A migratory bird brain, the Eurasian blackcap, has been mapped for the first time using high-resolution light microscopy.
The open-source software tools developed form a foundation for new brain atlases to be built for any species, providing a valuable resource.
Going from neural activity to blood flow just became easier! Two brainwide populations, each with its neurovascular coupling. (But going backwards... is now a tad more complicated.)
By @agnesland.bsky.social & team.
Thanks @intlbrainlab.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social @simonsfoundation.org
New preprint! 🧠
How do RNNs learn abstract rules from sequences, independent of specific stimuli?
By Vezha Boboeva, with Alberto Pezzotta & George Dimitriadis
"From sequences to schemas: low-rank recurrent dynamics underlie abstract relational representations"
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
As U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran enter their sixth week, the nation’s academic institutions are increasingly under fire. https://scim.ag/4ceEkdK
The US/Iran war and escalating rhetoric are already disrupting civilian life and academic infrastructure across the region. We drafted a letter in defense of academic life, and to mobilize concrete support for affected students, scholars, and collaborations. Please check Sepi’s message and sign.
Academic friends,
It's beyond heartbreaking to watch what's unfolding in Iran & the region.
A few of us drafted an open letter calling for protection of civilians & of educational, research, medical & cultural institutions.
Please read & sign if you agree:
sites.google.com/view/protect...
#IranWar
When universities and research institutions become military targets, academics cannot remain silent. I co-initiated an open letter calling for global academic solidarity and support for affected students and scholars. Please share.
to read and sign: sites.google.com/view/protect...
Philosophy of Science Group
Electrical Engineering Department
I think this is a part of the civil engineering department.
Last night, US/Israeli strikes bombed Sharif University, my alma mater, heavily damaging the IT Center, Philosophy of Science building, EE, and more. Trump spoke of sending Iran "back to the Stone Age." That is the goal of this war. Scientists worldwide should speak up against these atrocities.
... But I only study rats and viruses.
They will come for you, too, in time. He promised to send the country back to the Stone Age, where there was no Institut Pasteur. Or maybe the war criminal has 'credible' intel that the Ayatollah was living under the institute...
The US/Israeli attack on the Pasteur Institute of Iran, one of the country’s oldest and most important biomedical and vaccine centers, is a disaster for Iranians and their public health. Destroying medical institutions that protect civilian life is barbaric. These are obvious war crimes.
A Haft-Seen Nowruz display on a small round table by a window
More than any other time, this year it feels like we have to mark Nowruz.
This year we welcome Spring with heavy hearts, but we still welcome it. May the turning of the season remind us that nothing stays frozen forever.
With hope for peace, freedom, sanity & justice - Happy Spring, happy Nowruz🌱🪻
Today I received a note from a grad student who lives in Tehran. Her note gives you firsthand experience of what it’s like to live in a city that is being bombed, and what it’s like to be young and feel despair about your future.
rezashadmehr.blogspot.com/2026/03/hope...
Israeli attack caused ‘Black rain’ in Tehran — what are the health effects? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
These are the graves of more than 160 schoolchildren killed by US and Israel attacks on Iran.
They say they are bringing freedom to the Iranian people.
This is what that “freedom” looks like.
Thrilled to finally share this work! 🧠🔊
Using a new reinforcement-free task we show mice (like humans) extract abstract structure from sound (unsupervised) & dCA1 is causally required by building factorised, orthogonal subspaces of abstract rules.
Led by Dammy Onih!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Today, UCL turns 200. 🎉 For two centuries, our community has opened doors, challenged convention and pushed the boundaries of knowledge across every discipline. Thank you to everyone who’s been part of the UCL story, here’s to the next century. ✨
#UCL200 #LoveUCL
Examples of sequences of activity seen in multiple regions of the brain
Sequences are everywhere! In every brain region. And are written in stone.
Invariant Activity Sequences Across the Mouse Brain.
Out today, by Célian Bimbard, with @kenneth-harris.bsky.social.
Based on data by Célian and by @intlbrainlab.bsky.social.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
New preprint from the lab!
A frontal motor circuit for economic decisions and actions:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We use a novel task in mice, cortex-wide imaging and optogenetics, NPX recording and modelling to reveal a circuit mechanism that transforms abstract decisions to spatial actions.
Remembering Adam Kampff, a dear friend, inspirational teacher, and a remarkable human being. He dedicated his life to broadening scientific education and demystifying modern technology to young people around the world.
www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/research...
Very excited to be running our @neuroinformatics.dev Open Software Summer School again in August 2026.
This has been one of the most satisifying things we've done, especially as a number of participants have gone on to become collaborators.
Full details: neuroinformatics.dev/open-softwar...
The science of reading: From neuroscience to the classroom
Join us on 2 Dec at 12pm for this year’s SWC Lecture, with Professor Stanislas Dehaene, Chair of Experimental Cognitive Psychology, Collège de France
Free and open to all. Register here:
eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
Will you be at #SfN25? Stop by the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre’s posters and talks! @sfn.org
All talks of the 2025 UCL #Neuropixels course are now available: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
For more information on the course see the website: www.ucl.ac.uk/neuropixels/...
And for those at #SfN, come say hi at the #Neuropixels booth (Number 3731) or at my Poster 👋.
Happy Neuropixeling!
Applications are now open for the SWC Systems Neuroscience PhD Programme.
Join us in London!
🧠 World-class neuroscience training
💰 Fully-funded 4-year programme
🖥️ Close links to @gatsbyucl.bsky.social
Apply by 3 Nov: www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
The two key studies of the International Brain Laboratory @intlbrainlab.bsky.social are out today!
A brain-wide map of neural activity during complex behaviour
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Brain-wide representations of prior information in mouse decision-making
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats!
This challenges the idea that bird calls are rigid and unchangeable. It also opens new avenues for studying vocal control in animals. Want to dive into the details? Read the full paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 📖🔬
So, zebra finches not only learned to use their calls for a new purpose but also modulated them based on the context. This suggests vocal flexibility thought to be exclusive to songs!
We analyzed the calls and found significant differences! 🧐 Distance calls aimed at other birds (aDCs) were louder and had more harmonic structure than calls used to get food (gDCs).
But do these calls change depending on context? 🎧 Listen to this audio: Can you hear the difference between distance calls used for food vs. those used to communicate with other birds? 🤔
