The Translational Neuropharmacology Lab at the University of Cyprus has been awarded funding for the EXPOSIGNALZ HOP-ON project under the Horizon Europe HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-03 call. The proposal received the maximum evaluation score of 15.00/15.00, with perfect scores across all three assessment criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Quality and Efficiency of Implementation.

This 48-month research initiative, conducted in partnership with the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) in France, will investigate the causal mechanisms linking environmental pollutant exposure to neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. Building on EXPOSIGNALZ’s identification of neurotoxic compounds and pro-amyloidogenic chemical signatures, our lab will employ cutting-edge systems neuroscience approaches to examine how exposure to environmentally relevant toxicants perturbs key memory circuits in mouse models. The research will utilize advanced methodologies including ex vivo electrophysiology, in vivo fiber photometry, optogenetic interventions, and electroencephalography to identify circuit-level dysfunctions and test potential therapeutic interventions.

The project aims to generate the first translational biomarkers of pollutant-induced circuit dysfunction, define critical developmental windows of susceptibility, and evaluate possible rescue interventions. This widening action will establish our lab as a reference center for environmental neurotoxicity research in Southeast Europe while contributing to evidence-based brain health protection policies across the European Research Area.