Our consortium

The University of Oxford (UOXF) is consistently ranked among the top five multidisciplinary Universities worldwide with one of the best biomedical research campuses. Its Medical Science faculty was ranked first in the UK with a £350 million research income in 2014/15 alone.

UOXF is the coordinator of IMPRIND and contributes to the following aspect of the project:

• Data Management, curation and dissemination (WP5 co-leader).
• Cellular assays of misfolded protein propagation and clearance and mechanistic studies (WP2).
• Validation of targets that regulate synuclein levels in iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons (WP4).

H. Lundbeck A/S (HLU) is a global fully integrated pharmaceutical company including research, clinical development and marketing. HLU’s research and development (R&D) efforts are dedicated to creating new and innovative pharmaceuticals for the treatment of brain disorders. With around 1000 employees in R&D and an annual turnover of ~ 13.5 billion DKK. HLU is one of the World’s leading pharmaceutical companies specialized in central nervous system disorders.

HLU is the IMI project leader of IMPRIND and contributes to the following aspect of the project:

• Characterization of protein assemblies (fibrils) in an in vivo PD model (WP2)
• Cross-lab validation of selected in vitro assays and genetic screening in PD in vitro models (WP3).
• Validation of selected targets by adenoviral knock-down in a PD in vivo model (WP4).

University of Cambridge (UCAM) is one of the top five multidisciplinary universities world-wide with a long history of discovery in biomedical research. The Clifford Allbutt Building is a translational neuroscience institute part of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences with expertise in spinal cord injury, stroke, head injury, AD, HD, PD.

UCAM investigates the propagation of proteopathic assemblies in human IPSC-derived neurons and other neuronal cells using microfluid and transwell systems (WP2 and 4).

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) is a world-class research laboratory, dedicated to understanding important biological processes at the molecular level. LMB seeks to understand the structures of molecules and molecular machines as well as their fates and functions within cells, and how these contribute to the workings of complex systems, such as the brain, and to problems of human health and disease.

LMB develops standardized tools and assays for alpha-synuclein and tau aggregation, and generates clonal cell lines that express aggregated tau for the purposes of producing homotypic tau preparations for in vitro seeding and other studies (WP2).

Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA) consists of 3 Research Institutes, two of which, the Centre for Experimental Surgery and Translational Research and the Centre for Basic Research contribute to IMPRIND by providing a leading base for neurobiology research into neurodegenerative disorders.

BRFAA studies secreted α-synuclein in the interstitial fluid of mouse models (WP2 and 4), elucidates the role of exosome-associated α-synuclein in the propagation of α-synuclein pathology (WP2), and generates AAV viruses and lentiviruses to express genes in the autophagy pathway and validate selected targets in vivo (WP4)

University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG-GOE) is a leading research institution with a strong history of EU-funded projects. The Department of Neurodegeneration and Restorative Research is internationally recognized for their work in neurodegeneration.

UMG-GOE manages the use of BiFC models of α-synuclein and Tau oligomerization (WP2) and contributes to the miniaturization of screening assays for primary genetic and pharmacological screens.

University of Bordeaux (UBX) features the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases that focuses on Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. It conducts both preclinical and clinical studies for the development of new therapeutic (symptomatic and disease-modifying) approaches of neurodegenerative disorders by facilitating the translational research from bench to bedside.

UBX is IMPRIND’s ethic manager and leader of WP4. Its contribution includes implementation of transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into neurons with development of non-human primate model of tau propagation and degeneration (WP4) and establishment of neuronal models of early proteotoxicity using neurite arborisation as a readout (WP2).

The Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory is part of the Dandrite, the Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience located in the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus Universitet (AU). A major focus of the group is α-synuclein, which is thought to be the main culprit in PD pathogenesis. The investigations are conducted at molecular, cellular and in rodents and involves heavily on international collaborations. The laboratory provide a training ground in Neurosciences for pre- and postdoctoral students from Denmark and abroad supported by grants from the European Union, USA, Denmark, and International Non-Profit Foundations.

AU develops and validates cellular assays based on cell lines and primary cultures of rodent neurons that characterize the early phase when cells has taken-up prion-like misfolded a-synuclein aggregates and starts to generate and build-up intracellular a-synuclein aggregates. With a focus on the changes in cytosolic calcium levels and their use to monitor the early degenerative phase (WP2)

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) is the largest governmental research organisation in France and the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. The Life Sciences Institute weights 30% of the CNRS with over 300 research units.

CNRS co-leads WP2 that aims to develop screening assays for alpha-synuclein and tau propagation and contributes by the generation and characterization of disease-relevant fibrils; establishing in vitro amplification methods and document propagation, post-translational modifications and cellular responses. CNRS will also contribute to the target validation (WP4).

The Drug Discovery Unit is an academic drug discovery unit based at the University of Dundee (DUNDEE) operating like a biotech company but within a university. It has significant expertise in the pharmaceutical industry, can perform early stage drug discovery from target validation to pre-clinical candidate stage and has the expertise in small molecule and fragment-based drug discovery and work across a portfolio of therapeutic areas by collaborating with academic researchers nationally and internationally.

