The burden of Neuronal Disorders (NDs)
Neuronal Disorders (NDs) are mostly incurable and affect millions of people. A report from the European Brain Council (Cost of disorders of the brain in Europe, 2010) calculated that 7.5 million were affected by Parkinson´s Disease (PD), Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other dementias. In addition to the suffering, these diseases have a gigantic economic impact calculated to be higher than 130 billion € per year in Europe alone (1).
To decrease human suffering and reduce the cost to society, new scientific discoveries and technologies are urgently needed. To make this happen, Europe´s next generation scientists need to be trained in taking a more holistic approach to science and its role in society. An inter- and trans-disciplinary approach to scientific training is needed in which scientists from different disciplines are equipped with both transferable skills and a custom for stepping out of their comfort zones, working together on new ideas and problem solving, with the ambition to reach new horizons in advance stem cell technologies together.
(1)Gustavsson A, Jönsson L, Parmler J, Andreasen N, Wattmo C, Wallin ÅK, Minthon L. Eur J Health Econ. 2012, 13:561-8.