Upcoming Meeting | EMBO Workshop Astrocytes: from molecules to systems Porto, Portugal | 12–16 April 2027 Explore astrocyte biology from molecular mechanisms to circuits & therapies. Apply & submit abstracts by 2 Nov 2026 https://meetings.embo.org/event/27-astrocytes #Astrocytes #NetworkGlia

GLIA 2027 | Scientific Programme Online! Join us 7–10 July 2027 in Bologna for 6 Plenary Lectures, 30 Symposia, 5 new Technical Symposia & more! Abstracts, registration & stipend applications open December 2026. https://www.glia-meeting.eu/2027/online-programme/ #GLIA2027

Spotlight on Emerging Talent Congrats to Lewis Depaauw-Holt (Université de Montréal), a #GLIA2025 stipend winner! His research shows how #astrocytes regulate stress responses in a sex-specific manner by shaping orexin neuron activity and behaviour. #NetworkGlia #Astrocytes

Spotlight on Emerging Talent Congrats to Melanie Loix (Hasselt University), a #GLIA2025 stipend winner! Her research identifies UBE3A as a driver of foamy macrophages, impaired remyelination, and faulty lipid metabolism in #MultipleSclerosis. #NetworkGlia

Research Spotlight How do oligodendrocytes protect myelin and axons? Izagirre-Urizar et al. identify MCT2 as a key regulator of white matter integrity. A ketogenic diet partially rescued MCT2 loss. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74488-w

Research Spotlight Can glial inflammation drive sleep disruption in Alzheimer's disease? Macheda et al. show that blocking glial cytokine release improves sleep and circadian rhythms in an AD mouse model, without altering amyloid levels. https://loom.ly/xA_XCSw #AlzheimersDisease #Neuroinflammation

Spotlight on Emerging Talent Congrats to Shreeya Kedia (Munich) - @shreeyakedia.bsky.social, a #GLIA2025 stipend winner! Her research reveals how CD8⁺ T cells drive #oligodendrocyte and myelin pathology in Alzheimer's disease through microglia. #Neuroimmunology

Research Spotlight How do physical cues shape #myelination? Lasli et al. developed a hydrogel-based micropillar platform that mimics axons, revealing how stiffness, diameter, and spacing regulate #oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin formation. https://loom.ly/3wOmA4s

Tunable hydrogel-based micropillar arrays for myelination studies - Nature Methods

To study myelination in vitro, a hydrogel-based micropillar array is used to mimic the stiffness and diameter of axons, with variations in these properties allowing evaluation of their influence. The platform can also be used to assess the effects of putative remyelination drugs.

nature.com

Spotlight on Emerging Talent Congrats to Connor Dufort (University of Pittsburgh), a #GLIA2025 stipend winner! His research shows how monocyte-derived macrophages protect the blood-brain barrier after stroke and identifies IL-33 as a potential therapeutic target. #NetworkGlia #Stroke

Glia in Focus 🔬 Astrocytic oxytocin receptors are changing how we think about oxytocin signalling. These images and calcium recordings show that astrocytic OTRs are functionally active and contribute to brain circuit function. Image by: Denis Clémence

Job Opportunity | PhD Position The Dimou Lab (Ulm University, Germany - www.uni-ulm.de/) is recruiting a fully funded PhD student to study myelin regeneration and brain aging using human iPSC-derived oligodendrocytes and snRNA-seq. Apply: leda.dimou@uni-ulm.de #NetworkGlia #PhD #Neuroscience

Meet our 4th Social Media Ambassador! Welcome Shirsha Nandi, an Erasmus+ trainee in the Moyon Lab (Marseille). Her research explores how rejuvenating aged #oligodendrocytes could promote CNS repair. As a Network Glia Ambassador, she will showcase glia research and support early-career researchers.

Job Opportunity The Pedicone Lab (IRCCS Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy) is recruiting 2 postdocs to study #microglia in neurodegenerative disease using human iPSC models and multi-omic approaches. Info: chiara.pedicone@aomliguria.it #NetworkGlia #Postdoc #Glia

FENSGlia may be over, but there's plenty more ahead! The international #glia community keeps growing, with exciting meetings across Europe in the coming months—from the 1st Polish Glia Meeting to the European Glial Meeting 2027 in Bologna. Find them all here: https://www.networkglia.eu/calendar/

FENSGlia – Building the International Glia Community A great start to #FENS2026! Thanks to everyone who joined our joint FENS satellite meeting. Next: visit us at Booth 158, enter the raffle (Wed, 14:00 deadline), and join the #FENSGlia Social on Wednesday at 20:00.

