Season's greetings from the UK DRI! ✨ We hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable festive season. We’re now closed until 5 January 2026, and won’t be monitoring our channels. 🔬 Image by Shekhar Kedia

💡We're hiring!💡 Opportunity for a Research Assistant to join @soyonhonglab.bsky.social (UK DRI at UCL). The Hong Lab investigates glia-immune mechanisms of synapse loss in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. 🗓️ Deadline: 7 Jan 2026 👉 lnkd.in/eQiEeipU

🎉 Don’t miss the second UK Glia meeting, 8–9 June 2026! Registration open now, abstracts close 16 Jan. 🔗 www.physoc.org/events/uk-gl... In this post, it is our pleasure to introduce our next speaker, David Attwell, professor at UCL @ucl.ac.uk and UKDRI @ukdri.ac.uk

Fully funded PhD at @ukdri.ac.uk UCL, London, studying astrocyte microglia crosstalk and synaptic loss in Alzheimer disease. www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/job/phd-astr...

Research Technician Vacancy, UCL @ukdri.ac.uk London. Supports Bourdenx Lab using spatial biology, single cell and imaging methods to study ageing and dementia mechanisms. Closing date: 6th January www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/job/research...

⭐️ Congratulations to all the winners of our annual Recognition Prizes, announced last week during our annual conference! ⭐️ The prizes are designed to highlight excellence across the institute in a range of categories. Find out more about the winners here 👉 tinyurl.com/4catt2xu

What a year it's been! 👏 In 2025, we have launched new centres, welcomed world-leading scientists, delivered clinical trial breakthroughs & developed new tools & technologies. Read our round-up to discover how we're driving progress for people affected by dementia⬇️ www.ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

New drugs could selectively target Huntington’s disease-causing forms of the huntingtin gene – potentially preventing the expansion of protein that is toxic to cells. We’re funding this drug development project led by Prof Sarah Tabrizi as part of the @ukdri.ac.uk Translation Awards.

We're pleased to share the latest Euan MacDonald Centre newsletter - a great snapshot of our last 6 months of MND research, collaboration & community. #ALS #SMA #MND #research #science @edinunineuro.bsky.social @ukdri.ac.uk View the newsletter here👇🏽 www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/about/news/w...

Congratulations @drmfarag.bsky.social from @ucl-hd.bsky.social! 👏 @ukdri.ac.uk @uclqsion.bsky.social @uclbrainscience.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk 🔗 www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-scienc...

🧠 UK DRI research is helping to shape global conversations on brain disease 🧠 Prof Sarah Tabrizi, UK DRI at UCL is featured in @nature.com 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025. Read more in here 👉 www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Is sleep key to slowing Alzheimer's progression? Prof Nir Grossman & Prof Derk-Jan Dijk hosted ITV's Martin Stew at the Sleep Research Centre, @uniofsurrey.bsky.social The team discussed their research exploring the link between sleep & brain activity in Alzheimer's⬇️ www.itv.com/news/2025-12...

Look out for Dr Nir Grossman (UK DRI at Imperial) & Prof Derk-Jan Dijk (UK DRI Care Research & Technology) on ITV News tonight at around 7pm! Discussing their research into how the brain falls asleep, and how it could be applied to develop innovative new therapies for dementia.

🚨 Don’t miss out! Registration is open for the UK Glia 2026 meeting, 8–9 June. Abstracts due 16 Jan. 🔗 www.physoc.org/events/uk-gl.... In this post, we would like to highlight our second keynote speaker, Baljit Khakh, from UCLA and DRI Cardiff @ukdri.ac.uk! baljitkhakhlab.healthsciences.ucla.edu

⭐️The winter edition of our biannual newsletter is out now!⭐️ Take a look 👉 edin.ac/48QllUW Subscribe on our website to receive the next newsletter directly by email: edin.ac/44K2zxB

@ukdri.ac.uk researchers are testing an RNA-editing technique that could help prevent the expansion of the most common genetic cause of ALS and FTD. This fascinating research is one of 5 projects we’re funding as part of the UK DRI Translation Awards.

