Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
@sainsburywellcome.bsky.social
The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre aims to discover the fundamental principles of how the brain drives behaviour. Based at UCL, funded by Gatsby and Wellcome. https://www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/
Pinned
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 9 Nov: www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
Join us in London!
🎓 World-class neuroscience training
💰 Fully funded 4-year programme
🖥️Close links to @gatsbyucl.bsky.social
Apply by 9 Nov: www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
Reposted by Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
🙋Are you interested in bridging theory & experiments?
Applications are open for 2027 entry to the Gatsby Unit & SWC joint PhD programme.
Join us and be part of a vibrant research community!
💰 Fully-funded 4-year programme
ℹ️ www.ucl.ac.uk/life-science...
@sainsburywellcome.bsky.social
Applications are open for 2027 entry to the Gatsby Unit & SWC joint PhD programme.
Join us and be part of a vibrant research community!
💰 Fully-funded 4-year programme
ℹ️ www.ucl.ac.uk/life-science...
@sainsburywellcome.bsky.social
September 23, 2026 at 12:09 PM
🙋Are you interested in bridging theory & experiments?
Applications are open for 2027 entry to the Gatsby Unit & SWC joint PhD programme.
Join us and be part of a vibrant research community!
💰 Fully-funded 4-year programme
ℹ️ www.ucl.ac.uk/life-science...
@sainsburywellcome.bsky.social
Applications are open for 2027 entry to the Gatsby Unit & SWC joint PhD programme.
Join us and be part of a vibrant research community!
💰 Fully-funded 4-year programme
ℹ️ www.ucl.ac.uk/life-science...
@sainsburywellcome.bsky.social
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 9 Nov: www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
Join us in London!
🎓 World-class neuroscience training
💰 Fully funded 4-year programme
🖥️Close links to @gatsbyucl.bsky.social
Apply by 9 Nov: www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
September 21, 2026 at 10:10 AM
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 9 Nov: www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
Join us in London!
🎓 World-class neuroscience training
💰 Fully funded 4-year programme
🖥️Close links to @gatsbyucl.bsky.social
Apply by 9 Nov: www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
In-person tickets have sold out, but you can still join us online for this year's symposium, 'What can neuroscience teach us about the mind?' ⤵️
Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/student-sy...
Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/student-sy...
September 16, 2026 at 2:51 PM
In-person tickets have sold out, but you can still join us online for this year's symposium, 'What can neuroscience teach us about the mind?' ⤵️
Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/student-sy...
Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/student-sy...
Research Technician Ryan Cini features in a new book - Scientists Making a Difference!
The book profiles scientists working in a variety of roles, and showcases the many routes into a career in science 🥳
Check it out: www.scientists-making-a-difference.com
@gatsbyed.bsky.social
The book profiles scientists working in a variety of roles, and showcases the many routes into a career in science 🥳
Check it out: www.scientists-making-a-difference.com
@gatsbyed.bsky.social
September 10, 2026 at 8:26 AM
Research Technician Ryan Cini features in a new book - Scientists Making a Difference!
The book profiles scientists working in a variety of roles, and showcases the many routes into a career in science 🥳
Check it out: www.scientists-making-a-difference.com
@gatsbyed.bsky.social
The book profiles scientists working in a variety of roles, and showcases the many routes into a career in science 🥳
Check it out: www.scientists-making-a-difference.com
@gatsbyed.bsky.social
In-person tickets have sold out, but you can still register to join us online tomorrow ⤵️
‘Why do people put their trust in science?’
