UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology

University College London at 200: A potted history The UK's third university, which was founded on 11 February 1826, was the first to admit women.

Here, history happened. UCL was the first UK university to welcome people of all faiths, the first to admit students regardless of social background, and the first to welcome women into higher education alongside men.

Discover more about @ucl.ac.uk's extraordinary heritage ⬇️

Sara Abdelaal

Congratulations to Sara Abdelaal on successfully being awarded a Guarantors of Brain non-clinical postdoctoral fellowship, starting in September 2026 for 3 years.

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate the researchers, communicators, and leaders shaping #dementia discovery. Proud that 66% of our contributors are women. Thank you for leading progress and inspiring the next generation.

#WomenInScienceDay

📚 Two centuries of student life reveal a dynamic, changing London.

To mark UCL’s 200th anniversary, Student London: A New History of Higher Education in the Capital is out today- free to read and download: bit.ly/3NcnXpi
#StudentLondon #LondonHistory #HigherEducation #OpenAccess

We’re hiring a Research Technician! 🔔This role will primarily support a project on the genetic studies of Parkinson’s disease in Central Asia and Transcaucasia, helping to address major gaps in PD genetics in under-represented populations. @uclqsion.bsky.social bit.ly/4tzl9mM

As we look ahead, we are reminded that our greatest strength lies in our people, researchers, clinicians, and students from around the world, united by our ambition to improve lives. Together, our extraordinary community will continue to push boundaries, transform care, and drive discoveries for many years to come.

Today, UCL marks 200 years since its foundation.
This year, we'll celebrate two centuries of learning and innovation and share those achievements with our community.

Discover our Faculty's exciting #UCL200 programme of events and learn how you can get involved: www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-scienc...

UCL celebrates 200 years: A landmark year begins Today, UCL marks 200 years since its foundation. Based in the heart of London, UCL is rooted in curiosity, tolerance and academic excellence. Throughout the year we will celebrate two centuries of lea...

💜 Today, @ucl.ac.uk marks 200 years since its foundation.
Throughout 2026, we will celebrate two centuries of learning and innovation and share those achievements with our global community.

➡️Discover our exciting #UCL200 programme of events and learn how you can get involved.

Today, UCL turns 200. 🎉 For two centuries, our community has opened doors, challenged convention and pushed the boundaries of knowledge across every discipline. Thank you to everyone who’s been part of the UCL story, here’s to the next century. ✨

#UCL200 #LoveUCL

#BrainMeeting 🧠 Alert! 🎺

This Friday, February 13th, the Brain Meeting speaker will be Oiwi Parker Jones giving a talk entitled "Decoding speech non-invasively"

In person or online. For more information:
www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/event

Jean-Martin Charcot's letter of recommendation in support of Victor Horsley's appointment as neurosurgeon at the National Hospital, Queen Square, London, 1886 - page 1, French. Queen Square Archives (ref: QSA/2141)

Jean-Martin Charcot's letter of recommendation in support of Victor Horsley's appointment as neurosurgeon at the National Hospital, Queen Square, London, 1886 - page 2, French. Queen Square Archives (ref: QSA/2141)

No doubt many, many connections were made at this hugely popular event in 1881. Charcot stands in one of the bottom left-hand side groups. Members of the International Medical Congress, London. Wellcome Collection. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Here we have connections between Charcot, hypnosis and suggestion. Caricature de Jean-Martin Charcot and ‘Suggestion’, Pont-Calé, 1890, Le professeur Charcot, drawing by Luque, in the « Les hommes d’aujourd’hui » collection, vol. 7, n° 343.

Eminent French neurologist, Jean-Martin Charcot had many connections with Queen Square (QS), home of UK neurology. Charcot’s demos at Salpêtrière Hospital also attracted many young British physicians to Paris. Discover more in our QS Library display. www.queensquare.org.uk/archives #EYAConnections

Recently published work lead by the very talented @dvillarroelc.bsky.social. Lots of work has gone in to this and I have enjoyed seeing this story develop over the years. Congrats to all! @jamessleigh.bsky.social @joburrito.bsky.social @frattalab.bsky.social @uclqsion.bsky.social #axonaltransport

Henry Houlden

Congratulations to Henry Houlden on his Appointment as Group Leader, UK DRI Parkinson's Research Centre (PRC), based at UCL. The Group Leader role will enable scientific research and develop the PRC as an international beacon in Parkinson's research [UK DRI programme award £1.7M over 5 years.]

Very excited for this excellent meeting - come join us!

Research Assistant: DNA damage response in Huntington’s UCL Huntington’s Disease Centre seeks a Research Assistant studying DNA damage response and repeat instability in Huntington’s using iPSC and CRISPR methods.

Research Assistant role at UCL Huntington’s Disease Centre exploring DNA damage response and repeat instability in Huntington’s disease using iPSC and CRISPR techniques. Closing date: 22nd February

www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/job/research...

