Date: 11-12 June
Venue: Karolinska Institutet, Nobel Forum
On June 10-11, 2024, the Korea-Nordic Science and Technology Cooperation Center (KNTEC)convened the 14th LEDARE Workshop. This workshop served as a continuation of the 2nd Neuroscience LEDARE Workshop, leveraging the research collaboration network established during the inaugural Neuroscience LEDARE Workshop in 2022. The aim was to enhance networking and formulate advanced joint research themes. The focus of this year’s workshop was on astrocytes, a prominent topic in recent neuroscience discourse, and encompassed research on neurodegenerative brain diseases and dementia. A total of 28 experts presented their findings and engaged in discussions.
The detailed program was orchestrated by Dr. Agneta Nordberg of the Karolinska Institutet (KI), Professor Alexei Verkhratsky of MCF University of Manchester, Dr. C. Justin Lee of the Institute for basic science (IBS), and Professor Eunji Cheong of Yonsei University 연세대학교.
The Korean delegation included 13 participants, featuring eminent scholars in neuroscience such as Dr. C. Justin Lee from IBS, Dr. Hee-Sup Shin, Professor Mijin Yun from Yonsei University, and Dr. Hoon Ryu from the KIST(Korea Institute of Science and Technology). The Swedish contingent comprised 8 experts, including Professor Agneta Nordberg and Professor Marianne Schultzberg from KI, Professor Maria Lindskog from Uppsala University, and Professor Marcela Pekna from the Göteborgs universitet. Additionally, 7 experts from other European nations participated, including Professor Ole Petter Ottersen from the Universitetet i Oslo (UiO), Professor Alexei Verkhratsky from the University of Manchester, and Professor Tim Viney from the University of Oxford.
To facilitate comprehensive discussions, four panel sessions were conducted, with a particular focus on recent research pertaining to astrocytes. These sessions included intensive questioning and discourse.
Sweden holds the distinction of being the first country where the gene mutation causing Alzheimer’s disease, widely used in dementia animal models, was discovered in a patient. The Karolinska Institute is esteemed for its world-class researchers, extensive research resources, and expertise in dementia and neurodegenerative brain disease research.
The IBS in Korea has identified severe reactive astrocytes as the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Based on this foundational research, they have discovered targets for dementia treatment and developed a new drug candidate that has completed phase 1 clinical trials. This workshop is expected to bolster robust research networking and identify joint research projects between Korean and Swedish researchers, as well as between Korea and other European countries. Notably, with Korea set to become an associate member of EU Horizon in 2025, joint research with Europe is anticipated to flourish. Participants conveyed that this workshop would play a pivotal role in facilitating such collaborative research efforts.
