Neuroscience & Cognition Utrecht (NCU) brings all research activities in neuroscience and cognition at Utrecht University and University Medical Centre Utrecht together by fostering cross-disciplinary research into behavioural, cognitive and neurobiological processes underlying human collaboration, adaptation, ageing and neurological and psychiatric pathologies.
 

  • NCU studies the neural circuitry in social cognition, communication and language use, and decision-making to better understand the conditions that promote human cooperation, trust and social responsibility.
  • NCU examines the neural basis of memory formation, emotion, attention and the control of behaviour to understand the human ability (in healthy adults, ageing citizens and individuals suffering from neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders) to adapt to, and cope with changes in the social context as well as in cognitive and affective competences.
  • NCU addresses basic research in perception and communication which has ramifications in clinical neurology (such as aphasia after stroke or rehabilitation therapies of cerebrovascular diseases) and psychiatry (such as perception in autism or schizophrenia).

NCU thus aims to provide innovative fundamental science, which may impact efforts to build an economically and ecologically sustainable society, to support ageing people in remaining active contributors to society, and to prevent and remedy mental health problems that thwart individuals’ personal ambitions and cooperative participation in society.