🧠 Wellcome has awarded Dr Samuel Barnes and a team of researchers at Imperial College London, led by Dr Amanda Foust, £3.92M to develop a 3D imaging system capable of capturing the electrical activity of thousands of neurons simultaneously, in real time.

👉 bit.ly/4mxVyHE

@imperialmed.bsky.social

Congratulations to our own Dr Stefano Sandrone on receiving the Biochemical Society's Early Career Teaching Excellence Award! 🎉 @imperialmed.bsky.social

SPARK NS Program 2026 – Professor Michael Johnson’s project awarded $2 million funding for Imperial to develop new treatments for Parkinson’s Disease.

🧠 @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social will receive $2 million through the SPARK NS Program 2026 to develop new treatments for Parkinson's 👉 bit.ly/4sY3Ta1

#WorldParkinsonsDay

🧠 Discover the Landmark Project @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social, profiling over 400 human brain donations to develop technologies for predicting disease progression and drug response in Parkinson's

More 👉 www.imperial.ac.uk/news/256397/...

#WorldParkinsonsDay

🧠 Tomorrow we mark #WorldParkinsonsDay

Parkinson's disease affects 166,000 people in the UK, 1.1 million in the United States, and approximately 10 million globally, projected to reach 25 million by 2050.

👉 Learn more about Imperial-led research breakthroughs: bsky.app/profile/impe...

Researcher at the Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Tissue Bank.

Tomorrow is #WorldParkinsonsDay 💙

We’re revisiting recent research and news from @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social, which is helping to transform how we understand, detect and treat #ParkinsonsDisease.

🧵👇 Thread

Exposure to pesticide disrupts genes in Parkinson’s-linked brain regions | Imperial News | Imperial College London A study reveals cells in key brain regions involved in Parkinson’s retain a ‘memory’ of pesticide exposure that disrupts gene expression.

🌱 What if #pesticide exposure today affects your brain years later?

A study showed pesticide exposure can leave a lasting “memory” in brain cells, disrupting gene expression in key #Parkinsons regions.

New clues into how environment shapes disease risk 👉 www.imperial.ac.uk/news/266673/... #PD

Earlier detection, made easier. ⌚

Smartwatch data could spot early signs of #Parkinsons – before diagnosis – outperforming traditional clinical risk scores.

A potential game-changer for non-invasive screening 👉 www.imperial.ac.uk/news/266173/... #PD @imperialbrains.bsky.social @ukdri.ac.uk

A cellular energy crisis? ⚡

Researchers from @imperialbrains.bsky.social uncovered why some brain cells are more vulnerable than others in #ParkinsonsDisease. 🧠

Even small drops in energy efficiency can push neurons from healthy to degenerating: www.imperial.ac.uk/news/264617/... #Parkinsons

Helping the brain in a gentler way 🧠

@imperialbrains.bsky.social – with £4.1M of @aria-research.bsky.social funding – are developing new stimulation technology that could one day reduce the need for invasive brain surgery in conditions like #Parkinsons.

More: www.imperial.ac.uk/news/260073/... #PD

Machine Learning for Health Zimbabwe 2026 The collaborative initiative is illustrative of the convergence science taking place at Imperial, bringing cross-departmental expertise together to t...

Our academics and PhD students delivered a machine learning for healthcare course in Zimbabwe 🇿🇼, in partnership with @imperialinfect.bsky.social and @thruzim.bsky.social

The programme was focused on building practical #AI skills for local healthcare contexts.

👇 www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

Access to mechanical thrombectomy for stroke in the UK: the unacceptable postcode lottery Over 100 000 people suffer a stroke every year in the UK.1 2 Ischaemic strokes account for ~85% of all strokes, with a third of these being caused by a large vessel occlusion (LVO).3 LVO strokes are a...

🧠 Every year, over 100,000 people in the UK suffer a stroke.

A third of the most severe cases can be treated with mechanical thrombectomy. Yet only 4.5% of stroke patients currently receive it, despite national guidelines recommending it since 2015.

More 👉 svn.bmj.com/content/earl...

London’s young people work with researchers and doctors to shape the future of child health research Over 200 children joined more than 100 researchers, clinicians, and parents at Chelsea Football Club in West London.

“We don’t want to just do #research to children; we want to do it with them.”

From asthma to mental health, young people joined our researchers + #NHS teams to share what matters most for their #health, at a unique event at Chelsea FC.

www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article... @imperialbrc.bsky.social

Just one dose of psilocybin relieves symptoms of OCD for months Taking psilocybin – the psychedelic component of magic mushrooms – eased symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder among people who did not respond to conventional treatments, and the effects lasted a...

"The whole point of OCD therapy is about teaching people to behave differently."

Professor David Nutt spoke to New Scientist on a landmark Yale study testing psilocybin for OCD.

🧠 Learn more: www.newscientist.com/article/2518...

Join me during the break today at Poster 87 at The Brain Conference 2026 @brain1878.bsky.social #brainconference2026 @imperialbrains.bsky.social #neurology #research

Our latest preprint showing ⬆️ high-energy food cue reactivity in dorsal striatum in ex-smokers (that could contribute to smoking cessation weight gain) & further evidence for a sweet taste preferring phenotype in alcohol use disorder. @imperialbrains.bsky.social @imppsych.bsky.social @ukri.org

In conversation with the NHS: How to submit an IRAS Ethics application Join us at this online session on Friday 20th March to hear from the NHS about the process of submitting an Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) ethics application.

