2019 news

Groundbreaking research highlighted in Cell article

18th November 2019 - Groundbreaking research highlighted in cell article

Centre Director identifies a fundamental difference between human brains and those of other animals in ‘Plugging in to Human Memory: Advantages, Challenges, and Insights from Human Single-Neuron Recordings’.

Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga has identified a fundamental difference between human and animal brains. This breakthrough, published in the journal Cell on 14 November, offers an explanation for what makes Homo sapiens so vastly different from even our nearest relatives. It could be the key to understanding human intelligence.

Listen to an interview on BBC Radio Leicester (begins at 39:30).

Centre Director named a finalist in Discovering Excellence Awards

9th October 2019 - Centre named finalist in Discovering Excellence Awards

Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga has been named as a finalist in this year's Discovering Excellence Awards at the University of Leicester.

Yesterday the University of Leicester announced its shortlist for this year's Discovering Excellence awards. Rodrigo has been shortlisted for the Research Excellence Award.

Memory Castles video now available

19th September 2019 - Memory studies

New 360 VR video explores the faculty of human memory

In a new video, Rodrigo Quian Quiroga introduces a key question at the heart of memory studies: what does it mean to be made of one's memories, if memories are fragile and fleeting?

The video also demonstrates the VR technology that is being used in the Centre to simulate real-life situations during experiments.

BBSRC grant awarded

17th September 2019 - BBSRC grant

The Centre has recently been awarded a grant by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

This will fund an exciting three-year project entitled 'Memory formation in the human medial temporal lobe'.

Secretos guardados en la memoria

2nd September 2019 - Secretos guardados en la memoria

Centre Director delivers memory masterclass for Argentine TV.

Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga recently delivered a masterclass on memory for TV Publica in Argentina.

The episode is now available to via on YouTube.

'Akakhievitch revisited' published by Physics of Life Reviews

16th August 2019 - 'Akakhievitch revisited

'Akakhievitch revisited: Comment on ”The unreasonable effectiveness of small neural ensembles in high-dimensional brain” by Alexander N. Gorban et al.' by Rodrigo Quian Quiroga published by Physics of Life Reviews.

Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga's article, 'Akakhievitch revisited: Comment on ”The unreasonable effectiveness of small neural ensembles in high-dimensional brain” by Alexander N. Gorban et al.', has recently been published by Physics of Life Reviews.

Research on faces linked to 'concept cells'

7th June 2019 - 'Concept cells'

Nature article reveals how Doris Tsao's work on faces is related to the Centre's research on 'concept cells'.

Find out how Doris Tsao's work on faces is related to the Centre's research on 'concept cells' (otherwise known as the 'Jennifer Aniston neuron') in this new article in Nature.

Pint of Science comes to Leicester

23rd May 2019 - Pint of Science

Pint of Science series of talks on popular science comes to Leicester for the first time.

Last night an appreciative audience at Spirits Bar, Leicester, heard talks from three colleagues in the Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour.  The venue was packed for the final event of a three-night series brought to Leicester by the Pint of Science team.

Professor Quian Quiroga gave an engaging talk about the tricks our brains play on us - and the reasons why forgetting is just as important as remembering.

Centre Director elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

21st May 2019 - Academy of Medical Sciences

The Director of the Centre for Systems Neuroscience, Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

On 8 May it was announced that our Director, Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, had been elected to a prestigious Fellowship by the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Fellows are selected for their outstanding contributions to advancing medical science, cutting-edge research discoveries, and translating developments into benefits for patients and wider society.

On the Fellowship, Professor Quian Quiroga said: “I’m delighted to have been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and I very much look forward to joining this prestigious institution and taking part in its activities."

NeuroCienciaFicción: news and reviews

29th January 2019 - NeuroCienciaFicción

Rodrigo Quian Quiroga's book NeuroCienciaFicción is discussed in several new articles:

• La Nación: "La ciencia ficción, otro modo de entender lo que está ocurriendo."
• Estacion Libro: "El cine lo supo antes."

La ciencia ficción, otro modo de entender lo que está ocurriendo

15th January 2019 - La ciencia ficción, otro modo de entender lo que está ocurriendo

Another way of understanding. In this article, Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga examines what science fiction can tell us about our ability to interpret the world.

• La ciencia ficción, otro modo de entender lo que está ocurriendo

Why do some people remember more than others?

2nd January 2019 - selected articles 

In these articles, Rodrigo Quian Quiroga explains how memories are stored and why memory is selective.

• https://www.infosalus.com/salud-investigacion/noticia-tenemos-memoria-selectiva-algunas-personas-recuerdan-mas-otras-20181229075935.html
• http://www.elclarinete.com.mx/donde-se-almacenan-los-recuerdos-y-por-que-algunos-recuerdan-mas/