Issue No. 82 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 THE VOICE OF BRITISH TODAY

Daydream believer A glimpse into the wandering mind Stimulating learning A step towards stroke rehabilitation

PLUS: Enhanced colour vision Ageing in Aberdeen Sieratki Prize-winners Contents

BNA Bulletin Editor: Ian Jones, Jinja Publishing Ltd Design and production: News Research Tess Wood Advertising in the BNA Bulletin: Contact the BNA office (office@ bna.org.uk) for advertising rates 05 20 and submission criteria. Message from Charlotte Stagg: Copyright: © The British the President and Transcranial Neuroscience Association. Extracts may be reproduced only Chief Executive stimulation and with permission of the BNA. motor learning Cover: Daydreams by Thomas ISSN: 1475-8679 Couture (1815–1879). On page 22, 05–06 Jonathan Smallwood discusses BNA Office Neuroscience news the relationship between Anne Cooke 22 daydreaming and the default University of Bristol Jonathan mode network. Image courtesy Dorothy Hodgkin Building Smallwood: Walters Art Museum/Wikimedia Whitson Street Commons. Bristol BS1 3NY Mind-wandering and Web: www.bna.org.uk the default mode The British Neuroscience Analysis network Association is a registered charity (1103852) and a registered company (04307833) 07 24 limited by guarantee. BNA Christmas Rob Lucas: Symposium Melanopsin- containing cells and 08 visual perception BNA Council and National Committee BNA resources BNA COUNCIL for teachers 26 Stafford Lightman (Bristol): President Alison Murray: Annette Dolphin (UCL): President-Elect Aberdeen Birth John Aggleton (Cardiff): Immediate Past President 09 Cohorts and Emil Toescu (Birmingham): Secretary The history of the cognitive ageing Catherine Harmer (Oxford): Treasurer BNA (revisited) Anthony Isles (Cardiff): Communications Anne Lingford-Hughes (Imperial): Professional Liaison Hugh Piggins (Manchester): Meetings Secretary 10 Rosamund Langston (Dundee): Group Co-ordinator Increasing diversity Et cetera Narender Ramnani (Royal Holloway, University of London): and public Research Policy engagement in Elizabeth Coulthard: Neurology Advisor research 28-29 Alan M Palmer, Kevin Cox, Manfred Berners: BNA prize winners Independent Trustees A social science view 11 of neuroscience NATIONAL COMMITTEE Brain and John Jefferys (Oxford): Membership Secretary Neuroscience Natalie Doig (Oxford): Students and Early Careers Representative Advances Deborah Castle: Equal Opportunities and Diversity Representative Vacant: Corporate Representative 12–13 Mark Ungless (Imperial): Education and Engagement Secretary Sieratzki Prize- winners BNA EXECUTIVE Anne Cooke: Chief Executive Louise Tratt: Executive Officer 14–19 Alex Collcutt: Executive Officer Bright Brains Resha Pillai, Harry Potter: Placement students www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 03 News

Message from the President and Chief Executive Dear BNA Members Sometimes neuroscience hits the news for sad reasons. BNA President-Elect Annette Dolphin with (left) Michael Owen and (right) Dervila Glynn. Dame Tessa Jowell’s interview about her diagnosis of brain cancer (www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05vxc1l) BNA Prizes reminds us all that the brain is who we are, and what allows us to interact with the people around us – and Michael Owen (Cardiff) was awarded the 2017 Outstanding brain disease can snatch that all away. Pertinently, the Contribution to Neuroscience Prize. Owen has made BNA has been invited by the Medical Research Council to key contributions to genetic studies of a range of psychiatric and help organise a meeting on neuro-oncology later this year. neurodegenerative disorders, and received a knighthood in the By working together, researchers in fields of neuroscience 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his services to neuroscience and oncology can help to find ways of treating these and mental health. devastating conditions. The 2017 Public Engagement of Neuroscience Prize was At time of writing (January 2018), the BNA office’s awarded to Dervila Glynn, Neuroscience Coordinator at recently acquired wall planner is already filling up fast. Cambridge. As well as supporting the outreach of Cambridge Key among the dates covered in stickers and black pen neuroscientists, Dr Glynn also developed and organised the highly are those associated with planning the 2019 Festival successful BRAINfest event in Cambridge in 2017. of Neuroscience (14–17 April 2019). We’re excited to be collaborating with Neuroscience Ireland in taking the Festival to Dublin, and working with the British Society Research for Neuroendocrinology as Festival Partner. We’re also delighted to welcome Hugh Piggins (Manchester) as the Prizes BNA’s new Meeting Secretary and Chair of the BNA2019 Programme Organising Committee. Keep a close eye out Gido van de Ven (Oxford) for BNA2019-related announcements in coming months. received the BNA’s 2017 Another new member of the BNA team is Natalie Doig Postgraduate Award for his (Oxford) who was elected to the Committee as Student work on hippocampal cell Annette Dolphin with Irene Echeverria Altuna. and Early Career Representative. Career development and assemblies and memory (see support for those starting out in neuroscience is very page 28). The 2017 Undergraduate Award went to Irene Echeverria important for the BNA, and we look forward to working Altuna (UCL) for her undergraduate project on silencing of neurons with Natalie in these activities. in pain pathways (see page 28). By the time you are reading this, Brain Awareness Week (March 12-18) will have just finished. The BNA is participating in the Bristol Neuroscience Festival and New student rep we are looking forward to lots of hands-on brain-based activities. I hope many of you have had the opportunity Natalie Doig (Oxford) has been elected the BNA’s new Student and to take part as representatives of the BNA and enjoyed Early Career Representative. Dr Doig’s role will include representing sharing the excitement of neuroscience! students and early-career researchers on the BNA National Committee, advising BNA Trustees, and working with the Local Groups Coordinator to recruit and support Local Group Student Representatives. Magical intern Congratulations to BNA intern Harry Potter, who won first prize in the 2017 Biochemical Society Science Communication competition for his article ‘From Womb to Tomb: Stress Across a Lifetime’, which examined the role of stress in disease. When not interning, Stafford Lightman Anne Cooke Harry is a PhD student at the University of Manchester. President Chief Executive

04 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 05 News Analysis

enabling him to abseil down Manchester Sieratzki Prizes BNA Christmas Symposium 2017 Town Hall, skydive and take official photographs at the London 2012 Olympics. Four early-career neuroscientists have been Having navigated a metropolitan equivalent of the Morris water By contrast, Ulrike Schmidt (KCL) awarded the prestigious Sieratzki UK- maze to get to Canary Wharf, attendees of the 2017 BNA Christmas discussed an innovative trial of repetitive Israel Prize for Advances in Neuroscience, Symposium enjoyed another entertaining and thought-provoking transcranial magnetic stimulation following an initiative by the Sieratzki festive treat. (rTMS) for long-lasting anorexia nervosa, Robert Balazs, Steven Rose and John Lagnado, with family supported by the BNA and the Israel Annette Dolphin. targeting areas such as the prefrontal Society for Neuroscience (ISFN). cortex that have been implicated in the Festival news Linda Katona (Oxford) was awarded neuropsychological abnormalities seen in the 2017 UK Young Researcher’s Prize Founding the disorder. Following an encouraging pilot With BNA2019: Festival of Neuroscience for her work on GABAergic interneurons study, Professor Schmidt has just completed now just a year away, the scientific in the hippocampal CA1 region (see page fathers a larger randomised controlled trial (the programme is beginning to take shape. 13), while Ella Striem-Amit (Hebrew TIARA study), finding some evidence for The call for submissions for symposia University, Jerusalem) received the 2017 Three towering figures in the history of improvements in weight, mood and quality and workshops attracted a deluge of Israeli Young Researcher’s Prize for her British neuroscience have been awarded of life. imaginative and stimulating proposals, studies of neuroplasticity in patients with honorary BNA memberships. Steven Rose, Interactions between the brain and which the Programme Organising sensory deprivation (see page 13). Robert Balazs and John Lagnado were immune system were the theme of Committee will scrutinise carefully before Charlotte Stagg (Oxford) was awarded all members of the ‘Black Horse Group’ – Stafford Lightman welcomed a packed audience to the 2017 BNA Christmas Symposium. Su Metcalfe (Cambridge). Her work has making its final selection later in the year. the 2017 UK Early Career Researcher’s researchers with an interest in the brain focused on a mediator known as LIF, BNA2019: Festival of Neuroscience will Prize for her landmark studies on motor who met to discuss issues in the emerging The theme of this year’s symposium and reinforcement learning. The resulting which is a pivotal controller of the fate of take place in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, memory and rehabilitation after stroke field of neuroscience in the Black Horse pub was ‘brain technologies’ and, after a brief ‘deep reinforcement learning’ technology is a T cells. Delivering LIF through innovative on 14–17 April 2019, in partnership with (see page 12), and the 2017 Israeli Early in Rathbone Place, London, in 1965. This welcome from BNA President Stafford major leap forward, as algorithms effectively nanoparticles may be a way to tip the scales Neuroscience Ireland and with the British Career Researcher’s Prize went to Nitzan early, informal gathering of researchers set Lightman (wearing the now traditional BNA learn by themselves by maximising ‘rewards’ towards a state of immune tolerance, Society for Neuroendocrinology as a Censor in recognition of his work the stage for the formalisation, in 1968, of Christmas reindeer antlers), Dario Farina without the need for training. inhibiting the harmful self-directed immune Festival Partner. It will feature nine plenary on brain plasticity in learning and the Brain Research Association (BRA), the (Imperial) kicked off proceedings with a The impact of epilepsy was vividly responses that cause conditions such as lectures by internationally recognised memory processes (see page 12). forerunner of the BNA. In recognition of the fascinating insight into the latest progress in conveyed in videos shown by Yoko Nagai multiple sclerosis. speakers, more than 40 symposia, pivotal role that the Group played in creating bionic limbs. Awe-inspiring videos revealed (Sussex). Dr Nagai has developed an Completing the scientific presentations, workshops, discussion forums and special the BNA, we were delighted that all three how neural signals are being decoded and innovative autonomic biofeedback therapy, Lisa Wells (Imanova) described how PET events, as well as poster sessions and I’m a scientist were able to attend the BNA Christmas used to drive increasingly sophisticated limb in which patients learn to manipulate visual imaging can reduce the risk of failure in drug rapid-fire post talks. If that weren’t Symposium in person to receive their prosthetics. Some individuals who have representations of galvanic skin responses development. In particular, new tracers are enough reason to attend, there will also Neuroendocrinologist and BNA member honorary memberships. lost fine hand control due to nerve damage as a means of lowering electrical excitability enabling researchers to explore interactions be an opportunity to visit such attractions Georgina Hazell was the winner of the have even opted for limb amputation and in the brain. Trials have achieved promising with an increasing range of target pathways as the Guinness factory, Giant’s Causeway 2017 ‘I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here!” replacement with a prosthetic, achieving results in patients with drug-refractory in the CNS. and Game of Thrones filming locations. competition. The competition is an online impressive control of their new bionic arm epilepsy, and Dr Nagai has created a social The day was rounded off by a Registration will open later in the year. event where for two weeks school students (even being able to tie shoelaces). enterprise to enhance accessibility to fascinating discussion, chaired by interact with scientists and vote for Aurore Thibaut (Liege) next discussed an online version, Autonomic Cognitive Elaine Snell (International Neuroethics their favourite. minimally conscious states. Her group has Rehabituation Training. Society), on ethical issues thrown up by Facebook been exploring the potential of transcranial Kim Krogsgaard of the Lundbeck neurotechnologies. Stephen Rainey (Oxford) direct current stimulation targeting Foundation then said a few words about the made a plea for interdisciplinary research launch Larry areas implicated in conscious experience, Brain Prize, noting the great success of UK- at an early stage, arguing that groups particularly the frontoparietal network. based researchers, before introducing one such as philosophers and ethicists can The BNA has launched a dedicated Weiskrantz John Coote (1936–2017). Significant improvement was seen in some of the 2017 Brain Prize winners, Wolfram provide important insight into the ethical Facebook group for members to minimally conscious patients. Dr Thibaut is Schultz (Cambridge). Professor Schultz ramifications of new neurotechnologies. interact, share news and ideas, and form The BNA was sad to hear of the death John Coote also developing a version of the technology provided a festive-themed introduction He drew on his own experience on the collaborations. We will post updates on of one of the greats of experimental that could be used by those caring for to the neuronal mechanisms of reward, EU-funded BRAIN-COM project, which anything that we think our members will psychology, Larry Weiskrantz (1926–2018), The BNA was saddened to learn of the patients at home. including their relevance to economic theory, is developing neural interfaces to enable find interesting, including neuroscience generally credited with the discovery of death of John Coote on 27 November 2017. Matthew Botvinick (Google DeepMind and provided an answer to one of society’s incapacitated patients to communicate. events, jobs and funding opportunities. blindsight. Following a period of research Professor Coote had been a longstanding and UCL) urged the audience to consider grandest questions – why do hairdressers Praminda Caleb-Solly (West of England) We also encourage BNA members from at Cambridge, he led the Department of member and staunch supporter of the BNA how advances in artificial intelligence have the highest job satisfaction? described how social robots could enable all career stages and backgrounds to Experimental Psychology at Oxford from since its early days as the BRA. His research (AI) could influence neuroscience. He Tom Foltynie next discussed ways in older people to live independently, but would interact and share news with the group. 1967 until his retirement in 1993. Professor focused on the autonomic nervous system, suggested that the extraordinary recent which deep brain stimulation has benefited also capture much personal data. BNA members wishing to join the group Weiskrantz was a key figure in the career which he continued to study despite retiring achievements in AI – exemplified by Google patients with Parkinson’s disease and other The session prompted much discussion, can sign up at www.facebook.com/ of BNA Past-President John Aggleton, who as Head of the Department of DeepMind’s unbeatable Go-playing AI – was conditions such as dyskinesia. Someone who which continued in the lively post-meeting groups/1946549528896573/ provides an appreciation of his colleague, in Birmingham. Friends and colleagues based on the convergence of two fields of has benefited directly is Professor Foltynie’s reception, before attendees once again set friend and mentor at bit.ly/2ntoZhF have been sharing their memories at www. endeavour: deep learning, exploiting highly patient Matt Eagles, who described how the out to conquer the water maze and wend forevermissed.com/john-h-coote/#about interconnected artificial neural networks, technology has transformed his life, even their way home for Christmas.