In conversation with the NHS: How to submit an Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) Ethics application.

Friday, 20 March 2026 | 9.00-13.00 GMT

Register now: www.imperial.ac.uk/events/20711...

🧠 To mark #WomenAtImperialWeek, we've rounded up recent profiles, interviews, and multimedia features spotlighting academics and professional staff from the Department of Brain Sciences.

More 👉 blogs.imperial.ac.uk/dobs-staff/2...

@imperialmed.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

In Profile: Dr Naoto Watamura – Edmond and Lily Safra Research Fellow at Imperial College London - DoBS Staff Blog “In experimental neuroscience, success often comes after many failed attempts. I learned to treat each failure as data, not defeat,” says Dr Naoto Watamura, Edmond and Lily Safra Research Fellow at Im...

“In experimental #neuroscience, success often comes after many failed attempts.”

Dr Naoto Watamura from @imperialbrains.bsky.social is uncovering why some #dementia patients decline faster than others, and turning failure into discovery. 🧠

Read more 👇 blogs.imperial.ac.uk/dobs-staff/2...

Nine Principal Investigators Join the SPARK NS Program, 2026 Cohort The nine projects are collectively eligible for up to $18 million in funding and support for drug development.

Professor Michael Johnson's project, A Human Genetics-driven Approach for Disease Modification in Parkinson's Disease, will receive up to $2 million over the two years.

👉 More: sparkns.org/news-and-ins...

@imperialmed.bsky.social

New research maps the genetic drivers of #DownSyndrome 🧬

Scientists have created the most detailed molecular map of the developing Down syndrome brain to date, revealing new gene targets that could inform future treatments.

Led by @imperialbrains.bsky.social 👇 www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

Using hallucinogens to produce a 'flexible brain state' can help with depression The lead researcher on this study said that hallucinogens can "produce a flexible brain state and open up a window of opportunity for the brain to reshape", which helps people suffering from depressio...

🧠 A small study, published in Nature Medicine, found that people with depression saw significant symptom reductions from a single dose of DMT.

👉Watch the Sky News interview with Dr David Erritzoe, the lead researcher on the study: news.sky.com/video/using-...

@imperialmed.bsky.social

Assistant Professor within the Faculty of Medicine (20 Positions) at Imperial College London Start your UK & international job search for academic jobs, research jobs, science jobs and managerial jobs in leading universities and top...

20 posts available for non-clinical
Assistant Profs at Imperial
College London. Come work at @imppsych.bsky.social @imperialbrains.bsky.social. Collaborate in fields of eating & addictive behaviours, neuroimaging, gut-brain, emotional regulation etc. Deadline 11/3/2026
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQK133/a...

Alcohol addiction affects millions worldwide, including around 600,000 people in the UK.

Prof Anne Lingford-Hughes and Prof Mark Thursz will discuss the neurobiology of addiction and alcohol's impact on the liver.

✅ Register: www.imperial.ac.uk/events/20538...

@imperialmed.bsky.social

Could the #psychedelic drug DMT be a future treatment for depression? Researchers @imperialmed.bsky.social found a single dose of DMT – the psychoactive component of ayahuasca - had a ‘significant and lasting’ effect.

👉 More: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

@imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

🧠 Interested in joining the Department of Brain Sciences, home to world-class research in #neuroscience & mental health?

@imperialmed.bsky.social is hiring new non-clinical Assistant Professors.

👉 Applications are open until 11 March 2026: bit.ly/404qCnU

#mentalhealth

From left to right: Dr Chioma Izzi-Engbeaya, Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes, Professor Sejal Saglani

On #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience, we're celebrating Three Wise Women from @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social 👩‍🔬👩‍⚕️👩‍🏫

Researchers whose work is transforming #health across the lifespan – for women, children and communities.

[Thread 🧵👇] #WomenInSTEM #WomenInScience

My journey into addiction research and psychiatry - Imperial Medicine Blog Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes, Professor of Addiction Biology, reflects on the journey that led her to become one of the UK’s leading experts in addiction psychiatry.

“I was advised I didn’t need a career – just a job until I got married!”

Now Professor of Addiction Biology at @imperialbrains.bsky.social, Anne Lingford-Hughes has helped revolutionise how we understand the brain and #addiction.

blogs.imperial.ac.uk/imperial-med... #WomenInScience

Dr Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu (a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Reader in the sections of Paediatrics Infectious Diseases and Virology investigating the human genetic basis of life-threatening infections) in a lab environment. She is wearing safety glasses and a white lab coat.

✨We’re looking for up to 20 new non-clinical Assistant Professors to join our world-class academic community.💫

Could that be you?

Find out more and apply by 11 March 2026: www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...

Nan and Tommaso: Building community and visibility - Imperial people “It’s important for students to see people like them further along the career path they’re aiming for”  Within Imperial’s Department of Brain Sciences, the LGBTQ+ Allies Network has become a growing s...

Meet Nan Fletcher-Lloyd and Tommaso Barba from @imperialbrains.bsky.social, sharing how the #LGBTQ+ Allies Network is building visibility, connection and belonging for staff and students. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Read more 👇 blogs.imperial.ac.uk/imperial-peo...

#LGBTQHistoryMonth @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social