A group of people excitedly shake hands with a young man
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!
Today is the last chance to have your impact on education DOUBLED! Thanks to a generous gift from the Stiles Nicholson Foundation & The Pray Family your gift to our Ask Max education program will be matched up to $50,000. The challenge ends tonight at midnight - so don't wait! buff.ly/IcqQb3g
If you've ever toured MPFI, you've likely met Dr. Naomi Kamasawa. Now, after 15+ years of electron microscopy, she is retiring. With 50+ publications & countless talks and outreach events, Naomi has inspired thousands to get excited about microscopy. Please join us in wishing her a happy retirement!
IMPRS-SC Alumna Dr. Zidan Yang has received the Larry Katz Memorial Lecture Award. In appreciation of the late Larry Katz for his pioneering work, this honor is awarded to a grad student who has done “the most original and significant work in the past 2 years on neuronal circuits.” buff.ly/iOsB6S6
It's Science Appreciation Day & we are feeling the love thanks to Wellington High School and Eagles Landing Middle School students who took the time to send thank you notes and slides to our researchers and education staff, thanking them for their work. We're grateful for our community's support!
Congratulations to Dr. Carina Arnold, the latest grad from our joint MPFI/FAU IMPRS PhD program! Carina completed her doctoral work in the Blakely Lab at Florida Atlantic University, advancing our understanding of how serotonin signaling shapes behavior at the molecular level. Congrats, Dr. Arnold!
Sunposium attendees 2026
We’re still catching our breath from Sunposium 2026!
From deciphering neural circuits to showcasing bidirectional neurotech, the summit reiterated that amazing breakthroughs arise through global collaboration.
Explore the highlights: www.mpfi.org/sunposium-20...
Today is our last day of #Sunposium2026 and we would like to recognize one of our signature sponsors, @thorlabs.bsky.social, for your support! We enjoyed learning about new advances in Mini2P Imaging and other exciting advanced imaging technology. Learn more about Thorlabs at buff.ly/e8PhxoN
Excited to be here at the @mpfneuro.bsky.social #Sunposium26 where we are demonstrating our Mini2P with Spark Lasers.
If you're nearby, visit us at booth 102!🔬
Thank you to @zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social, one of our signature sponsors of #Sunposium2026. From exhibiting at the event to presenting captivating technology talks, ZEISS has been a big part of making our event a success! Learn more about their innovative microscopy solutions at buff.ly/YysjhJx
Sunposium 2026 starts today! We look forward to welcoming more than 450 neuroscientists for 3 days of talks, exhibits, posters, networking, and more! If you are joining us, please have your QR code ready at check in, which was sent to the email you used to register.
School-aged children with teacher performing science experiment
Through March, gifts to Ask Max will be matched 100% (up to $50k!), thanks to the generosity of Donald & Penny Pray & the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation.
Your support brings real scientists into local classrooms. Make a gift today: bit.ly/3OpqgG0
Sunposium attendees networking.
Today is the LAST CHANCE to register for Sunposium 2026! Join us in West Palm Beach, FL, March 9-11 for this innovative conference of global leaders in basic neuroscience. Learn more and register today: www.mpfi.org/events/sunpo...
What does a Bach masterpiece have to do with 86 billion neurons? At our February #ScienceMeetsMusic, Dr. Moritz Helmstaedter spoke on a journey from the intricate "cables" of the brain to the timeless Goldberg Variations. We explored how our synapses sculpt memories as we listen.
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Dr. Sarah Stern
Join us for Science Meets Music on March 24! Dr. Sarah Stern will discuss how the brain, hormones, and modern life shape eating habits.
Featuring musical selections by Arnaud Sussmann and the Palm Beach Chamber Music Society.
Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmmar26/
How is technology reshaping the future of care? Dr. David Fitzpatrick joined healthcare leaders at Invest: Palm Beach to discuss "The Future of Healthcare," where he highlighted how breakthrough tools like optogenetics and AI have their roots in neuroscience.
#Neuroscience #HealthcareInnovation
Shigeki Watanabe stands in the lobby of Max Planck Florida Institute next to a statue of Max Planck.
We were thrilled to have @watanabelab.bsky.social from Johns Hopkins University speak today at MPFI about his recent findings on axon morphology and their implications for function and plasticity. Thank you, Dr. Watanabe!
Dr. Helmstaedter holds a book while seated in front of a piano
Join us for a Science Meets Music concert, Feb. 11!
Dr. Moritz Helmstaedter, Dir. at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research & classical pianist, will discuss how the brain processes expectations & empowers music recall.
Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmfeb26/
Dr. Moritz Helmstaedter holds a book in front of a piano
Join us for a Science Meets Music concert on Feb. 11! Dr. Moritz Helmstaedter, Dir. at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research & classical pianist, will discuss how the brain processes expectations & empowers music recall.
Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmfeb26/
What a great talk today with Zixuan Deng from the University of Chicago! She shared her research on how our brains compute motion in natural scenes. It turns out our visual circuits work differently when we look at the real world compared to simple lab stimuli. Thank you for sharing your science!
Applications for our high school internship program are due soon! This program gives students the opportunity to accelerate their academic and scientific careers by working with MPFI researchers and technical experts. Don't miss out on this opportunity, visit buff.ly/J8NNheS to learn more & apply!
Eden Stell guitar duo
Join us for Science Meets Music, Jan. 28! Dr. Ivan De Araujo, Director at @mpicybernetics.bsky.social, will discuss how signals made in the GI tissue impact our psychological states. Classical guitar selections by the Eden Stell Guitar Duo. Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmjan26/
Thank you to Dr. Sang Jeong Kim for visiting today and for a wonderful seminar on his latest findings on cerebellar homeostatic plasticity. Want to learn more? Listen to Max Planck Florida's Neurotransmissions podcast episode Pain and Plasticity With Sang Jeong Kim buff.ly/d4wtSHZ
This event will be in-person, but a recording of the talk will be made available on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/mpfneuro
Dr. De Araujo leans on a railing and smiles
Join us for Science Meets Music, Jan. 28! Dr. Ivan De Araujo, Director at @mpicybernetics.bsky.social, will discuss how signals made in the GI tissue impact our psychological states. Classical guitar selections by the Eden Stell Guitar Duo. Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmjan26/
Applications are open for our 6-week paid summer internship program! High school students will get experience in research, mechanical engineering, or data science, working alongside MPFI researchers. New this year, we've added a coding for public engagement track! Learn more at buff.ly/QIgug8A
‼️ The deadline to submit your abstract for Sunposium is tomorrow‼️
Don't miss your chance to showcase your work, receive feedback, and network in West Palm Beach, Florida! 🌴☀️
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Scientists at MPFI have uncovered how the brain navigates without visual cues, identifying distinct ramping-based patterns of brain activity unique from well-described place-based coding. These patterns mark the start of movement and encode how far an animal has traveled. Learn more: buff.ly/P96KJMo