06 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 07 News News

CNS2018 Leverhulme Prize Psychiatry award MQ EU grants

The 30th Cambridge Neuroscience Tom Baden (Sussex) has been awarded Oliver Howes (KCL and Imperial) was Mental health research charity MQ has Neuroscience has fared well in the Seminar, ‘Mental Plasticity & Development’, a £100,000 Philip Leverhulme Prize, named R N Jajoo Memorial Academic funded five new MQ Fellows. Fellows will ERC Consolidator Grants awarded in took place on 12 March 2018. Hosted which recognises the achievements of Researcher of the Year at the 2017 Royal receive £225,000 funding for their three- November 2017. The grants are awarded to by the Department of Psychology, the outstanding researchers whose work has College of Psychiatrists Awards. Professor year projects. outstanding researchers with at least seven meeting covered neural architectures already had significant international impact Howes was recognised for his outstanding and up to 12 years of experience after and plasticity mechanisms that facilitate and whose future career is exceptionally work on dopaminergic and glutamatergic • Clare Llewellyn (UCL): The impact of their PhD. the development of knowledge, memory promising. Dr Baden studies computational function in psychotic disorders. appetite and parental feeding practices in • Jennifer Bizley (UCL): How does the brain and skill acquisition. As well as speakers processing in the retina (see BNA Bulletin childhood on the development of eating organise sounds into auditory scenes? from across Cambridge, the seminar 81, Autumn 2017). disorders. • Kristian Franze (Cambridge): The included presentations from Sarah Lloyd New Year Honours • Petra Vértes (Cambridge): The biological integration of mechanical and chemical Nottingham poster prize winners with Lorraine Tyler. Fox (Birkbeck), Essi Viding (UCL), Paul processes of schizophrenia. signals in neuronal guidance. Ramchandani (Imperial), Jasper Poort Outreach awards Congratulations to the following individuals • Symon Kariuki (KEMRI- • Ragnhildur Karadottir (Cambridge): Neuroscience@ (UCL) and Matthew Botvinick (Google with interests in neuroscience and the Research Programme, Kenya) Genetic Neuronal regulation of CNS myelin DeepMind). Two Edinburgh-based researchers have brain who were recognised in the New Year risk factors in epilepsy and mental plasticity. Nottingham The meeting also hosted the been recognised for their work in public Honours list: illness (co-funded by the Stanley Center • Fernando Montealegre-Zapata (Lincoln): Cambridge Neuroscience Public Lecture, outreach. Sinéad Rhodes has been • Timothy Crow (Oxford): OBE for services for Psychiatric Research at the Broad The insect cochlea: a non-invasive path On 17 January 2018, Nottingham held in association with the Cambridge awarded the Royal Society of Edinburgh to schizophrenia research and treatments. Institute). towards enhanced sound detectors. neuroscientists gathered for the annual Science Festival. Paul Fletcher delivered (RSE) Innovator’s Public Engagement Prize • Ian Goodyer (Cambridge): OBE for services • Teresa Tavassoli (Reading): The impact • Karin Shmueli (UCL): Developing Neuroscience@Nottingham Research a talk entitled ‘I’m not mad: I only bend 2017, for her work with the RSE Young to psychiatry research. of sensory symptoms on anxiety levels integrated susceptibility and conductivity and Poster Day. The event kicked-off reality so that I can see around Academy of Scotland on the ‘Research • Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind): CBE in people with autism (co-funded by MRI for next generation structural and with a new ‘power pitch’ session, which the corners’. the Headlines’ project, which encourages for services to science and technology. Autistica). functional . gave presenters of pre-selected posters young people to critically assess news • Elizabeth Kuipers (KCL): OBE for services • Jessica Eccles (Brighton and Sussex 3-minute slots to highlight the content reporting. Stella Chan was awarded the to clinical research, treatment and Medical School): Treating anxiety in of their posters. This was followed by the British Psychological Society’s Public support to people with psychosis. people with hypermobility (co-funded BrainBox Conference poster session, where about 30 posters Engagement and Media Award for 2017. with Arthritis Research UK). were presented on research ranging from Dr Chan has been involved in many The 2018 BrainBox Initiative Conference molecular and cellular to cognitive and outreach projects, including Project Soothe, FENS award MQ has also provided £1.5m funding for will take place at Wellcome Collection clinical neuroscience. which invites members of the public to two projects tackling depression and suicide on 27–28 September 2018. The BrainBox The guest speaker Lorraine Tyler submit photographs that make them feel David Dupret (Oxford) has received the in young people: Initiative, developed by Rogue Resolutions, (Cambridge) gave a lecture entitled ‘How more content. Boehringer Ingelheim FENS Research Award • Valeria Mondelli (KCL): Identifying focuses on non-invasive, multimodal do we understand what we see?’, focusing 2018 for his research on the dynamics of Depression in Early Adolescence (IDEA) brain stimulation and brain imaging, and on the mechanisms within the ventral neuronal assemblies during memory processes. • Anne-Laura van Harmelen (Cambridge): has a particular interest in nurturing the visual stream of the human brain that add Waletzky award Dr Dupret combines in vivo multi-channel Help Overcome and Prevent the skills and development of early-career ‘meaning’ to visual percepts. Participants at the Wales Brain Bee. recordings with optogenetic techniques to Emergence of Suicide (HOPES) neuroscientists. It is run in collaboration The prize for the best power pitch was Karen Ersche (Cambridge) has been monitor and manipulate neuronal activity with practising neuroscientists including awarded to Stephen Woodhams (‘The Wales Brain Bee awarded the 2017 Jacob P Waletzky award, during memory-guided behaviour. The projects are part of MQ’s young John Rothwell, Sven Bestmann and impact of anxiety on osteoarthritis pain jointly with Garret Stuber (University of people’s research programme, Brighter Joe Devlin (UCL), Michael Banissy and the role of astroglyosis). The two Whitchurch High School took home the North Carolina at Chapel Hill). The $25,000 Futures (see BNA Bulletin 79, Spring 2017). (Goldsmiths), and Jacinta O’Shea and postgraduate poster prizes were awarded 2017 Wales Brain Bee shield, after the award is made to a mid-career scientist for Stroke award See bit.ly/2ntPdAE and bit.ly/2ntOUpu for Charlotte Stagg (Oxford). to Laura Rich (‘An improved method for school’s student Raihaan Biju claimed research on the drivers of drug addiction. details of the new projects. simultaneous recording of A and C fibre the first prize for scoring the highest out Joanna Wardlaw (Edinburgh) has been conduction in mouse sciatic nerve’) and of 57 entrants. The annual competition, awarded the 2018 William M Feinberg Award Training scheme to Michael Forrester (‘Structure–function organised by neuroscientists at Cardiff MS Prize for Excellence in Clinical Stroke Lecture Christmas lecture clustering in multiplex brain networks’). University, involves teams of up to 10 Award. The award recognises significant Gabriella Vigliocco (UCL) has received a £1m students per school competing in a series of Robin Franklin (Cambridge) has been contributions to the investigation and Peter Kind (Edinburgh) delivered the 12th Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships award to neuroscience-themed challenges, including awarded the 2017 Barancik Prize for management of clinical research in stroke. Edinburgh Neuroscience Public Christmas establish a Doctoral Training Programme on Cambridge Co-Director tasks based on practical laboratory work, Innovation in MS Research. Professor Lecture in December 2017. More than 200 the Ecological Study of the Brain The award video clips, written assessments and Franklin has carried out pioneering work people attended his talk on ‘Understanding will fund 15 doctoral scholarships over five Paul Fletcher has been appointed the team-based diagnosis of patients with on oligodendrocytes, the myelinating RI lectures Disorders of the Developing Brain in the years. The programme’s cross-disciplinary new Clinical Co-Director of Cambridge neurological symptoms. Some seven cells damaged in multiple sclerosis. The 21st Century’. approach will include input from researchers Neuroscience. Professor Fletcher, Bernard schools took part in the 2017 competition. international Barancik Prize is funded Sophie Scott (UCL) delivered the 2017 in the Social and Historical Sciences, Brain Wolfe Professor of Health Neuroscience, by the Charles and Margery Barancik Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. In Sciences, Bartlett School of Architecture, takes over from Ed Bullmore. Foundation and administered through the ‘The Language of Life’, Professor Scott Engineering and the Institute of Education. US National MS Society. focused on the subject of communication by humans and other animals.

