FutureNeuro focuses on three key areas:

Diagnostics: We are improving the accuracy and speed of neurological disease diagnosis by identifying genetic, neuroelectric, and circulating biomarkers. Using cutting-edge genomics and sequencing technologies, including long-read approaches, we work to increase diagnostic yield and enable precision medicine. Our research integrates seamlessly with clinical practice, developing blood-based and data-driven biomarkers, as well as ultrasensitive monitoring technologies to detect disease progression and treatment response.

Therapeutics: We are pioneering disease-modifying treatments that target hyperexcitable and damaged brain networks. We focus on noncoding RNAs, metabolic and epigenetic processes, the blood-brain barrier, and neuroinflammation, using state-of-the-art techniques such as super-resolution imaging, single-cell ‘omics, and neurophysiology. Promising therapies are tested in our diverse translational models, including cell, animal, and human systems, to establish efficacy, understand mechanisms of action, and advance the most effective candidates toward preclinical development.

Digital Health: We are transforming and democratising healthcare through digital innovation. Our work focuses on developing connected health solutions that empower patients to monitor their well-being while enabling clinicians to make more informed decisions. We leverage real-world data and AI to improve personalised care, integrate digital tools into clinical workflows, and enhance research-enabled healthcare systems. Through collaboration with industry and healthcare providers, we are shaping the future of patient-centred, technology-driven neurological care.

By combining scientific excellence with national clinical networks and industry collaboration, FutureNeuro is driving research that improves lives.

Frontier research

FutureNeuro performs world-leading, challenge-based, high-impact science. We aim to improve how we diagnose brain diseases, to implement genomics for more personalised and effective therapy, develop the next generation of treatments, and harness state-of-the-art digital technologies to enable informed clinical-decision-making and deliver more personalised and proactive healthcare for patients and their families. Five FutureNeuro researchers are ERC awardees, who are carrying out diverse frontier research in areas including psychotic experiences in young people, circadian rhythms in families, gene therapies for age-related macular degeneration, making and breaking habits, and microglial biology.

FutureNeuro researchers have already made scientific breakthroughs in each thematic area:

Diagnostics: Our researchers discovered a new microRNA linked to epilepsy (miR-335) which targets voltage-gated sodium channels. This microRNA normally functions to restrain brain excitability and the study showed that a gene therapy (AAV9) carrying miR-335 delivered to the hippocampus of mice protected against seizures in a preclinical model. The study also discovered that cannabidiol (CBD), a new treatment for Dravet syndrome, alters expression of microRNAs in the mouse brain and may contribute to the drug’s mechanism of action.

Therapeutics: Our researchers, alongside colleagues, unveiled a significant breakthrough regarding the impact of Covid-19 on the brain. Using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, they showed a correlation between blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption and changes in brain volume. The analysis of gene expression revealed dysregulation in the coagulation system and a dampened adaptive immune response in individuals with brain fog. In vitro experiments revealed an increase in adhesion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to human brain endothelial cells, and exposure of endothelial cells to serum from long COVID patients induced the expression of inflammatory markers. The findings suggest that sustained systemic inflammation and persistent, localised BBB dysfunction is a key feature of long COVID-associated brain fog.

Digital Health: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neurodegenerative and currently incurable disease. Due to the absence of a definitive test, diagnosis often involves extensive medical exams, lasting up to a year. This process can be exhausting for patients and their families. FutureNeuro researchers worked towards the identification of the predictors of a caregiver’s quality of life (QoL), in addition to the development of a model for clinical use to alert clinicians when a caregiver is at risk of experiencing low QoL. The study identified novel factors impacting caregiver QoL in ALS, incorporating both patient and caregiver traits. Furthermore, employing machine learning and explainable AI, the research unveiled a proof-of-concept model showcasing AI’s potential to enhance healthcare decision-making processes.

CIIMAR research programmes allow the discovery and study of new species and ecosystems, at different depths of the ocean or in other aquatic systems, and provide basic knowledge and tools to support the protection and management of marine, estuarine, and freshwater ecosystems. CIIMAR research leads to the discovery of marine products with potential biotechnological applications in multiple areas including environmental (bioremediation), human and animal health (drugs, cosmetics, nutraceuticals), and industrial (food and feed; paints and coatings). In addition, some research programmes are dedicated to optimizing the growth potential of current and alternative species for aquaculture and to providing high quality seafood for human consumption, which is vital for tackling nutrition and seafood quality issues.

While increasing ocean literacy is a key part of CIIMAR’s mission, the institute goes further by conducting responsible research innovation through research projects that engage diverse social actors as partners.
CIIMAR’s main headquarters are at the stunning Porto Cruise Terminal, in Matosinhos, however, its research community spreads across laboratories in 5 units of the University of Porto, at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, at the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) in Lisbon and at the University of Madeira.
Its vibrant community is composed of around 660 people from 32 nationalities. More than 100 research projects are actively running, with CIIMAR participating in over 20 Horizon Europe projects, across Pillar 1 (Excellent Science), Pillar 2 (Global Challenges & European industrial competitiveness), and Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence actions, overseeing 7 of them as coordinators. In addition, CIIMAR is involved in several major technology transfer projects, and in projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Frontier Research
The ocean is determinant of the planet’s health, absorbing excessive heat and energy that is produced, and is a source of food and economic activity for human populations. Climate change is taking a heavy toll on the ocean, causing ice melting, sea-level rise, and water acidification, among others, which ultimately impact marine biodiversity and the lives of coastal communities. Finding strategies to prevent or mitigate the impact of climate change in oceans, coastal environments, and freshwater ecosystems, is of utmost importance. At CIIMAR, several research groups explore different strategies and tools to effectively address these issues. Our diverse range of research activities spans from the Antarctic Peninsula to estuarine ecosystems, encompassing the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change, pollution, and invasive species.
CIIMAR is conducting fundamental research and field monitoring programs to enhance the physical, chemical, and biological knowledge of the marine environment and ongoing changes, while also addressing land/river/ocean and ocean/atmosphere interactions. The study of emerging toxins, the development of biosensors, and nature-based solutions for ecosystem recovery is actively pursued in CIIMAR. Using experimental approaches, CIIMAR is examining causality among stressors, and their long-term effects on organisms and ecosystems, including research on biological, chemical and physical pollution, and climate change drivers.
The knowledge about the (whole) ocean is still very narrow. 71% of our blue planet is ocean, which corresponds to an extremely vast area of Earth that is hard to scan. Adding to this complex scenario is the fact that 67% of the ocean is deep-ocean, i.e., it starts 200 meters below the surface and can go up to more than 10 km depth. Exploring the deepest secrets of the ocean is human and technologically challenging, and has been impossible until very recently. We are now living in the most exciting era to discover the ocean, as humanity is developing technology that allows its exploration, at different depths. CIIMAR is involved in this exploration, with state-of-the-art technologies and facilities, and combining their expertise with international partners. By exploring the richness of ocean resources, CIIMAR is discovering and characterizing new bioactive compounds with ecological, pharmaceutical, or industrial applications.
CIIMAR research is also elucidating and comprehending the underlying fundamentals of animal molecular physiology, enhancing understanding of species biodiversity, deciphering fish life cycles, contributing to exploitation management, promoting animal growth, health and welfare, and ensuring seafood quality and safety for human consumption. Meeting the challenge of increasing production amidst resources scarcity on an overpopulated planet requires prioritizing animal resilience, feed efficiency, circularity, and climate change mitigation in both fisheries and aquaculture sectors.