25 years ago, we implicated rare variants of the FOXP2 gene in a severe speech disorder. I’ve spent much time stressing that FOXP2, while interesting, is not the mythical “gene for language”. Weirdly, on occasion I also need to explain why it’s not “proof of aliens”. Full disclosure in this 🧵. 1/n 🧪

In our latest scientific blog, @johnnyparr.bsky.social describes the high rates of falls in children and adults (mean age 44 yrs) with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). DCD adults were nine (!) times more likely than controls to fall at least once a month. ispgr.org/developmenta...

Do you want to discover a simpler and faster way to use linked data for research? Join us on 10 June and find out how UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration delivers its service. 👉 Register now: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b39902...

Looking for a postdoc to join my group at the NHM London & work on aDNA of dogs/wolves! jobs.nhm.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study now has reading and language phenotypes to use alongside its other rich data including omics: bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/2/... @genscot.bsky.social Our protocol paper led by @hayleymountford.bsky.social

This paper fills me with joy and hope. After a muted response to the ethical challenges facing the field (e.g., embryo selection), juniors are the ones stepping up. Thank you to the PhD candidates who wrote this commentary calling this out and offering solutions. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

BBSRC Early Independence Fellowships had an Outline stage this year to try help with amount of peer review. Turns out they received 586 applications, a 110% increase on 2025, and only typically fund 15 a year. They are cancelling this stage and going straight to full app with an institutional sift.

A #RomanGlass cup made with coloured glass rods known as ‘millefiori’ from #Pompeii. It was preserved in the AD 79 Vesuvius eruption material. Glass objects like this are luxurious things and would have been expensive. 📷 my own, Naples Archaeological Museum. #FindsFriday

we're having a book launch next week in Edinburgh, co-hosted by @salvesenresearch.bsky.social and the @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social Disabled Staff Network 6th May, 3-5pm, two books about neurodiversity with excerpts read by authors and Q&A sign up for free here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/salvesen-m...

If you have a passion for science, work hard at your research, & get some lucky breaks along the way, you too can achieve your dream of a life dedicated to management & administrative issues.

SLDN Co-Chair Prof Michelle Luciano will be speaking at the The Dyslexia Guild Online conference on 1 July:

Once upon a time I just admired nudis and sea slugs. But it was not enough. Now apparently I'm creating an R package to celebrate their colour palettes? 😅 First up, my Sydney fave, Hypselodoris bennetti. #rstats #nudibranch #dataviz 🦑🐙🧪 #marinelife #invertebrates

How do genetics, pretend tea parties, and early self-care all connect to language learning? In this #MindTheKids, @bstpourcain.bsky.social & @everhoef.bsky.social unpack a developmental cascade from movement to words with evidence from over 6,000 children in the ALSPAC cohort. https://bit.ly/3Oq7pdR

🧠 This absolutely feels like it needs to be a viral thread. I'll start: "I've been a neuroscientist for 20 years. I keep my brain strong and healthy by avoiding..." 1) Hallmark movies 2) Midwestern "salads" 3) A skin care routine 4) Fox news 5) Twitter/X 6) Self-help listicles

If you're looking to build or deepen your knowledge in statistical genetics, the ISG Workshop (June 1–11) covers the full range: biometrics, GWAS, polygenic scores, causal inference, and more. Open to all levels, virtual, and international: www.colorado.edu/ibg/workshop... Retweets appreciated 🙏

We are looking to recruit 2 postdocs in molecular epidemiology (3y and 4y posts) to work on a methylation/proteomic ageing project as part of a recent MRC grant award. @uoe-igc.bsky.social @genscot.bsky.social @edinunilbc.bsky.social elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Happy #Lawyercat Anniversary for all who celebrate! It's been four years since the kitten appeared in my Zoom courtroom, and I released the 48 second video that made the whole world laugh. Here is the full video showing the big reveal at the end (in two parts because Blue sky). Enjoy!

📝 The PsychGen Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health is hosting a two-day, in-person workshop for early-career researchers on family-based genomic analyses. The workshop takes place in Oslo, Norway, on 9-10 April 2026 and registration is now open: shorturl.at/etXCN

MRC instructs grant review boards to slash funding rates. Boards asked to recommend just three applications for funding, as BBSRC also suspends calls. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Useful thread - disheartening situation

It’s on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/clyde-...

Seemingly fake genetic study of left-handedness, first drawn to my attention by @ocklenburg.bsky.social , with laughable / frighteningly bad figures and false citations...!

Sir Paul Nurse is an impressive scientist but what the Royal Society needs is Dorothy Bishop to take the helm and clean the place out. Fellows who bring the Society into disrepute need tougher action than himpathy. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Wonderful news for the new year from @oxhealthbrc.bsky.social . This is the progress we can make when mental health research is properly invested in over the long term. oxfordhealthbrc.nihr.ac.uk/new-study-of...

Still looking for papers for the upcoming collection: Brain metabolomics in dementia and neurological disease. #CallForPapers @natureportfolio.nature.com

Only a few weeks left to apply for our 4-year PhD position, using human brain organoids & multi-omic methods to study genes implicated in speech disorders. Application deadline 5 Jan 2026. Fellowship is embedded in the International Max Planck Research School. More info: www.mpi.nl/imprs-phd-fe...