DUNDEE contributes to the assessment of target druggability (WP3).

VIB Center for the Biology of Disease (VIB) is a life sciences research institute, based in Flanders, Belgium. Its mission is to perform frontline research, addressing significant questions and key issues relevant to major human health challenges. VIB focuses on basic molecular and cellular mechanisms by using the power of modern genetics and genomics as well as molecular, cellular and developmental biology.

VIB develops the Drosophila tau propagation model to identify genetic modifiers (WP2) and creates animal models of propagation integrating transplanted iPSC-derived neurons for validation (WP4).

The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) is a member of the Helmholtz Association dedicated to neurodegenerative diseases aiming at developing new preventive and therapeutic approaches. At DZNE fundamental research is closely related to clinical research, population studies and health care research by bringing together excellent scientific expertise all over Germany and following an interdisciplinary research approach.

DZNE co-Lead WP3, focusing on cellular assays using neuronal precursor cells derived from distinct areas of the foetal brain with genotyped tau H1/H2 haplotypes. It generates target list; ioinformatics; iPS based confirmation of hits confirmation; transcriptomics in iPS after pertubation Tau measurement on the Simoa platform (WP2, WP4) and standardizes the use of organotypic slice culture for the induction and propagation of pathogenic synuclein aggregates (WP4).

Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (Janssen) is a pharmaceutical company affiliated with the Johnson & Johnson Group, global market leader in healthcare products. Janssen is one of the most innovative pharmaceutical companies in the world, invests around $4.5 billion in research & development annually and is a top 10 company in global pharmaceutical sales.

Janssen contributes to analysis, cellular amplification and analysis of the AD and PSP derived Tau seeds in vitro and in vivo (WP2) and targets the validation using in vitro models (WP4).

AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG is a fully owned subsidiary of AbbVie, Inc. located in Abbott Park, Illinois, US. AbbVie is a biopharmaceutical company operating worldwide with research in different therapeutic areas, e.g. immunology, oncology and neuroscience. The Neuroscience Discovery department has its main research facilities in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The research activities have a focus on disease modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple sclerosis.

AbbVie co-leads WP2, supports the development and characterization of a DrosophilaTau propagation model and participates in the cross-validation of Tau material generated in WP2 using in vitropropagation assays. In addition, AbbVie targets validation using in vivo rodent studies (WP4) as well as data management, exploitation, dissemination and communication (WP5).

Novartis is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland aiming at discovering and developing breakthrough treatments and finding new ways to deliver them to as many people as possible. Novartis has a strong commitment to fighting psychiatric and neurodegenerative including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We are collaborating with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in the U.S., leading the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative, to explore two new disease-modifying compounds for people at risk of developing AD.

Novartis co-leads WP3 and creates list of potential targets for high throughput cellular screening; miniaturizing assays and generates focused genetic libraries; performing focused genetic screens; assessing toxicity, cellular response and druggability of hits; and integrating bioinformatics, annotation and data.

Servier is a global pharmaceutical company with active CNS programs in the clinic and research focusing on proteinopathies, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Servier co-leads WP4, develops zebrafish models in AD and PD and validation of newly identified targets (WP4) and implements transdifferentiation protocols to model AD (WP2).

Eli Lilly and Company is the 10th largest pharmaceutical company in the world, with headquarters located in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.
Lilly’s Erl Wood Research Centre in Windlesham, Surrey, UK which opened in 1967, was the first and is now the largest research site outside of the U.S, and has played a key role in some of the company’s most important scientific breakthroughs. The site has become a centre of excellence in neuroscience research.
Our research teams continue the quest for new medicines for neurodegenerative disorders, cognitive diseases and pain.
The Lilly Neurodegenerative Disease program at Erl Wood is primarily focused on the discovery of disease modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. Current research areas include Tau and Neuroimmunology targets, leveraging local internal expertise.

Lilly characterizes and amplifies disease-relevant proteopathic assemblies (WP2), integrates bioinformatics, annotation and data (WP3), and establishes complex models for tau propagation and prioritize animal models for screen validation (WP4) .

Founded in 2005, SCIPROM is an SME specialised in the management of collaborative research projects. SCIPROM supports coordinators from the first project idea to the final report, in project set-up, negotiation, management and communication. At present, SCIPROM has 7 employees.
SCIPROM is part of the Executive Committee and contributes to Project Management, Communication and Dissemination:

• Project office, contact point and support for the coordinator and all partners of the consortium


• Contractual, financial and legal management (Consortium Agreement, EU contract negotiations and amendments, IPR issues, supervision of financial reporting and auditing)


• Scientific editing, compilation of scientific and financial reports, collection of audit certificates


• Co-organisation of project meetings and workshops/satellite events


• Communication: Creation and maintenance of the project website; project brochure