037 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 038 Analysis Analysis

at its first Annual General Meeting on Teaching resources The history of the BNA 7 May 1971. The pivotal role of Richter and IBRO The BNA has partnered with the Society for Neuroscience to develop Newly discovered documents have shed fresh light on the origins of the has been made clear in documents a guide to neuroscience teaching resources. forerunner of the BNA. discovered by Edward Reynolds, who was affiliated to the MRC Neuropsychiatry Research Unit in the 1960s and knew highers/advanced highers), mapping This year marks the 50th anniversary of set about encouraging the formation of Derek Richter and John Cumings (although onto them the eight neuroscience core the formal founding of the forerunner additional national associations. With he was not involved in the establishment concepts, illustrating where neuroscience- organisation of the BNA, the Brain Central Council member Donald of the BRA). He later got to know the related content can be introduced. In Research Association (BRA), which MacKay (Keele), Richter wrote to 29 UK Richter family socially, and after the death addition, we have developed an extensive changed its name to the BNA in 1996. IBRO neuroscientists on 6 July 1967 about of Derek Richter’s widow in 2015 (Richter list of useful and free resources that The roots of the BRA, and hence of the the possibility of establishing a British himself died in 1995), he was asked to can be used to support teaching of BNA, lie in two complementary series of association. Of the 20 replies, 13 were examine the papers in Richter’s study. these concepts. activities. The first was the creation of in favour and five opposed. Richter and This revealed much material relevant to To help teachers, a new teaching the so-called Black Horse Group by four MacKay therefore proposed that a meeting the founding of the BRA, which has been resources section of the BNA website London-based researchers – Steven Rose, be held at the National Hospital in Queen deposited in the archives of the Wellcome includes a downloadable PDF of all the Robert Balazs, John Dobbing and John Square on 23 February 1968 to make the Library where it is freely available for more biology syllabuses in common use in Lagnado – which, beginning in 1965, held final decision. detailed study. schools. For each learning objective, the informal meetings at the Black Horse pub Richter also wrote to 190 British In 2015, the BNA commemorated PDF highlights which of the core concepts in Rathbone Place to discuss topical issues scientists conducting brain research. the 50th anniversary of the founding of are relevant. Teachers can then click on in the then fledgling field of neuroscience A large majority supported the founding the White Horse Group, without doubt a the learning objective and access the list (see BNA Bulletin Spring 2014, pp. 28–29). of the new organisation and 52 landmark event in the evolution of British Anne Cooke welcoming visitors to the BNA stand in Liverpool. of resources associated with the relevant The second strand reflected the desire expressed an interest in attending neuroscience. In 2018, it will be marking concepts. These include a wide range of of the International Brain Research the February meeting. the 50th anniversary of the formal Although neuroscience does not have a written resources, videos, animations and Organisation (IBRO) to establish national founding of the BRA, the organisation specific place in school curricula, there other tools to inform and inspire young research associations. Documents Beginnings from which today’s BNA arose. are a multitude of opportunities for people. A key resource is the SfN’s recently recently discovered by Edward Reynolds, At Richter’s request, John Cumings of the neuroscientific knowledge and concepts to redeveloped brainfacts.org website. a neurologist and former BNA member National Hospital chaired the meeting on 23 A more detailed account of the origins of the BRA/BNA be introduced into the teaching of GCSE The BNA website also includes a section with a long-standing interest in the history February 1968, at which it was unanimously can be found in: Reynolds EH. The origins of the British Neuroscience Association. Neuroscience. 2017; 367: 10–14. and A-level science. By teaming up with of materials on written resources and of neuroscience, provide new insight into agreed to establish the BRA. It was also the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in a online resources. these latter activities. agreed that a postal ballet would be used Wellcome-funded project, the BNA has The work has been led by a UK working IBRO was set up in 1961 with support to elect an Organising Committee of eight developed a suite of tools to make it easier group led by Narender Ramnani, ably from UNESCO. One of its founder members scientists representing the eight IBRO for teachers to introduce neuroscience into supported by Anne Cooke, Alex Collcutt, was Derek Richter, Director of the MRC neuroscientific disciplines. The Organising The BNA stand at the Association for Science the classroom and to provide guidance on Mark Ungless, Jane Haley, Richard Education conference. Neuropsychiatry Research Unit, who also Committee met for the first time on 9 making sense of the daunting complexity Wingate, Mark Souter and Megumi Sano. served on its Central Council. In 1967, IBRO May 1968. Commensurate with its central of the brain and nervous system. Being able to draw upon the expertise and a particular focus on inspiring primary- importance to the development of British The latest work has drawn on an enthusiasm of practising neuroscientists age children, and on encouraging young neuroscience, the Black Horse Group initiative run a decade ago by the puts the BNA in an unrivalled position to people to continue with science subjects provided four members, including Chairman SfN, which developed a set of eight develop and disseminate high-quality and when they progress to key stages 4 and Pat Wall and Treasurer John Dobbing; ‘neuroscience core concepts’: up-to-date materials. 5. We also plan to map out resources for during the year, E G Gray resigned from the • Your complex brain In January 2018, BNA Chief Executive teaching of the psychology curriculum at Committee and Steven Rose was co-opted • Now neurons communicate Anne Cooke attended the annual key stages 4 and 5. onto it. At the Committee’s request, Derek • Reasoning, planning and solving Association of Science Education The resources provide a great Richter also attended the first meeting. problems conference in Liverpool to raise awareness opportunity to introduce neuroscience- The priorities of the Organising • The power of language of the new resources among science related content into schools teaching. Festing/WikimediaSally Commons Committee were to raise awareness of • How your brain processes information educators from around the UK. Anne also We strongly urge any members involved the BRA and to promote the formation • How experience shapes your brain narrates a webinar recording describing in local schools to encourage teachers of local discussion groups. Within a year, • The source of curiosity the new resources which is available on to take advantage of these new resources membership exceeded 500 and multiple • How research benefits human health the BNA website. so students gain access to up-to-the date discussion groups had been established, Furthermore, thanks to the financial information about the brain and leading the Committee to conclude in These eight core concepts provide a support of Roche, we will be able to nervous system. April 1969 that it had fulfilled its duties. framework for organising knowledge extend the project, by developing curated For further information on the core A new election process was launched about the brain and nervous system. resources to support the teaching of concepts, how to use the syllabus tables to establish an Executive Committee Derek Richter, who played a pivotal role in the creation of The new project has analysed biology neuroscience at key stages 1–3 (ages 5–14) and the online resources themselves, the BRA. of six members by 1 July 1969. The UK curricula (GCSE, A-level and Scottish as well as 4 and 5. This new work will have go to www.bna.org.uk/schools constitution of the BRA was approved

08 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 09 Analysis Analysis

Mobility Commission, areas closest to collection on the prefrontal cortex, which Increasing diversity and public London outperform on social mobility Tweeting trends and the history will include contributions from many of indicators, while isolated areas struggle, as the leading figures in the field. A second engagement in research do west Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Oxford of British neuroscience special collection is being developed, on sits in the South-East, which is within the emerging experimental methodologies How can you engage young people and families, particularly from low- worst 20–30% of local authorities nationally Trends in functional brain imaging techniques and what tweets can tell in translational neuroscience. This special income and under-represented backgrounds, in research? You leverage for social mobility. The proximity of the us about daily fluctuations in mood are among the topics of recent collection, bringing together experts the passion and expertise of researchers to give exciting insights into amazing researchers and facilities in Oxford Brain and Neuroscience Advances publications, and spring 2018 will in academia and industry to discuss the world of labs and the people who work in them, says Joy Aston of to school students who could benefit the see a treasure trove of papers appearing on progress in neuroscience contemporary experimental approaches to the award-winning charity In2scienceUK. most from the experience made Oxford an over the past 50 years. CNS disease research, with an emphasis obvious choice for the programme’s first on translation from preclinical to clinical foray outside of London. settings, is being coordinated by Brain and To establish the programme in With Brain and Neuroscience Advances some notable differences. Positive mood Neuroscience Advances Editor-in-Chief Jeff Oxfordshire, the Oxford Neuroscience recently celebrating its first birthday, is typically higher in the morning before Dalley (Cambridge) and Janet Nicholson, Committee, along with centres including its stock of published articles continues declining, with negative mood showing Director CNS Diseases Research at the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit to grow. Notable additions include the inverse pattern. Anger and fatigue Boehringer Ingelheim. and the Wellcome Centre for Integrative a mini-review by Nitin Williams and are surprisingly stable across seasons and The breadth of material published to Neuroimaging, have been partnering with Richard Henson summarising recent weekends, which have a greater impact date reflects the journal’s goal of covering in2scienceUK over the last few years. advances in fMRI and electro-/ on fluctuations in positive emotions. the multidisciplinary field of neuroscience Together they have developed a unique magnetoencephalography technologies The results illustrate how analyses of in its entirety. Brain and Neuroscience programme for disadvantaged local school and data analysis, as well as a thought- social media data can provide insight into Advances publishes original research papers pupils in Oxfordshire. provoking analysis of Twitter data from mental health issues, which are known to and reviews from all fields and disciplines The project was championed by Peter Stafford Lightman and colleagues from the be influenced by circadian rhythms. The of neuroscience, including molecular, Magill, who ran an initial pilot project at Intelligent Systems Laboratory in Bristol. paper has garnered considerable interest, cellular, systems, behavioural and cognitive the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit. The latter work looked at four years of achieving more than 2800 downloads by investigations, spanning basic, translational As a result of this success, the Oxford Twitter messages – 800 million tweets in the end of January 2018 and an Altmetric and/or clinical neuroscience. Rachel Tanner with Yashica and Mercy at Oxford’s Jenner Institute. Neuroscience Committee along with total – to explore patterns in the expression score of 105, reflecting its popularity on The encouraging flow of papers, from the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit of positive and negative emotions. The social media. all over the world, should ensure that in2scienceUK was set up by Rebecca in2scienceUK helps young people from and the Wellcome Centre for Integrative analysis revealed strong circadian patterns Alongside these articles, the first an application to the National Library McKelvey who, after completing a PhD in low-income backgrounds gain access to Neuroimaging funded additional for both positive and negative moods, with papers are being published in a special of Medicine for MEDLINE indexing can neuroscience at UCL under Maria Fitzgerald, leading researchers working on cutting- placements in 2017. This provided leverage be made in the spring of 2018. This is a wanted to improve diversity and increase edge projects as well as high-quality skills to secure a total of 30 places spanning multistage process, but we anticipate the engagement of people from under- days, workshops and guidance aimed to nine university departments and two receiving approval for MEDLINE indexing represented backgrounds in research. give them better information on the variety divisions across Oxford. The programme by the end of the year. In the meantime, Although 45% of the UK population are from of STEM careers available to them. It also was a great success, with young people authors can manually upload papers by a working class background, they are the helps them to access university education. from disadvantaged backgrounds gaining following the steps described on the most under-represented in STEM (science, At a time when teachers face multiple insights into cutting-edge research, BNA website (see www.bna.org.uk/ technology, engineering and mathematics) financial and other challenges, cost- developing key technical as well as publications/bna-journal/#how-to-post- subjects, with just 6% of medics, 10% of life efficient and effective grassroots solutions written and verbal communication skills. your-article-on-pubmed). science professionals and 15% of academics are key. The in2scienceUK programme has Importantly, students could now see Brain and Neuroscience Advances is coming from a working class background. proven impact – an independent analysis themselves as scientists and engineers, and also enabling us to make available other One of the biggest barriers to these carried out by UCAS showed that 83% had a better understanding of both career outputs of interest and value to the professions is the requirement for university of our students progress to university, routes and the nature of research, which British neuroscience community, such as education, which for many is difficult to with 58% attending a top university. is difficult to replicate in the classroom. the BNA2017 Festival of Neuroscience access: 65% of A-level students from These students are not lacking in ability – Follow-up evaluation will reveal how many Abstract Book. An exciting addition to this private schools progress to a top university what they lack are the opportunities and of them achieved university places in STEM repository will be a collection of 50 articles compared to just 5% of those on free school networks that their wealthier peers enjoy. subjects. Our aim now is to expand the from leading figures in British neuroscience, meals (a measure of social disadvantage). The work placements, workshops and programme further in Oxford and across describing the developments in their field support our programme offers are exactly the UK. over the past 50 years. The contributions what they need to progress to university, If you have any questions or would like were commissioned to commemorate the “I CANNOT SPEAK HIGHLY STEM careers and economic stability. to find out more email in2scienceUK’s 50th anniversary of the first meeting of ENOUGH OF THE PLACEMENT The divides between London and the Co-director Danielle at Danielle@ the British Research Association (BRA), SCHEME AND THE rest of the country dwarf those observed in2scienceuk.org the forerunner of the BNA, in February IN2SCIENCEUK TEAM.” within the capital itself, and so in2scienceUK 1968 (see page 9), and provide fascinating Peter Magill, MRC Brain Network has ambitious expansion plans in order Joy Aston is Communication Co-ordinator at in2scienceUK. insights into the emergence and evolution Dynamics Unit to reach the students that need the of the field. programme most. According to the Social Variation in emotional word use in tweets. From Dzogang F, Lightman S, Cristianini N. Brain Neurosci Adv. 2017;1:2398212817744501.

