UCL Neuroscience
Encyclopedia
UCL Neuroscience is a Research Domain that encompasses the breadth of neuroscience
research activity across University College London’s (UCL)
School of Life and Medical Sciences. The UCL Neuroscience Domain was established in January 2008, to coordinate neuroscience activity across the many UCL departments and institutes in which neuroscience research takes place.
UCL Neuroscience comprises over 450 senior principal investigator
s and includes 26 Fellows of the Royal Society and 60 Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences. It is currently ranked second in the world for neuroscience and behaviour by Thomson ISI Essential Science Indicators.
and Otto Loewi
both worked in Ernest Starling’s laboratory in 1904 and went on to share the 1936 Nobel Prize for Medicine
for their seminal investigation on the chemical transmission of nerve impulses. Starling’s successor, AV Hill
, fostered the career of Bernard Katz
, whose long association with UCL began in 1935. Later on in 1970, he shared the Nobel Prize with Ulf von Euler
, who had also worked in Hill’s laboratory at UCL, and Julius Axelrod, once again for work on chemical neurotransmission
.
Fatt and Katz
were the first to propose that neurotransmitter release at synapses was quantal in nature. They also uncovered the mechanism underlying inhibitory synaptic transmission.
In a series of seminal papers in the early 70’s, Katz
and Ricardo Miledi
, described a statistical analysis of fluctuations they observed in the membrane potential at the frog neuromuscular junction, which were induced by acetylcholine
. This approach, which became known as ‘noise analysis’, allowed the first measurement of the conductance and lifetime of single ACh receptor channels.
Katz’s work had a strong influence on another future Nobel Prize winner, Bert Sakmann
. He spent two years at UCL in Katz’s biophysics laboratory and it was here that he developed his interest in the molecular aspects of synaptic transmission.
He went on to directly measure singe ion channel
currents by developing the now ubiquitously used patch-clamp
technique with Erwin Neher
. They shared the 1991 Prize in recognition of their work on the function of single ion channels
Neuroscience at UCL has long been a major cross-disciplinary endeavour. Indeed, JZ Young
, Professor of Anatomy, 1945-74, discovered and was the first to investigate the squid giant axon
. Young’s work on squid giant axons was utilized by Andrew Huxley
and Alan Hodgkin
who in 1963 received the Nobel Prize for their work on the conduction of action potentials along nerve fibres
. To achieve this, they developed a voltage-clamp technique to demonstrate that impulse transmission relied upon the selective permeablity of the nerve fibre membrane to particular ions. This ground-breaking advance laid the foundations for much of modern-day electrophysiology
.
describing how the human brain subconsciously remembers the details of past dangers. In December 2004 researchers from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience published research identifying the part of the human brain where unconscious fluid movements are stored. In 2005 Tania Singer
and Professor Christopher Donald Frith
of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and the Functional Imaging Laboratory published the results of a study using transcranial magnetic stimulation
which showed for the first time the role of sensorimotor components in empathy for pain in other people. In February 2006 a team from UCL led by Dr Leun Otten published research showing that it may be possible to predict how well the human brain will remember something before the event has even taken place.
In April 2006 a team from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience published research showing that individuals with a skill for learning other languages could have more "white brain matter
" in a part of the brain which processes sound. In August 2006 a team led by Dr Emrah Duzel of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience published research showing that exposure to new experiences can boost the memory of the human brain. In January 2007 Professor van der Lely of the UCL Centre for Developmental Language Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience published details of a 10-minute screening test capable of identifying pre-school children who might be dyslexic
.
In June 2008 a team led by Dr Rebeccah Slater of UCL Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology published research showing that infants may be experiencing discomfort when their body movements, blood pressure and facial expressions show them to be pain free. In March 2009 a team led by Professor Eleanor Maguire of UCL published a study showing that it is possible read a person's spatial memories
by using a brain scanner to monitor the electrical activity of the brain. In December 2009 Professor Sophie Scott of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience conducted research into how the human voice works and interacts with the brain as part of BBC Radio 4's
Vox Project.
In March 2010 Stephanie Burnett of UCL published a study of attitudes to risk which showed that adolescents
are more excited when they have lucky escapes when playing video games than other age groups. In June 2010 academics from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience published research suggesting that humans have a distorted “mental map” of their hands, which stretches them in one direction and squashes them in the other. In September 2010 academics from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Pompeu Fabra University
, ICREA
and the University of Barcelona
published research identifying an area of the human brain which constructs a 'map' of the human body in space using a combination of tactile information from the skin and proprioceptive
information about the position of the hands relative to the rest of the body.
