Department of Brain Sciences

In Profile: Dr Naoto Watamura – Edmond and Lily Safra Research Fellow at Imperial College London - DoBS Staff Blog “In experimental neuroscience, success often comes after many failed attempts. I learned to treat each failure as data, not defeat,” says Dr Naoto Watamura, Edmond and Lily Safra Research Fellow at Im...

“In experimental #neuroscience, success often comes after many failed attempts.”

Dr Naoto Watamura from @imperialbrains.bsky.social is uncovering why some #dementia patients decline faster than others, and turning failure into discovery. 🧠

Read more 👇 blogs.imperial.ac.uk/dobs-staff/2...

Nine Principal Investigators Join the SPARK NS Program, 2026 Cohort The nine projects are collectively eligible for up to $18 million in funding and support for drug development.

Professor Michael Johnson's project, A Human Genetics-driven Approach for Disease Modification in Parkinson's Disease, will receive up to $2 million over the two years.

👉 More: sparkns.org/news-and-ins...

@imperialmed.bsky.social

New research maps the genetic drivers of #DownSyndrome 🧬

Scientists have created the most detailed molecular map of the developing Down syndrome brain to date, revealing new gene targets that could inform future treatments.

Led by @imperialbrains.bsky.social 👇 www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

Using hallucinogens to produce a 'flexible brain state' can help with depression The lead researcher on this study said that hallucinogens can "produce a flexible brain state and open up a window of opportunity for the brain to reshape", which helps people suffering from depressio...

🧠 A small study, published in Nature Medicine, found that people with depression saw significant symptom reductions from a single dose of DMT.

👉Watch the Sky News interview with Dr David Erritzoe, the lead researcher on the study: news.sky.com/video/using-...

@imperialmed.bsky.social

Assistant Professor within the Faculty of Medicine (20 Positions) at Imperial College London Start your UK & international job search for academic jobs, research jobs, science jobs and managerial jobs in leading universities and top...

20 posts available for non-clinical
Assistant Profs at Imperial
College London. Come work at @imppsych.bsky.social @imperialbrains.bsky.social. Collaborate in fields of eating & addictive behaviours, neuroimaging, gut-brain, emotional regulation etc. Deadline 11/3/2026
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQK133/a...

Alcohol addiction affects millions worldwide, including around 600,000 people in the UK.

Prof Anne Lingford-Hughes and Prof Mark Thursz will discuss the neurobiology of addiction and alcohol's impact on the liver.

✅ Register: www.imperial.ac.uk/events/20538...

@imperialmed.bsky.social

Could the #psychedelic drug DMT be a future treatment for depression? Researchers @imperialmed.bsky.social found a single dose of DMT – the psychoactive component of ayahuasca - had a ‘significant and lasting’ effect.

👉 More: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

@imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

🧠 Interested in joining the Department of Brain Sciences, home to world-class research in #neuroscience & mental health?

@imperialmed.bsky.social is hiring new non-clinical Assistant Professors.

👉 Applications are open until 11 March 2026: bit.ly/404qCnU

#mentalhealth

From left to right: Dr Chioma Izzi-Engbeaya, Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes, Professor Sejal Saglani

On #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience, we're celebrating Three Wise Women from @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social 👩‍🔬👩‍⚕️👩‍🏫

Researchers whose work is transforming #health across the lifespan – for women, children and communities.

[Thread 🧵👇] #WomenInSTEM #WomenInScience

My journey into addiction research and psychiatry - Imperial Medicine Blog Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes, Professor of Addiction Biology, reflects on the journey that led her to become one of the UK’s leading experts in addiction psychiatry.

“I was advised I didn’t need a career – just a job until I got married!”

Now Professor of Addiction Biology at @imperialbrains.bsky.social, Anne Lingford-Hughes has helped revolutionise how we understand the brain and #addiction.

blogs.imperial.ac.uk/imperial-med... #WomenInScience

Dr Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu (a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Reader in the sections of Paediatrics Infectious Diseases and Virology investigating the human genetic basis of life-threatening infections) in a lab environment. She is wearing safety glasses and a white lab coat.

✨We’re looking for up to 20 new non-clinical Assistant Professors to join our world-class academic community.💫

Could that be you?

Find out more and apply by 11 March 2026: www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...

Nan and Tommaso: Building community and visibility - Imperial people “It’s important for students to see people like them further along the career path they’re aiming for”  Within Imperial’s Department of Brain Sciences, the LGBTQ+ Allies Network has become a growing s...

Meet Nan Fletcher-Lloyd and Tommaso Barba from @imperialbrains.bsky.social, sharing how the #LGBTQ+ Allies Network is building visibility, connection and belonging for staff and students. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Read more 👇 blogs.imperial.ac.uk/imperial-peo...

#LGBTQHistoryMonth @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

💡 Imperial-led trial shows promise for Alzheimer's treatment: liraglutide reduced brain volume loss by nearly 50% and slowed cognitive decline by 18%. But Novo Nordisk's semaglutide failed.

👉 More: www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

@imperialmed.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

Join the @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social AHSC webinar "Alcohol - the biology of addiction and its effect on the liver" on Friday, 20 February, 1 – 2 pm with Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes and Professor Mark Thursz.

👉 Register: bit.ly/46k3XaK

@imperialmed.bsky.social

Today is #WorldCancerDay 💙

At @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social, researchers are finding new ways to detect #cancer earlier, personalise treatment and develop better therapies.

Here are a few of the breakthroughs making a real difference 👇

🧵 1/6

Meet Sara Reed: Psychedelic Research Therapist l& Dept EDI Co-lead. We discussed her EDI vision, what it means to be a "mental health futurist," and her journey from Yale-trained psilocybin therapist to global equity advocate.

