The human brain consists of a highly complex network of about 85 billion nerve cells (neurons) that constantly exchange information. To function, all these cells have to organise the production, transport, storage and recycling of countless different molecules such as neurotransmitters, mRNA and proteins - a gigantic logistical challenge at the molecular level. So how do they organize these processes to be both robust and efficient? How do problems in solving these logistical challenges relate to brain diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease? To discuss these questions, neuroscientists from all over the world will meet from 28 August for the 3rd Giersch International Symposium at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS).

The two-week event on neurologistics brings together leading experimenters, theorists and method developers with young scientists to discuss these fundamental questions. The aim is to understand the functioning and logistical challenges of nerve cells from the ground up. A better understanding of the logistic processes in neurons could provide important new insights for the treatment of many brain diseases in the future. The second week of the symposium is dedicated to the promotion of young talent. The STIFTUNG GIERSCH makes it possible for excellent international students, at doctoral and postdoctoral level, to come to Frankfurt within the framework of a summer school and to learn from leading experts the latest findings of the logistics of neuronal function and to deepen their abilities. 

The "Giersch International Symposion" is the third event of this new conference series, made possible by a generous donation from the STIFTUNG GIERSCH. It will provide a total of € 300,000 over a period of 3 years for the organisation and implementation of the symposia. The STIFTUNG GIERSCH has been committed to science in the Rhine-Main area and in particular at FIAS for years. The STIFTUNG GIERSCH, for example, built the FIAS institute building on Frankfurt's Riedberg campus and made the endowed professorship for "bioinformatics" at FIAS and Goethe University possible.

"This year the symposium will be organized for the first time in cooperation between FIAS and the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research Frankfurt. Frankfurt's expertise in this field is unique and gains a new visibility with this conference," explains Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch, the main organiser of the event.