Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience

School-aged children with teacher performing science experiment

Through March, gifts to Ask Max will be matched 100% (up to $50k!), thanks to the generosity of Donald & Penny Pray & the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation.

Your support brings real scientists into local classrooms. Make a gift today: bit.ly/3OpqgG0

Sunposium attendees networking.

Today is the LAST CHANCE to register for Sunposium 2026! Join us in West Palm Beach, FL, March 9-11 for this innovative conference of global leaders in basic neuroscience. Learn more and register today: www.mpfi.org/events/sunpo...

What does a Bach masterpiece have to do with 86 billion neurons? At our February #ScienceMeetsMusic, Dr. Moritz Helmstaedter spoke on a journey from the intricate "cables" of the brain to the timeless Goldberg Variations. We explored how our synapses sculpt memories as we listen.

buff.ly/qJwgklv

Dr. Sarah Stern

Join us for Science Meets Music on March 24! Dr. Sarah Stern will discuss how the brain, hormones, and modern life shape eating habits.

Featuring musical selections by Arnaud Sussmann and the Palm Beach Chamber Music Society.

Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmmar26/

How is technology reshaping the future of care? Dr. David Fitzpatrick joined healthcare leaders at Invest: Palm Beach to discuss "The Future of Healthcare," where he highlighted how breakthrough tools like optogenetics and AI have their roots in neuroscience.
#Neuroscience #HealthcareInnovation

Shigeki Watanabe stands in the lobby of Max Planck Florida Institute next to a statue of Max Planck.

We were thrilled to have @watanabelab.bsky.social from Johns Hopkins University speak today at MPFI about his recent findings on axon morphology and their implications for function and plasticity. Thank you, Dr. Watanabe!

Dr. Helmstaedter holds a book while seated in front of a piano

Join us for a Science Meets Music concert, Feb. 11!

Dr. Moritz Helmstaedter, Dir. at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research & classical pianist, will discuss how the brain processes expectations & empowers music recall.

Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmfeb26/

Dr. Moritz Helmstaedter holds a book in front of a piano

Join us for a Science Meets Music concert on Feb. 11! Dr. Moritz Helmstaedter, Dir. at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research & classical pianist, will discuss how the brain processes expectations & empowers music recall.

Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmfeb26/

What a great talk today with Zixuan Deng from the University of Chicago! She shared her research on how our brains compute motion in natural scenes. It turns out our visual circuits work differently when we look at the real world compared to simple lab stimuli. Thank you for sharing your science!

Applications for our high school internship program are due soon! This program gives students the opportunity to accelerate their academic and scientific careers by working with MPFI researchers and technical experts. Don't miss out on this opportunity, visit buff.ly/J8NNheS to learn more & apply!

Eden Stell guitar duo

Join us for Science Meets Music, Jan. 28! Dr. Ivan De Araujo, Director at @mpicybernetics.bsky.social, will discuss how signals made in the GI tissue impact our psychological states. Classical guitar selections by the Eden Stell Guitar Duo. Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmjan26/

Thank you to Dr. Sang Jeong Kim for visiting today and for a wonderful seminar on his latest findings on cerebellar homeostatic plasticity. Want to learn more? Listen to Max Planck Florida's Neurotransmissions podcast episode Pain and Plasticity With Sang Jeong Kim buff.ly/d4wtSHZ

This event will be in-person, but a recording of the talk will be made available on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/mpfneuro

Dr. De Araujo leans on a railing and smiles

Join us for Science Meets Music, Jan. 28! Dr. Ivan De Araujo, Director at @mpicybernetics.bsky.social, will discuss how signals made in the GI tissue impact our psychological states. Classical guitar selections by the Eden Stell Guitar Duo. Register now: www.mpfi.org/smmjan26/

Applications are open for our 6-week paid summer internship program! High school students will get experience in research, mechanical engineering, or data science, working alongside MPFI researchers. New this year, we've added a coding for public engagement track! Learn more at buff.ly/QIgug8A