10 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 11 Analysis Analysis

Nitzan Censor Charlotte Stagg Ella Striem-Amit Q: What activities associated with new sensory information and during Q&A with the Prize are you undertaking? retrieval of stored associations. In the Q: What were the key findings Q: What were the key findings Q: What were the key findings The Sieratzki family generosity enabled hippocampus, theta oscillations are the Sieratzki that underpinned your that underpinned your that underpinned your me to travel to the Israeli Society for controlled by a subcortical network application? application? application? Neuroscience meeting, which was a involving the medial septum. However, Prize winners Our studies identified a new rapid My group studies the neurophysiological My research uses human models of sensory wonderful opportunity to present my the contribution of subcortical neuronal learning mechanism triggered by brief changes underpinning the learning of and motor deprivation to study the role work and get back in touch with the Israeli circuits to coordinating rhythmic memory reactivations. Findings from our human motor skills, both in healthy of experience in brain development and neuroscience community and leadership, hippocampal activity is poorly understood. Nitzan Censor won the 2017 Israeli Early lab challenge the fundamental ‘practice motor learning and in the recovery of organisation. During my PhD, I worked with as well as to meet the British award I am performing investigations focusing Career Researcher’s Prize. Following a PhD makes perfect’ basis of procedural function after stroke. In a series of Amir Amedi to test the organisation of winners. Additionally, we were hosted for on medial septal GABAergic neurons at the Weizmann Institute of Science in learning, showing that brief reactivations studies using a range of neuroimaging the visual cortex in people born blind. We a formal breakfast at the HM Ambassador to establish the causal role of septal Rehovot, and a postdoctoral fellowship at of encoded human visual and motor and non-invasive brain stimulation developed a training method for teaching residence in Tel Aviv, for fascinating GABAergic pathways in modulating NIH, Dr Censor is currently a senior lecturer memories induce efficient long-term approaches, we have explored the role of blind people how to perceive complex visual conversations on science and policy, and hippocampal theta oscillations and in the School of Psychological Sciences and learning and prevention of interference. local inhibition in plasticity, demonstrating information using a non-invasive sensory of course, great tea. I look forward to an memory-guided behaviour. the Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv These experiments reshuffle existing most importantly that decreases in substitution device, which translates opportunity to visit the BNA meeting, Q: What activities associated with University. notions regarding perceptual learning local GABAergic signalling underpin images to sounds (the vOICe; by Peter meet the British neuroscience community, the Prize are you undertaking? dynamics, and have wide-range practical cortical representations in humans, are Meijer). Using neuroimaging, we showed and hopefully spark up collaborations. I was invited to the 2017 Meeting of the Charlotte Stagg won the 2017 UK Early daily-life implications. In turn, this important in motor learning, and, further, that the two streams’ organisation, as well Q: What advice would you give to a Israeli Society for Neuroscience (ISfN) Career Researcher’s Prize. Following a new account of learning dynamics may that interventions that decrease local as the category selectivity organisation new neuroscience student? in Eilat this past December. After a very PhD at Oxford, Dr Stagg was a GSK Junior influence strategies optimising normal GABAergic tone may lead to long-term within the ventral stream, were retained Don’t take current knowledge as ground memorable award ceremony, there was in Biomedical Imaging at human learning, as well as recovery functional improvements post-stroke. in the absence of visual experience. They truth. The canonical questions and also a special symposium organised St Edmund Hall, and is currently a Royal following neurological diseases or brain Q: What are you working on now? could perform the same computations findings should be revisited with new for us where both Charlotte Stagg and Society Sir Henry Dale Fellow and Associate injuries. As a group, we are interested in various regardless of the sensory modality of the theoretical perspectives and tools. But I gave a 30 min talk presenting our Professor at the Wellcome Centre for Q: What are you working on now? methods by which we might aid recovery input, touch or sounds. apply the same critical thinking to your work. Furthermore, I have also had Integrative Neuroimaging in Oxford. Our studies are now geared to reveal the after stroke, from non-invasive brain Since it appears this organisation was own pet theories: enjoy being surprised by the great honour to participate at a neural mechanisms underlying learning stimulation, to the role of feedback, independent of inputs, I tested whether it your findings. celebratory breakfast event at the British Ella Striem-Amit won the 2017 Israeli modulation in health and disease, gaining to pharmacological interventions. was then dependent on the specifics of the And also, regarding a work–life Ambassador’s Residence in Tel Aviv Young Researcher’s Prize for research a better understanding of reactivation- However, before we can develop optimal output of these regions, specifically with balance: have one. The academic track is together with the other prizewinners, carried out at the Hebrew University, induced learning. To understand the interventions we need to understand more relation to motor performance. To test the too long to postpone having fun until later. representatives of the ISfN and of the Jerusalem. She is now undertaking brain mechanisms by which learning and about the physiological underpinnings role of motor experience in action and object British Council and the Science and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard memory are modulated over time, we of motor plasticity. I am currently very percepts, I studied whether the relevant Linda Katona Innovation Network in Israel, where we University, USA. use a multimodal approach combining interested in how network connectivity brain regions would develop properly in discussed neuroscience and innovation. behavioural psychophysics, non-invasive changes over time as we learn a task, and people born without hands, in collaboration Q: What were the key findings Q: What advice would you give to a Linda Katona won the 2017 UK brain stimulation and neuroimaging. we are exploring this question using MRI with Alfonso Caramazza from Harvard that underpinned your new neuroscience student? Young Researcher’s Prize for research Accordingly, our research overcomes and MEG approaches, in combination with University. We showed that organisation application? Be confident about asking questions carried out at the MRC Anatomical the current limitations that have been non-invasive brain stimulation. of the association visual cortex is not I dissected the contribution of different and always keep an open mind while Neuropharmacology Unit in Oxford. She is associated with invasive approaches not Q: What activities associated with based on sensory-motor experience either. types of hippocampal GABAergic seeking for the answers. Neuroscience is now a Nicholas Kurti Junior Research Fellow feasible in humans. the Prize are you undertaking? Together, these findings suggest that it interneuron to regulating pyramidal cell a fascinating field of research; its beauty at Brasenose College and a postdoctoral Q: What activities associated with I was delighted to be able to visit Israel develops without reliance on any single activity during exploration and sleep in is in its multidisciplinary nature, bringing neuroscientist in the Department of the Prize are you undertaking? for the Israeli Neuroscience Meeting in sensory modality. freely moving rats using extracellular single- together many differently thinking minds in Oxford. The Sieratzki Prize has opened up December 2017. This has led to invitations Q: What are you working on now? cell recording and juxtacellular labelling for to solve the same problems. How does the multiple opportunities for international from the UK government to become I am currently extending this research cell type identification. The observed high brain work? What goes wrong in different collaborations, with a unique potential to involved in activities strengthening links to a thorough inspection of the nature specificity in spike timing paralleled by the disorders? Research involves a lot of hard improve our understanding of learning and between the two countries. of representation in the sensorimotor synaptic target selectivity of GABAergic work and one will need to be ambitious to memory mechanisms across additional Q: To what do you attribute networks of people born without hands. interneurons suggest that distinct cell keep going sometimes but the efforts will research domains. your success? I plan to explore frontal and parietal types evolved to support a rhythmic and result in original observations which bring Q: To what do you attribute your I am fantastically lucky to work in a very association motor network components in sequential temporal redistribution of great fulfilment. success? supportive and encouraging environment. action comprehension and execution, to test inhibition over the different pyramidal One of the important things in scientific Having colleagues who are keen to engage the role of the specific motor pattern. These cell compartments underlying different research is not to be afraid of asking big in debate about the work and offer studies will extend the model of sensory- frequency network oscillations (e.g. theta questions, even when it involves complex constructive criticism is key. I am also independent organisation to the motor and sharp wave ripple oscillations). research projects. In that sense, working hugely indebted to my group who work domain, leading to better understanding Q: What are you working on now? as a team is a crucial, and I attribute my very hard on some really tricky projects. of the principles guiding brain organisation. Orchestrated by theta frequency recent success to my wonderful students Insight into decoding of action types and oscillations, this compartmentalised and lab members. In addition, I am most • See also page 20. plasticity may have implications for motor redistribution of inhibition may Clockwise from top left: Nitzan Censor, Charlotte Stagg, Ella Striem-Amit and Linda Katona. thankful to my PhD (Dov Sagi) and post- rehabilitation and the advancement of achieve the proposed pyramidal cell doc (Leo Cohen) mentors. brain–machine interfaces. synchronisation during encoding of

12 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 13 Issue No. 8 Spring 2018 NUNTIA

to include a range of neuroscience topics. first-line treatment in most of the world. Growing on this strength of interdisciplinary Lastly, Andrew Schwartz (Pittsburgh, communication, the society hopes to USA) gave an overview of 30 years of working reach an even broader audience in 2018. on high-performance neural prosthetics, Watch out engineering and computer sharing some videos of paralysed patients Welcome to the spring edition of our ‘Bright you understand your conscious journey science students! controlling robotic arms via electrodes Brains’ Newsletter! We are pleased to present called life from a scientific, philosophical and Adela Beloucif Five guest speakers shared their implanted in their motor cortex. you with an impressive variety of thought- creative perspective. Undergraduate student in insights on a wide range of topics. Foo Liew The conference closed with a panel provoking articles that have been composed Also, ‘Bright Brains’ has many more exciting Neuroscience, University of Glasgow (Glasgow) presented his research on the role discussion, gravitating around the and edited by BNA students, postdocs and features in store for you in this edition. Our of interleukin-33 in Alzheimer’s disease, challenges of combining clinical and early-career researchers from a diverse array ‘Nuntia’ section reviews the inspiring annual and how after promising results in several research skills, cultural differences of neuroscientific disciplines throughout the UK. NeuroConference held by the University of University of Glasgow animal studies, it is now entering a phase I between scientists and engineers, and During the course of your life you have Glasgow, and provides an insightful student NeuroSociety Conference clinical trial as an Alzheimer’s treatment. shifting priorities in funding bodies. probably wondered and asked yourself: ‘Why report on the 2017 Brain Prize Lectures. Our 2017 Next to speak was Rudolf Fahlbusch In addition, the panel members answered am I here?’, ‘What am I doing here?’, ‘What is ‘Socialia’ section offers you a brilliant student (Hannover, Germany) who shared progress questions from the audience and offered Editor-In-Chief the purpose of my life?’ We often rely on the perspective on what it means to do research On Saturday 11 November 2017, the made in computer-assisted surgery, their parting wisdom to students. Jayanthiny Kangatharan, PhD people around us to make life meaningful. We overseas, and delivers an excellent evaluation University of Glasgow NeuroSociety hosted thanks to a variety of novel imaging Professor Liew said: “Be bright, driven learn from others how to emotionally connect of the 2017 Cajal Summer School. ‘Varietas’ its sixth annual NeuroConference. The techniques. Tipu Aziz (Oxford) presented and organised”; Professor Schwartz Section Editors to others, how to see the bigger picture, how shines light on a recently identified form of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons his work on how surgical stimulation of warned that “There will be ups and downs; Molly Campbell, Hayley Earle, to grow and become better people each and cell death called ferroptosis in Parkinson’s of Glasgow welcomed 108 delegates, the pedunculopontine nucleus can reduce when you’re down, have the confidence to Oriol Pavón Arocas every day. Yet we simply know that there must patients, and presents to you a unique including junior doctors, students and the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. keep going”; and consultant neurosurgeon Editors be more to life than what life just throws at understanding of the functional architecture future scientists. The conference’s Alastair Compston (Cambridge) spoke Jennifer Brown advised: “Do what you Khatsha Ali, Joshua Au-Yeung, MBBS, us, or what is simply visible to us. of the auditory cortex. ‘Numquid sciebat...?’ main goal is to showcase the various on the history of multiple sclerosis and love and do it well”. I left the conference Inês Barreiros, Rachel Coneys, The French poet Remy de Gourmont once highlights the urgent need for invigorating ways CNS disorders can be treated and the mechanisms underlying various drug excited and inspired, and with the Jessica Chadwick, Jack Cooper, Anna Cranston, Harsha Gurnani, Marta said, life is a series of sensations connected the dialogue between the arts and sciences researched, and for the first time, the treatments, including alemtuzumab, a impression that most delegates felt Huelin, Aisha Islam, Jayanthiny to different states of consciousness. As to foster multidisciplinary thinking, while theme expanded beyond neurosurgery drug he helped to develop and is now the the same. Kangatharan, PhD, Rohan Krajeski, scientists we study the brain and the mind, ‘Quid novi?’ invites you to take a closer look PhD, Melissa Large, Fran van Heusden, Shevonne Whitely, trying to answer questions such as how into research that reveals which neurons Tiffany Quinn, Stephanie Rothe the brain produces conscious thought or are involved in helping us face an originally Lectures at the Royal Society in London. difficult problems, from the constraint of what connects our conscious experience of fearsome experience once more without Somewhat inevitably, Brexit hung heavily financial industries, to the treatment of drug Design & Production different emotions to our brain activity. Thus, trauma. Last but not least, we are challenging over the proceedings, with all speakers addiction and the real-world implications of Joshua Au-Yeung, MBBS, Inês as scientists we can feel highly privileged you to the first BNA ‘Bright Brains’ puzzle! citing it as a significant challenge for new technological insights, such as Google Barreiros , Rhea Basista, Molly to have turned our philosophical musings Finally, we sincerely hope that you will science over the coming years. DeepMind’s AlphaGo (2). Campbell, Ash Chetri, Bernardo Dias Hayley Earle, Jayanthiny into a profession in which we have the have as much joy in reading our eighth ‘Bright The first speaker, Professor Schultz, The closing remarks on behalf of the Kangatharan, PhD, Jigfun Team, luxury to scientifically pursue questions Brains’ newsletter as we had in producing it. Matthew Buchan talked us through the elegance by which Lundbeck Foundation were provided by Me.me, Tamsin Nicholson, Oriol that tap into the connection between On that note, we would like to encourage you PhD student in Neuroscience, economic theories of utility can predict choice Kim Krogsgaard, Managing Director of the Pavón Arocas, Chih-Chien Tsai, Stefano Vrizzi consciousness and neuroscience, exploring to get involved in science communication by behaviours. Stressing that the theories he Brain Prize. Stressing the importance of questions such as what happens if our usual joining our newsletter team. Please direct mentioned can be found in any economics international collaboration, he announced conscious experience is deposed, defaced enquiries to [email protected] textbook, one cannot help but wonder how increased funding for brain research from or discontinued. To help you expand your The 2017 Brain Prize much there is yet to be ‘married up’ between the Lundbeck Foundation, and reaffirmed consciousness, and expose you to different Jayanthiny Kangatharan, ‘Bright Brains’ Lectures behavioural neuroscience and classical the agenda of the Brain Prize as being ideas around the nature of consciousness, newsletter coordinator economics. Secondly, Professor Dayan ‘completely international’. Opportunities ‘Bright Brains’ has provided you with a list The Brain Prize is awarded annually by the described how computational approaches afforded by increasing convergence across of the latest and classic books that will help Lundbeck Foundation (1) to scientists who can aid our understanding of the role of a number of fields, including neuroscience have made an outstanding contribution dopamine in reward prediction error, allowing and economics, together with the creative to neuroscience research. The 2017 Brain insight into the optimisation of decision- potential of collaborative, interdisciplinary Books on consciousness Prize was awarded to three UK-based making behaviour. research, will have important implications Into the Grey Zone: A Neuroscientist explores the border between life and death by Adrian Owen (2017) researchers, Peter Dayan, Ray Dolan and Lastly, Professor Dolan outlined for understanding human decision-making From Bacteria to Bach and Back by Daniel Dennett (2017) Wolfram Schultz, for their investigations of the origins of his research career, from behaviour and its malfunctions. I hope that Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith (2016) the dopaminergic system in reward-based medical training in Ireland, to how his early the Brain Prize will continue over the coming Tense bees and Shell-Shocked Crabs by Michael Tye (2016) Consciousness and the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene (2014) learning. Their work has implications not experiences working within the psychiatric years as a tool by which such a collaborative Making up the Mind: How the Brain creates our Mental World by Chris Frith (2007) only for the understanding of psychiatric care system in London led him to become atmosphere is encouraged. Conversations on Consciousness by Susan Blackmore (2005) disorders, such as addictive behaviour, interested in the relationship between Phantoms in the Brain by Vilayanur S Ramachandran (1998) whereby this system is hijacked, but also self-image and cognition. It was refreshing 1. The Brain Prize Lecture. Available at www.thebrainprize. The Conscious Mind by David Chalmers (1996) for reinforcement-based machine learning. to hear accounts of how our knowledge org/ [Accessed 11 January 2018] The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes (1976) 2. Silver D et al. (2016) Mastering the game of Go with deep Thanks to the BNA, on 25 October 2017 I of reward systems in the brain, applied neural networks and tree search. Nature 529: 484–489. was able to attend the annual Brain Prize together with economic theory, can inform

