Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

Attending #SfN26? Join us for the Social Circuit Dance Party! *Nov. 16 *9:00 p.m.–midnight *The Hamilton Hotel in Washington, DC. RSVP now, then visit us at @sfn.org booth 2723 to get your admission bracelet: bit.ly/4dxWlFs Brought to you by MPFI, @maxplanck.de, AFAvH and @dfg.de.

Last week, we were honored to receive the Nonprofit of the Year - Education Impact Award at the Nonprofits First Hats Off Awards. We are grateful for the recognition & to our scientists and staff who visit classrooms groups through our Ask Max program. Even Max Planck got into the Hats Off spirit!

In August, we were honored to host the 2026 NAMIWalks Palm Beach County kickoff. Then, on Oct. 10, our Lauf Mannschaft team joined 95 other groups to help earn over $155,000 for mental health care access! Thank you to all who supported this important community event.

Congratulations to Shouvik Majumder, who earned his PhD in Neuroscience this past week from IMPRS-SC! His research connected two subfields, demonstrating how plasticity in distinct neuron types plays specialized roles in shaping neural activity and learning. Congratulations, Dr. Majumder!

Thinking about a PhD in neuroscience? Join our IMPRS for Synapses and Circuits info session on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 12 PM EDT. Can’t make it live? Register anyway, and we’ll send you the recording: buff.ly/8hlJzKE

One marshmallow now or two later: How does population geometry in the frontal cortex solve this trade-off? Read the latest work from the Inagaki and Pena Lab now on bioRxiv. buff.ly/JZB4FeC

Today is Donor-Advised Fund Day! If you have a DAF, you can recommend a grant to support our neuroscience research and fund training for future neuroscientists. See how to give through your DAF: bit.ly/4dp5eB5

Picture yourself here in five years. Curious how to make it happen? Join our IMPRS-SC PhD information session and learn how the program can launch your neuroscience career. Info Session: Oct. 13, 12 EDT Register: mpfi.zoom.us/.../reg.../W.... Learn more: www.mpfi.org/training/imp...

Congratulations to Dr. Taddeo Salemi on earning his PhD through IMPRS-SC! With Ryohei Yasuda, he developed a fluorescence-lifetime two-photon miniscope that tracks brain molecular signals as animals move naturally. We're so excited to see what discoveries it enables. Congratulations Taddeo!

Join us for one of the biggest neuroscience parties in existence! MPFI's Social Circuit Dance party returns Monday, Nov. 16 during #SfN26 in Washington DC. RSVP at the link below & show your QR code at MPFI's SfN booth 2723 to get your admission bracelet. See you on the dance floor! buff.ly/JaQNU6R

MPFI is hiring a Neural Data Scientist! This is a rare opportunity to work as an embedded computational neuroscientist within a world-class experimental community, contributing to groundbreaking discoveries and the rapid advancement of neuroscience. Visit our website to apply. bit.ly/3TDE82d

A mitochondrion spans dozens of spines. When one spine undergoes plasticity, only the ~2 µm mito. region beside it remodels; the rest of the organelle remains unchanged. Not one uniform power supply, but a mosaic 🧠⚡ www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... at Max Planck Florida (@mpfneuro.bsky.social)

Our postdocs are pushing the boundaries of what we know about the brain, driven by curiosity and a desire to make a difference. This week, we celebrate the people who keep discovery moving. Thank you to all of our Postdocs! #NPAW

Considering a PhD in Neuroscience? Know someone who is? We are currently recruiting PhD students! Learn more about our unique joint program with Florida Atlantic University at an information session on October 13th, 12pm. Register here: buff.ly/vC3S2tj Learn more about our program: buff.ly/mYYYZa4

@lintianphd.bsky.social delivered a keynote talk at the MMiN 2026 meeting in Amsterdam last week. Her lab is a leader in developing genetically engineered sensors that could one day help treat neuropsychiatric diseases. Congratulations, Dr. Tian!

Palm Beach & Martin County Teachers: Registration is open for the Max Brain Challenge, our annual neuroscience trivia battle! *Who: 8th-12th grade students (3-person teams) *When: Feb. 6, 2027 *Where: MPFI Win prizes & bragging rights! Register now: bit.ly/4h8jDT4

Don't miss the new preprint from MPFI's Wang lab showing how widespread neuromodulatory systems can selectively modulate task-relevant neurons to shape behavior. Congrats to first author @dinghaoluo.bsky.social and team! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Meet the team! Today’s spotlight: @akashpal.bsky.social ✨ Akash is a postdoctoral researcher building genetically encoded sensors that enable real-time observation of neuropeptide signaling in the living brain 🧠

Looking forward to speaking at the 2026 Monitoring Molecules in Neuroscience (MMiN) Meeting in September! I’ll be presenting recent work on developing & using genetically engineered sensors to monitor brain activity in living, behaving animals 🧠 Register by 9/7: monitoringmolecules.org/mmin-2026/

Last chance to vote! MPFI is nominated for an Innovation Award in the 2026 PBI Education Awards for our commitment to K-12 STEM education. Can we count on your support? Cast your vote by Aug. 25: www.palmbeachillustrated.com/education-aw...

We’ve been nominated for an Innovation Award in the 2026 PBI Education Awards! The nomination recognizes our commitment to K-12 STEM education. Can we count on your support? Cast your vote by Aug. 25: www.palmbeachillustrated.com/education-aw...