Most (72%) people with dyspraxia report high anxiety about falling – yet they’re not even mentioned in fall prevention guidelines.

Advances in genomics are giving exciting new perspectives on biology of speech, language & reading. My latest peer-reviewed paper is a tutorial, guiding readers from different backgrounds through the history of the field, current state-of-the-art, & where we’re heading. A taster in this thread.🧪 1/n

#PhD opportunity: Join us in St Andrews to study brain health and healthy aging with data driven approaches in collaboration with brainsciences.scot as part of the EASTBIO DTP www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

📣 Adults with #dyspraxia / developmental coordination disorder (DCD) 📣 Impact for DCD is running an international online survey exploring the experiences of adults with DCD/ dyspraxia. Who can participate? - Adults aged 18+ - Have, or likely have DCD/ Dyspraxia redcap.link/impactfordcd...

Anyone know anyone who'd be willing? Always good to have contacts for future requirements, too.

We have an exciting PhD position available in the Williams lab related to cerebral small vessel disease and funded through our Racing Against Dementia project - if you are interested then do apply here: regenerative-medicine.ed.ac.uk/postgraduate... www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

🧩Learning to talk & read isn’t just about effort or teaching—it’s shaped by biology, experience & context 🧠Our new review links genetics, neuroscience, psychology & education to show why some children find language or reading easier. 📖 doi.org/10.31234/osf... 🖼️genes→brain→cognition→behaviour 🧵👇

Twenty-four years ago today, our paper “A forkhead-domain gene is mutated in a severe speech and language disorder” was published: www.nature.com/articles/350.... A personal thread about the ups & downs of the journey we took to get to that point....1/n 🗣️🧬🧪

New paper alert! Systematic epidemiological analyses of up to 39,000 people illuminate biological/clinical links between impaired musical rhythm abilities & disorders affecting speech-language development. International collaboration led by @drsrishtin.bsky.social, out in @natcomms.nature.com. 👇🧪

Calling for your paper for the upcoming collection Brain metabolomics in dementia and neurological disease I’m honoured to be serving as the collection’s Guest Editor and eager to read your submission. #CallForPapers @natureportfolio.nature.com Learn more about the collection: go.nature.com/41S5bI3

📢 Job Alert: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Full details: edin.ac/3Ibm1uQ Deadline for applications: Friday 19 September 2025

Naming a child or pet? Uninspired by traditional names? Consider Aethelstan as an absolute Anglo-Saxon classic. Ruling England before it was cool.

Awareness of developmental coordination disorder/ #dyspraxia is still far too low. This article by Emily Meachon and Amy De Roubaix reviews past efforts to raise awareness and highlights strategies that might actually make a difference moving forward: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Delighted to see work led by Hayley Mountford @hayleymountford.bsky.social published today. rdcu.be/eA8G0 We used MTAG to increase gene discovery for dyslexia: 36 new regions; ~30 new genes from gene-based tests; several sig biological pathways @profsimonfisher.bsky.social @schoolofppls.bsky.social

I still get chills Meet Mike *30+ years severe depression *first hospitalized @ 13y *20 meds *3 rounds of ECT *2 near-fatal suicide attempts Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE see videos, read paper, follow thread doi.org/10.31234/osf...

Here's a snapshot of what SLDN/members have done and delivered since launch. Click for an overview of the events, papers, connections and contributions. We're also keen to hear how we could add value to the activities, projects or ideas of others in the coming year or so.

Here's what frailty looks like when we consider genetic relations at the symptom level. Some important insights from this new research for anyone interested in ageing!

New Publication: Epigenetic clocks and DNA methylation biomarkers of brain health and disease @uoe-igc.bsky.social @edinunilbc.bsky.social doi.org/10.1038/s415...

I am proud to have led and contributes to the experts in evidence advisory group- alot of hard work went into this www.england.nhs.uk/2025/06/nhs-...

As it’s 20 June, we might celebrate any number of marvellous events today. Firstly, there’s the 451st anniversary of the birth of Wilhelm Kettler, Duke of Courland and Semigallia, and owner and wearer of these still unsurpassed trousers

How does your socioeconomic background shape brain health in later life? A groundbreaking study led by @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social with links socioeconomic status to changes in brain white matter – a known risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline. Read more: edin.ac/3TkFV8C (1/3)

Researchers have found that differences in socioeconomic status are a likely causal risk factor in the accumulation of white matter hyperintensities, a condition which could affect thinking skills, dementia risk, and brain function in later life. Read the full paper: edin.ac/43UuLw6 👇 🧠🧠🧠

New paper out which captures the lived experience of Specific Learning Difficulties. UK focussed but likely to have commonalities across countries: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... #dyslexia #dyscalculia #dysgraphia @sldnetwork.bsky.social

📣Job klaxon📣 Fixed term lecturer (Grade 8) teaching focussed position in Psychology @schoolofppls.bsky.social It's a great place to work elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...