NICO Neuroscience Institute

The main goal of NICO research center is to study the fundamental biological mechanisms of nervous system function, whose knowledge is essential for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. 

NICO is an interdepartmental institute of Turin University devoted to Neuroscience, from basic research (aimed at elucidating mechanisms of brain repair) to clinical research (aimed at developing new therapeutic strategies for treating neurodegenerative diseases).

The complexity of neurobiological studies makes it necessary to adopt an interdisciplinary approach. The birth of NICO meets the need of gathering the complementary experiences of twenty university principal investigators and more than one hundred young PhD students and postdocs.

Alzheimer, Huntington, multiple sclerosis, and amiotrophic lateral sclerosis: these are some of the most commonly known neurodegenerative diseases. The road towards their cure inevitably starts from basic research capable of understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms which underlie their pathogenesis. For this reason, research at NICO is devoted to investigate the normal structure and function of the central nervous system, along with neurodegenerative events and reparative/regenerative processes of nerve and glial cells.