Join us on 10 Sept at 4 pm for this year’s SWC Lecture, with Julia Gillard, Chair of @wellcometrust.bsky.social
Free and open to all. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
Join us on 10 Sept at 4 pm for this year’s SWC Lecture, with Julia Gillard, Chair of @wellcometrust.bsky.social
Free and open to all. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
The SWC Lecture: Julia Gillard
We are delighted to confirm that this year’s SWC Lecture will be delivered by Julia Gillard
www.eventbrite.co.uk
September 9, 2026 at 3:50 PM
In-person tickets have sold out, but you can still register to join us online tomorrow ⤵️
Following her recent SWC seminar, Dr Panayiota Poirazi @yiotapoirazi.bsky.social (@imbb-forth.bsky.social) answers our questions on dendritic computation, from place cell formation to flexible learning, and what it means for how we understand the brain.
www.sainsburywellcome.org/qa/smarter-w...
www.sainsburywellcome.org/qa/smarter-w...
Smarter wiring: How dendrites make neurons more efficient | Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
In this Q&A, SWC Seminar Speaker Dr Panayiota Poirazi, Research Director at IMBB, discusses her latest work on how dendrites facilitate efficiency in the brain.
www.sainsburywellcome.org
September 7, 2026 at 7:55 AM
Following her recent SWC seminar, Dr Panayiota Poirazi @yiotapoirazi.bsky.social (@imbb-forth.bsky.social) answers our questions on dendritic computation, from place cell formation to flexible learning, and what it means for how we understand the brain.
www.sainsburywellcome.org/qa/smarter-w...
www.sainsburywellcome.org/qa/smarter-w...
Delighted to support the recent Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning in Africa (CaMinA) @trendcamina.bsky.social course. The programme brought training for 25 students and faculty members from across Africa to Dedan Kimathi University this summer 🙌
trendinafrica.org/trend-camina...
trendinafrica.org/trend-camina...
September 3, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Delighted to support the recent Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning in Africa (CaMinA) @trendcamina.bsky.social course. The programme brought training for 25 students and faculty members from across Africa to Dedan Kimathi University this summer 🙌
trendinafrica.org/trend-camina...
trendinafrica.org/trend-camina...
Great to see SWC's Professor Tiago Branco in The Scientist! In the feature, he reflects on how his research has expanded from studying single neurons to mapping the brain circuits that drive escape and survival.
Read the article: www.the-scientist.com/then-and-now...
Read the article: www.the-scientist.com/then-and-now...
Tiago Branco Unveils How the Brain Computes Behavior | The Scientist
Neuroscientist Tiago Branco reflects on how his research expanded from studying single neurons to exploring how brain circuits dictate survival behaviors.
www.the-scientist.com
September 2, 2026 at 10:41 AM
Great to see SWC's Professor Tiago Branco in The Scientist! In the feature, he reflects on how his research has expanded from studying single neurons to mapping the brain circuits that drive escape and survival.
Read the article: www.the-scientist.com/then-and-now...
Read the article: www.the-scientist.com/then-and-now...
We're hiring a Head of FabLab (Fabrications Laboratory) to lead our state-of-the-art facility and a highly skilled team, delivering enabling technologies and tools for novel scientific research.
Closes: 20 Sept
Details & apply:
sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
Closes: 20 Sept
Details & apply:
sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
Current Vacancies | Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
Click here to see our current opportunities to join the SWC. You can also follow us on Bluesky @sainsburywellcome.bsky.social to keep up to date with the latest job opportunities.
sainsburywellcome.org
September 1, 2026 at 1:11 PM
We're hiring a Head of FabLab (Fabrications Laboratory) to lead our state-of-the-art facility and a highly skilled team, delivering enabling technologies and tools for novel scientific research.
Closes: 20 Sept
Details & apply:
sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
Closes: 20 Sept
Details & apply:
sainsburywellcome.org/web/content/...
How does an animal decide when to switch gait? Work from @zanemit.bsky.social shows body load distribution, not just speed, shapes limb coordination in mice.
Read more: www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/not-jus...
Paper in @cp-iscience.bsky.social: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Read more: www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/not-jus...
Paper in @cp-iscience.bsky.social: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Not just speed: the biomechanics behind every step | Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
Dr Zane Mitrevica’s PhD studies investigated gait in mice. In this article, she discusses her findings and how they deepen our understanding animal movement.
www.sainsburywellcome.org
August 17, 2026 at 7:23 AM
How does an animal decide when to switch gait? Work from @zanemit.bsky.social shows body load distribution, not just speed, shapes limb coordination in mice.