We are happy to announce our 2026 NeuroMEETS selected postdoc speakers, Dr. Chenjie Shen from MIT and Dr. Asako Noguchi from UTSouthwestern Medical Center. We can't wait to hear about your exciting research!

Advancing brain health relies on access to care, as well as the research, technology, and expertise driving new discoveries. Through collaborations with organizations such as @mpfneuro.bsky.social, we're proud to help those working toward breakthroughs. #WorldBrainDay #WorldBrainDay2026

Meet the team! Today’s spotlight: Erin Scott ✨ Erin is a PhD student working to characterize a family of dopamine sensors for the dLight 3.0 series. She is also developing a sensor for alpha-synuclein, a toxic protein heavily implicated in Parkinson’s disease.

New work from the Inagaki Lab bridges levels of analysis to show that synaptic plasticity in different cell types plays distinct, complementary roles in shaping neural dynamics during learning. Congratulations to all! buff.ly/gm5fosP

Congratulations to MPFI Scientist Dr. Alex Gribizis, who received an NIH K99 Pathway to Independence Award! Her research focuses on how early brain activity shapes the development of visual circuits before eye opening. Learn more: buff.ly/vepcwTR

Congratulations to Dr. Kori Citrin, our newest IMPRS PhD graduate! Dr. Citrin's research explored how the hippocampus tracks time, a critical component of forming memories. We are so proud of her dedication and can't wait to see the impact she'll make. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Citrin!

Neuroscience postdocs: Showcase your original research at NeuroMEETS! On our Jupiter, FL, campus, you’ll gain confidence as you present to eager MPFI students, postdocs, and faculty. Apply by July 1 for a speaking spot! bit.ly/43GMW9a

Attention, postdocs: Apply to present your research at NeuroMEETS: Neuroscience Meetings for Extramural Emerging Talents!  Connect with MPFI students, postdocs, & faculty in Jupiter, FL. Travel support & honorarium provided for presenters. Apply for a speaking spot by July 1: bit.ly/43GMW9a

Congratulations to @salilbidaye.bsky.social for being named one of this year's McKnight Scholar Award recipients! Learn more about this honor and the important neuroscience research it funds: buff.ly/AUf0gTl

Neuroscience postdocs: Apply to share your research at our NeuroMEETS seminar! • Present your research at our Jupiter, FL, campus • Gain experience for future interviews • Network with MPFI students, postdocs, and faculty Apply for NeuroMEETS by July 1: mpfi.org/science/max-...

NeuroCollective 2.0 brought together 140+ students, scientists, and industry professionals from 15 institutions for a day of NeuroAI, mentorship, and connection. Shoutout to the 32 trainee presenters — and especially our two IMPRS-SC PhD reps who took home best talk AND best poster honors! 🏆

How does the brain power its own memories — and what happens when that system fails? MPFI scientist Vidhya Rangaraju sat down with neuroscientist Mark Mattson on the Brain Ponderings podcast to explore exactly that. Listen on Spotify or watch on YouTube. 🎧️ buff.ly/v7N186U 📹️ buff.ly/DDvrwpY

Recent work by @salilbidaye.bsky.social and team on the circuits that control walking in the fly featured in The Transmitter!

Brain Exploration Day was a fun day of sharing our science and hearing your questions about how the brain works. We are grateful to all who attended and our staff and volunteers who helped support the event. Read more about it and see pictures from the event here: buff.ly/5wk04gq

Congratulations to @salilbidaye.bsky.social and the Bidaye Lab team on their latest work on the neural control of locomotion! Here, they use 🪰 to address long-standing questions of neural generation of coordinated walking. Read the study here! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6

We are thrilled to share that our CEO & Scientific Director, Dr. David Fitzpatrick, has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, considered one of the highest honors in science. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Fitzpatrick on this important recognition. buff.ly/b3SeMYf

We were excited to celebrate 18 outstanding young scientists at our fifth annual Capstone Celebration, held April 21. This event celebrates graduates of FAU High School, Jupiter Campus, in partnership with our Max Planck Academy. Read more, and please join us in wishing them the best! bit.ly/4d8Pyly

Have you registered for Brain Exploration Day yet? On Saturday, May 9 from 10 am to 2 pm we are opening up the institute for a fun day of hands-on activities and science demonstrations. Brain Exploration Day is free - but advance registration is required. Sign up today! buff.ly/nW4n42E

Congratulations to Dr. Raphael Heldman, who earned his doctorate through the IMPRS-SC program! Raphi successfully defended his PhD thesis, which revealed how the brain uses self-motion to estimate distance traveled. We look forward to seeing where Dr. Heldman's talents and curiosity lead him next!

MPFI's @rangarajuvidhya.bsky.social recently joined neuroscientists from Columbia University and Mount Sinai for a town hall on memory, brain health, and cognitive aging, hosted by @southfloridapbs.bsky.social. Read more about her insights and find out how you can watch the special: buff.ly/NCaA7J0

Celebrating another talented grad from our IMPRS PhD program, in partnership with Florida Atlantic University. Congratulations to Dr. Goksu Menton, who successfully defended her thesis," A Light-Operated Kinase Inhibitor Strategy & Its In Vitro and In Vivo Applications" yesterday. Way to go, Goksu!