There are many inter-departmental and cross-faculty research groups and centres associated with UCL Neuroscience and PIs are also based in numerous other departments across UCL.
UCL Neuroscience is ranked second in the world (and first in Europe
) for neuroscience and behaviour by Thomson ISI Essential Science Indicators, with more than twice as many publications and citations as any other European institution. UCL Neuroscience generates over 30% of the UK’s contribution to the most highly cited publications in neuroscience, more than twice as much as any other university. In neuroimaging
and clinical neurology, UCL produces 65% and 44% respectively of the UK's contribution to the world's most highly-cited papers. UCL Neuroscience raised over £312 million in research funding over the period 2005 to 2010.
For a complete list of neuroscience-related departments and institutes within the School of Life and Medical Sciences, please visit http://www.ucl.ac.uk/neuroscience/depts
Neuroscience-related departments outside the School of Life and Medical Sciences include:
Cross-cutting neuroscience centres:
Many UCL Neuroscience researchers are also involved in the translational research at the three biomedical research centres at UCL and its associated hospitals:
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
research activity across University College London’s (UCL)
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
School of Life and Medical Sciences. The UCL Neuroscience Domain was established in January 2008, to coordinate neuroscience activity across the many UCL departments and institutes in which neuroscience research takes place.
UCL Neuroscience comprises over 450 senior principal investigator
Principal investigator
A principal investigator is the lead scientist or engineer for a particular well-defined science project, such as a laboratory study or clinical trial....
s and includes 26 Fellows of the Royal Society and 60 Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences. It is currently ranked second in the world for neuroscience and behaviour by Thomson ISI Essential Science Indicators.
20th century
UCL has a long tradition in the neurosciences. Henry DaleHenry Hallett Dale
Sir Henry Hallett Dale, OM, GBE, PRS was an English pharmacologist and physiologist. For his study of acetylcholine as agent in the chemical transmission of nerve impulses he shared the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Otto Loewi.-Biography:Henry Hallett Dale was born in Islington,...
and Otto Loewi
Otto Loewi
Otto Loewi was a German born pharmacologist whose discovery of acetylcholine helped enhance medical therapy. The discovery earned for him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1936 which he shared with Sir Henry Dale, whom he met in 1902 when spending some months in Ernest Starling's...
both worked in Ernest Starling’s laboratory in 1904 and went on to share the 1936 Nobel Prize for Medicine
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
for their seminal investigation on the chemical transmission of nerve impulses. Starling’s successor, AV Hill
Archibald Hill
Archibald Vivian Hill CH OBE FRS was an English physiologist, one of the founders of the diverse disciplines of biophysics and operations research...
, fostered the career of Bernard Katz
Bernard Katz
Sir Bernard Katz, FRS was a German-born biophysicist, noted for his work on nerve biochemistry. He shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1970 with Julius Axelrod and Ulf von Euler...
, whose long association with UCL began in 1935. Later on in 1970, he shared the Nobel Prize with Ulf von Euler
Ulf von Euler
Ulf Svante von Euler was a Swedish physiologist and pharmacologist. He won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1970 for his work on neurotransmitters.-Life:...
, who had also worked in Hill’s laboratory at UCL, and Julius Axelrod, once again for work on chemical neurotransmission
Neurotransmission
Neurotransmission , also called synaptic transmission, is the process by which signaling molecules called neurotransmitters are released by a neuron , and bind to and activate the receptors of another neuron...
.
Fatt and Katz
Bernard Katz
Sir Bernard Katz, FRS was a German-born biophysicist, noted for his work on nerve biochemistry. He shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1970 with Julius Axelrod and Ulf von Euler...
were the first to propose that neurotransmitter release at synapses was quantal in nature. They also uncovered the mechanism underlying inhibitory synaptic transmission.
In a series of seminal papers in the early 70’s, Katz
Bernard Katz
Sir Bernard Katz, FRS was a German-born biophysicist, noted for his work on nerve biochemistry. He shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1970 with Julius Axelrod and Ulf von Euler...
and Ricardo Miledi
Ricardo Miledi
Ricardo Miledi is a Mexican neuroscientist who won the Royal Medal in 1998.In 1999 was awarded with the . In 2010 won the outstanding contributions to the field.He is a professor at the University of California, Irvine....
, described a statistical analysis of fluctuations they observed in the membrane potential at the frog neuromuscular junction, which were induced by acetylcholine
Acetylcholine
The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans...
. This approach, which became known as ‘noise analysis’, allowed the first measurement of the conductance and lifetime of single ACh receptor channels.
