MAX PLANCK FLORIDA CORPORATION

The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience seeks to provide a new understanding of the origins, development, and function of the nervous system and its capacity to produce perception, thought, language, memory, emotion, and action. Neural Circuits, the complex synaptic networks of the brain, hold the key to understanding who we are, why we behave the way we do, and how the debilitating effects of neurological an psychiatric disorders can be addressed.

Research at MPFI addresses fundamental questions of the brain, such as:
How does the brain change and develop over time?
How do neurons communicate with each other?
What molecules play a role in learning and memory?
How do abnormal connections in the brain relate to disease?

Best technology and scientific excellence are critical elements of the Max Planck model – what also sets us apart is our profound commitment to scientific training and education. The Max Planck Academy is our ‘one stop shop’ for all levels of education: for the high school and undergraduate students, for post baccalaureate, graduate, and postdoctoral scientists, as well as for young and established research group leaders.

Igniting the spark of curiosity and nurturing the ‘sense of wonder’ of the young and creative mind enables the brightest and most inspired young scientists to develop their full potential with an early head start. Allowing them to follow their own ideas at a moment in their career where they are still free from the pressure of competition and the need to demonstrate success, is the key to educate a new generation of scientists with the transformative potential our world needs to overcome the challenges ahead of us.

MPFI brings together exceptional neuroscientists from around the world to answer fundamental questions about brain development and function and to develop new technologies that make groundbreaking scientific discoveries possible. Utilizing cutting-edge technology and providing researchers freedom and flexibility to pursue big questions, MPFI seeks to create an environment where new understandings of the incredibly complex structure and function of the brain. In addition to recruiting top scientists, MPFI offers scientific education programs, allowing students at all levels of learning to participate in research, allowing them to grow as scientists and bringing new perspectives and talent to our research projects.

As part of the world-renowned Max Planck Society, Germany’s most successful research organization with over 80 institutes worldwide, MPFI utilizes a global network of scientific collaboration, and equips researchers with the latest in technology, allowing them to create unique tools and novel approaches to questions about how the brain functions.

Since it's founding, Max Planck Florida researchers have seen their research published more than 200 times and won prestigious awards including two of the NIH's prestigious pioneer awards; the NIH Outstanding Investigator Research Program Award; the prestigious Searle Scholarship; BOTH of the two Peter and Patricia Gruber International Research Award in Neuroscience awarded in 2020; and many others. International imaging company Zeiss Microscopy selected Max Planck Florida as a "Labs at Location" partner in recognition of MPFI's advanced electron microscopy expertise. Through this partnership, MPFI researchers have access to newly developed technology before it is commercially available. MPFI researchers have developed novel techniques to isolate and visualize neurons and neuronal activity that created new avenues for understanding how these neurons and their corresponding synapses function. As the institute continues to grow and add new research groups, prospects for continued success are excellent.