Beautiful location for the @gliameeting.bsky.social #FENSGLIA satellite event! Some great Glia talks 🤩🤩 #FENS

FENSGlia – Building the International Glia Community We end today's series by bringing the community together! Join us for the #FENSGlia Social Evening on Wed, 8 July, 20:00 at Plaça d'Osca, Barcelona. Wear your GLIA sticker from Booth 158 to spot fellow gliologists. See you there! #FENS2026

FENSGlia – Building the International Glia Community Visit the Network Glia | Joint Booth (158) at #FENS2026 and meet our growing glia network community. Learn about us, connect with colleagues, and enter our raffle! Closes Wed 14:00; prizes awarded at the booth (attendance required). #FENSGlia

FENSGlia – Building the International Glia Community Only 3 days to go until our joint FENS satellite meeting! Keynotes by Gertrudis Perea, Amit Agarwal & Andrea Volterra, plus outstanding talks by Early Career Researchers. www.networkglia.eu/activities/ #FENS2026 #FENSGlia #GliologistsTogether

Last week we highlighted the 42 glia-focused talks at #FENS2026. But that's only part of the story! More than 400 posters showcase the breadth of glia research. Thanks to Isabelle Arnoux, we've compiled them into one slideshow. #FENSGlia #NetworkGlia #GliologistsTogether

GLIA 2025 Stipend Series Yasser Medlej (Homburg, Germany) studies #RadialGlia in the turtle brain to uncover how glial diversity evolved. Combining imaging, molecular profiling, and electrophysiology, he reveals distinct radial glial subtypes with features reminiscent of mammalian #astrocytes.

Spotlight Silva et al. show that #microglial cathepsin B is essential for clearing dying neurons during #BrainDevelopment. Loss of cathepsin B disrupts efferocytosis, impairs neural circuit formation, and alters behaviour in zebrafish and mice. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-70350-1

Microglial cathepsin B is necessary for neuronal efferocytosis in zebrafish and mice during brain development - Nature Communications

Microglia, the brain’s immune cells, are important for neuronal phagocytosis during brain development. Here the authors show that microglial lysosomal protease cathepsin B is required for efficient neuronal efferocytosis during brain development.

nature.com

Glial cells are increasingly taking centre stage in neuroscience. At #FENS2026, 42 talks focus on astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and their roles in brain function and disease. Thanks to Isabelle Arnoux for compiling all glia-related sessions. #FENSGlia

Research Spotlight Sasmita et al. show that #oligodendrocytes are a source of amyloid-β in #Alzheimers disease. Blocking Aβ production in oligodendrocytes reduced plaque burden by ~30%, highlighting #glia as drivers of pathology and therapeutic targets. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39103558/

Oligodendrocytes produce amyloid-β and contribute to plaque formation alongside neurons in Alzheimer's disease model mice - PubMed

Amyloid-β (Aβ) is thought to be neuronally derived in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, transcripts of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloidogenic enzymes are equally abundant in oligodendrocytes (OLs). By cell-type-specific deletion of Bace1 in a humanized knock-in AD model, APP^NLGF …

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

GLIA 2025 Stipend Series Marie-France Dorion (Jette, Belgium) Marie-France develops humanized mouse models to study human border-associated macrophages (BAMs). Her work enables the generation of human BAM-like cells in vivo, providing new tools for neuroimmunology research. #NetworkGlia #BAMs

The programme for our FENS 2026 Satellite Event (5 July, Barcelona) is now complete. Keynotes by Gertrudis Perea, Amit Agarwal & Andrea Volterra, plus 11 talks by Early Career Researchers. Programme & registration: https://www.networkglia.eu/activities/

GLIA 2025 Stipend Series Kiarash Shamardani (Stanford University, USA) Kiarash uses in vivo imaging to study how neuron-glioma circuits evolve in pediatric brain tumors. His work reveals increasing neuron-glioma coactivity and circuit remodeling that may drive tumor growth. #GliomaResearch

Research Spotlight Villani et al. introduce HuZIBRA, a human-zebrafish model to study human #microglia in vivo. The study reveals conserved gastrosome-mediated processing of dying neurons and highlights a powerful new tool for microglia research. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-09948-6

GLIA 2027 is taking shape! Last week, the Programme Committee, chaired by Bruno Weber, selected the top symposia, technical symposia, and plenary speakers for #Bologna. Thank you to all involved. Notifications will be sent in the coming days. #GLIA2027 #Glia

Glia in Focus Cortical microglia (white), nuclei (blue), and amyloid-β plaques (red) in a female 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Image by @Matteo Ceccon (Charité Berlin), studying gut microbiota–microglia interactions in Alzheimer's disease. #Glia #Microglia #Alzheimers