The recent decade witnessed dramatic improvements in treatments for a number of burdensome human diseases. Yet, it is striking the paucity of effective treatments for mental illness. Advances in neuroscience converge to the idea that the understanding, probing and treating psychiatric illness require a multi-scale ; Bridging genetic fluctuations with remodeling of synaptic function, neural circuits and behavior is becoming an instrumental step to envision novel interventions for psychiatric disorders. According to this hypothesis, environmental experience trigger specific forms of synaptic plasticity, as well as genetic reprogramming in precise neuronal circuits underlying aspects of disorders including depression, substance abuse, eating disorders or anxiety. Notably, latest advances indicate that the immune system interfaces many of these aspects.

In this FENS-Hertie Winter School we will discuss the latest neurotechniques to monitor, interrogate and reverse genetic, immunes synaptic and neuronal function. Strong emphasis will be given on the causality between such cellular adaptations and precise behavioral traits typical of the disease. The course will cover, at least partly, translational studies in humans to stimulate discussion on how to bridge them with pre-clinical findings.