Read more: www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/not-jus...
Paper in @cp-iscience.bsky.social: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Read more: www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/not-jus...
Paper in @cp-iscience.bsky.social: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
🧠 Applications OPEN!
If you’re a neuroscientist, this course will transform how you understand and use technology, giving you the confidence to take control of your experiments and make discoveries.
📅 19–23 Oct 2026
Website: noblackboxes.org/esb-course/
Apply: form.jotform.com/261404712240...
If you’re a neuroscientist, this course will transform how you understand and use technology, giving you the confidence to take control of your experiments and make discoveries.
📅 19–23 Oct 2026
Website: noblackboxes.org/esb-course/
Apply: form.jotform.com/261404712240...
August 12, 2026 at 11:27 AM
🧠 Applications OPEN!
If you’re a neuroscientist, this course will transform how you understand and use technology, giving you the confidence to take control of your experiments and make discoveries.
📅 19–23 Oct 2026
Website: noblackboxes.org/esb-course/
Apply: form.jotform.com/261404712240...
If you’re a neuroscientist, this course will transform how you understand and use technology, giving you the confidence to take control of your experiments and make discoveries.
📅 19–23 Oct 2026
Website: noblackboxes.org/esb-course/
Apply: form.jotform.com/261404712240...
Join us for 'What can Neuroscience teach us about the Mind?', a 1-day symposium exploring whether neural mechanisms can truly explain behaviour, and what this means for minds both biological and artificial.
Free and open to all:
www.sainsburywellcome.org/events/stude...
Free and open to all:
www.sainsburywellcome.org/events/stude...
August 14, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Join us for 'What can Neuroscience teach us about the Mind?', a 1-day symposium exploring whether neural mechanisms can truly explain behaviour, and what this means for minds both biological and artificial.
Free and open to all:
www.sainsburywellcome.org/events/stude...
Free and open to all:
www.sainsburywellcome.org/events/stude...
Congratulations to the winners of the SWC Emerging Neuroscientists Seminar Series 2026/27! 🎉
• Lucas Tian, Rockefeller University
• @matteoguardamagna.bsky.social, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience
• @albarran.bsky.social, Columbia University
• Krithika Mohan, University of California
• Lucas Tian, Rockefeller University
• @matteoguardamagna.bsky.social, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience
• @albarran.bsky.social, Columbia University
• Krithika Mohan, University of California
Emerging Neuroscientists Seminar Series 2026/27 winners announced | Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre is delighted to announce the winners of our 2026/27 Emerging Neuroscientists Seminar Series (ENSS). The prestigious ENSS competition spotlights aspiring leaders who are a...
www.sainsburywellcome.org
August 13, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Congratulations to the winners of the SWC Emerging Neuroscientists Seminar Series 2026/27! 🎉
• Lucas Tian, Rockefeller University
• @matteoguardamagna.bsky.social, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience
• @albarran.bsky.social, Columbia University
• Krithika Mohan, University of California
• Lucas Tian, Rockefeller University
• @matteoguardamagna.bsky.social, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience
• @albarran.bsky.social, Columbia University
• Krithika Mohan, University of California
‘Why do people put their trust in science?’
Join us on 10 Sept at 4 pm for this year’s SWC Lecture, with Julia Gillard, Chair of @wellcometrust.bsky.social
Free and open to all. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
Join us on 10 Sept at 4 pm for this year’s SWC Lecture, with Julia Gillard, Chair of @wellcometrust.bsky.social
Free and open to all. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
The SWC Lecture: Julia Gillard
We are delighted to confirm that this year’s SWC Lecture will be delivered by Julia Gillard
www.eventbrite.co.uk
August 12, 2026 at 11:55 AM
‘Why do people put their trust in science?’