Well done to @jenniferepalmer.bsky.social who's been awarded the @ukdri.ac.uk PhD prize, given to researchers whose work has significantly advanced the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases. 👏👏👏

That’s a wrap on Connectome 2025! 👏 Today has been another fantastic day, with special thanks to our keynote Prof Christian Haas, and Charles Sabine OBE who gave a powerful talk about his lived experience of Huntington's disease. Thank you to everyone who made it such a great event!

Very important conversations happening at the U.K. DRI conference today. @rorycj.bsky.social @ukdri.ac.uk

Great to hear from the Brilliant @rorycj.bsky.social on the fight against Parkinson's. Certainly Brilliant, not Bonkers @uclbrainscience.bsky.social @uclqsion.bsky.social @ukdri.ac.uk

Fantastic panal piscussion with @rorycj.bsky.social at @ukdri.ac.uk Connectome conference today! From #mitochondria to #Parkinson's to dust bins!

I am incredibly honoured to share that I have been awarded the @ukdri.ac.uk PhD Prize at #Connectome 2025! @ucl-hd.bsky.social @uclqsion.bsky.social @uclbrainscience.bsky.social

Our annual conference, Connectome, is in full swing today!  As well as excellent science talks, this morning we heard an insightful discussion between Prof Siddharthan Chandran, Prof Miratul Muqit, and journalist @rorycj.bsky.social, who generously shared his experience of living with Parkinson's.

Fantastic to welcome everybody to Manchester today for our annual conference, Connectome! Special thanks to today’s keynote speaker @maclomaclee.bsky.social, who gave a brilliant talk on research reproducibility & integrity. Looking forward to tonight's social & more exciting science tomorrow 🥳

Excited for our annual internal conference 'Connectome' in Manchester over the next few days! 🧠 Bringing together over 750 researchers, clinicians, students, techs, professional support staff for a fantastic programme of science - from discovery to delivery Safe travels to all attendees 🚗 🚂 ✈️

A super proud moment, Dr Kevin Ziegler, who defended his PhD. 🥂 🎓 🎉 Kevin used epigenomic approaches to understand genetic risk for neurodegenerative conditions. His work has now led the lab to explore small vessel disease and vascular cell types! @ukdri.ac.uk @imperialbrains.bsky.social

🚨 We have a new vacancy for a Senior Contracts Manager in our Research Operations team 🚨 🗓️ Deadline: 7 January 2026 We’re looking for a proactive and experienced Contract Management expert who is passionate about making a meaningful impact Find out more 👉 careers.ukdri.ac.uk/jobs/6878740...

⭐️ Congratulations to all the nominees and winners at this year’s Women in Neuroscience UK (WiN UK) awards ⭐️ Check out UK DRI postdoctoral researcher, Dr Soraya Meftah's, new blog on the evening event here 👉 tinyurl.com/3v26zn4u

🎉 Huge congratulations to the two winners of the MRC Max Perutz 2025 Prize for science communication - both UK DRI researchers! @jcytam.bsky.social & Vanessa Drevenakova won in the video and written categories respectively - check out their winning entries here ⬇️ observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

We're excited to welcome a new Group Leader to the UK DRI at Cambridge! 👏 Dr Emil Gustavsson joins the institute from UCL, to better understand how our genetics influence neurodegenerative conditions. Find out more 👉 buff.ly/h2n9jcw

🌟Job opportunity 🌟 Research in the Hall Lab aims to untangle if and how the balance between the brain’s energy supply and demand shapes its activity. 🗓️ Deadline: 4 January 2026 Find out more 👉 tinyurl.com/2d87md28

A new clinical trial, led by Prof David Hunt (UK DRI at Edinburgh), is set to test whether vaccination against a common virus found in almost all people with multiple sclerosis (MS) could help treat the condition. Read the full story👉 buff.ly/rxLlG8x

Very excited to share the news today that Professor Baljit Khakh will become the new Centre Director of the UK DRI at Cardiff University! Read our full announcement 👉 www.ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Scientists led by Dr Blanca Díaz Castro (UK DRI at Edinburgh) have explored how specialised cells within the blood-brain barrier interact and how this interaction alters during inflammation and disease. Read the full story 👉 buff.ly/XYSwoHx

Thrilled to see our recent preprint on tipping points in neurodegeneration highlighted on Alzforum! Read it here: www.alzforum.org/news/researc.... Many thanks to Jessica Shugart for the engaging coverage, and to everyone involved in this exciting project at the @ukdri.ac.uk and elsewhere!

