Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

There is still time to recognize the contributions of a rising leader in Neuroscience. Nominate an early-career PI for the PGYI Award by August 1 to celebrate impactful scientific discoveries made through collaboration, creativity, and curiosity. Nominate at buff.ly/fNk8HS4

Today is the LAST day to apply for NeuroMEETS! If you are a PhD student or postdoc doing neuroscience research, apply to share your research as part of our trainee seminar series. Invited speakers will be provided travel & honorarium to visit, share their work & network with us! mpfi.org/neuromeets

I recently spoke about my lab's newest sensors at @embl.org‬'s European Light Microscopy Initiative meeting 🔦 🧠

Sharing progress with the community is key to moving science forward, which is why these sensors, and all our tools, are open source ➡️ www.lintianlab.org/research#tools

Welcome 2025 High School Interns! – Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) proudly announces its 2025 High School Summer Internship Program participants. This select group of rising stars are spending six immersive…

Meet MPFI's 2025 High School Internship cohort! These seven talented students have been working alongside our researchers this summer on projects in neuroscience, programming, or mechanical engineering. Read more about these talented students in our latest blog post: mpfi.org/welcome-2025...

📣 Attention neuroscience grad students and postdocs! Only one week left to apply for NeuroMEETS. Present your research, visit MPFI as an invited speaker, and connect with our faculty. Travel, lodging, and an honorarium included. Don't miss out! Apply by July 15 and share with peers. buff.ly/dqXZnTU

Proteins Important in Neural Communication Have Different Roles Than Previously Thought | Newsroom New knowledge of these protein functions will help researchers develop new drug targets for chronic pain, autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, migraines, and other neurological conditions.

Researchers from MPFI’s Imaging Center worked with Dr. Samuel Young from UNC School of Medicine to explore how tiny molecules in the brain impact neural communication which could help better understand & treat neurological disorders like chronic pain, epilepsy, migraines, and more. buff.ly/hLEaTGh

Congratulations Salil Sanjay Bidaye, Ph.D. on receiving an Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund Fellowship Award in Neuroscience for the project, "neural Circuit Mechanisms for Regulating Postural Stability." @salilbidaye.bsky.social @mpfneuro.bsky.social

mpfi.org/science/our-...

Thanks to $450,000 Klingenstein Fellowship from the Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund (@klingensteinorg.bsky.social), Dr. Salil Bidaye (@salilbidaye.bsky.social) will advance his research into postural instability—a hallmark of many neurological disorders. Congrats, Dr. Bidaye! buff.ly/z6kNlCq

New research from the Bolton Lab has employed a circuit mapping technique to reveal how the cell-specific loss of the PTEN gene in somatostatin-containing inhibitory neurons reconfigures amygdala circuits and influences behavior. buff.ly/k9qn1GJ

Do you know a young PI making exceptional contributions to neuroscience? Nominate them for the Peter Gruss Young Investigator Award—honoring innovation, collaboration, and curiosity-driven research.
Deadline: July 18, 2025
More info: buff.ly/G9BMno5

As the 2024-25 School Year comes to a close, we are excited to share that our scientists and educators reached a record-setting 10,276 students this school year! Thank you to everyone who supported Ask Max. Together, we make a positive impact on education! To learn more, visit mpfi.org/askmax

Thank you to Harshida Pancholi for concluding our NeuroMEETS series with an engaging talk on zebra finch motor control circuitry for singing. Applications for our next PhD student and postdoc series are now being accepted. Apply by July 15 to be considered! buff.ly/VJTxdWJ

Congratulations to MPFI scientist Dr. Yuji Nishiiki on receiving a JSPS fellowship to study how the brain refines movement. This funding supports his research into how learning shapes neural circuits across brain regions for precise movement timing and strength. buff.ly/SRcDMhh

We are thrilled to have ‪@andrewgyork.bsky.social‬ here at MPFI today. Dr York was selected as our postdoc association invited speaker for this year's seminar series. Thank you, Dr. York, for sharing your science and perspectives with our community!

