Fudan University enjoys a world-class academic reputation and distinct strengths in brain science, including the clinical resources of its multiple affiliated hospitals, the State Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disorders, and nationally leading platforms for brain-inspired computing research (such as the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence and the Institute of Brain-Inspired Circuits and Systems). The Shanghai Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS), established in 2024, is a “wall-less”, non-governmental, non-profit organization that operates no physical laboratories. It is dedicated to supporting top-tier scientists, advancing original basic research, and serving as a wellspring of scientific and technological innovation.

In response to the national strategic shift from “following to leading”, Fudan University and the Shanghai Academy of Natural Sciences have jointly established the Fudan SANS Neuroscience Center (FSNC, under preparation). As a secondary-level research institution that operates as a substantive entity, the center carries on SANS’s mission of pursuing top-tier original research and is positioned to be “dual-driven by original innovation and translational application”. The center focuses on deciphering brain function and elucidating the pathogenesis of major brain disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD), and on developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. It is committed to achieving “from 0 to 1” theoretical breakthroughs at the frontiers of neuroscience and to building a new paradigm of end-to-end translation from fundamental discovery to drug development, thereby bridging the translational gap and propelling original discoveries toward clinical and industrial applications.

In serving the national “Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence” project and Shanghai’s goal of building a science and innovation center with global influence, the center will integrate high-quality basic and clinical resources, build a world-class hub for drug translation and cultivate future industries in brain-computer interfaces, and facilitate technology deployment and standard setting. In addition, as a university-level platform for coordinating neuroscience development, the center will leverage interdisciplinary integration, shared platforms, and institutional innovation to powerfully advance frontier disciplines such as brain science and brain-inspired intelligence. It aims to become a “growth pole” within Fudan’s academic ecosystem and a “magnet” for attracting and cultivating top-tier talent, providing core support for the university’s “Double First-Class” initiative.

Located in Building 3 for Scientific Research at Fudan University’s Zhangjiang Campus (826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai), the center draws upon the university’s profound academic heritage and extensive clinical resources, striving to become a world-class hub for interdisciplinary research. The center is building four shared platforms: Neural Function Mapping, Single-Cell and Spatial Omics, AI-Assisted Drug Design, and Behavioral and Physiological Assays. On this basis, the center will establish a complete chain of “basic research – technology development – clinical translation,” accelerating the translation of cutting-edge life science discoveries into practical applications.

Main Research Directions

1. Fine-Scale Dissection and Functional Decoding of Neural Networks

2. Pathological Mechanisms and Target Discovery in Major Brain Disorders

3. Development of Neuropharmaceuticals and Construction of Translational Platforms

4. Intelligent Neurotechnology and Interdisciplinary Applications

We sincerely invite outstanding young scholars in neuroscience, biomedicine, and related interdisciplinary fields from around the world to join us in building a world-class neuroscience research hub, and to contribute our wisdom and strength to the “Healthy China” initiative and the global advancement of brain science.