We are delighted to announce that Unit Programme Leader Dr David Dupret has been named a 2016-2020 Scholar of The FENS-KAVLI Network of Excellence.
The Network of Excellence, established in 2014 as a collaboration between the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the Kavli Foundation, is a prestigious grouping of around 30 outstanding early-career neuroscientists. Membership of the Network is awarded to a handful of individuals every 2 years after an open competition held across Europe, and is reserved for those considered to be the most talented neuroscience researchers among their peers. The broad aim of the Network is to shape the future of neuroscience in Europe and beyond, through providing opportunities for young scientists, influencing science policy, and facilitating the exchange between science and society.
David officially joined the FENS-KAVLI Network of Excellence during this week's FENS Forum of Neurosciences, Europe’s pre-eminent neuroscience meeting.
Unit Director Professor Peter Brown commented “The Unit is thrilled that David has been elected to the membership of this highly-esteemed network. It is a timely recognition of David’s exceptional abilities and vision, as well as of his track record in delivering world-class science and mentoring.”
We are delighted to announce that Associate Unit member Professor Paul Bolam has been named the Dana/EDAB Neuroscience Outreach Champion, also known as The David and Hillie Mahoney Award for an Individual’s Contribution to Outreach, for 2016.
The Award is given every 2 years, after an open competition held across Europe, to reward an individual who has significantly contributed to the promotion of brain awareness through continued public outreach efforts. The Award is sponsored by the Dana Foundation and the European Dana Alliance for the Brain (EDAB) in collaboration with the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS). Paul received his Award at a ceremony held today in Copenhagen at the FENS Forum of Neurosciences, Europe’s pre-eminent neuroscience meeting.
Unit Deputy Director Professor Peter Magill commented “The Unit is thrilled to have led the successful nomination of Paul for this unique and highly prestigious Award. It is a fitting recognition of Paul’s selfless service in fostering public engagement activities of the highest quality for more than 20 years. Paul is a fantastic mentor and role model, and his sustained commitment to neuroscience outreach has been inspirational for us as we collectively deliver the Unit’s bespoke contribution to this vital aspect of modern science. Paul is an Outreach Champion in every sense.”
Professor Monica di Luca, FENS President, presented the Award and commented “Paul Bolam is not only a first-class neuroscientist, but also a passionate advocate for helping people understand the ageing brain."
On 22nd June, the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit welcomed 25 pupils and teachers from state-funded schools in the London area who are enrolled with Generating Genius, a charitable organisation that supports talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to realise their potential in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths).
The open day for Generating Genius was one of many public engagement events led by the Medical Research Council and held across the country from 18th-26th June 2016 as part of the MRC Festival of Medical Research.
During the visit, small groups of pupils talked informally with Unit members about key concepts and challenges in brain research, as well as what it is like being a scientist. Special emphasis was placed on giving pupils the opportunity to try some ‘hands on’ science and to see real working laboratories and instruments for themselves.
The visit began with an open and interactive discussion of when, how and why animals are used in medical research. Activities were then coordinated around 4 ‘knowledge stations’, at which pupils could experience some of the Unit’s core research themes, including human brain stimulation, the electrical activity of nerve cells, microscopy in neuroscience, the nerve cell networks of memory, and the brain in health and Parkinson’s disease. The visit ended with a feedback session, and pupils were given souvenirs to take home.
Unit scientist Dr Natalie Doig, winner of the 2016 Director’s Award for Public Engagement, commented, “What a great day! It was fantastic to see the school pupils enjoying the experience as well as seeing all the Unit students and staff getting involved.”
Congratulations to Unit Postdoctoral Neuroscientist Dr Natalie Doig on winning the Director’s Award for Public Engagement for 2016.
The Award is given annually, on the basis of nominations made by Unit members, to recognise and celebrate the exemplary contributions of an individual or small collective to the Unit’s extensive Outreach Programme.
Natalie received her Award from Unit Director Professor Peter Brown at a special ceremony held today. Professor Brown commented “It gives us all great pleasure to reward Natalie in this way. Natalie’s energy and enthusiasm for public engagement are remarkable, and she has personally delivered engagement activities of the highest quality and impact.”
Congratulations to Unit student Gido van de Ven who recently received an award from the Vice-Chancellor’s Fund, a University-wide scheme intended to assist students of exceptional academic merit in the final stages of their D.Phil. studies. Gido’s doctoral research, supervised by Dr David Dupret, is focussed on the role of hippocampal sharp-wave/ripples in the consolidation of new cell assemblies and memories.
Congratulations to Unit scientist Dr Helen Barron on her award of an Early Career Researcher start-up grant from the University’s John Fell OUP Research Fund. Working with Unit Programme Leader Dr David Dupret and other scientists in Oxford, Helen will use the grant to carry out research on the mechanisms of memory in animals and humans.
The Unit held its third Science Day on Friday 10th June 2016. Ongoing and future research projects were the focus of discussion, and Unit members and visitors enthusiastically took the opportunity to give the constructive criticism that is needed to foster collaborative, world-leading research.
There were 16 short talks and 6 poster presentations, most of which were given by the Unit’s students and early-career scientists. Unit Director Peter Brown commented “What a tremendous day! Excellent science, and a meeting that was clearly enjoyed by all. It was a pleasure to experience such a vibrant gathering.”
We are pleased to welcome Ahmet Tugrul Ozdemir to the Unit. Tugrul has joined Dr David Dupret’s Group for six months as an academic visitor in order to learn cell assembly analysis.
Tugrul studied Molecular Biology and Genetics with a minor in Psychology at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and spent a year as an exchange student at the University of California Davis. During his undergraduate education, he also carried out summer projects at Professor Lu Chen’s laboratory at Stanford University, USA, and Professor Peter Somogyi’s laboratory at the University of Oxford.
Tugrul is currently working towards his doctoral degree under the supervision of Professor Thomas Klausberger at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria. During his doctoral research, Tugrul aims to understand the distinct contributions of different principal cells in cortex to working memory and cognitive flexibility.
We are delighted to welcome Professor John Reynolds for a period of sabbatical research in the Unit. John is currently Head of Translational Neuroscience at the University of Otago Medical School in New Zealand, and his sabbatical at the University of Oxford is co-hosted by Unit collaborator Professor Stephanie Cragg.
John is a leading expert on the roles of the chemical messenger dopamine in shaping nerve cell activity and the brain mechanisms of learning and movement, research themes that are intensively studied in the Unit. John will use his time in the Unit to advance his own research as well as collaborative projects with the Magill Group and Sharott Group.
Our congratulations go to Unit D.Phil. student Farid Garas for successfully defending his doctoral thesis, entitled “Structural and functional heterogeneity of striatal interneuron populations”, in his viva voce examination on 25th May 2016.
Farid’s examiners were Professor Gilad Silberberg (Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) and Professor Zoltan Molnar (Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford).
Farid was supervised by Dr Andrew Sharott and Professor Peter Magill, and was originally recruited after completing a highly successful Final Honours School research project in the Unit as part of his B.A. in Medical Sciences at the University of Oxford.