Research activity

Translational Neuroscience Group (CARG)

Vision and ambition

The Translational Neuroscience Clinical-Academic Research Group (CARG) was established in December 2018 with the overarching vision and ambition of integrating basic and clinical research activities that aim to achieve a better understanding of neurodegenerative disease and other CNS lesions affecting cognitive and/or motor function with the ultimate goal of bridging the gap to clinical translation.

Towards this unifying goal, the CARG brings together a critical mass of unique expertise across different departments and faculties at NTNU, including neuroscience research groups at the Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science (INB) and the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience/Centre for Neural Computation (KISN/CNC), interdisciplinary research groups at the Department of Computer Sciences (IDI), Department of Mathematical Sciences (IMF), and Department of Molecular Medicine (IKOM), as well as clinicians at the Department of Neurology, St Olav´s Hospital.

Current priorities under the CARG include the integration of research activities in Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), two neurodegenerative diseases characterized by complex pathologies and unknown aetiology. As a result, there are no therapeutic options for these patients and clinical treatment remains largely symptomatic.

Accelerate clinical translation

The success of future treatments depends on early diagnosis, before the pathology affects vulnerable neurons or spreads to interconnected neural networks. It also relies on our ability to conduct research that exploits existing synergies. By establishing the CARG, we form a team of basic and clinical researchers and clinicians with unparalleled joint expertise. This will significantly benefit current AD and ALS patients in our region, both in terms of anticipated results as well as through active involvement and participation in the relevant research activities, which apart from ongoing clinical research projects, also include neuron-specific and patient-specific disease modelling. Thus, the integration of novel conceptual and methodological approaches across the entire bench-to-bedside research pipeline is anticipated to lead to scientific renewal and innovations, including novel research models, tools and paradigms. This will accelerate genuine translation in terms of early diagnosis and future therapeutic options in the clinic.

Collaboration, communication and training

Apart from a number of relevant research activities initiated and supported by the CARG, the CARG also actively promotes activities that foster interdisciplinary, cross-departmental collaboration, training and communication. These include:

Arenas for scientific interaction, such as the annual Christmas Neuroscience symposium hosted by INB, and the monthly AD seminar hosted by KISN/CNC.
Recruitment of MSc students in relevant cross-departmental collaborative projects.
Recruit medical research (forskerlinje) students.