Centre for Developmental Neurobiology

🧠 NeuroLab returns to CDN with @Foundry10.org! 🌟 An immersive 1-day developmental neurobiology workshop for passionate Harrison Academy Year 12 Biology students on 22 April. 🔗 Find out more and meet the team: lnkd.in/eHX--4Np #NeuroLab #Neurobiology #SciComm #STEM

A ‘tour de force’! First description of human early telencephalon patterning & signalling centre dynamics, coupling transcriptomics & 4D gene expression imaging. ➡️ Human forebrain is distinct from mouse as soon at anterior neural plate closes. First @crick.ac.uk paper from @houartlab.bsky.social

Congratulations to the @aims2trials.bsky.social team who have been awarded a EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Black Pearl Award for Patient Engagement, for their commitment to involving patients as equal partners in research. 🏆 🧠 Read more here: lnkd.in/eiFDxQnq, as we mark this year's #RareDiseaseDay

🧠 Fascinating day at 2026 MRC CNDD symposium on how environment shapes neurodevelopment. 🌎 Inspiring talks on cannabis & psychosis, maternal COVID-19, influence of environment in autism & epilepsy, and immune–brain links, among more! 🎤Huge thanks to speakers, attendees and organisers!

🏅 We’re excited to share that CDN has achieved My Green Lab® Certification at the Platinum level! 💚 👣 This globally recognised certification reflects our commitment to measurable, science-based improvements that reduce the environmental footprint of our research. #MyGreenLab #SustainableScience

📣 We’re hiring! Research Strategy Manager - Maternity Cover The appointee will work closely with Director Prof Oscar Marín, to contribute to scientific & strategic decision-making & oversee the Centre's public profiles. 📅 Fixed term contract May 26–January 27 📩 Apply by 22 Feb: lnkd.in/eRZPgh2v

🌟 Join us for the MRC CNDD Symposium 2026! 🌟 🗓 Friday 13 February 2026 | 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM 📍 Great Hall, Strand Campus, London 🧠 Shaping the Brain: Environmental Influences on Neurodevelopmental Conditions 🧠 Reserve your spot and take a look at the exciting programme here: tinyurl.com/mu6mbe5p

New organoid research with input from CDN's Benedikt Berninger shows that the “inactive” X chromosome in female brain cells can be dynamically reactivated during development, helping protect against X-linked neurological disorders. Take a look! 🧠 ♀️https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-68428-x

Congratulations to CDN Managing Director Robert Hindges for winning the 2025 Supervisory Excellence Award for the faculty @kingsioppn.bsky.social! 👏 🔗 Read more about the award here: devneuro.org/cdn/news-det...

A handful of neurobiologists, 2,000 volunteers 🙋 and tens of thousands of segmented synaptic boutons 🔬 🧫 Take a look at CDN researchers Guilherme Neves and Juan Burrone's journey into citizen science - read more about the project here: 🔗 devneuro.org/cdn/news-det...

Can’t be happier seeing Richard starting this. His original angle to an old problem ( 😉) has great potential for success. Fascinating to see how findings in dev. neuro. leads to insights in age-related degenerative disorders! @houartlab.bsky.social @devneuro.bsky.social @kingsioppn.bsky.social

Congratulations to Dr Richard Taylor for being awarded the Race Against Dementia Fellowship 👏 🔗 Read more about the prestigious 5-year award and Richard's research into synapse resilience and neuroprotective mechanisms in healthy ageing and dementia: tinyurl.com/2s39mcma

Our Neureka! Seminar Series is back 🧠 We’re very pleased to welcome Professor Nicky Clayton from the University of Cambridge, who will be presenting the first seminar of the academic year, hosted by Alexi Mery. Join us at 1pm today in the Large Meeting Room to hear about her exciting research!

We're very pleased to welcome Professor Thomas Reh from the University of Washington, who is visiting the CDN to present an external seminar hosted by Professor Benedikt Berninger. Join us at 1pm today in the Large Meeting Room to hear all about his exciting research!

We’re delighted to welcome Prof. Dimphna Meijer from the Delft University of Technology, who will be presenting an external seminar today, hosted by Prof. Robert Hindges. Join us at 1pm in the Large Meeting Room to hear her talk!

1/10 Our latest research, led by Monika Moissidis, identifies a mechanism regulating the maturation of PV interneurons in the #cortex. This is the story @cellcellpress.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... ⬇︎ thread @devneuro.bsky.social @kingsioppn.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social

Sneak peek of the exhibition happening today👀🤞

Happy Friday and Day 4 of DNA CREATE!!! Today the students will be presenting their projects at the Science Gallery 🖼️🥼

Day 3 has been busy, busy, busy!!! Students are focused working on their group projects! Excited for the exhibition tomorrow

Day 1 of DNA CREATE is off to a great start! We started the morning with some introductions, ice breakers and reflection as we created our own self portraits🙌

Good morning and happy Wednesday from the DNA Create team! Today’s morning session is all about brains (literally) 🧠 Our students are diving into neuroanatomy and getting a firsthand look at neuroscience research, thanks to our incredible researchers at @devneuro.bsky.social 🤞🤞🤞

Dr. Katie Long is leading vital research, funded by an MRF award, to learn how pregnant people feel about vaccines during pregnancy. We want your views! Take this short survey: tinyurl.com/vaccines-in-... For more information on vaccines in pregnancy visit tommys.org/vaccinations-pregnancy

We're #hiring! We're looking for an experienced and dynamic Research Strategy Manager to join our vibrant Centre. More details in link. Deadline 09 July www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/118025-...