Sumultaneous subthalamic local field potentials and MEG-derived cortical activity in Parkinson's patients ON and OFF dopaminergic medication This dataset contains simultaneous magnetoencephalography and subthalamic local field potential recordings acquired during deep brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson’s disease. Acquisition and preprocessing procedures are detailed in Litvak et al., Brain 2011 (doi:10.1093/brain/awq332) and Litvak et al., Journal of Neuroscience 2012 (doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0767-12.2012). All files are provided in FieldTrip raw format as defined in the FieldTrip data specification. Data from a subset of the original cohort are available due to ethical restrictions on data sharing.Recordings were obtained in two clinical states for each participant: after overnight withdrawal of dopaminergic medication and while receiving their usual medication. Clinical characteristics and medication doses are listed in subject_details.csv. Pre-operative motor scores were collected using standard clinical assessments.Experimental conditionsParticipants completed the following tasks:R: rest.SL: simple left-hand movement comprising a simultaneous button press with digits 2 to 4.SR: simple right-hand movement with the same gesture.CL: complex left-hand sequence consisting of successive presses of digits 2, 4 and 3.CR: complex right-hand sequence with the same pattern.Event timings for button presses are stored in the event channel.Recorded signalsThe dataset includes:Bipolar subthalamic local field potentials.Electro-oculography.Electromyography from the bilateral first dorsal interosseous muscles.Virtual electrode time series reconstructed from MEG for the supplementary motor area and bilateral primary motor cortices. Virtual electrode coordinates are reported in MNI space and were affine transformed to individual anatomy: SMA [−2 −10 59], left M1 [−37 −25 62], right M1 [37 −25 62].

We have released a subset of our simultaneous MEG and subthalamic LFP recordings from people with Parkinson’s with clinical metadata. The data cover rest and movement tasks, medication on and off states, and include MEG‑derived virtual electrodes for SMA and bilateral M1.

doi.org/10.6084/m9.f...

Marc Busche congratulations graphic

Congratulations to UK DRI Group Leader Dr Marc Aurel Busche who has received the prestigious Rainwater Prize for Innovative Early-Career Scientist for his pioneering work on tauopathies.

Read more 👉 rainwatercharitablefoundation.org/the-rainwate...

Another opportunity at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology in London! Seeking grade 6 Research Technician to work with Prof Houlden and his wonderful team to grow knowledge of global causes of inherited neuromuscular diseases - closes 17 Feb! www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

Dr James Ruffle on AI’s ability to transform brain cancer care Dr James Ruffle and the wider team at the High-Dimensional Neurology group in the Queen Square Institute of Neurology are transforming brain cancer care with AI-based tools.

On #WorldCancerDay, we’re celebrating research that brings real hope. Dr James Ruffle’s work at @uclqsion.bsky.social shows how AI could revolutionise brain cancer care.
🔗

Look! Clinical Research Fellowship at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology in London, UK to study global causes of inherited NMD. Join our world-leading and supportive team. Closes 24 Feb www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

Professor Giampetro Schiavo wins 2026 International Neurotoxin Association (INA) award Professor Schiavo (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) received the 2026 INA Basic Science Lifetime Achievement Award from the President at the bi-annual congress of the society.

👏 Huge congratulations to UK DRI Group Leader Prof Giampietro Schiavo who has received the 2026 Basic Science Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Neurotoxin Association 👏

Read more 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-scienc...

#BrainMeeting 🧠 Alert! 🎺

This Friday, February 6th, the Brain Meeting speaker will be Maria Herrojo Ruiz giving a talk entitled "Uncertainty in decision-making and motor learning in anxiety"

In person or online. For more information:
www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/event

Neurology 2026: leading edge neurology for the practising clinician: 11th and 12th June 2026 This two-day course is designed for consultants and trainees at all levels in neurology and other neuroscience specialties, from the UK, Europe and worldwide.

Register now for this annual course: Neurology 2026: leading edge neurology for the practising clinician: 11-12th June 2026 designed for all levels: www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/events/2026/jun/neurology-2026-leading-edge-neurology-practising-clinician-11th-and-12th-june-2026

Be the Ripple: Staff from across UCL joined the recent sustainability town hall to explore how we can help shape UCL’s climate action. If you missed it, catch up with the recording and discover how you can take the next step.

👉 Find out more here: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/de... #GreenUCLPALS

Thrilled to announce Prof Henrik Zetterberg as our second plenary speaker!

A globally renowned expert in neurochemistry, his plenary on 25 years of research on biofluid-based biomarkers will be a perfect close for the #ARUKconf.

Explore the programme: www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/research/for...

Congratulations to Natalia Dominik on receiving a Guarantors of Brain non-clinical postdoctoral fellowship for 3 years from October 2026.

Targeting the gut's immune system could tackle early stages of Parkinson's New research reveals how Parkinson’s spreads from the gut to the brain, with the help of immune cells – offering a new potential therapeutic strategy – in a study in mice led by scientists at the UK D...

New research has revealed how Parkinson’s spreads from the gut to the brain, with the help of immune cells – offering a new potential therapeutic strategy – in a study in mice co-led by Dr @soyonhonglab.bsky.social & Dr Tim Bartels @ukdri.ac.uk @uclqsion.bsky.social @uclbrainscience.bsky.social

🙏🙏 to entire team esp co-lead Tim Bartels. So proud of @seppedeschepper.bsky.social brilliant first postdoc who now leads his own at VIB. 🙏🙏🙏to @chanzuckerberg.bsky.social for supporting the project from early pilot phase. Contact us if u want to explore next steps in PD gut/brain neuroimmunology!

You can read about the work and achievements of the EDI team here

www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-scienc...

Medicine at the Crick| Interfacing the human brain: neurons to networks Hybrid event taking place virtually and in person, organised by The Francis Crick Institute, London

Book your free tickets now for our next #MedicineAtTheCrick event on Thursday 12 March, hosted by @andreas-t-schaefer.bsky.social, where researchers and clinicians will explore ‘neurotechnologies’ that help us better understand and decode the brain.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/medicine-a...