The Neuroscience Network Basel (NNB) is a center of competence of the University of Basel.
It was established in spring 2008 and was acknowledged as a center of competence by the University of Basel in fall 2008. The activities of the former Basel Neuroscience Program, which existed since 1996, were incorporated in the new structure of the NNB.

The overall strategic goal of the NNB is to foster and promote interdisciplinary and translational neuroscience research at the highest level possible. The NNB contributes in establishing a leading role of the University of Basel in central and highly relevant area of modern life sciences.

For this, the NNB sets the following strategic targets:

• The NNB encourages integration of basic and clinical neuroscience research and promotes an orientation towards translational research striving key research findings from laboratory bench to hospital bedside.
• The NNB’s credo is to: “explore function-understand dysfunction-improve diagnosis and treatment”.
• The NNB focuses on the development, function and dysfunction of neuronal circuits in order to understand the basis of neurological diseases and mental health disorders.
• The NNB capitalizes on the documented expertise in basic and clinical neuroscience in Basel and integrates research from different disciplines and institutions.
• The NNB has identified priority research and treatment areas, based on Basel’s strengths and expertise.
• The NNB fosters collaboration with neuroscience programs of Universities in the triregional upper Rhein area, and with neuroscience research groups of other Swiss Universities and Federal Institutes.
• Given the unique concentration of applied neuroscience research in Basel, the NNB promotes and nurtures the cooperation of University research groups with applied research labs in the international pharmaceutical institutions in Basel as well as with the small and medium size enterprises in the area of Northwest Switzerland.
• In view of the role of the University as a center of learning, the NNB strives to integrate the most recent research findings and methods into student education by early exposure of students to active, research-oriented neuroscience teaching with hands-on practical courses beginning at the bachelor level.
• The NNB will further develop the communication and scientific dialog both within the University and between University researchers and the general public in order to promote and explain the importance of neuroscience research for treatment of mental health disorders and neurological as well as neurodegenerative diseases.

The objective of the NNB is the coordination, the support and the promotion of research and teaching of Neurosciences at the University of Basel and the affiliated institutes and organizational units. Its central aims are: „Explore function - Understand dysfunction – Improve diagnosis and treatment“. The NNB follows a focused strategy from the bench, to the desk, to healthy populations and to the bedside.