Join us on 10 Sept at 4 pm for this year’s SWC Lecture, with Julia Gillard, Chair of @wellcometrust.bsky.social
Free and open to all. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
Join us on 10 Sept at 4 pm for this year’s SWC Lecture, with Julia Gillard, Chair of @wellcometrust.bsky.social
Free and open to all. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
Reposted by Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
BrainGlobe Atlas API V3 is out!
After 6 years, this is the first major change in how BrainGlobe works. Each atlas component is fetched independently, meaning all BrainGlobe tools will work faster, and more reliably.
Read more at: brainglobe.info/blog/braingl...
After 6 years, this is the first major change in how BrainGlobe works. Each atlas component is fetched independently, meaning all BrainGlobe tools will work faster, and more reliably.
Read more at: brainglobe.info/blog/braingl...
August 11, 2026 at 2:34 PM
BrainGlobe Atlas API V3 is out!
After 6 years, this is the first major change in how BrainGlobe works. Each atlas component is fetched independently, meaning all BrainGlobe tools will work faster, and more reliably.
Read more at: brainglobe.info/blog/braingl...
After 6 years, this is the first major change in how BrainGlobe works. Each atlas component is fetched independently, meaning all BrainGlobe tools will work faster, and more reliably.
Read more at: brainglobe.info/blog/braingl...
Reposted by Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
Kevin Mitchell @wiringthebrain.bsky.social talks to Timothy Behrens @behrenstimb.bsky.social about which neural systems the field has genuinely cracked. #neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/computationa...
www.thetransmitter.org/computationa...
Success stories from computational neuroscience
Kevin Mitchell talks with Timothy Behrens about ring attractors, the role of innate structure, and an expanded view of cognitive maps.
www.thetransmitter.org
August 6, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Kevin Mitchell @wiringthebrain.bsky.social talks to Timothy Behrens @behrenstimb.bsky.social about which neural systems the field has genuinely cracked. #neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/computationa...
www.thetransmitter.org/computationa...
We are delighted to announce this year’s SWC Lecture: Julia Gillard, Chair of @wellcometrust.bsky.social, will ask "Why do people put their trust in science?"
Get your tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
Get your tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
The SWC Lecture: Julia Gillard
We are delighted to confirm that this year’s SWC Lecture will be delivered by Julia Gillard
www.eventbrite.co.uk
August 4, 2026 at 10:17 AM
We are delighted to announce this year’s SWC Lecture: Julia Gillard, Chair of @wellcometrust.bsky.social, will ask "Why do people put their trust in science?"
Get your tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
Get your tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-swc-le...
How does sleep consolidate muscle memories?
New research from @mstephensonjones.bsky.social lab & @gatsbyucl.bsky.social in @natneuro.nature.com reveals that motor-skill memories are replayed in the striatum during sleep, independently of the hippocampus.
www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/muscle-...
New research from @mstephensonjones.bsky.social lab & @gatsbyucl.bsky.social in @natneuro.nature.com reveals that motor-skill memories are replayed in the striatum during sleep, independently of the hippocampus.
www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/muscle-...
Muscle memories: how does sleep produce consolidation? | Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
Sleep not only makes us feel better, but it’s vital for helping us form memories and learn new skills. For many years, neuroscientists have studied how the brain consolidates episodic memories during ...
www.sainsburywellcome.org
July 24, 2026 at 1:25 PM
How does sleep consolidate muscle memories?
New research from @mstephensonjones.bsky.social lab & @gatsbyucl.bsky.social in @natneuro.nature.com reveals that motor-skill memories are replayed in the striatum during sleep, independently of the hippocampus.
www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/muscle-...
New research from @mstephensonjones.bsky.social lab & @gatsbyucl.bsky.social in @natneuro.nature.com reveals that motor-skill memories are replayed in the striatum during sleep, independently of the hippocampus.
www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/muscle-...
Reposted by Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
Nice Claude skill to create basic neuroanatomical visualisations with BrainGlobe & blender:
github.com/SamedVossber...
