Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin

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The Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin (ECN) was initiated in 2016 to establish an umbrella structure that specifically fosters interdisciplinary, collaborative research by facilitating synergies between existing research groups and promoting interaction on all levels. It was founded by the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, the Center for Stroke Research Berlin and the Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure and is currently jointly supported by the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Freie Universität Berlin, the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Technische Universität Berlin, as well as the non-university partners German Instititute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

The ECN has currently about 130 individual members (principal investigators), many of whom are directors of clinical research programs. All share a common aim: To increase our knowledge of neuroscience and develop new research approaches. Our long-term vision is an Einstein Center for Neurosciences with an international faculty and high visibility, a positive and cooperative environment, integrative and interactive research and training that provides young scientists with a first-rate disciplinary and interdisciplinary education, so that all students have a strong knowledge base and a common language across the breadth of neuroscience, which is a highly diverse and multidisciplinary field.

                                                  

Focus

Our research program is characterized by unique collaborations and partnerships, the ECN being the central institution connecting its PhD students to the partner organizations mentioned above. Our Einstein Training Program (ETP) teaches students in an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment. The combination of the ETP and courses offered by our partners allows students to study neuroscience across various disciplines (such as anatomy, physiology, psychocology, cell biology, computation, pharmacology and philosophy). Learning about the research questions and methodologies of different scientific fields helps students generate their own curriculum and pursue their individual research focus and career plans. Lab rotations help the PhD students to find the perfect workgroup for their research ideas. And, regular meetings with their supervision committees support the students in every possible way with their research projects.

Often, research questions cannot be answered by a single scientist or laboratory but require multiple workgroups from different disciplines who work together. Therefore, the ECN puts great emphasis on PhD students learning how to do their science in open and collaborative ways and, on the other hand, benefit from it. Another important aspect is translating their science into innovation and thus creating a benefit for society. As part of their training, ECN PhD students engage not only in our Lab for Open Innovation in Science but also get the chance to develop their own Open Innovation in Science projects and submit them to the annual ECN Open Innovation in Science Award. Its winners receive seed funding for a deeper implementing methods of Open Innovation in Science into their research projects.

The ECN PhD fellowship program provides selected students with an exceptional chance to become experts in the various fields of neuroscience research, all while receiving one of the highest endowed PhD scholarships in Germany. Currently there are more than 100 PhD students working on their PhD projects within the ECN, over 40 of them are receiving PhD scholarships.

Contact Information
Chair: Prof. Dr. Sarah Shoichet
(Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin)

Dr. Noa Lipstein
(Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie)

Prof. Dr. Wolf-Julian Neumann
(Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin)


Coordinator: Dr. Oliver Mai-Kolerus

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin
Charité Campus Mitte
Charitéplatz 1
10117 Berlin

Telephone: +49 30 450539710
E-mail: ecn-office@charite.de
Web: https://www.ecn-berlin.de/
Deadlines: 15th March/15th September for association
Places: no fixed number
Scholarships: 6 per year