14 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 15 SOCIALIA VARIETAS

implicit memory truly cemented my decision practices. The sheer novelty of doing and PD. Additionally, Song and colleagues ferroptosis has been conducted in to work under her supervision towards my awake-rodent fMRI research became determined that silencing of the iron cancer cells. MSc thesis. So naturally when Dr Wang growingly apparent through the limited transporter ferroportin 1 caused an elevation There is currently very little research advertised a placement for an MSc project, number of specific tools and research in intracellular iron levels, demonstrating its into PD-associated ferroptosis. Do Van I applied immediately. To my relief, Dr Wang papers available (compared to human potential role. determined that erastin, a ferroptosis kindly accepted. fMRI research). Thankfully, my collaborator Dopamine (DA) metabolism occurs inducer, can provoke cell death characteristic Ash Chetri From my perspective, the best part Sun-Lin Han (a PhD student at Chang- Hayley Earle via the monoamine oxidases (MAO-A of ferroptosis, and confirmed Dixon’s Research Software Engineer, of the project was the opportunity to Gung University) guided me through the MSc student in Neuroscience, and -B). In both aged and PD individuals, findings that ferroptotic death is preventable UCL participate in collaborative research in technicalities of independent component University of Glasgow MAO-B is upregulated. Metabolism of DA by ferrostatin-1. In contrast to previous Taiwan. As expected, magnetic resonance analysis and dynamic causal modelling. through this enzyme leads to hydrogen research, Do Van also reported GPX4 to be

imaging (MRI) research requires a Not only was I working in a beautiful peroxide (H2O2) production, which in turn upregulated in PD, possibly due to the co- Reflecting on my UK–Taiwan wide knowledge of varied subject country, but also I made many friends Iron in the Parkinson’s brain can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) localisation of GPX4 with neuromelanin, an research experience areas. Furthermore, it tends to involve in the lab, connections I am grateful for. through reversible Fenton and Haber-Weiss iron chelator found in high concentrations researchers from a range of backgrounds. Taiwanese people are friendly; I never once Iron is essential for many metabolic reactions. ROS are normally produced during within the SN. The SN is rich in dopaminergic During my year as an MSc student For example, animal research is particularly felt daunted, alone, or even hungry (the processes such as DNA synthesis. While aerobic respiration. Excessive production neurons and iron, which may render it in Edinburgh, I was fortunate to be important as it bridges the understanding canteen was filled with delicious Taiwanese variations in iron concentration exist causes damage to proteins, lipids, DNA and particularly vulnerable to the degeneration surrounded by a diverse and stimulating between cognition and behaviour food). I would recommend anyone to throughout development, a general RNA, and consequently induces cell death. observed in PD. academic community in the Department of (psychologists/cognitive neuroscientists) visit or consider working in Taiwan or in increase occurs with age. This is particularly Ferroptosis is a novel iron-dependent While evidence remains limited, the Neuroscience. It was not until I met Jane Haley with the physics and physiology of any international institution when given marked in the substantia nigra (SN) brain form of regulated cell death that can be implication of ferroptosis as the mode of that I was given the opportunity to volunteer MRI (radiologists, engineers). Hence, the opportunity. The learning experience region, which is involved in Parkinson’s induced by depletion of glutathione. This can cell death in PD presents a novel research for an outreach event in Roslin, Edinburgh. As collaboration between various fields is was rich, something that perhaps cannot disease (PD). occur through the inhibition of a glutathione- direction, through which we may discover well as meeting Dr Haley at the event, I also absolutely key in MRI research. be rivalled with any of my peers at the This age-dependent increase may be dependent enzyme, GPX4, which under novel preventative or curative measures met Szu-Han Wang (PI of the Wang Lab at Before setting off for Taiwan, for . This would be caused by an upregulation of the divalent normal physiological circumstances limits against this debilitating disease. the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences). months I focused on the technical gaps something I would do again without a metal transporter 1 (DMT1), a protein the rate of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation A fully referenced version of this The conversation I had with Dr Wang in my knowledge by iterative trouble- moment’s hesitation. that transports ferrous ions (Fe2+) into in cells. Ferroptosis can be prevented using article can be found at www.bna.org.uk/ about my undergraduate research project on shooting and rote-learning through best cells. Research by Saadat and colleagues ferrostatin and iron chelators. However, publications/bright-brains/bb-online/ suggested a link between a polymorphism applying such conclusions to PD requires of the SLC11A2 gene (which encodes DMT1) caution – most of the research into The course combined lectures with During the last week, students were hands-on training in the latest techniques divided into groups and worked on a mini- for investigating neural circuits, from viral project to gain independent experience with would have to descend into the sensory information they carry. Up-close tracing to all-optical circuit interrogation. these techniques. My project focused on forests below. examination of small cortical patches Students were provided with enough the predictive features of the visual cortex, Like our explorer, neuroscientists have revealed representations of almost all practical experience to understand the comparing juvenile and adult mice, using for decades investigated the topographic the sound frequencies that the brain can Cristiana Vagnoni advantages and disadvantages of each in vivo calcium imaging and extracellular representations of the sensory world on the perceive. Returning to the explorer analogy, PhD student in Neuroscience, technique, to interpret experimental data recordings with Neuropixels probes. surface of the brain, and they have called we must imagine the auditory cortical University of Oxford correctly, and to apply their learning in their Besides highlighting cutting-edge Sebastian Vásquez-López these ‘cortical maps’. Such maps include map as the span of global forests, from home laboratories. The first two weeks of science, the course provided ample time Postdoc in Neuroscience, representations of sensory organs such as the tundra to the tropics. Our finding is the course were structured with morning to interact with course mates, teaching University of Oxford the skin, retina and cochlea, which render therefore akin to discovering, within any lectures given by international leading assistants, speakers and course organisers our conscious perception of the somatic, patch of forest, pines growing next to palm Interacting with Neural experts of the field, including , through many social events, including two visual and auditory world, respectively. trees growing next to cacti. Circuits Summer School Mark Schnitzer, Kenneth Harris and Michael poster sessions, a football match, a surfing Finding the cracks in In auditory maps, the representation of By revealing what information cortical Häusser. Topics ranged from neuronal trip and daily shared meals. the maps sound frequencies is known to occur in neurons have access to, our work provides The Cajal summer school ‘Interacting subtype identification and connectomics Whether you are a first-year PhD an orderly or tonotopic fashion, from low some clues about the function of cortical with Neural Circuits’ was held on 2–22 July to in vivo circuit dissection and behavioural student or an experienced post-doc, I can An explorer attempting to map the to high frequencies. This gradient was micro-circuits. Moreover, it demonstrates 2017 at the Champalimaud Centre for the modelling. One lecture, by Rui Costa, focused definitely recommend ‘Interacting with masses of forest on our planet starts her previously thought to exhibit a precise and how much is still to be explored within Unknown (Lisbon, Portugal), a state-of-the- on animal experimentation, with reflections Neural Circuits’ as an incredible opportunity quest through reconnaissance flights. consistent shift in frequency representation the most mysterious of forests: the art research facility named in 2012 the best about scientists’ responsibility in conducting for scientific growth and for establishing From the air, she sees the dark colours along the cortical surface. Our mapping of mammalian brain. place worldwide, outside the USA, to do animal research and in communicating its an international network of highly of the European pine forests, the bright the functional architecture of the auditory postdoctoral work (1). This course is part of utility to the general public. specialised researchers. greens of the dense tropical forests, and cortex recently challenged such a view by 1. Vásquez-López SA et al. (2017) Thalamic input to auditory the Cajal Advanced Neuroscience Training Afternoons and evenings were dedicated the snowy boreal forests of the north. revealing a considerable degree of functional cortex is locally heterogeneous but globally tonotopic. Elife, 6: pii: e25141. Programme, a partnership between five to intensive hands-on training on viral neuronal 1. The Champalimaud Foundation History, available at She might conclude that the forests are diversity at the micro-scale (1). leading neuroscience institutions (FENS, IBRO, tracing, in vitro and in vivo patch-clamp www.fchampalimaud.org/en/the-foundation/history/ extremely uniform, perhaps made of one We investigated the functional 2. About the CAJAL Advanced Neuroscience Training the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, University recording, high density in vivo extracellular Programme, available at www.fens.org/Training/CAJAL- type of tree transitioning smoothly from organisation of the projections delivering of Bordeaux and the Champalimaud recordings, fibre-optic fluorescence programme/About-the-CAJAL-programme/ one to another as a function of geographic sensory information to the auditory Foundation) to establish a core neuroscience microendoscopy, in vivo calcium imaging, and 3. Interacting with Neural Circuits Website, available at location. In order to fully appreciate the cortex through the characterisation of training facility in Europe (2). all-optical circuit interrogation (3). https://sites.google.com/site/interactingneuralcircuits/ diversity of the canopy underneath, she their anatomical distribution and the

16 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 17 VARIETAS NUMQUID SCIEBAS...? PUZZLE

has led to an emergence of people who what may happen to the mind and the BNA Bright Brains Puzzle defiantly identify as ‘multipotentialites’ nervous system of the building’s inhabitants? (having multiple interests or specialisms). A deeper knowledge of neuroscience may How much conscious effort does your Unfortunately, society often required us enable greater sensitivity to the delicate needs brain require to solve a puzzle? Find out to curtail our interests when choosing a of the patients, allowing the architect to create by putting together the parts of the first career path, restricting people into more the optimum environment. Or what about BNA Bright Brains puzzle! This puzzle has Tamsin Nicholson narrow fields. But this is a great loss to an art historian, who wants to understand a hidden message, which will be displayed MSc student in Neuroscience, interdisciplinary individuals. There is limited the real effect of propaganda? A better once the puzzle is solved. The message University of Glasgow dialogue between arts and sciences and understanding of could will be revealed in the next edition. at times we may even find an ‘us-and- help them improve their ability to interpret Answers to last edition’s crossword are them’ attitude. This leads to a lack of and relay our social responses to art. Could provided at the bottom of the page. Bridging the Gap: Finding a cross-disciplinary communication and an knowledge of placebo effects – and their Enter this edition’s competition by place for neuroscience in intellectual ‘no-man’s land’ between the arts influences on cognition – help out a packaging sending the message of the puzzle to the arts and sciences, where many great concepts designer responsible for over-the-counter [email protected]. and ideas lose momentum as they near the pharmaceuticals? Perhaps it could give them Entries received before 1 June 2018 will be The gap between the sciences and the arts boundaries of their fields. an edge, or even improve results for patients? entered into a prize draw to win a unique has been expanding exponentially since Our nervous system allows us The intersection between the arts contribution towards the ‘Bright Brains’ the Renaissance. But why do we separate to experience and engage with our and sciences is an area calling out for summer edition! them? And what happens if we bring environment, and from history to music, exploration. A revival of the importance of them together? the arts are also interested in how we multidisciplinary thinking will provide us with As specialising in one field became more experience, engage and interpret with the an opportunity to improve our knowledge and more respected, being multidisciplinary world around us. Given the innate relevance and ultimately our lives. Unfortunately, gradually lost its respect. Now people are of neuroscience to humanity, perhaps it could these areas are often neglected as we find often encouraged to choose between the be a great place to start bridging the gap ourselves pushed towards one or the other. It sciences and arts at a very early age, even between the fields. is time to explore these areas more, to bridge if they demonstrate equal ability in both. Imagine an architect designing a hospice: the gap and find a place for neuroscience in This system is inherently limiting, and would it not be helpful for them to understand the arts.

VARIETAS QUID NOVI?

