“I was a psychedelic teenager. Then, at 18, I had a bad trip with LSD, and became very paranoid”, explained Jules Evans to his audience at the event that took place at Champalimaud Foundation, at the beginning of the month, under the title “Psychedelic Therapy: From Evidence to Equity”. Today, Evans is the founder and Director of the Challenging Psychedelic Experiences Project, the leading resource for post-psychedelic difficulties and what helps people recover from them.

Whether reminiscing about the past, planning the future, or daydreaming at work, how does the brain pull off this everyday act of detachment from the here and now?

Even though he still contemplates the universe with awe – and confesses that one of his favourite podcasts is Sean Carroll’s Mindscape – his curiosity for systems engineering, robotics, and electronics unexpectedly steered him towards neuroscience. 

Juan Alvaro Gallego, an Associate Professor at Imperial College London, has very recently joined the Champalimaud Foundation’s new Centre for Restorative Neuroscience, is set to continue exploring how the brain controls movement, blending fundamental research with cutting-edge technologies.

It’s easy to read emotions on people’s faces — each one has its clear, unmistakable signature. But what about thoughts? A study published in Nature Neuroscience shows that mice’s problem-solving strategies can be deciphered from subtle facial movements. According to the authors, this is a proof of concept that the contents of the mind can be read out from video recordings, potentially offering powerful new research and diagnostic tools.   

Blending in-depth lectures with guided laboratory sessions, the workshop offered a dynamic introduction to core molecular biology techniques. Participants engaged directly with methods such as RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, PCR, restriction enzyme digestion, electrophoresis, plasmid DNA isolation, sequence analysis, and experimental design for cloning projects.

By combining expert instruction with hands-on practice, the programme not only reinforced fundamental concepts but also fostered confidence in applying these tools to real-world research challenges.

Nicole explores how moving away from the “domino-chain” view of the brain toward seeing it as a complex dynamical system – full of feedback loops and interactions – is opening doors to exciting new discoveries. They talk about the challenges of measuring brain disorders, why fundamental research is so essential, and how predicting salmon populations can help predict seizures in the brain.

“The spinal cord isn’t just a passive relay station executing brain commands”, says Susana Lima, Principal Investigator of CF’s Neuroethology Lab and senior author of the study. “It integrates sensory inputs, responds to arousal, and adjusts its output based on the animal’s internal state. It’s much more sophisticated than we imagined”.

Postdoctoral researchers do much more than develop research projects. They are key members of our labs, mentoring colleagues, communicating findings, and helping secure funding, making vital contributions both to scientific advances and the broader functioning of the research community.

#PostdocAppreciationWeek, celebrated internationally, recognises the talent, dedication, and achievements of postdoctoral researchers worldwide. It’s a time to celebrate their hard work, highlight their impact, and thank them for their invaluable contributions to the scientific community.

Nicole asks a provocative question: what if treating brain disorders is less like replacing a broken part in a machine, and more like trying to redirect a hurricane? Nicole argues that only by embracing the brain as a complex adaptive system can we hope to make real progress.

ERC Starting Grants are among Europe’s most competitive research awards. They are designed to support promising early-career researchers with the potential to transform their fields, providing the resources needed to establish independent teams and pursue ambitious research programmes.

For 2025, the ERC Scientific Council earmarked a budget of €761 million to support 478 Starting Grants across disciplines. In the Life Sciences alone, 137 proposals were selected for funding from a total of 1099 applications.