GEMSTONE Project, funded under Horizon Europe – the European Union’s flagship programme for research and innovation – and carried out between 1 October 2022 and 31 December 2025, has been successfully completed following its final review meeting on 26 March 2026.
The 39-month project was led by Prof. Filiz Onat, Head of the Department of Medical Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Neuroscience at the Institute of Health Sciences, Acıbadem University (ACU). Aiming to shed light on the neurodevelopmental mechanisms of absence epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, the project utilised genetic and transgenic animal models alongside advanced research technologies. Through international collaborations established with Lund University and Fondazione ICONS, the project sought to elevate ACU’s research infrastructure, scientific capacity and international competitiveness in the field of neuroscience to the level of Europe’s leading institutions.
Being the first Horizon Europe project coordinated by ACU, GEMSTONE was assessed by the European Commission as “a clear success aligned with the objectives of the EU Twinning programme.” The Commission’s review report dated 26 June 2026 emphasises that our project “significantly strengthened research and administrative capacities at the Widening institution and positions ACU favourably for future participation in EU and other competitive funding schemes.”