Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain (SIDB)

It's been a couple of years now since I finished my PhD at the @sidb-edinburgh.bsky.social ... and looking back at the experience, I think most of the things I learned had little to do with neuroscience.

I list a few of them in my latest blog post at celefthe.com/blog/2026/a-...

Yesterday marked the International Day of Women and Girls in Science👩‍🔬. SIDB is proud to recognise and support the outstanding women in our community whose work continues to advance our understanding of brain development and function.

Frontiers | Elevated somatostatin interneuron long-term potentiation minimally regulates temporoammonic plasticity in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome IntroductionFragile X Syndrome is a common, inherited single gene cause of intellectual disability, associated with autism, epilepsy, anxiety, and sensory di...

We just published a thing!

www.frontiersin.org/journals/pha...

Here we show that somatostatin interneurons display exaggerated LTP in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome, and which is sensitive to GABAB receptor activation; but which are not manifested at the circuit level - more work to do!

⏳ 1 weeks left to apply for our PhD studentships!

💡 £25K annual stipend + tuition at SIDB, Edinburgh University🧠
Apply by 20 Jan: 👉 sidb.org.uk/phds/

#ExtraordinaryEdinburgh #Neuroscience #PhD #Edinburgh #Research #Science

The Wood lab is recruiting a postdoc to study neural circuits underlying cognition in rat models of neurodevelopmental disorders. You’ll use high-density in vivo electrophysiology to probe the head-direction system and conduct advanced data analysis.
For more: www.sidb.org.uk/vacancies/

Thanks to everyone who joined the 9th Annual SIDB Retreat!
Two incredible days of inspiring science, great discussions, and vibrant collaboration.
Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! Find out more on sidb.org or via linktree in our bio

Epilepsy medication could control seizures in children with rare brain disorder Scientists have been studying GRIN2B-Related Disorder, a rare condition that affects the nervous system of young kids.

SIDB recently featured in STV News. Using a GRIN2B rat model, Alfredo Gonzalez-Sulser and Katerina Hristova showed an epilepsy drug can reduce seizures.

Check it out ⬇️
edin.ac/3Kz2Mw1

@edinburghmedschool.bsky.social @patrickwildcentre.bsky.social
@edinburghuni.bsky.social

Congratulations Danai!

We are incredibly honored to receive continued support from the Simons Foundation in our mission to uncover the biological mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders

Thrilled to share that SIDB has received renewed support from the Simons Foundation! We remain committed to advancing the basic science of autism and NDDs through collaboration and open science.

Big boost for autism research: The Simons Foundation has pledged up to £40m to study brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders with the aim of finding new treatments for conditions such as Fragile X syndrome and SYNGAP1-related disorders.

edin.ac/454Gqt4

@sidb-edinburgh.bsky.social

🎉 Congrats to @cristina-mtz-glz.bsky.social for winning 1st prize in the BNA Photo Competition!

Her image of a whole mouse brain labelled for tyrosine hydroxylase, captured with light-sheet microscopy, will feature in the BNA 2025/26 calendar

@britishneuro.bsky.social
@edinunineuro.bsky.social

This week we welcomed Vicki Johnstone — the new Fragile X Society Family Support Worker for Scotland! 💙 She got a behind-the-scenes look at our work, from neurons to behaviours, plus a peek into our clinical research. We hope she enjoyed it!
@edinunineuro.bsky.social @patrickwildcentre.bsky.social

Image of a neuron with purple stains and green words in front says 'together for SYNGAP1 awareness day'

Today on #SYNGAP1AwarenessDay, we at SIDB celebrate scientific progress and honour the people driving change.
From molecule to behaviour, we’re committed to understanding and supporting SYNGAP1-ID.

Find out more 👇
edin.ac/4nv3ny7

@patrickwildcentre.bsky.social
@edinburghuni.bsky.social

Background image of neurons in green fluorescent stains, with 'International CDKL5 Day' and 'click our bio to find out more' written over the image.the SIDB logo can be found on the top right corner of the image.

Today is International CDKL5 Day! 💚
At SIDB, exciting research is underway to help deepen our understanding of CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder and how it affects the brain.

🔬 Learn more about our work by following the link in our bio!

@edinburghuni.bsky.social
@patrickwildcentre.bsky.social

Celebrating the 1st CDBS Family & Friends Day - The Patrick Wild Centre On May 16th, CDBS welcomed over 50 families and friends to join us for a day of science and connections.

