Marco Ferrari passes his PhD viva
17 December 2025
Congratulations Marco!
Welcoming a new lab member
29 September 2025
Nicole Byron joins as the lab as a Research Associate. Read more about Nicole's research project on her professional webpage.
Lab attends Connectome 2025
8-10 December 2025
The Brancaccio lab attended the annual UK DRI conference in Manchester for three days of scientific talks, networking, and a Winter Wonderland social to catch up with colleagues.
Read more about the event on the UK DRI website.
Natalie Ness passes her PhD viva
10 January 2025
Natalie successfully defended her viva and the lab enjoyed celebrations with internal examiner Prof Steve Gentleman and external examiner Prof Robert Lucas (and alumni lab members!). Congratulations Natalie!
Research from the Brancaccio lab featured on Heliox Podcast
1 January 2025
The podcast discusses Natalie Ness's work exploring the role of astrocytes and their production of GABA in orchestrating our internal clocks.
New study published in EMBO Journal
2 December 2024
New research paper has uncovered a ‘chemical metronome’ in the brain, which helps to synchronise the master clock telling us when it’s time to sleep.
"While this work is at an early stage and there is much still to explore, we hope our discovery will help us to better understand how the brain keeps time and how astrocytes work together with neurons to influence mammalian behaviour. It could potentially lead to new ways to treat disrupted circadian rhythms in insomnia, and even help to slow the onset of dementia." Dr Marco Brancaccio
Aina Badia Soteras awarded UK DRI Pilot Funding
17 October 2024
Aina received the award for her project titled 'Targeting broken clocks in Alzheimer's disease' as one of 20 projects funded in the sixth and seventh round of UK DRI Pilot Awards Programme. The initiative is designed to encourage UK DRI early career researchers (ECRs) to take steps towards independence, whilst pursuing new and innovative avenues of research.
Welcoming a new lab member
5 September 2024
Jamie Malcolm joins the Brancaccio lab, embarking on a PhD. Read more about Jamie's project.
The lab receives recognition at SRBR 2024
18-22 May 2024
The biennial Society for Research on Biological Rhythms conference was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in May 2024. Established in 1986, the meeting brings together experts in sleep and circadian biology from around the world.
We are delighted to share that Natalie and Marco were both recognised for their outstanding contributions as early-career researchers as part of the SRBR 2024 honours list. Natalie received the Excellence Prize, while Marco Ferrari was awarded a Merit Prize.
Congratulations to Natalie and Marco on these well-deserved achievements!
Welcoming a new lab member
18 April 2024
Nataliia Katolikova joins the lab as a Research Associate.
Brancaccio Lab receives funding as part of major donation to accelerate Alzheimer's disease research
10 October 2022
Michael Uren Foundation gives generous £7.5 million gift to advance dementia research at the UK DRI. The Brancaccio received funding for project titled 'Treating dementia by boosting daily clearance of toxic brain waste' - one of four experimental research projects established from the award.
Welcoming a new lab member
10 October 2022
Aina Badia Soteras joins the lab as a Research Associate. Aina brings extensive expertise in astrocyte-neuron interactions, in vivo cognitive testing, live imaging, molecular techniques, and proteomics. Read more about Aina's project on her professional webpage.
Marieke wins the 'Amicitia Excellence Prize'
13/05/2021
Congratulations to Marieke Hoestra who has won the ‘Amicitia Excellence Prize’ in recognition of outstanding scientific research in all areas of neuroscience. Its aim is to support graduates from the neuroscience doctoral programs in the Lemanic area who are continuing their scientific career in an international academic institution
New Team Member
9/11/2020
Welcome to Natalie Ness, joining our lab on a prestigious Imperial College President PhD Scholarship!
A conversation with Dr Marieke Hoekstra
16/10/2020
Interviewed by PhD student Xiaoqi Zhu. Read the full interview here!
New team members
12/10/2020
Welcome to Jerusaa and Jinglin. Students in Experimental neuroscience starting their projects in the lab!
Connectome 2020
10/10/2020
Looking forward to co-chairing the UK DRI Connectome 2020!
Funding
1/9/2020
Congratulations to Anne for being awarded a Small pumping grant from Alzheimer’s Research Network at Imperial College for her project: “Investigating how astrocytic synaptogenic factors shape synaptic integrity in the adult suprachiasmatic nucleus in a mouse AD model”
1/9/2020
Congratulations to Marco for being awarded a Small equipment grant from Alzheimer’s Research Network at Imperial College to purchase a peristaltic pump for immunohistochemistry studies
Swiss Mobility Fellowship
20/08/2019
Congratulations to Marieke for being awarded the Swiss Mobility Fellowship! Find out more here
Il Piccolo Newspaper Interview
13/11/2018
Marco is interviewed by the 'Il Piccolo' newspaper. See te full article here
Alumnus Talk at SISSA
08/10/2018
Marco gives an alumnus lecture at SISSA. Read More about the event here.
Brexit Scientist Mobility Talks
19/06/2018
Marco at the British Parliament Brexit and Science Mobility Talks. Read More about the event here
General enquiries
For any enquiries about our lab, please contact:
Dr Marco Brancaccio
m.brancaccio@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7594 7907