Interdisciplinary Centre Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB)

Tackling neurodegeneration

The Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) was founded in 2009 as one of the first interdisciplinary research centres of the University of Luxembourg. Our staff members combine their expertise in a broad spectrum of disciplines – from computational biology to clinical and experimental neuroscience – to study the brain and its diseases. We work together with scientific partners worldwide and carry out collaborative projects with hospitals and research-oriented companies.

Despite tremendous progress in medicine in the last decades, doctors are still unable to treat many brain diseases at their root. The reason? We have not yet understood in detail how these diseases arise. Particularly as the earliest changes in the brain happen decades before any clinical symptoms appear. This is where we focus our research.

Understanding complex biological systems


The human body is a complex biological system which is in constant interplay with the environment. The LCSB aims to shed light on this complexity and to gain a mechanistic understanding of the brain and neurodegenerative disease processes.

We want to use the resulting knowledge to develop new ways to diagnose, prevent and treat neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, while considering their potential comorbidities.

    Until the proof-of-principle

    To realise this vision, we conduct fundamental research in the field of Systems Biology and Biomedicine – in the lab, in the clinic and in silico. We lead this knowledge development until the proof-of-principle. Then our partners in Luxembourg and worldwide take over to turn our discoveries into concrete therapies and diagnostic procedures for clinical practice.

    From bench to bedside

    The integration of medicine into systems approaches is important to bridge fundamental research and clinical applications. On the one hand, medical observations in daily care can give valuable new directions to research. On the other hand, a close interaction helps to feed research results back into the clinic.

    The LCSB supports the training of clinical scientists and provides opportunities for medical doctors to combine research activities with patient care. The centre works closely with national research institutions, hospitals and scientific partners worldwide, to accelerate the translation of research results into clinical applications.

      The people of the centre

      Since 2009, the LCSB has recruited many talented scientists, established state-of-the-art infrastructure and fostered interdisciplinarity between computer scientists, mathematicians, biologists, chemists, engineers, physicists and clinicians. We strongly believe that complex problems can only be solved when the best minds from different disciplines come together and form a team.

        Michael Heneka

        Prof. Dr Michael Heneka

        Director

        Anke Vogler

        Anke Vogler

        Head of Operations

        In numbers:

        • 270
          Staff members
        • 18
          Research groups