CANARD: Computational Approaches in Neuroscience for Aging and Retinal NeuroDegeneration

• BIOVISION project-team, Inria Centre at Université Côte d'Azur, Inria (France)

• Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) (Chile)

• Universidad de Valparaíso (UV) (Chile)

• Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil)

• Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) (Brazil)

As the global population ages, the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases is projected to triple by 2050. Developing computational models to enhance mechanistic insights into these diseases is crucial. This proposal focuses on the retina, a promising source of biomarkers for various neurodegenerative conditions, to study the impact of pathological processes on retinal circuits, emphasizing the temporal dynamics of neuronal activity. The Biovision Team at INRIA, France, will use the Macular platform to model cellular degeneration and its effects on the retinal network. The model will be refined with neural data from rodent (degus and mice) retinas and in vivo recordings from feline retinas and LGN. Rodent experiments at the Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile, in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, will utilize genetically modified mouse models. Experiments at Instituto do Cérebro-UFRN, Brazil, will develop an Alzheimer's disease model in cats using intraocular injections of betaamyloid oligomers. Building on prior collaborations, we aim to share signal-processing innovations across groups. Our data-informed model is expected to advance diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative diseases.

In France: 

• Bruno Cessac, researcher, CANARD coordinator, BIOVISION project-team,  Inria Centre at Université Côte d'Azur, Inria

In Chile: 

• Evelyn Avilés, researcher, CANARD coordinator, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

• Adrián Palacios, researcher, CANARD coordinator, Universidad de Valparaíso

In Brazil: 

• Jérome Baron, researcher, CANARD coordinator, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

• Sergio Neuenschwander, researcher, CANARD coordinator, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte