Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour
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| Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour |
| Established | 2009 |
| Type | Research institute |
| Location | Cambridge, United Kingdom |
| Affiliation | University of Cambridge |
Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour is an interdisciplinary research centre focused on neural systems, sensory processing, and behaviour. It integrates approaches from physiology, genetics, imaging, and computational modelling to study circuit function across species. The centre engages with university departments, international institutes, and funding bodies to translate basic findings into broader scientific contexts.
History
The centre was founded within the University of Cambridge milieu amid initiatives parallel to expansions at institutions such as Max Planck Society, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Carnegie Institution for Science, and Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Early governance drew on examples from Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, National Institutes of Health, and Royal Society frameworks. Initial programmes aligned with the priorities of Gatsby Charitable Foundation, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, John Innes Centre, and Babraham Institute. Leadership development referenced models from University College London, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and California Institute of Technology.
Research Areas
Research spans sensory systems, motor control, learning and memory, and computational neuroscience, connecting to methodologies practiced at Allen Institute for Brain Science, Broad Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, and Riken Brain Science Institute. Studies use genetic model organisms and comparisons with vertebrate systems similar to work at Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, Institut Pasteur, Weizmann Institute of Science, University of Oxford, and Imperial College London. Projects investigate neural coding, synaptic plasticity, and circuit dynamics in contexts reminiscent of investigations at Salk Institute, Monash University, University of California, San Diego, University of California, Berkeley, and Yale University.
Facilities and Resources
The centre's core facilities include microscopy suites, electrophysiology rigs, imaging platforms, and computational clusters paralleling infrastructure at European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cryo-EM facilities at Diamond Light Source, and National Graphene Institute. High-performance computing resources are managed in collaboration with units similar to those at Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery, Alan Turing Institute, Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and San Diego Supercomputer Center. Specialized support services mirror staffing models from University of Cambridge Botanic Garden, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, and Roslin Institute.
Education and Training
Training programmes encompass postgraduate supervision, postdoctoral fellowships, and doctoral training partnerships allied with entities such as Wellcome Trust PhD Programme, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, King's College London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and University of Edinburgh. Curriculum development references collaborative networks like Neuroscience PhD Training Network, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Courses, Marine Biological Laboratory, Gordon Research Conferences, and European Brain and Behaviour Society. Professional development includes mentoring structures comparable to those at Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, NIH intramural training, Fulbright Program, Royal Society University Research Fellowship, and Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.
Collaborations and Partnerships
The centre maintains partnerships with academic, clinical, and industrial stakeholders modelled on alliances seen between Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Hospital, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, and MedImmune. International collaborations reflect ties similar to collaborations with European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Riken, Max Planck Society, CNRS, and Instituto Cajal. Funding and consortium roles engage with programmes at Horizon 2020, Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Human Frontier Science Program, and Engineers Without Borders-style translational initiatives. Outreach and public engagement draw on partnerships akin to Cambridge Science Festival, British Science Association, Royal Institution, Science Museum, and Wellcome Collection.
Notable Researchers and Leadership
Leadership and principal investigators include researchers with profiles comparable to figures associated with Sir John Gurdon, Sir Roger Penrose, Sir Michael Berridge, Sir Richard Roberts, and lab heads historically linked to Sydney Brenner, Francis Crick, Eric Kandel, Rodolfo Llinás, and Hodgkin and Huxley-era traditions. Visiting scholars and collaborators have affiliations mirroring those at Joshua M. Epstein, Karl Deisseroth, Edvard Moser, May-Britt Moser, Gero Miesenböck, Thomas Südhof, Christof Koch, Terrence Sejnowski, Ariel Loewenstein, and György Buzsáki. Administrative and advisory inputs reflect committees comparable to those of Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, Royal Society, and National Science Foundation.