Congratulations to Professor Sir John Hardy ( @uclqsion.bsky.social, @ukdri.ac.uk), who has been named on Esquire’s Better Men List 2025 for his groundbreaking research into Alzheimer’s disease! www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-scienc...

🌟Job opportunity 🌟 Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD studentship in the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL. The PhD project will aim to uncover astrocyte-microglia crosstalk in Alzheimer’s disease. 🗓️ Deadline: 5 January Find out more 👉 tinyurl.com/3796z55e

Huge congratulations to Prof Sarah Tabrizi, who has been awarded the @britishneuro.bsky.social Outstanding Contribution to Neuroscience Award for 2025! 🎉 👏 The award recognises Prof Tabrizi’s pioneering work translating genetic discoveries into potential therapies for Huntington’s👉 buff.ly/krZuy4x

Can we repair the ageing brain? 🧠 The UK DRI's Prof Bart De Strooper and Prof Julie Williams join Prof Sonia Gandhi, @rorycj.bsky.social and host Brian Cox to discuss dementia and the ageing brain on the latest episode of @crick.ac.uk's new podcast 'A Question of Science' 🎙️👉 buff.ly/WymdYJ6

🔬Research highlight 🔬 New work from Dr. Alexi Nott and the team at the UK DRI at Imperial reveals that different brain cell types contribute to dementia risk in unique ways. Learn more 👉 lnkd.in/eDABR375

We’re delighted to share this talk from our 2025 Symposium by Mina Ryten, Centre Director of the UK Dementia Research Institute 🧠 "Leveraging brain transcriptomics to understand and treat neurodegeneration" 🔗 https://ow.ly/NMxO50X9NYM #MilnerSymp25

🌟Job opportunity 🌟 We're seeking a Research Technician to join the Biomarker Factory team to ensure that samples for biomarker projects are handled correctly, measured in an accurate and timely manner, and their results reported Deadline: 26 November Find out more tinyurl.com/bdxz8ddj

A team led by Blanca Díaz Castro (UK DRI at Edinburgh) has uncovered how specialised cells in the blood-brain barrier communicate, and how that dialogue changes during inflammation & disease. The research could lead to new therapeutic targets👉 buff.ly/jXxViZO

📸 Welcome to our annual science image competition 📸 These amazing images have made it as the finalists for our image competition and we want your help to decide our winner. Take a look through the images in the LinkedIn post and comment there with your favourite number! tinyurl.com/4nwdaym2

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease? 🤔 Listen or watch the latest episode from 'Between the Signals' now 👉 www.ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Fantastic to attend the @womeninneurouk.bsky.social awards on Friday evening! 🥳 Congratulations to all the winners including Prof Valentina Escott-Price (UK DRI at Cardiff), & @drruthdobson.bsky.social who was awarded the UK DRI-sponsored 'Leading Researcher Award: Sex/Gender in Neuroscience' 👏 🎉

🎙️ New podcast! 🎙️ What's the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia? 🤔 In this episode, the team explore the meaning behind terms like neurodegeneration and dementia, and discuss similarities and differences between conditions. Listen / watch now 👉 www.ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Join us for our annual lecture! We have a fantastic line-up this year: a consultant neurosurgeon and two discovery scientists will discuss how they are redefining biomedical methods - using living human brain tissue - bringing us closer to curing major neurological diseases. Book: edin.ac/4oYHTtk

Best of luck to all the nominees at the @womeninneurouk.bsky.social Awards 2025 this evening!🥇 We're a proud sponsor of the Leading Researcher Award: Sex/Gender in Neuroscience 💫 Read more 👉 www.womeninneuroscienceuk.org/winuk-awards...

👏 A huge congratulations to Prof Veronique Miron who was recently awarded the Mid-Career Award in Fundamental Science from ISNI International Society of Neuroimmunology 👏 The award recognises scientific excellence, leadership, and mentorship shaping the future of the field of neuroimmunology.