‼️ The deadline to submit your abstract for Sunposium is tomorrow‼️
Don't miss your chance to showcase your work, receive feedback, and network in West Palm Beach, Florida! 🌴☀️
buff.ly/UihPE5a

Scientists at MPFI have uncovered how the brain navigates without visual cues, identifying distinct ramping-based patterns of brain activity unique from well-described place-based coding. These patterns mark the start of movement and encode how far an animal has traveled. Learn more: buff.ly/P96KJMo

We had a fantastic talk today with @ZhenggangZhu on "The Dopamine Pedal"! He presented fascinating research on how our brains drive us to overeat. Thank you for the insightful presentation! #Neuroscience #Dopamine #BrainResearch

Congrats to Dr. Ilika Ghosh of MPFI’s Rangaraju Lab, who was selected to speak at #CellBio2025 and awarded an ASCB Travel Grant! Attending the meeting? Don’t miss her Dec 8 talk in the Compartmentalized Signaling in Neurons symposium.

We were thrilled to welcome Dr. Ashok Litwin-Kumar from Columbia University as part of our seminar series today and hear about his latest research on connectome-constrained neural networks.

The state of neuroscience in 2025: An overview The Transmitter presents a portrait of the field through four lenses: its focus, its output, its people and its funding.

In @thetransmitter.bsky.social's 2025 State of Neuroscience Report, @lintianphd.bsky.social shares her perspective on 3 three topics:
- Multidisciplinary research
- The future of training
- Impacts of funding cuts on neuroscience education

Explore her insights: bit.ly/4pPi3s9

Scientists have discovered that genetically eliminating Centaurin-α1, a specific brain protein previously associated with Alzheimer’s disease progression, can lessen many of the cognitive deficits and brain damage caused by the disease in mice. Learn more: buff.ly/Pc1kbEu

Integrator dynamics in the cortico-basal ganglia loop for flexible motor timing - Nature How the mouse frontal cortex and striatum interact to implement integrator dynamics controlling movement timing is explored.

Nature research paper: Integrator dynamics in the cortico-basal ganglia loop for flexible motor timing

go.nature.com/4oX2rmq

Application deadline approaching: December 1st
The International Max Planck Research School for Synapses and Circuits (IMPRS-SC) —a fully funded Neuroscience PhD program by MPFI and FAU- is seeking passionate trainees who want to push the boundaries of neuroscience.
Apply: buff.ly/6PIKoMp

Violin on yellow background, with text that reads: Science Meets Music 2026

Save the date for the free 2026 Science Meets Music concert/lecture series!

🎶 Jan. 28: “The Secret Pathways of Appetite, Immunity & Thought”
🎶 Feb. 11: “Bach & Brain”
🎶 March 24: “How the Brain, Hormones & Modern Life Shape Our Eating Habits”

Register now: bit.ly/4rjn1ir

Neuroscience 2025 logo

That’s a wrap on #SfN2025! Did you miss an MPFI session? Have questions about our programs? We’d love to hear from you.

Contact us today:
mpfi.org/institute/co...

How does the brain keep time? MPFI researcher Dr. Zidan Yang explains.

MPFI Scientists have discovered how two brain areas work together like an hourglass to flexibly control movement timing. Their findings are published in @nature.com today. buff.ly/rZI0MHV
Read the original publication here. buff.ly/63VJYQa

Maria Smirnova, The dose makes the signal: differential effects of IL-1 on adult hippocampal neurogenesis and its therapeutic potential. Carolyn Von-Walter, Increased excitatory drive to SSN neurons in lateral amygdala of NLGN3R451C mouse model of autism spectrum disorder.

Goksu Oz, A novel optogenetic inhibitor of PKC reveals the role of PKCa in PFC mediated cue association learning.

#SfN2025 attendees! Don't miss these Wednesday sessions:
⭐ Maria Smirnova, MSc
⭐ Carolyn Von-Walter
⭐ Goksu Oz

Neuroscience 2025 logo

#SfN2025 attendees: Curious about PhD options?

Visit MPFI at the SfN Graduate School Fair at Neuroscience 2025, Booth 81: Tuesday, Noon-2pm