The Government must appoint large numbers of neurologists nationally if Ireland is to make strong advances in neuroscience research, according to a Cork neuroscientist.
"The number of neurologists in Ireland is only a fraction of what it should be by European standards and that is a failure on the part of the Government," said John Fraher, professor of anatomy at University College Cork (UCC).
"We can make great advances by collaboration with neurologists, but the small number we currently have are usually too busy to get involved in research projects."
Prof Fraher, who addressed the recent inaugural lecture of the newly formed Cork NeuroScience (CNS) group on the topic of Unlocking the secrets of the human brain, said neuroscience was the study of the nervous system in its broadest sense.
"The human brain has been described as the most complex object in the known universe," he said.
"It consists of about one hundred thousand million nerve cells, each of which makes thousands of connections.
"If it was an electrical network, it would fill half the universe. The aim of neuroscience is to understand how the brain is made up and what happens when it is diseased, so we can try to develop new treatments," he said.
Neuroscience research at UCC has trebled in size over the past five years with 21 principal investigators working with more than 100 researchers to try to develop new treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and other degenerative diseases of the nervous system.
"We really need to learn a lot of basic facts about the nervous system," said Dr Fraher.
"We know a huge amount already, but neuroscience is a very young discipline and we have many hundreds of years ahead of us trying to work out what is going out in the brain."
He highlights the need to set up a Cork Institute of Neuroscience in a building of its own due to the massive growth of neuroscience at UCC. He said current research space is very tight.
He also said there is a need to expand research relations with their clinical colleagues in the hospitals where there are huge opportunities.
Prof Fraher, who retires this summer, has been working in the area of neuroscience for more than 30 years.
The UCC researchers are working in collaboration with NUI Galway on a project involving the use of stem cells to treat spinal chord injuries.
"We are also looking at the possible use of stem cells in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease which are diseases involving disordered chemistry and the death of nerve cells," he said.
"We want to slow down and hopefully stop the rate of degeneration of cells.
"We are also looking at the transplantation of neuro stem cells," he said.