Katz’s work had a strong influence on another future Nobel Prize winner, Bert Sakmann
Bert Sakmann
-External links:*...
. He spent two years at UCL in Katz’s biophysics laboratory and it was here that he developed his interest in the molecular aspects of synaptic transmission.
He went on to directly measure singe ion channel
Ion channel
Ion channels are pore-forming proteins that help establish and control the small voltage gradient across the plasma membrane of cells by allowing the flow of ions down their electrochemical gradient. They are present in the membranes that surround all biological cells...
currents by developing the now ubiquitously used patch-clamp
Patch clamp
The patch clamp technique is a laboratory technique in electrophysiology that allows the study of single or multiple ion channels in cells. The technique can be applied to a wide variety of cells, but is especially useful in the study of excitable cells such as neurons, cardiomyocytes, muscle...
technique with Erwin Neher
Erwin Neher
Erwin Neher is a German biophysicist.Erwin Neher studied physics at the Technical University of Munich from 1963 to 1966. In 1966, He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the US...
. They shared the 1991 Prize in recognition of their work on the function of single ion channels
Neuroscience at UCL has long been a major cross-disciplinary endeavour. Indeed, JZ Young
John Zachary Young
John Zachary Young FRS , generally known as "JZ" or "JZY", was an English zoologist and neurophysiologist, described as "one of the most influential biologists of the 20th century .....
, Professor of Anatomy, 1945-74, discovered and was the first to investigate the squid giant axon
Squid giant axon
The squid giant axon is the very large axon that controls part of the water jet propulsion system in squid. It was discovered by English zoologist and neurophysiologist John Zachary Young in 1936...
. Young’s work on squid giant axons was utilized by Andrew Huxley
Andrew Huxley
Sir Andrew Fielding Huxley, OM, FRS is an English physiologist and biophysicist, who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his experimental and mathematical work with Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin on the basis of nerve action potentials, the electrical impulses that enable the activity...
and Alan Hodgkin
Alan Lloyd Hodgkin
Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin, OM, KBE, PRS was a British physiologist and biophysicist, who shared the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Andrew Huxley and John Eccles....
who in 1963 received the Nobel Prize for their work on the conduction of action potentials along nerve fibres
Hodgkin-Huxley model
The Hodgkin–Huxley model is a mathematical model that describes how action potentials in neurons are initiated and propagated....
. To achieve this, they developed a voltage-clamp technique to demonstrate that impulse transmission relied upon the selective permeablity of the nerve fibre membrane to particular ions. This ground-breaking advance laid the foundations for much of modern-day electrophysiology
Electrophysiology
Electrophysiology is the study of the electrical properties of biological cells and tissues. It involves measurements of voltage change or electric current on a wide variety of scales from single ion channel proteins to whole organs like the heart...
.
21st century
In June 2004 a team of researchers from the Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience at UCL published research in NatureNature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
describing how the human brain subconsciously remembers the details of past dangers. In December 2004 researchers from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience published research identifying the part of the human brain where unconscious fluid movements are stored. In 2005 Tania Singer
Tania Singer
Tania Singer is the director of the Department of Social Neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany...
and Professor Christopher Donald Frith
Chris Frith
Christopher Donald Frith is professor emeritus at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London and a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark...
of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and the Functional Imaging Laboratory published the results of a study using transcranial magnetic stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a noninvasive method to cause depolarization or hyperpolarization in the neurons of the brain...
which showed for the first time the role of sensorimotor components in empathy for pain in other people. In February 2006 a team from UCL led by Dr Leun Otten published research showing that it may be possible to predict how well the human brain will remember something before the event has even taken place.
In April 2006 a team from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience published research showing that individuals with a skill for learning other languages could have more "white brain matter
White matter
White matter is one of the two components of the central nervous system and consists mostly of myelinated axons. White matter tissue of the freshly cut brain appears pinkish white to the naked eye because myelin is composed largely of lipid tissue veined with capillaries. Its white color is due to...
" in a part of the brain which processes sound. In August 2006 a team led by Dr Emrah Duzel of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience published research showing that exposure to new experiences can boost the memory of the human brain. In January 2007 Professor van der Lely of the UCL Centre for Developmental Language Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience published details of a 10-minute screening test capable of identifying pre-school children who might be dyslexic
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
.
