TRANSCEND represents a unique consortium with the goal of bridging the translational gap, but with partners focussing on very different approaches.

We are fortunate to have engaged a combination of researchers from excellent laboratories creating an optimal mixture of disciplines to answer challenging questions in translational issues in ASD and MS.

Scientists at Radboud University have expertise in sleep and memory using both rodents and humans as subjects. They will work closely with partners at the University of Porto and the University of Copenhagen, combining their respective expertise in ASD animal models and in the philosophy of science and medicine to characterise better animal models for ASD.

The labs at Aarhus University, Amsterdam University Medical Center and Oslo University will contribute to cell choice in MS research to identify more naturalistic models.

Researchers at the Catholic University Leuven have expertise in neurorehabilitation and ASD, and together with Aarhus University, the Bordeaux Montaigne University, Amsterdam University Medical Center and Bielefeld University, will scope patient and caregiver perspectives to lead to better treatment outcome measures.

The complementarities of the expertise are further strengthened by involving a number of renown associated partners to contribute to the projects of TRANSCEND. Together, we will investigate how the currently employed classification scheme impacts the design of studies, the evaluation of results, and their translation into practice for complex, chronic conditions.