effectively engage with these datasets in a manner that positively impacts on the lives of people with neurological conditions.”
He added that NeuroInsight will bring together leading researchers across neuroscience, e-health and data analytics, creating “a culture of patient-centric entrepreneurship that will ultimately transform the patient journey for people with chronic and rare neurological conditions”.
