The map of Neuroscience research in Catalonia v2 is a database of Catalan groups doing research in this field with data provided by the groups themselves. It is the follow-up of the "Pre-columbian Map of neuroscience research in Catalonia" (https://taller.iec.cat/biologia) created in 2009. While the first pre-Columbian version included complete data from 80 research groups and partial data from 13 groups, the version here presented includes complete data from 131 groups.
Objectives
This map reflects a dual purpose:
- On the one hand, it is a tool that can be used to know the reality of neuroscience research in Catalonia. This should allow its strengths, weaknesses and potential to be established. As new updates are published, it can also serve to observe the evolution of neuroscience research in Catalonia.
- Moreover, we want this map to be a practical tool. Among other applications, this map can allow researchers to find potential collaborators or to identify nearby laboratories where a particular technique can be learned. It may also allow researchers seeking to start or to continue their careers to identify suitable groups. This may be of particular interest to Catalan researchers abroad who are often disconnected from the current situation here or to foreign researchers with a special interest in doing neuroscience research in Catalonia. Finally, it can be a useful tool for science journalists to identify expert groups on specific issues.
Update
Once published in October 2014, a short phase of error correction followed and then the database remained fixed by November 2014 until the next version. Our goal is to update the map every two years to coincide with the Experimental Neurobiology symposium of the Catalan Society of Biology (SCB).
Factsheet
Data collection was done in January-February 2014. An email questionnaire was sent to neuroscience research groups in Catalonia identified from the database created with the pre-Columbian map of 2009, the distribution list of the SCB Experimental Neurobiology section and the websites of major research institutions in Catalonia.
The questionnaire included the following data:
- Group Name
- Head (s) of the group
- Affiliation
- Line of research
- Number of full-time members of the group:
- Website
- Keywords
- References from 3 relevant publications of the group:
- Research areas which best fit your research group (minimum 1, maximum 3)
- Nervous system disorders
- Neurotransmission
- Signalling
- Development
- Neuronal death / neuroprotection
- Glial cells / neuroinflammation
- Cognition and behavior
- Other.
Missing groups
The database contains data only from those groups who responded to the questionnaire. A minority of groups did not respond. We are also aware that despite our efforts there are certainly groups of whom we were not aware and thus were not contacted. This is particularly possible in the case of newly created groups. We apologize to these groups and invite them to send their contact address to josepsaura@ub.edu in order to be contacted for the next version. Our goal as the map consolidates is to approach 100% of the existing groups.
