Eero Castrén - Curriculum Vitae#

Education:

• 1983 Licentiate of Medicine (MD), University of Kuopio, Finland
  
• 1989 PhD, Department of Pharmacology, University of Kuopio, Finland

Present position:

Academy professor, Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki

Contribution to science:
My research has focused on the effects of neuronal plasticity and neurotrophic factors, particularly the brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF and its receptor TrkB, on the adult brain and their role in the mechanism of action of drugs acting on the central nervous system, in particular antidepressant drugs. We have shown that antidepressants directly bind to TRKB and activate BDNF signalling, which is necessary for the behavioural effects of antidepressants. We have demonstrated that antidepressant treatment reactivates critical period-like plasticity in the adult rodent visual cortex as well as in the fear extinction and aggression extinction networks. These findings may explain the superior efficacy of combined antidepressant treatment and psychotherapy in mood disorders.

Selected active and recent research funding:

• 2020 - 2022 Sigrid Juselius Foundation € 270 000
  
• 2020 - 2021 Academy of Finland (Covid19) € 197 042
  
• 2019 - 2024 Jane&Aatos Erkko Foundation € 1 000 000
  
• 2020 - 2021 Academy of Finland, research grant, € 440 000
  
• 2017 - 2019 Academy of Finland, research grant, € 561 026
  
• 2016 - 2020 Academy of Finland € 270 000
  
• 2016 - 2018 EU Joint Program – Neurodegenerative Diseases € 288 180
  
• 2013 - 2017 European Research Council, Advanced Investigator Grant € 2 500 000
  
• 2013 - 2017 Sigrid Juselius Foundation large grant € 1 250 000
  

Scientific publications:

Total number of publications: 204
Patents or patent applications: 2
h-index: 62 (ISI), 72 (Google Scholar); Number of citations: 14300 (ISI), 21000 (Google Scholar).

Invited lectures or seminars, total 251 lectures (139 international + 112 in Finland)