Linda Douw starts new research section on Multiscale Network Neuroscience

Branco Weiss Alumna Linda Douw has started a new research section on Multiscale Network Neuroscience (MULTINET) at the Anatomy and Neurosciences department of Amsterdam UMC. This new section aims to integrate theoretical insights and empirical findings across the different scales of measurement, ranging from microscopic investigation of individual cells and circuits to whole-brain imaging and behavioral assessments.

The section will specifically continue research on how local cellular properties, and particularly alterations therein in neurological disease, may give rise to the large-scale network disturbances that we observe in patients with brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases. The idea is that such multiscale brain alterations are not only consequences of the disease but may also play a role in its pathophysiology and trajectory.

An example of the interdisciplinary, collaborative work that the section aims to do is a paper that recently came out in Cerebral Cortex (Douw et al., 2021). Using a multilayer network approach combined with advanced cellular analyses, the paper delineates the cellular substrates of alterations in functional network integration that are associated with memory deficits in temporal lobe epilepsy patients. Ultimately, this type of work that integrates previously disconnected findings within scales of measurement may lead the way towards better understanding and particularly improved treatments of brain disease.

Linda Douw’s work has exemplified how different modalities and disciplinary layers can be meaningfully connected to complement existing paradigms within neuroscience. The new research section will provide her with a means and a basis to further translate her method to other areas of expertise, notably cellular and molecular fields.

Read the news on Linda Douw’s website