{"id":88009,"date":"2025-06-24T14:19:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T12:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/?p=88009"},"modified":"2025-12-16T15:03:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T14:03:22","slug":"understanding-the-brain-two-new-grants-for-scientists-at-lukasiewicz-port","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/understanding-the-brain-two-new-grants-for-scientists-at-lukasiewicz-port\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Brain \u2013 Two New Grants for Scientists at \u0141ukasiewicz \u2013 PORT"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Although neuroscience is advancing at an impressive pace, the brain remains one of the least understood organs. In response to the need for a deeper understanding of this complex system, two innovative research projects have been launched at the \u0141ukasiewicz \u2013 PORT, both recently awarded funding by the National Science Centre (NCN). <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Brain Research in the Spotlight<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For years, the \u0141ukasiewicz \u2013 PORT has been systematically developing research into the functioning of the nervous system. The newly awarded grants are not only a recognition of the work conducted by the Synaptogenesis Group, led by Dr. hab. Tomasz Pr\u00f3szy\u0144ski, but also a real opportunity for progress in understanding neuropsychiatric disorders. <\/p>

Dr. hab. Pr\u00f3szy\u0144ski\u2019s project, titled \u201cFunctions of the AMOTL1 protein in the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems of the brain\u201d, received PLN 4.23 million in funding through the OPUS 28 competition and ranked first in the NZ3 (Cellular Biology) panel. Meanwhile, Dr. Przemys\u0142aw Duda was awarded PLN 2.2 million in the SONATA 20 competition for his project \u201cIdentifying hippocampus-related and sex-specific changes in organisms with silenced AMOTL1 gene expression.\u201d <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A New Perspective on Disease Mechanisms<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Dr. Duda\u2019s project has the potential to shed new light on the mechanisms underlying bipolar disorder and sex differences in its manifestation. His research focuses on the role of a specific gene whose variability may affect the expression of affective disorder symptoms \u2013 depending on both sex and molecular mechanisms. The results will help better understand the origins of differences in the course of the illness, from forms dominated by manic episodes to those primarily characterized by depression. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u2013 Psychiatric disorders affect an individual\u2019s ability to function in society \u2013 says Dr. Duda. \u2013 That\u2019s why it is so important to study their underlying mechanisms and seek new treatment approaches. <\/p>

The findings of these emerging studies may, in the future, improve diagnosis, enhance treatment precision, and accelerate the time it takes for patients to receive effective care.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Need for Precision<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Dr. hab. Tomasz Pr\u00f3szy\u0144ski is exploring a different area of the brain, investigating how dysfunction of a single protein can lead to symptoms typical of various disorders, including schizophrenia, ADHD, and neurodegenerative diseases. <\/p>

\u2013 Disruptions in the expression of a single gene can cause symptoms found across multiple conditions. That\u2019s why we can\u2019t talk about a one-gene-one-disease model \u2013 explains Dr. hab. Pr\u00f3szy\u0144ski. He also points to a key challenge in treating brain disorders: the lack of drug specificity. \u2013 Current treatments act broadly across the brain, often causing numerous side effects. We need solutions that act selectively \u2013 targeting specific areas. And this is exactly the approach we are trying to develop. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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From Gene to Symptom \u2013 A New Logic of Diagnosis<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Dr. Duda emphasizes a shift in how psychiatric disorders are diagnosed \u2013 Today, we no longer try to link a single genetic change to a single disorder. Instead, we look for connections between specific genetic variations and particular symptoms. <\/p>

Both projects employ tools that analyze how selected genetic changes influence the functioning of the nervous system. This approach aligns with the principles of precision and personalized medicine, which aims to tailor therapies to individual patients rather than broad diagnostic categories. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Public Expectations<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Both researchers at \u0141ukasiewicz \u2013 PORT stress that science takes time. \u2013 We\u2019re often asked: when will there be a cure? Yet scientific progress usually comes through small, incremental steps \u2013 says Dr. hab. Tomasz Pr\u00f3szy\u0144ski. Dr. Duda adds: \u2013 A scientist doesn\u2019t just look for answers. A scientist also looks for new questions. Science is exponential \u2013 one discovery often leads to two more questions. The synergy between science and business allows scientists to respond more rapidly to societal needs.

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Although neuroscience is advancing at an impressive pace, the brain remains one of the least understood organs. In response to the need for a deeper understanding of this complex system, two innovative research projects have been launched at the \u0141ukasiewicz \u2013 PORT, both recently awarded funding by the National Science Centre (NCN). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":249,"featured_media":81192,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[204],"tags":[796],"class_list":["post-88009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-successes"],"acf":{"czas_czytania":"3"},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-18 14:26:47","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/249"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88009"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88461,"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88009\/revisions\/88461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/port.lukasiewicz.gov.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}