International Associated Laboratory «Developmental Neurobiology»

Scientific results:

1. The discovery of special forms of activity in the sensory cortex of the brain of newborn rats and the elucidation of the mechanisms of their generation, the translation of these observations onto newborn humans. 
2. The identification of important features of the development of CNS inhibition in the norm and in pathological conditions, in particular, changes in the action of  the GABA neurotransmitter from inhibition to excitation as a result of a brain injury. 
3. The discovery of the ability of alcohol to cause neurotoxic action with respect to immature neurons by blocking early forms of brain activity in doses not causing pathological effect on the  activity in the human brain. 

Implemented results of research: 

The collected data have fundamental significance: 

• for the understanding of the mechanisms of the operation of the brain at early stages of individual development of the organism (corresponding to in utero in humans) and the role of early forms of activity in brain development.
• for the creation of new, more advanced clinical methods of brain research in prematurely born infants.
• for the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of a number of brain development pathologies.

• At Kazan Federal University we implemented a master’s degree program in neurobiology, a course in nervous system physiology in ontogenesis has been created.

• Methodical guides have been developed: «Physiology of the nervous system», «Physiology of excitable systems», «Early gamma-oscillations», «Neonatal cortical rhythms», «Spontaneous activity in developing neural networks».

• 17 internships of young researchers, postgraduate and undergraduate students have been conducted.

• We conducted scientific schools: «Mechanisms of the adaptation of a growing organism to physical and mental load» (2012), «From a neuron to the brain» (2013, in English), «Technological trends in neurobiology» (2013, in English), «From neuron to brain: an extended neurobiology course» (2015, 2016).

• One Doctor of Sciences and 5 Candidate of Sciences dissertations have been prepared and defended. 

Organizational and structural changes:

On the grounds of the Laboratory the «Open Laboratory of Neurobiology» has been created, where we formed research groups studying the pathophysiology of pain and migraine, synaps plasticity, gas mediators in the nervous system.

Collaborations:

• INSERM (France): joint research, internships of employees, staging scientific and practical schools, the international Russian-French laboratory «Development neurobiology», collaborative academic articles published in highly-ranked journals.
• Heidelberg University (Germany): joint research, internships of employees, creating a research group «Synaptic plasticity, implementation of a technology for coupled registration of synaptically coupled neurons in brain sections», academic publications in highly-ranked journals.