Neurons, synapses, and the instinct of survival
Francis Crick Medal and Lecture 2023 given by Professor Tiago Branco.
How do millions of connected neurons generate behaviour?
Professor Tiago Branco will discuss how his group is using mouse instinctive behaviours to answer this question. By recording and manipulating the activity of single neurons and their connections, the team is discovering the biological mechanisms behind instinctive decisions, such as when to escape from imminent threat. This work has uncovered molecular and cellular principles of how brains perform fundamental computations, laying important foundations for tackling psychiatric diseases.
The Award
The Francis Crick Medal and Lecture is awarded annually in any field in the biological sciences. Preference is given to genetics, molecular biology and neurobiology, the general areas in which Francis Crick worked, and to fundamental theoretical work, which was the hallmark of Crick’s science.
The lectureship was endowed by Sydney Brenner FRS in memory of Francis Crick FRS, the co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule. The first lecture was given in 2003. The medal is of bronze, is awarded annually and is accompanied by a gift of £2,000.
Attending the event
- The event is free to join
- Registration is recommended to attend in person otherwise availability cannot be guaranteed
- Live subtitles will be available in person and online
Attending in person
- This lecture can be attended in person at the Royal Society
- Doors will open to the public at 6pm
- Registration is recommended if attending in person, otherwise availability cannot be guaranteed
- Travel and accessibility information
Attending live online
- The lecture will also be livestreamed here and on the Royal Society YouTube channel
- You can take part in the live Q&A which will be available on this page
- This event will be recorded (including the live Q&A) and the recording will be available on YouTube soon after the event
Enquiries: contact the Events team.