On the 15th of May, many SIDB members joined the first CDBS Family & Friends Day. Thanks to the organisers and volunteers, we all enjoyed a great day of sceince, games and sunshine.

More in our bio

@patrickwildcentre.bsky.social
@edinunineuro.bsky.social
@cmvm-edinburghuni.bsky.social

Prof. Adrian Bird delivering a plenary talk (top left); Dr Cristina Martinez Gonzalez introducing RatDISCO (top right); Technician Kirsty Craigie presenting a poster with Dr Matinez Gonzalez (bottom left); PhD strudent Natalie Ling Sum Hung presenting a poster; Post-doc Raven Hickson and PhD student Tess Atkinson exploreing Liverpool after the conference

In April, SIDB researchers had a great time presenting at BNA 2025 - Festival of Neuroscience in Liverpool, UK.

Find out more in our bio!

@edinunineuro.bsky.social
@edinburghuni.bsky.social
@britishneuro.bsky.social
@patrickwildcentre.bsky.social

Deadline of this PhD application has been extended to 10 APRIL! Find out more and apply here

The Pagan lab is advertising for a 3.5 year fully funded PhD studentship to start in 2025 within SIDB at Edinburgh University, investigating the neural mechanism underlying flexible decision-making.

🗓️Deadline: 4 April 2024
👇Find out more and apply now:
sidb.org.uk/phds/study-o...

Prof. Adrian Bird will be deliverying a plenary session on Rett Syndrome at #BNA2025.
Check out the full programme here: lnkd.in/esa9hs4x
Registration at standard rates held until 7th April lnkd.in/eQGnDp8t

@edinburghuni.bsky.social
@patrickwildcentre.bsky.social
@britishneuro.bsky.social

The Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 Regulates the Morphology and Maturation of Human and Rat Oligodendrocytes Loss of FMRP impairs human and rat oligodendrocyte (OL) morphology in vitro. FMRP-deficient OLs show impaired maturation when engrafted in hypomyelinated mice. Rat Fmr1 knockout OLs show a delay in m...

Read the full paper from V Ramesh, ETsoukala, I Kougianou, Z Kozic, K Burr, B Viswanath, D Hampton, D Story, B Kumar Reddy, R Pal, @owendando.bsky.social, P Kind, S Chattarji, B Selvaraj, S Chandran & @lidazoupi.bsky.social in Glia

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

SIDB and @ukdri.ac.uk researchers at The University of Edinburgh and @ncbsbangalore.bsky.social have found that FMRP maintains the form and function of neuron-maintenance cells, essential for rapid and efficient neuron communication.

Read more: www.sidb.org.uk/news-events/...

We had a fantastic day welcoming family members affected by GRI-disorders. We had the opportunity to share our research & learn about their experience and the work carried out by the GRI-UK charity.

Read more: sidb.org.uk/news-events/...

@edinunineuro.bsky.social @edinburghmedschool.bsky.social

SIDB (University of Edinburgh) and Princeton University researchers have discovered that individuals use different neural strategies when making decisions.

Read more: sidb.org.uk/news-events/...

@marinopagan.bsky.social @jpillowtime.bsky.social @sussillodavid.bsky.social @edinunineuro.bsky.social

Congratulations to everyone involved!

Dr. Leena Eve Williams, Prof Anthony Holtmaat & colleagues’ have found that whisker stimulation, at the rates for which rodents actively sense their natural environment, enhances brain plasticity and neuronal connections.

>> sidb.org.uk/news-events/...

@edinunineuro.bsky.social @ndlab.bsky.social

The Donlin-Asp Lab ( @pdaphd.bsky.social ) is hiring a postdoc to conduct primary research into how neurons transport mRNA to distal sites and use these mRNAs as substrates for local protein synthesis during synaptic plasticity.
elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

@edinunineuro.bsky.social

Join us at the BNA Festival of Neuroscience! Researchers Rebecca Jordan, Danai Katsanevaki, Matt Jones & Oliver Hardt will share their latest work, with a focus on how genetic changes in neurodevelopmental conditions affect brain function, behaviour & cognition.
@beckyjordan.bsky.social

SIDB Deputy Director Prof Adrian Bird is presenting at this year's BNA Festival. Prof Bird is a leading expert on DNA methylation and epigenetics. In 2007, his lab reversed Rett syndrome symptoms in mice, sparking hope for therapies.
@edinburghmedschool.bsky.social
Register at the link below!

Couple of opportunities up to join the group!
One at postdoc level, but open to senior support path.
One research assistant role.
Please share, or drop a line if you want to learn more!
Or just apply!
Thanks!

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...