Leadership blog with Carlos Díaz from SYNAPSE, Neuronet Coordinator

What is your current role in the company you work at?

I am the founder and CEO at Synapse, a firm specialized in the management of complex research and development projects in the biomedical sector.

What are the most prominent challenges you see in neurodegeneration research? 

Neurodegeneration is obviously a tough nut to crack. Major breakthroughs are much needed in this area due to the growing numbers of people affected and the staggering societal and economic cost of neurodegenerative conditions, but this will be impossible without a solid, concerted action among all actors involved.

What are your expectations from the Neuronet Coordination and Support Action?

I expect NEURONET contributes to connecting resources developed in the many neurodegeneration projects and facilitates synergies and collaborations between them so that effectively 1+ 1 = 3. We expect NEURONET to actually implement collaborations, well beyond the wishing well that plagues most cooperation efforts “on paper”.

What value do you see in public-private collaboration?

Public-private collaboration is absolutely essential to speed up disease understanding and the development of, and patient access to, medicines and treatments.