The single prompt "Use the allen mouse brain atlas to create an animation to show primary visual cortex and primary motor cortex" gives:
github.com/SamedVossber...
The single prompt "Use the allen mouse brain atlas to create an animation to show primary visual cortex and primary motor cortex" gives:
July 16, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Nice Claude skill to create basic neuroanatomical visualisations with BrainGlobe & blender:
github.com/SamedVossber...
The single prompt "Use the allen mouse brain atlas to create an animation to show primary visual cortex and primary motor cortex" gives:
github.com/SamedVossber...
The single prompt "Use the allen mouse brain atlas to create an animation to show primary visual cortex and primary motor cortex" gives:
How does the brain stay selective about threats, yet respond instantly when it matters?
New preprint from the Branco lab uncovers a fundamental cellular mechanism.
⤵️
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Blog: www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/primed-...
New preprint from the Branco lab uncovers a fundamental cellular mechanism.
⤵️
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Blog: www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/primed-...
A cellular midbrain mechanism for executing fast and reliable escape
Escape from threat is one of the most ancient and conserved sensorimotor transformations and must satisfy two competing demands. It must be fast and reliable, because failing to escape genuine threats...
www.biorxiv.org
July 7, 2026 at 9:49 AM
How does the brain stay selective about threats, yet respond instantly when it matters?
New preprint from the Branco lab uncovers a fundamental cellular mechanism.
⤵️
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Blog: www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/primed-...
New preprint from the Branco lab uncovers a fundamental cellular mechanism.
⤵️
Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Blog: www.sainsburywellcome.org/blog/primed-...
Just over a week left to apply to our new early career fellowship sponsorship scheme ⤵️
SWC & @gatsbyucl.bsky.social are looking to sponsor early career researchers in mechanistic theories of neural computation for external fellowships.
Join a collaborative, world-class community at the interface of theory and experiment.
Apply by 16 July
www.sainsburywellcome.org/content/fell...
Join a collaborative, world-class community at the interface of theory and experiment.
Apply by 16 July
www.sainsburywellcome.org/content/fell...
July 7, 2026 at 8:39 AM
Just over a week left to apply to our new early career fellowship sponsorship scheme ⤵️
Reposted by Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
The lab is at @fens.org, with 5 posters — spatial & auditory working memory, prefrontal decision-making, dopamine in statistical learning, and a 2-photon rat-brain atlas for BrainGlobe.
Unfortunately, I couldn't make it this year, but come find the rest of the lab on Tue, Thurs, & Fri!
#FENS2026
Unfortunately, I couldn't make it this year, but come find the rest of the lab on Tue, Thurs, & Fri!
#FENS2026
July 6, 2026 at 11:30 AM
Reposted by Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
Heading to #FENS2026 next week? Don’t miss the latest work from our researchers!
www.sainsburywellcome.org/content/swc-...
www.sainsburywellcome.org/content/swc-...
July 3, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Heading to #FENS2026 next week? Don’t miss the latest work from our researchers!
www.sainsburywellcome.org/content/swc-...
www.sainsburywellcome.org/content/swc-...
It was fantastic to be part of the recent @ucllifesciences.bsky.social Science Fair. We had a great time talking brains, neurons and neuroscience with visitors!
A big thank you to our PhD student volunteers @amir137.bsky.social, Barnopriyo Dutta and Tianyi Zeng 🙌
A big thank you to our PhD student volunteers @amir137.bsky.social, Barnopriyo Dutta and Tianyi Zeng 🙌
July 2, 2026 at 12:35 PM
It was fantastic to be part of the recent @ucllifesciences.bsky.social Science Fair. We had a great time talking brains, neurons and neuroscience with visitors!
A big thank you to our PhD student volunteers @amir137.bsky.social, Barnopriyo Dutta and Tianyi Zeng 🙌
A big thank you to our PhD student volunteers @amir137.bsky.social, Barnopriyo Dutta and Tianyi Zeng 🙌