In June 2008 a team led by Dr Rebeccah Slater of UCL Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology published research showing that infants may be experiencing discomfort when their body movements, blood pressure and facial expressions show them to be pain free. In March 2009 a team led by Professor Eleanor Maguire of UCL published a study showing that it is possible read a person's spatial memories
Spatial memory
In cognitive psychology and neuroscience, spatial memory is the part of memory responsible for recording information about one's environment and its spatial orientation. For example, a person's spatial memory is required in order to navigate around a familiar city, just as a rat's spatial memory is...
by using a brain scanner to monitor the electrical activity of the brain. In December 2009 Professor Sophie Scott of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience conducted research into how the human voice works and interacts with the brain as part of BBC Radio 4's
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
Vox Project.
In March 2010 Stephanie Burnett of UCL published a study of attitudes to risk which showed that adolescents
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
are more excited when they have lucky escapes when playing video games than other age groups. In June 2010 academics from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience published research suggesting that humans have a distorted “mental map” of their hands, which stretches them in one direction and squashes them in the other. In September 2010 academics from the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Pompeu Fabra University
Pompeu Fabra University
Pompeu Fabra University is a university in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is widely considered to be one of the best universities in Spain and in Europe, and was ranked 1st in scientific productivity in Spain in 2009. Founded in 1990, it is named after the Catalan philologist Pompeu Fabra...
, ICREA
Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies
ICREA, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, is a foundation jointly promoted by the Catalan Government through its Ministry of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise, and the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation...
and the University of Barcelona
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. It is a member of the Coimbra Group, LERU, European University Association, Mediterranean Universities Union, International Research Universities Network and Vives Network...
published research identifying an area of the human brain which constructs a 'map' of the human body in space using a combination of tactile information from the skin and proprioceptive
Proprioception
Proprioception , from Latin proprius, meaning "one's own" and perception, is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement...
information about the position of the hands relative to the rest of the body.
Organisation
UCL Neuroscience is organised thematically across faculties at UCL but is principally part of the School of Life and Medical Sciences, which is subdivided into four faculties: the Faculty of Brain Sciences, the Faculty of Life Sciences, the Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Population Health Sciences.There are many inter-departmental and cross-faculty research groups and centres associated with UCL Neuroscience and PIs are also based in numerous other departments across UCL.
Research
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
) for neuroscience and behaviour by Thomson ISI Essential Science Indicators, with more than twice as many publications and citations as any other European institution. UCL Neuroscience generates over 30% of the UK’s contribution to the most highly cited publications in neuroscience, more than twice as much as any other university. In neuroimaging
Neuroimaging
Neuroimaging includes the use of various techniques to either directly or indirectly image the structure, function/pharmacology of the brain...
and clinical neurology, UCL produces 65% and 44% respectively of the UK's contribution to the world's most highly-cited papers. UCL Neuroscience raised over £312 million in research funding over the period 2005 to 2010.
For a complete list of neuroscience-related departments and institutes within the School of Life and Medical Sciences, please visit http://www.ucl.ac.uk/neuroscience/depts
Neuroscience-related departments outside the School of Life and Medical Sciences include:
- UCL Chemistry
- UCL Computer Science
- UCL Mathematics
- UCL Medical Physics and Bioengineering
- UCL Philosophy
Cross-cutting neuroscience centres:
- UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging
- Centre for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience
- UCL Centre for Human Communication
- UCL Centre for Medical Image Computing (CMIC)
- Deafness Cognition And Language Research Centre (DCAL)
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience
- UCL Institute of Movement Neuroscience
- London Centre for Nanotechnology
Many UCL Neuroscience researchers are also involved in the translational research at the three biomedical research centres at UCL and its associated hospitals:
- UCLH/UCL Comprehensive Biomedical Research CentreUCLH/UCL Comprehensive Biomedical Research CentreThe UCLH/UCL Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre is a biomedical research centre based in London, United Kingdom. It is a partnership between University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust , University College London and the National Institute for Health Research and is one of five...
- ICH/GOSH Specialist Biomedical Research Centre
- IOO/Moorfieids Specialist Biomedical Research Centre
See also
- UCL Faculty of Engineering SciencesUCL Faculty of Engineering SciencesThe UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences is one of the 10 constituent faculties of University College London . The Faculty, the UCL Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the UCL Faculty of the Built Envirornment together form the UCL School of the Built Environment, Engineering and...
- National Hospital for Neurology and NeurosurgeryNational Hospital for Neurology and NeurosurgeryThe National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery is a neurological hospital in London, United Kingdom and part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust...
- UCL PartnersUCL PartnersUCL Partners is an academic health science centre located in London, United Kingdom. It is the largest academic health science centre in Europe, treats more than 1.5 million patients each year, has an annual turnover of around £2 billion and includes around 3,500 scientists, senior researchers and...
- Francis Crick Institute