This week is Brain Awareness Week, a global campaign coordinated by the Dana Foundation to educate the public on the advances of brain research. To commemorate this week we would like to highlight the importance of research in neuroscience by presenting one of the newest research centres in Spain: CINC.

The Cajal International Neuroscience Center (CINC) is a strategic commitment of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and was created with the ambition of becoming a multidisciplinary research centre of world reference in the field.

CINC will incorporate scientists of outstanding scientific level. During the open call for Expression of Interest for the recruitment of research group leaders, CINC received over 140 applications from national and international researchers. These applications have been evaluated and the centre is recruiting up to 16 new PIs; they also have a new call for research professors. CINC will open its doors around the end of 2022.

The mission of the Cajal International Neuroscience Center (CINC) is to provide the basic knowledge necessary to understand how the brain works and how behaviours arise. This knowledge will make possible the prevention of the most devastating neurological and mental diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, addictive behaviours, schizophrenia, autism or depression.

The CINC is subdivided into five main axes of research, which encompass the most fundamental aspects of understanding the brain: BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND MATURATION, BRAIN PHYSIOLOGY AND PLASTICITY, BRAIN AGEING. SYSTEMS AND COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE, and TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE.

After its opening, CINC will have an essential role in the development Spanish of cutting-edge research in neuroscience, alongside other centres such as the Instituto de Neurociencias in Alicante.