Chao Sun receives funding from Independent Research Fund Denmark
Chao Sun and co-applicant Professor Esben Lorentzen are among the 29 recipients of this year’s grant awarded under the theme of psychiatric research. In total they receive more than DKK 5 million to study synaptic protein degradation as a risk factor for psychiatric disorders.
Independent Research Fund Denmark aims to strengthen research into psychiatric disorders. With total funding of DKK 148.56 million, the new research projects will reinforce research environments across the entire field of psychiatry and contribute to improved prevention and treatment of mental illnesses.
Among the 29 recipients are DANDRITE Group Leader Chao Sun and Professor Esben Lorentzen from Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics.
Their project investigates how mistakes in the brain’s normal “pruning” of connections between nerve cells can lead to psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. By examining how specific enzymes act at brain synapses during development—using both human brain tissue, animal models, and advanced AI tools—the researchers aim to better understand disease mechanisms and identify potential new targets for treatment.