We were thrilled to welcome @jasonsynaptic.bsky.social, Neurobiology Professor at the University of Utah, back to MPFI as part of our seminar series. Dr. Shepherd shared his latest insights into the role of virus-like intercellular transmission in plasticity and the spread of tau pathology.

We are thrilled to be named "Nonprofit of the Year" at the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce Annual Leadership Awards last night. This recognition reflects our passion for education and world-class scientific research. We are so grateful to our scientists, staff, volunteers, and supporters!

Know an exceptional early-career independent scientist? Nominate them for the Peter Gruss Young Investigator Award, honoring outstanding contributions to the scientific community through collaboration, creativity, and curiosity-driven research. Please share! mpfi.org/pgyia

It's #MentalHealthAwareness Month. At MPFI, Dr. Lin Tian's team is uncovering changes in brain signaling in conditions like depression by developing tools to visualize neurotransmitters in real-time. This work brings us closer to improved treatment of mental health challenges. buff.ly/LguhgQU

The new @maxplanck.de Postdoc Program platform is now open for its first ever round of applications!

If you're looking for a new research opportunity, check out the full list of open positions👇🏽

postdocprogram.mpg.de/node/3

We loved welcoming our employees’ children to #TakeOurChildrenToWorkDay, where they experienced what makes MPFI such a fun, supportive, and family-friendly place to work. The kids enjoyed science activities, a special lunch together, and a movie. Thank you to everyone who participated & volunteered!

Black bird with squares behind that say awake asleep 12 hrs 6hrs

New research from @mpiforbi.bsky.social on European jackdaws reveals that when sleep deprived they prioritize deep sleep, even at the cost of vigilance.

This highlights the crucial role of deep sleep.

Explore the research, published in @currentbiology.bsky.social: bit.ly/3EFeIKc

Thank you to our incredible corporate sponsors for supporting this year's Advanced Neurotechniques Course! Your partnership helped make this unique training experience possible. Together, we’re pushing the boundaries of what we can see, measure, and understand about the brain.

Today we celebrate Max Planck’s birthday — and yes, even the statue is excited.
We owe so much to his revolutionary thinking and relentless curiosity.
#MaxPlanck #PhysicsPioneer #BirthdayHatEnergy

Thank you very much to Prachi Shah from Georgetown University for coming to MPFI and sharing your research on memory degradation.

Find out how you can be part of NeuroMEETS at mpfi.org/neuromeets

Thank you to the faculty, teaching assistants, sponsors, staff, and participants who brought energy and curiosity to every session. From hands-on experiments to late-night data discussions and new friendships, we are leaving this year’s Advanced Neurotechniques course energized and inspired!

Having so much fun at Max Planck this week learning about cutting edge neural techniques & so much incredible science (and meeting Nobel laureates!) 🧠

Students standing on a staircase with faculty members standing on the floor below.

Congratulations to the 29 Florida Atlantic University High School – Jupiter Campus seniors who were recognized at our annual Senior Research Symposium. Explore the program & this cohort’s impressive academic achievements: bit.ly/3YADnX1

A warm welcome to all of the students, faculty and sponsors who have traveled from around the world to join us at the 2025 Advanced Neurotechniques Course! We couldn't imagine a more exciting way to kick off the course than with a fantastic keynote lecture from Nobel laureate Stefan Hell!

Happy Graduate Student Appreciation Week from all of us at MPFI! We’re so grateful for the brilliance, dedication, and community spirit our grad students bring every day. You make MPFI a better place—thank you for all that you do! #GradStudentAppreciation

MPFI was honored to host Leadership Palm Beach County's Aspire Speaker Series last week, which focused on the impact of neuroscience on our community, as well as the exciting developments that are on the horizon for South Florida's #BrainCoast. Learn more about the Brain Coast here: bit.ly/3G0CUac