A recent study (1) investigated compared with extinction behaviour- the potential neurons responsible for associated neurons. However, the results suppression of fear memories after of perisomatic analysis through use of the extinction learning. The researchers mCherry virus did not support this. used transgenic TetTag mice expressing To determine which other processes may inhibitory DREADD (designer receptors potentially be influenced by PV interneurons, Adela Beloucif exclusively activated by designer drugs) more hM4Di-expressing mice were tested, Undergraduate student in Neuroscience, receptor hM4Di, to allow control of and local field potentials (LFPs) measured University of Glasgow basolateral amygdala (BLA) parvalbumin- using surgically implanted electrodes. expressing (PV) interneurons, through LFP oscillations between 3 and 6 Hz were inhibition of cell activity by injection of consistently linked with fear and freezing New Findings on Neurons DREADD ligand clozapine-N-oxide (CNO). behaviour. As fear neurons were reactivated and Brainwaves Associated Mice were taught to fear a cage by after CNO injection, the BLA LFP exhibited a with Fear Suppression After receiving an electric shock, after which fear shift from 6–12 Hz towards 3–6 Hz. Extinction Learning was extinguished by removal of the shock. This research could inform the Mice were then injected with CNO. Their development of treatments for anxiety Fear and learning seem counterintuitive, fear response was measured as time spent disorders such as post-traumatic stress but learning about danger or a threat is frozen and immobile. Neuronal activity disorder (PTSD). Greater understanding of essential to the purpose of fear. Most was measured through expression of ZIF how LFP oscillations compete and interact human fear is learned through classical protein and GFP. Freezing behaviour and could allow a more targeted approach conditioning, whereby animals associate a activity of fear-associated neurons in the using neurofeedback training (2). cue with something inherently dangerous BLA increased after CNO injection. or unpleasant. They can learn something is The authors predicted PV interneuron 1. Davis P et al. (2017) Cellular and oscillatory substrates of fear not dangerous through repeated experience control to be due to greater levels of extinction learning. Nat Neurosci 20(11):1624–1633. 2. Shalev A et al. (2017) Post-traumatic stress disorder. NEJM of that cue without trauma. This is termed innervation between PV interneurons 376 (25):2459–2469. Answers to the crossword from Issue 7 – Autumn 2017 extinction learning. and BLA fear-associated neurons, Horizontal 3: Viola; 4: stapes; 8: haiku; 10: absolute pitch; 14: cochlea; 15: free verse. Vertical 1: Holst; 2: timbre; 5: amygdala; 6: pitch; 7: parietal; 9: Beethoven; 11: Schubert; 12: USA: 13: colour; 16: eight. 18 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 19 Research Research

“So we can perturb or increase activity at specific frequencies, and look at what effect that has on Learning to do better GABA and motor learning.” Such studies provided the first evidence in Transcranial stimulation is generating new insights into motor learning – and offers humans of the importance of gamma oscillations Images Wellcome the exciting prospect of better stroke rehabilitation. and motor learning in humans. Notably, tACS provided a way to intervene to add weight to observational correlations: “Most importantly, the It was during her medical degree at Bristol that The replication provided greater confidence that amount by which driving 75 Hz activity with tACS Charlotte Stagg. Charlotte (Charlie) Stagg first became interested the effect was ‘real’, and provided more insight into modulates someone’s GABA-A signalling predicted in stroke recovery. “We had a lecturer who said possible mechanisms. how well they learnt a motor task. It’s still not quite that stroke is the commonest cause of neurological causality but it’s getting closer.” disability and there’s really nothing we can do and A network approach left it at that. I can remember being 19 and idealistic As a physiologist, Professor Stagg looks enviously From bench to bedside and thinking that was terrible, and that we should at the range of approaches available to those The scientific advances also encouraged Professor be able to do something about it.” working with animals. However, she argues, there Stagg to consider clinical applications. With As part of her medical degree, she completed are good reasons to work on humans. For a start, colleagues at Oxford, she ran a small-scale but an intercalated degree in physiology, where she people use their hands with far greater precision “IT’S STILL NOT randomised and controlled trial in stroke patients, was exposed to non-invasive brain stimulation than other animals, for example for writing or QUITE CAUSALITY who had nine one-hour physiotherapy sessions techniques such as transcranial direct current playing the piano. The type of learning they undergo BUT IT’S GETTING over a two-week period incorporating 20 minutes stimulation (tDCS). Here, she reasoned, was a way is also very different – some physical human skills CLOSER.” of tDCS (or sham tDCS in the control group). that her lecturer’s nihilism might be overcome. can take years to develop. And motor learning in “That showed a significant improvement with After completing her medical training, she humans is associated with activity across a widely tDCS, which was present immediately after the moved to Oxford for her DPhil and sought to explore connected network in the brain, not just specialised intervention, but, more importantly, was still there the potential of non-invasive brain stimulation for regions. “There is the primary motor region but 3 months after,” says Professor Stagg. Electrical stimulation has been used for all kinds of therapeutic purposes stroke recovery. But she soon hit a snag. “It became there are lots and lots of secondary areas that are A proliferation of poorly designed and controlled over the years, and may one day aid stroke rehabilitation. very quickly apparent that we actually didn’t know all changing as we learn, both in terms of their own studies has led to a backlash against tDCS. very much about either how brain stimulation activity and their connectivity.” Nevertheless, Professor Stagg is keen to build on experimental manipulation, including those linking worked or about the complex brain changes that Networks are thus central to Professor Stagg’s her encouraging findings, in a larger study with the cortex to the basal ganglia. “If that works, occur during learning of motor skills and relearning research. A key challenge is to tease apart learning- a more realistic clinical delivery model. Health that’ll be really exciting.” after stroke.” associated changes that are truly meaningful: economics is proving a significant challenge, She therefore decided to take a step back, “When someone learns a new motor task, there however – since stroke patients receive so little Stagg CJ et al. Local GABA concentration is related to network-level with the aim of filling in gaps of knowledge that are all kinds of changes going on. We’re trying to long-term support, a rehabilitation programme resting functional connectivity. Elife. 2014;3:e01465 Bachtiar V et al. Modulation of GABA and resting state functional might underpin future rehabilitation therapies. isolate those and work out which are causal and would inevitably involve an increase in connectivity by transcranial direct current stimulation. Elife. Influenced by her background in physiology, she set which aren’t, which are important and which aren’t, healthcare costs. 2015;4:e08789. out to explore neurochemical responses to motor and what the underlying physiology is, so that we Even so, tDCS, if proven effective, has several Nowak M et al. Driving human motor cortical oscillations leads to behaviorally relevant changes in local GABAA inhibition: A tACS-TMS learning, using the somewhat neglected technique can start to develop interventions that can aid the advantages: “It’s very very cheap,” points out study. J Neurosci. 2017;37(17):4481-4492. of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). “It’s a important bits.” Professor Stagg. “It’s basically a battery and two Weinrich CA et al. Modulation of long-range connectivity patterns via very old MR technique – it was the first thing that fMRI can give some insight into network electrodes – it’s really not complicated technology.” frequency-specific stimulation of human cortex. Curr Biol. 2017;27(19): anyone did with MR, but it had been pretty much connectivity but, Professor Stagg suggests, (She does caution against a DIY approach, however: 3061-3068.e3. forgotten as soon as functional imaging came these broad patterns may be hiding important “People should not try this at home!”) along, because it doesn’t produce pretty pictures mechanistic information, as they cannot distinguish Back in the lab, she is keen to flesh out the and it’s quite difficult to do.” connections linked to oscillations at different details of motor learning networks in the brain, MRS can provide a measure of changes in the frequency bands: “That’s probably important building on findings implicating beta band (20 Hz levels of neurotransmitters such as glutamate because they represent different neurons and oscillations) in communication through motor- and GABA. Armed with this technology, she made different circuits, within the same region.” associated networks: “There’s a story beginning the significant discovery that motor learning was MEG is the natural tool to use to probe brain to emerge about changes in local inhibition and associated with a decrease in inhibition due to oscillations. Yet, acknowledges Professor Stagg, excitation leading to changes in oscillations which drops in GABA levels in the motor cortex. “That it has its limitations: “You can see changes in probably drive this long-range connectivity.” had to some extent been seen in animal models,” activity with motor learning, but as with all imaging Two technical advances may help her in says Professor Stagg, “but it hadn’t been seen in techniques MEG’s an observational technique, so her quest. The first is the development of new humans before.” it’s difficult to know anything about causality.” spectroscopic methods that allow neurotransmitter Given some doubts about the meaning of MRS She has therefore turned to another form levels to be assessed across several regions of the results, Professor Stagg went on to replicate the of non-invasive brain stimulation, transcranial brain simultaneously. And with colleagues at UCL, results using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and alternating current stimulation (tACS), which she is examining the use of focused ultrasound transcranial stimulation: “So the same finding but can be used either to enhance or interfere with for deep-brain neuromodulation. This would open coming at it from completely different modalities.” brain oscillatory activity at specific frequencies: up more of the human brain’s superhighways for

20 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 21 Research Research

to predict the future. That means by the time you Daydream believer get to a point when behaviour is possible, you are more prepared.” Yet demonstrating that is a major A deeper understanding of the could explain the seemingly experimental challenge: “If you have a network that’s paradoxical impact of mind-wandering. set up to allow you to interface more successfully with someone or some event in a year’s time, that’s going to be a really difficult study to do...”

Daydreaming has been a staple of art for centuries, involved in tasks and it was special to the resting National Reed Walter John Graner, Moreover, because of the focus on tasks, many yet has received surprisingly little scientific . state – neither of those things is actually true.” early studies emphasised the negative aspects Jonathan Smallwood. The discovery of the default mode network, however, Other networks have been found to show distinctive of the default mode network, seeing it simply as and its linkage to mind-wandering has kick-started patterns of activity at rest. And Professor Smallwood Military Commons Center/Wikimedia Medical something that was distracting and compromising a period of intensive scientific activity – to which has shown that, under the right experimental task performance; its longer-term and more beneficial Jonathan (Jonny) Smallwood, who manages a group conditions, elements of the default mode network role may be harder to discern experimentally. of researchers in York with Elizabeth Jefferies, has are active during tasks. Notably, however, the default mode network has made pivotal contributions. The default mode network, which may support perceptually decoupled cognition. both negative and positive associations with health A psychologist by background, Professor The default mode network and and wellbeing. It has been implicated in several Smallwood became interested in mind-wandering mind-wandering and is also physically remote from sensory areas of neuropsychiatric conditions, including depression, during his PhD at Strathclyde. “At that time I wanted It was Raichle who made the connection between the the cortex – potentially maximising its isolation from yet is also thought to contribute to effective to understand how thought was organised, and I default mode network and mind-wandering. During direct external influences and providing an isolated planning and creativity. came up with the idea of studying people organising the 1960s, a handful of researchers worked in a small mental space for internal reflection. One possible explanation for this apparent their thoughts spontaneously rather than as part but thriving field studying spontaneously generated Probing the function of the default mode network paradox, says Professor Smallwood, is that, as an of a task.” thought. “But it died off when people became quite is not without its difficulties. The model of tightly integrator, the impact of the default mode network This meant going against convention: “At that obsessed with much more task-focused approaches controlled task-based studies to delineate specific will depend on the nature of its inputs. Problems point in time there was really no paradigm for doing for understanding psychology. There was a revolution cognitive modules does not transfer well to a system may manifest in the default mode network, but this – or any interest, really.” Cognitive studies were and everybody starting studying tasks in much more with an integrative function. “That challenges their origins may lie outside it. Conceivably they based almost exclusively on tasks and dissecting detail than they had before.” the researcher because you have to come up with could also arise if the default mode network is trying specific cognitive processes. Going ‘off-task’ As the default mode network was active paradigms where integration plays out as part of to generate desired future states that are simply introduced unwanted complexity that made results seemingly without any external stimulation, the link the task.” unachievable in the real world, such as reconciliation harder to interpret. was made stimulus-independent processing and Indeed, he suggests, integrative studies will be a following a terminal relationship breakup. Indeed, Professor Smallwood was therefore ploughing spontaneously generated thought, reigniting interest “ULTIMATELY THE necessary complement to reductionist approaches if it may be that activity in the default mode network a lonely furrow. But as he completed his graduate in this near-dormant field. DEFAULT MODE cognition is to be fully understood: “It might be that reflects multiple forms of mental processes, not studies, everything changed: “The year that I For the past decade or so, Professor Smallwood NETWORK HAS TO the next step that cognitive neuroscience has to go readily categorised as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but strongly submitted my PhD was the same year that the has been attempting to discover more about FEED BACK INTO through is, once we’ve identified the modules, is to context-dependent. default mode network was discovered. That meant the default mode network and how it relates to BEHAVIOUR.” start asking questions like how do those modules Answering such questions will require a deeper there was suddenly this massive interest in this state spontaneously generated or ongoing thought. “Our act together to produce much more complicated understanding of the default mode network and of spontaneous thought from neuroscience.” As one best guess is that it is a system that reflects the thoughts that people are actually engaging in in the its relationship to mind-wandering and ongoing of the few people with a background in this area, he process by which you integrate information from real world. But we want to do that so we understand thought. To this end, Professor Smallwood is now found himself an instant expert and in great demand. many different representational systems.” For it mechanistically.” systematically quizzing people on the content of The man generally credited with the discovery example, different brain regions have been implicated their spontaneous thought while collecting functional of the default mode network is US neuroscientist in different aspects of memory, such as semantic Good, bad or indifferent? imaging data. Through machine learning approaches, Marcus Raichle. The emergence of fMRI had led to memory and episodic memory. “Both of those Professor Smallwood invokes an evolutionary he hopes to identify specific patterns of neural activity feverish activity as researchers sought to pin down systems are allied to the default mode network,” argument to question initial assumptions about the that correspond to particular aspects of spontaneous brain regions and networks involved in cognitive he points out. network. “The initial reading of the default mode thought – opening up a new window on the processes – again, all very task-driven. However, Indeed, the richness of spontaneous thought network was that it was task-unrelated or task- wandering mind. to their surprise, Raichle and others noticed that implies contributions from multiple memory (and independent. But the idea that there would be a networks of activity could reliably be discerned other) brain systems: “Those sorts of cognitions that network whose primary function is task-negative Smallwood J, Schooler JW. The science of mind wandering: empirically even when the brain was not engaged in a specific tend to populate people’s spontaneous thoughts are doesn’t seem to make any sense. Evolution is always navigating the stream of consciousness. Annu Rev Psychol. 2015;66:487-518. Murphy C et al. Distant from input: Evidence of regions within the default task. “People’s initial assumption was that it was a probably types of cognition where you’re not using shaping processes based on behavioural fitness. mode network supporting perceptually-decoupled and conceptually-guided network prevalent at rest,” says Professor Smallwood. just one of the memory systems but you’re probably Ultimately the default mode network has to feed cognition. Neuroimage. 2018. pii: S1053-8119(18)30018-1. “It’s an inference that has driven cognitive using them together.” back into behaviour.” Wang HT et al. Dimensions of experience: Exploring the heterogeneity of the wandering mind. Psychol Sci. 2018;29(1):56-71. neuroscience for about 20 years, and it’s wrong.” A distinctive feature of the network is its The problem, he suggests, is that the function Margulies DS et al. Situating the default-mode network along a principal He suggests that new insights into the default independence from external perceptual inputs. of the network plays out over longer timescales gradient of macroscale cortical organization. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. mode network have called into question initial Notably, Professor Smallwood and colleagues than those typically addressed experimentally. “It’s 2016;113(44):12574-12579 assumptions: “20 years ago it was thought to be a have discovered a neurobiological correlate of this possible that the function of the default mode Konishi M et al. Shaped by the past: The default mode network supports cognition that is independent of immediate perceptual input. PLoS One. really special network because its properties were remoteness from the outside world. The default network is to interface between the organism, its 2015;10(6):e0132209. unique. Now we know that the two properties which mode network appears to sit atop a functional past and its future. If you’re building models of where we thought were unique about it – that it wasn’t hierarchy of networks processing perceptual inputs, you are and where you came from, you can use those