We're #hiring for a new role as Senior #ExecutiveAssistant to our fantastic Director and Managing Director! Deadline 23 June @marinlab.bsky.social www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/116505-...

New paper from Julie Jézéquel and the Rico lab on role of cadherins in neuronal inhibition out now in Nat Comms! @natureportfolio.nature.com rdcu.be/el18f

@houartlab.bsky.social first time at the comparative neuro conference. Fantastic #ECCN2025 meeting! The mix of ‘old’ and new technologies brings the field a new edge and the potential for new understanding of brain evolutionary mechanisms. Exciting!

Dkk genes dynamically expressed in the zebrafish nervous system, some in very discreet brain populations (watch this space for brain images). Malik Missaoui is using genetics to follow behaviour of endogenous proteins and crack their local functions. @mrc-cndd.bsky.social @kingsioppn.bsky.social

10/10 Here’s the paper @nature.com if you want to dig in www.nature.com/articles/s41... That’s it. Thanks for sharing! @devneuro.bsky.social @mrc-cndd.bsky.social @kingsioppn.bsky.social @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu

9/10 In sum, our findings identify a previously unknown form of interneuron plasticity and strengthen the idea that neuropeptide signalling plays crucial roles in maintaining neural circuit stability. Funded by the magnificents @erc.europa.eu and Rosetrees Trust

8/10 Importantly, this mechanism also regulates the connectivity of PV interneurons during learning, for example, in a fear-conditioning paradigm

7/10 For PV interneurons, Vgf is the critical gene modulating the plasticity of inhibitory inputs received from other PV interneurons

6/10 Incidentally, the Greenberg lab described a few years ago that hippocampal pyramidal cells use Scg2 to modulate the inhibition they receive from PV and CCK interneurons. You can find their paper here www.nature.com/articles/s41...

5/10 How is this achieved? We found that PV interneurons induce the expression of two genes encoding multiple neuropeptides, Scg2 and Vgf, in response to increased activity

4/10 Using experimental manipulations, we found that PV interneurons scale the inhibition they receive to maintain stability. When the activity of a PV interneuron increases, it “requests” more inhibitory inputs from other PV+ interneurons, effectively rebalancing its activity

3/10 Neuronal activity operates within a tightly controlled range for the optimal functioning of #brain circuits. When synaptic connectivity and network activity are modified, such as when we are learning, compensatory mechanisms are needed to maintain stability

2/10 The cortex contains two main classes of neurons: excitatory “go” pyramidal cells and inhibitory “no-go” #interneurons

1/10 Our latest research, led by @martijnselten.bsky.social, identifies a mechanism through which Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons regulate their activity in the #cortex. This is the story @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41... ⬇︎ 🧵 @devneuro.bsky.social @kingsioppn.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu

We are recruiting! We're looking for a dynamic, experienced Research Strategy Manager to join us. More details and application link: www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/113925-...

Check out the @leverhulmetrust.bsky.social feature on the exciting research by @landreae.bsky.social and Karen Page, recipients of their Research Project Grant.🔬 Read more about their innovative work here: media.leverhulme.ac.uk/feature/ande...

If you’re interested in finding out how to share your research data (and why it matters!), @grubblabneuro.bsky.social will be holding a free workshop on 10th February. See thread below👇 for more info and registration link!

We're delighted to welcome Dr Marco Trizzino to present our external seminar this week, hosted by Prof. Benedikt Berninger Thursday 1PM, see you there!

Happening at 1PM today! Will you be there?

The @devneuro.bsky.social Developmental Neurobiology Academy won for Integrated Education, Research and Service for their widening participation programme, broadening access to higher education through a research-driven approach. #AcademicSky devneuro.org/cdn/public-e...

The link from the @devneuro.bsky.social site with the news of our award! devneuro.org/cdn/news-det...

Very grateful to @leverhulmetrust.bsky.social for funding this project @devneuro.bsky.social in collaboration with mathematician Karen Page @uclofficial.bsky.social on how neurons get their amazing shapes!

I’m over the moon to have won the @britishneuro.bsky.social award for Public Engagement 2024 🥳✨🧠 Massive thanks to the panel! This is such an exciting recognition of public engagement work in neuroscience! @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social @devneuro.bsky.social