✅ More: blogs.imperial.ac.uk/dobs-staff/2...
@imperialmed.bsky.social

Weight loss drugs and Alzheimer’s Disease – Is there hope for future? Two clinical trials have recently delivered contrasting results on GLP-1 drugs for Alzheimer's disease. The medications, originally developed to mimi...

Two clinical trials have recently delivered contrasting results on GLP-1 drugs for Alzheimer's disease. Professor Paul Edison led one of the studies and was involved in the other.

💡What can we learn from these findings?

👉 Read more: www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

@imperialmed.bsky.social

Are you an early-career researcher looking to establish or transition to independence? @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
is seeking expressions of interest to support UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship applications with the university as host.

👉 Find out more: www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and...

Should the NHS use magic mushrooms to treat mental health? Many clinical trials to test the use of psychedelic medicines for conditions such as depression have been underway since 2022 - with surprising results

Should magic mushrooms be prescribed on the #NHS? A BBC long read explores this contentious debate – from breakthrough trials to serious safety concerns. It features leading researchers, including Brain Science's Prof David Nutt.

🍄 More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

@imperialmed.bsky.social

01_ Two new Imperial-led dementia projects funded The latest £16.5 million funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) for experimental medicine dementia studies is designed to bring...

Major boost for #dementia research 🧠

@imperialbrains.bsky.social's researchers Dr Nir Grossman and Dr Alastair Webb are leading two MRC-funded projects to better understand how dementia develops – from sleep patterns to brain blood flow.

Read more 👇 www.imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

Impact of socioeconomic deprivation on mechanical thrombectomy outcomes after acute ischaemic stroke @ismalias.bsky.social @imperialbrains.bsky.social We urgently need systems in place that deliver equitable healthcare.
svn.bmj.com/content/svnb...

🏥 Professor David Owen was appointed Faculty of Medicine Campus Director for Imperial College London’s #Hammersmith Hospital Campus in October 2025. We spoke with Prof Owen about his vision, background, and plans for the hospital.

👉 More: imperial.ac.uk/news/article...

My journey into addiction research and psychiatry - Imperial Medicine Blog Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes, Professor of Addiction Biology, reflects on the journey that led her to become one of the UK’s leading experts in addiction psychiatry.

"You can learn much more from failure than success."

Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes from @imperialbrains.bsky.social looks back on 30 years of #addiction research – and why lived experience must be at the heart of progress.

#WomenInSTEM 🌟 blogs.imperial.ac.uk/imperial-med...

The ‘silent’ brain cells that shape our behaviour, memory and health Astrocytes make up one-quarter of the brain, but researchers are only now realizing their true value.

🧠 For decades, astrocytes were dismissed as mere support cells. Now they're recognised as crucial for behaviour, memory, and cognition.

Dr Marco Brancaccio's breakthrough revealed how astrocytes regulate our body clock.

👉More: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Weight loss jab could be used to slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease Liraglutide, sold under the brand name Saxenda, is already prescribed on the NHS as a weight loss medication

Weight loss jabs could have a surprising new role: slowing #alzheimers. 🧠

“We think liraglutide is protecting the brain by reducing inflammation, or improving how the brain’s nerve cells communicate”, says @imperialbrains.bsky.social's' Prof Paul Edison.

#AD www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...

We have an exciting PhD (VIDA DTC) opportunity at
@imperialbrains.bsky.social & @ukdri.ac.uk, funded by
@alzheimerssoc.bsky.social. This project will use epigenomic/multiomic approaches to uncover novel biomarkers and drugs for SVD, a major contributor to stroke and Alzheimer’s.
lnkd.in/eviy2A5B

A super proud moment, Dr Kevin Ziegler, who defended his PhD. 🥂 🎓 🎉

Kevin used epigenomic approaches to understand genetic risk for neurodegenerative conditions.

His work has now led the lab to explore small vessel disease and vascular cell types!

@ukdri.ac.uk @imperialbrains.bsky.social

My journey into addiction research and psychiatry - Imperial Medicine Blog Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes, Professor of Addiction Biology, reflects on the journey that led her to become one of the UK’s leading experts in addiction psychiatry.

"I wasn’t seen as particularly clever at school."

Today, she’s one of the UK’s leading #addiction psychiatrists. ✨

@imperialbrains.bsky.social's Prof Anne Lingford-Hughes reflects on the twists, failures and serendipity that shaped her career 👇 blogs.imperial.ac.uk/imperial-med...

Undeterred by Novo Nordisk failure, scientists consider GLP-1s as Alzheimer's prevention Novo Nordisk's highly anticipated but ultimately unsuccessful Alzheimer's trials were a long shot for the maker of blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, but scientists are still asking if GLP-1 drugs ...

🧠 Novo Nordisk's latest trial findings: oral semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) showed no benefit in slowing cognitive decline among 3,800 early-stage Alzheimer's patients.

✅ Dr Ivan Koychev from @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
comments on the study: reuters.com/sustainabili...

@ImperialMed

AIDS Quilt UK – Display Following the full display of the AIDS Quilt UK at the Tate Modern's Turbine Hall this summer, Imperial's School of Public Health will host several panels of the AIDS Quilt UK around World AIDS Day 20...

🧵 The #AIDS Quilt UK display opens today at @imperialsph.bsky.social!

A powerful tribute to those lost to #HIV, the Quilt will be on show in the School of Public Health foyer from 26 Nov – 3 Dec.

Free and open to all 👇 www.imperial.ac.uk/events/20054...