22 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 23 Research Research

of making visual display performance A new dawn in vision research fundamentally better.” Another possible application is in treatment Melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells are key drivers of the brain’s circadian of retinal degeneration. While studying the role rhythms, yet recent research suggests they have a broader role in vision – insights of different members of the opsin protein family, that could lead to new designs for television screens and novel therapies for vision loss. Professor Lucas developed methods to genetically modify cells so they ectopically express particular opsins. The technique worked particularly well with

Now a vision scientist at the University of quite a lot of information about the visual Commons Bigroger27509/Wikimedia human red opsin. “An obvious potential application Rob Lucas. Manchester, Rob Lucas took a circuitous route environment that’s being lost, or at least under- of that is to think, well, it’s making cells light- into his field. “My PhD was in circadian rhythms, represented.” This is where melanopsin-containing sensitive, could you put it into the retina of an and so I approached the visual system from cells come into their own, monitoring absolute levels animal that has lost rods and cones and therefore that perspective.” of irradiance and reporting on gradual transitions lacks a lot of its photosensitivity? It turns out that To be of value, circadian rhythms need to be in light intensity at dawn and dusk and the huge works well.” synchronised to the external light–dark cycle. “When change in irradiance levels between night and day. In mice, electrophysiological and behavioural I started in the field, it wasn’t clear exactly how that “But if that’s relevant for circadian rhythms,” studies indicate that animals lacking cones but happened,” he recalls. He ended up contributing to points out Professor Lucas, “why is that visual expressing red opsin in inner retinal cells respond to landmark studies showing that the mammalian information not also relevant to perception? More light stimuli presented to the eye: “The hope is that eye includes a class of photoreceptor, intrinsically recently that’s what we’ve been concentrating on, Light fantastic: Melanopsin-containing cells may have a key role to play in visual perception at dawn and dusk. in people that would also work and it would restore photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which how melanopsin might also enable us to see.” the ability of the retina to respond to light and provide a link between light–dark cycles and the Primarily through work on mice, his team has the suprachiasmatic nucleus typically have receptive therefore some kind of visual response.” Professor brain’s core circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic provided multiple new insights into the role of fields, providing it with the capacity to detect spatial Lucas is now working with industry on possible nucleus. Crucially, the key light-detecting molecule melanopsin-containing cells. Such cells project not features of visual scenes – a discovery that raises clinical applications, although he acknowledges in these cells was found to be melanopsin. just to the suprachiasmatic nucleus but also to intriguing questions about its role in vision. it is difficult to predict how much vision could be Over the past decade, however, Professor Lucas multiple other areas of the brain and, in a series of restored. “It’s one of those where until you’ve tried and others have found that this is far from the only papers, his group has shown that they convey critical Seeing applications it in human patients it’s very hard to know how well function of melanopsin-containing cells. These information about the brightness of visual scenes Professor Lucas is now increasingly interested in it’s going to work.” discoveries could have far-reaching implications, to visual areas of the brain. In effect, melanopsin- extending his work to humans – and in possible The possible impact of his research has come as from the design of visual displays to new containing cells act as a kind of light meter, ensuring practical applications. “We’re very excited about a an unexpected bonus to Professor Lucas: “When I treatments for vision loss. that features of visual scenes can be detected at new technology we’ve developed which allows us to started out I never thought I would do anything of very different light intensities. start studying the melanopsin system in people. It’s particular practical value. It was a great privilege to Expanding roles Changes in activity in the dorsal lateral what we call our ‘mel TV’.” be able to do things because I thought they were The discovery of melanopsin set Professor Lucas geniculate nucleus (dLGN), an early relay station Visual display units are typically based on three interesting and tangentially they might be useful to off in a new direction: “What always interested in the visual pathway, provide a convenient subpixels, red, green and blue, which allow selective the world. It’s really nice to have done that and still me about melanopsin was why the hell do you way of assessing impacts on visual processing. modulation of our red, green and blue cones. have things where I can see a practical application.” need it? You’ve got your rods and cones that are By monitoring responses in the dLGN across a “WE SHOULD BE “That’s why, just with those three subpixels, you perfectly capable of detecting light: what is it you simulated dawn, when light intensity changes ABLE TO MAKE can recreate patterns of colour and images that Brown TM et al. Melanopsin-based brightness discrimination in mice and need something else for – why do you need a third gradually but very significantly, Professor Lucas VISUAL IMAGES look pretty good.” humans. Curr Biol. 2012;22(12):1134–41. Allen AE et al. Melanopsin-driven light adaptation in mouse vision. Curr photoreceptor?” found that melanopsin-containing cells act to LOOK BETTER BY Professor Lucas has now gone a step further: Biol. 2014;24(21):2481–90. He therefore began to explore how melanopsin- enhance excitability in the dLGN, increasing the CONTROLLING “What we have designed is another sort of display Storchi R et al. Melanopsin-driven increases in maintained activity enhance containing cells were contributing to vision: “Quite responsiveness of visual signalling as background MELANOPSIN.” where we can add on a fourth subpixel, which allows thalamic visual response reliability across a simulated dawn. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2015;112(42):E5734–43. a lot of the early stuff that we did was look at the light intensity increases. Irradiance-linked changes us to control the activity of melanopsin. You can Allen AE et al. Melanopsin contributions to the representation of images in sensory capacity of the melanopsin photoreceptors in high-frequency gamma oscillations, both within present images that look exactly the same to cones the early visual system. Curr Biol. 2017;27(11):1623–1632.e4. and relate it to what we know about the rods the retina and in the dLGN, may be a mechanism by but look different to melanopsin (or vice versa).” Storchi R et al. Modulation of fast narrowband oscillations in the and cones.” which neuronal activity is coordinated in response to “We’ve done some preliminary work looking at mouse retina and dLGN according to background light intensity. Neuron. 2017;93(2):299–307. Melanopsin turned out to be active during changing levels of illumination. this as a way of controlling the impact that visual Mouland JW et al. Responses to spatial contrast in the mouse daytime, so the functions of melanopsin-containing Most recently, Professor Lucas has also found displays have on our circadian rhythms and shown suprachiasmatic nuclei. Curr Biol. 2017;27(11):1633–1640.e3. cells have most relevance to cones. Cones are that significant numbers of dLGN cells – one in five – that you can use this instead of a screen-dimming Cehajic-Kapetanovic J et al. Restoration of vision with ectopic expression of human rod opsin. Curr Biol. 2015;25(16):2111–22. notable for providing high-acuity vision, which are responsive to image patterns detectable only or screen-yellowing feature – you can switch depends on their capacity to adjust their sensitivity by melanopsin-containing cells, not rods and cones. between versions of the image that have high or low in response to local light levels: “What that means This suggests that melanopsin-containing cells are melanopsin activity and that changes the degree to is that they’re always able to tell the brain that the making a direct contribution to representation of which the display impacts our clock.” light is a little bit brighter or a little bit dimmer than images in the early visual system. Even more exciting is the prospect of actually it was a moment ago.” Strikingly, it also appears that entrainment enhancing the visual experience: “We should be able However, this sensitivity to changes in light of circadian rhythms may not be the only to make visual images look better by controlling levels, rather than absolute light levels, has function of melanopsin-driven signalling to the melanopsin. We’re just starting to do that but it important consequences: “It means that there’s suprachiasmatic nucleus. It turns out that cells in looks pretty cool. We think it might be a way

24 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 25 Research Research

into life-course factors affecting later-life brain Aberdeen ageing health. “It’s a fascinating area for us and one we’re really excited to get into.” Anca Sandu The results of childhood exams sat by ageing Aberdonians are shedding new light on Back in Scotland, she is also collaborating with brain ageing. Andrew McIntosh in Edinburgh, who is leading a large programme aiming to unpick the mechanisms underlying depression, including the interplay Having qualified as a consultant radiologist and Professor Murray. This measure of general intelligence between genetic factors, social influences and their having returned to her native Aberdeen, Alison reflects the fact that cognitive skills are typically not impact on the brain. So far, the brains of 300 people Alison Murray. Murray was approached by Laurence Whalley, then independent: “If you take a bunch of children and look have been scanned in Aberdeen. Professor of Old Age Psychiatry in Aberdeen, who at their general cognitive ability, the ones that are She is also keen to identify brain factors had recruited two groups of older people born in 1921 smart at one thing tend to be smart at most things.” associated with good health: “We’re quite good at and 1936 (the so-called Aberdeen Birth Cohorts). “He The existence of the early baseline data means measuring the bad things on a brain scan, shrinkage wanted to start scanning their brains so he needed an that the team can look at factors affecting not just of bits of the brain, or lesions from blood vessel interested radiologist, and he came and found me.” absolute cognitive ability in old age but also how disease, other abnormalities, but we’re less good The cohorts have features that make them it has changed over the life course. And the brain- at measuring the positive things, the resilience of Functional connectivity analyses showing the networks associated with childhood cognitive scores age 11 (top) particularly useful for ageing research: “These are scanning strand ensures that these trajectories can and with current cognition (bottom). the brain to cope with that pathological burden. normal people in their 60s and 70 when they were be related to changes in the brain. One of the things I’m really interested in is getting recruited into studies of health and cognition in late The cohorts are also helping to test a new form a complete measure of both burden and resilience life. The interesting thing about them is they all had of MRI, fast field cycling MRI (FFC MRI), developed in the more of these lesions you have in your brain, all from one set of multimodal brain scans. It would be a baseline measure of mental ability, of intelligence, Aberdeen by David Lurie and colleagues. “Fast field other factors being taken into consideration. We interesting from a research point of view and it would which was measured when they were 11 years old.” cycling is unique – this is the only scanner of its type don’t completely understand why that is, but it does also be potentially very useful in the NHS, to give us a Cohort members all sat the Moray House Test, in the world,” says Professor Murray. With standard suggest that there is some early life programming of more complete picture of people.” a forerunner of the 11-plus examination used in the MRI, the magnetic field strength is static, while with vulnerability of the brain.” so-called Scottish Mental Surveys of 1932 and 1947 to fast field cycling the magnetic field strength varies The findings are consistent with the ‘Barker National networking assess the intelligence of children across the whole during image acquisition. “That gives you different hypothesis’ – that adversity experienced in the As well as research and two days clinical practice of Scotland. Files of test results were rediscovered by information, particularly about tissues with protein womb can program fetal metabolism in ways that a week, Professor Murray also finds time to co- Whalley and Ian Deary, who established content, which are often the tissues of interest in may aid survival of newborns in a harsh environment direct SINAPSE, the Scottish Imaging Network birth cohorts in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, respectively. disease.” The technology could therefore aid detection but store up problems for later life. However, and Platform for Scientific Excellence. “Its primary The first studies in Aberdeen relied on available 1T of abnormalities associated with, for example, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of fetal function is as an information exchange network and magnetic resonance imaging: “We started scanning tumours, neurodegenerative disease and stroke “THE POORER YOU exposures and upbringing. “Interestingly, we now as a training network,” she explains. PhD students their brains in the evening on our NHS scanner – you damage. Funding and approval has recently been ARE AS A CHILD have the data where we can start to investigate have the opportunity to study at various sites, and make do with what you have at the beginning.” Over obtained to scan people with Alzheimer’s disease and THE MORE OF this a bit further,” says Professor Murray. In the the network also provides a way to diffuse new time, a more sophisticated 1.5T research-dedicated people in the 1936 cohort to see if FFC MRI can detect THESE LESIONS 1950s, Dugald Baird, Professor of Obstetrics and methodologies: “If one centre is expert in doing a scanner was introduced, and larger numbers of cohort changes in Alzheimer’s, compared with the normal YOU HAVE IN Gynaecology, created an Aberdeen-wide maternal particular technique, we try to share that expertise members have been scanned – 244 members of cohort participants. YOUR BRAIN.” and neonatal databank. “That contains information across centres.” the 1936 cohort between 2003 and 2005 and again about mother’s pregnancy, birthweight of baby, As well as facilitating multicentre clinical trial, five years later. Professor Murray and colleagues are Insights into the brain complications in pregnancy, but also rich information SINAPSE may also provide a platform for use of now targeting a new cohort of younger people, the Work with the cohorts has provided multiple insights like socioeconomic circumstances and other things routinely collected brain scans from clinical practice to Aberdeen Children of the 1950s, who participated in into the ageing brain, including links between that are of interest to us. The Aberdeen Children be used in research, taking advantage of Scotland’s the Aberdeen Child Development Survey in 1962. preservation of white matter complexity and of the 1950s, the youngest of the Aberdeen Birth unified health system and standardised clinical image Cohort members also undertake a battery of cognitive skills. In addition, high blood pressure and Cohorts, all have birth data in this databank and are management system. “It would be great to have that cognitive assessments, testing multiple aspects of impaired glycaemic control (a form of pre-diabetes) just waiting be recruited into large studies.” Professor data to do meaningful research for the NHS,” says their mental abilities: “We’ve used these cognitive have been found to be associated with lesions, or Murray has just applied for funding to understand Professor Murray. tests to derive a principal component, g,” says white matter hyperintensities, in the brain. what makes some people resilient to cognitive Furthermore, an analysis led by Roger Staff, decline, and to invite Aberdeen Children of the 1950s Sandu AL et al. Structural brain complexity and cognitive decline in late using father’s occupation as a proxy of childhood to undergo cognitive testing and provide samples for life--a longitudinal study in the Aberdeen 1936 Birth Cohort. Neuroimage. 2014;100:558–63. socioeconomic status, found an association between DNA analysis, with a proportion also undergoing brain McNeil CJ et al. Increased diastolic blood pressure is associated with MRI poverty and hippocampal volume: “The poorer you scanning. “It’s potentially really fascinating.” biomarkers of dementia-related brain pathology in normative ageing. Age were in childhood, the smaller your hippocampus Other new studies will compare the Aberdeen Ageing. 2018;47(1):95–100. Staff RT et al. Childhood socioeconomic status and adult brain size: measured in your late 60s. That indicates that results with those from birth cohorts in Mysore, India, childhood socioeconomic status influences adult hippocampal size. Ann possibly some of the things we measure in late life where Professor Murray is helping local researchers Neurol. 2012;71(5):653–60. that we associate as being biomarkers of Alzheimer’s establish brain-scanning pathways for population Murray AD et al. Early life socioeconomic circumstance and late life disease, the risks for them are actually established in cohorts. With Caroline Fall in Southampton, she brain hyperintensities--a population based cohort study. PLoS One. 2014;9(2):e88969. earlier life.” also hopes to follow up offspring of mothers in Howard DM et al. Genome-wide haplotype-based association analysis of A similar effect is seen with white matter Mumbai who received a nutritional intervention when major depressive disorder in Generation Scotland and UK Biobank. Transl A reunion of Aberdeen Children of the 1950s in 2016. hyperintensities: “Again, the poorer you are as a child pregnant. Such studies will provide additional insight Psychiatry. 2017;7(11):1263.

26 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 27 Et cetera Et cetera

Q&A: Irene Echeverria Altuna testing the toxicity of these constructs and I Q: What are your long-term plans? The social context of the brain discovered that they were not neurotoxic for A/ In the near future, I would like to move their target neurons in the spinal cord. on to an independent way of learning Having opted for the social sciences rather than life at the laboratory Q: What did you think when you by delving into a PhD in neuroscience. bench, Martyn Pickersgill brings a unique perspective to neuroscience heard you’d won the BNA award? In the long term, I would like to form an and mental health.

A/ I was in the library when I found out that academic research group and use the Ben Gilbert/Wellcome Trust I had been awarded the BNA Undergraduate scientific method to answer questions Prize, and I immediately contacted family about the relation between brain After his degree Martyn Pickersgill was domains – clinical practice, law, social and friends to share the good news and and mind. Importantly, throughout offered a PhD in fly genetics. “I was all set policy and more general social discourse. Irene Echeverria Altuna (UCL) was the winner of the BNA’s celebrate. However, after taking a moment my academic career, I would like to to start that and then I saw an advert for an In the public sphere, he detects a Undergraduate Award 2017. to think about it, I realised that this prize cultivate collaboration, consistency and MA in genetics in society. I thought ‘that’s waning enthusiasm for neuroscientific Q: What did you discover in your means that my career is heading in a transparency in science. a bit quirky, sounds intriguing’. So I looked framings, particularly a backlash against research? good direction. I consider this prize a great Q: What do you enjoy doing into it and thought this is exactly what I’m the use of the prefix ‘neuro-’ to provide an A/ My research consisted of testing the motivation to keep on learning and working outside science and medicine? interested in.” often spurious scientific authentication: neurotoxicity of two novel analgesic towards my goals. A/ One of the activities I enjoy most is Rather than the life sciences, social “I don’t think the prefix neuro has the constructs made of a neuropeptide Q: What are you doing now? writing – prose, poetry and even essays. science therefore became his milieu, potency it had a wee while ago,” he (substance P or dermorphin) and a A/ I am currently a master’s student in the Of course, the only way to learn to write beginning with a PhD exploring the suggests. A growing familiarity with modified version of botulinum toxin. These Dual Master in Brain and Mind Sciences, is by reading, which I am very fond of. history and sociology of psychopathy. “A another powerful icon of neuroscience – Martyn Pickersgill. constructs were synthesised by Bazbek a two-year programme organised by UCL, Although I love literature, writing skills also big part of that was understanding how images of brain activity – may also have Davletov at the University of Sheffield École Normale Supérieure and Université have a lot to offer in science. In fact, my developments in neurotechnologies and lessened their impact. and had been shown in Steve Hunt’s lab Pierre et Marie Curie. My current research opinion is that science communication is as neuroscience had impacted on clinical and By contrast, alternative concepts “WITHIN POPULAR CULTURE, at UCL to silence spinal neurons that consists of investigating the role of REM important as research and, consequently, legal understanding of psychopathy, but may be becoming more ‘fashionable’, EPIGENETICS IS BECOMING express the substance P receptor or the sleep in memory consolidation in Dan I would like to cultivate this passion also how those clinical and legal framings particularly epigenetics, often seen as a MORE OF A ‘THING’ BUT NEURO mu opioid receptor and generate analgesia. Bendor’s lab (UCL). Next year, I will be for writing. of the disorder shaped back the scientific way in which environmental influences can STILL HAS A POTENCY – PARTLY My work with the UCL group consisted of finishing my taught education in Paris. research as well. That underpins most shape biological destiny. Even so, he adds, BECAUSE IT’S SO INTUITIVE.” of my work – this notion of circularity, such ideas have not entirely superseded science and society shaping each other. neuroscientific perspectives: “Within Q&A: Gido van de Ven It’s not just a linear relationship where popular culture, epigenetics is becoming out. “A big part of the project is trying to to the same enclosure. To causally test this gained during my PhD to artificial neural developments in the lab go on to have more of a ‘thing’ but neuro still has a understand the intellectual and practical relation, I used optogenetics to temporarily networks. The hope is both to make the societal implications.” potency – partly because it’s so intuitive.” infrastructure that clinicians work in, silence hippocampal principal neurons during performance of these artificial neural Following his PhD with Paul Martin, Once people recognise that ‘neuro’ and how that impacts on what kinds of sharp/wave-ripples, in which most reactivation networks more human-like, as well then at Nottingham, he moved to equates roughly to ‘the brain’, it becomes knowledge can be successfully translated takes place. as to gain new insights relevant Edinburgh, establishing links with Sarah easy for people to relate to: “It feels into the clinic.” Q: What did you think when you for neuroscience. Cunningham-Burley in the Medical School. intuitive to people, and when things feel Time spent in the DSM archive heard you’d won the BNA award? Q: What are your long-term plans? His postdoctoral studies covered a range intuitive to people then that authenticates indicates that it has been fought over A/ I felt very honoured. After spending A/ I hope to continue doing research of issues, including factors affecting the science.” ever since it was first launched. Yet it still so many hours writing the thesis, it was at the boundary between neuroscience clinicians’ choice of psychotherapy, Nevertheless, he suggests, people maintains the capacity to unite: “For all its Gido van de Ven (Oxford) was the winner of the BNA’s Postgraduate Award 2017. a great feeling to be rewarded in this and machine learning. I’m enjoying my regulation of brain banks (with James generally resist the temptation to reduce weaknesses, what it does provide is some way. I also felt very grateful for all the fellowship, and I hope to continue with Ironside, director of the MRC brain bank themselves to their brain tissue: “People kind of communal language.” Q: What did you discover in your opportunities that I have been given along this type of research. I think the recent network) and the impact of neuroscience are critical and they are reflective. They More generally, Dr Pickersgill is, research? the way. I want to thank my supervisor progress in the capabilities of artificial on family life: “That was particularly think of themselves as their brains, but unsurprisingly, supportive of the role of A/ The main contribution of my PhD research David Dupret for his support and for neural networks is striking, and that they focused on early intervention, looking they also think of themselves as the social science in exploring these kinds was to test a long-standing hypothesis in the making it possible – almost easy – for me provide an exciting tool for computational at how neuroscientific ideas were being product of their family relationships and of issues. Social science, he suggests, field of memory that the offline reactivation to learn and use powerful tools such as in neuroscience. I also hope that my future enrolled into social policy and social care.” of their hormones and various other can provide fresh insight into the of memory-representing cell assemblies vivo electrophysiology and optogenetics. career will involve some teaching. Most recently, with funding from the things.” Different models of personhood personal, professional, political and social is important for the later reinstatement of I also felt grateful and realised that I Q: What do you enjoy doing Wellcome Trust, he has been exploring all intertwine, he suggests. “They’re environment into which new scientific these assemblies during memory retrieval. To am very lucky for having access to great outside science and medicine? the future of psychiatric diagnosis, and often used by people selectively or even understanding might be assimilated identify cell assemblies, I performed tetrode education throughout my life. A/ I have always enjoyed playing football, how developments in neuroscientific strategically to account for their personal (and which in turn influences scientific recordings from the hippocampus of mice Q: What are you doing now? so I’m somewhat saddened that the research might influence clinical practice or professional actions.” practice): “The skill set of social science exploring new environments, combined with a A/ A few months ago I started an IBRO- opportunities for that are more limited and tools such as the widely used (and As for psychiatry, he sees significant is to try and understand that and to be statistical technique to find groups of neurons ISN Research Fellowship in the lab of in the US. But I also enjoy hiking and widely criticised) Diagnostic and Statistical challenges for the paradigm-busting critical of taken-for-granted assumptions that tended to be active together. I found that Andreas Tolias at the Baylor College exploring nature, for which there is ample Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM. models being developed in science – of what is right morally and scientifically the strength with which a cell assembly was of Medicine in Houston. During this opportunity here. For more than a decade, therefore, particularly the goal of diagnosis based on – even if it sometimes leads to some reactivated predicted how well that assembly fellowship I’m being trained in deep Dr Pickersgill has had a ringside seat fundamental mechanisms: “That doesn’t uncomfortable conclusions.” would later be reinstated during re-exposure learning, with the goal to apply insights observing how the field of neuroscience necessarily align terribly well with what has developed and its impact on multiple is useful for clinical practice,” he points

28 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 29 30 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 31 32 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 33 34 BNA Bulletin Spring 2018 www.bna.org.uk www.bna.org.uk Spring 2018 BNA Bulletin 35