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Zoltan Molnar

@zoltan-molnar.bsky.social

Professor of Developmental Neuroscience and Tutor of Human Anatomy, University of Oxford, UK

66 Posts794 Follower 27 Folgt

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 2w ago

Oxford–Tokyo collaboration has revealed the molecular diversity of embryonic subplate neurons in mouse. Using microarrays, single-cell RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics, we identified distinct populations and key markers of early cortical development. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 4w ago

www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/div...

Diverse autism genes derail common developmental pathways

Multiple genetic mouse models initially show delayed cortical development, but their molecular trajectories soon diverge, a new study finds.

thetransmitter.org

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 4w ago

SPECIAL SEMINAR: Professor Anthony Hannan (University of Melbourne) Gene-environment interactions modulating brain function within and between generations Tuesday, 21 July 2026, 4pm to 5pm Sherrington Library Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics, OXFORD events.ox.ac.uk/oxford_event...

Cajal Club @cajalclub.bsky.social · last mo.

The Cajal Club was pleased to recognize Professor Zoltán Molnár (University of Oxford) as the 2026 recipient of the Pinckney J. Harman Memorial Lecture during the Cortical Evolution Conference in Bilbao, Spain. #cajal #evolution #cerebralcortex @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 2mo ago

"A Preconceptional Stress Model Identifies Thalamostriatal Substrates of Intergenerational Vulnerability" Anthony C. Vernon PhD Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology King's College London 11am - Friday, 3rd July 2026 Florence Buchanan Lecture Theatre-Sherrington Building, DPAG, Univ of Oxford

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 2mo ago

HISTORY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES SEMINAR: NEELY SWANSON - Literal or Sense for Sense: Problems with translating Cajal & LARRY SWANSON - A short history of connectomics from Willis to Cajal and beyond events.ox.ac.uk/oxford_event... Monday, 22 June, 4-5.30pm DPAG; Sherrington Library, Univ of Oxford

DPAG History of Medical Sciences Seminar: 'Literal or Sense for Sense: Problems with translating Cajal' and 'A short history of connectomics from Willis to Cajal and beyond'
https://events.ox.ac.uk/.../54418190-1064-f111-ab0d...
Monday, 22 June 2026, 4pm to 5.30pm
NEELY SWANSON
Title: Literal or Sense for Sense: Problems with translating Cajal
Abstract: The shorter works of Ramón y Cajal had been translated in the past, but it was the advent of the personal computer that facilitated the translation of his major work. Previous works had been translated literally, making them accurate but sterile. This was not what Cajal himself intended and Swanson and Swanson took a different approach in their three translations: “New Ideas on the Structure of the Nervous System in Man and Vertebrates,” “Histology of the Nervous System in Man and Vertebrates” and finally, “Advice for a Young Investigator.”
LARRY SWANSON
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Title: A short history of connectomics from Willis to Cajal and beyond
Abstract: Attempts to provide a global model of brain structure-function organization date back over 1500 years. Major conceptual advances by Vesalius, Willis, Cajal and others will be reviewed, and the latest approach based on connectomics will be introduced. This systematic strategy is based on adjacency matrices (connectomes), graph theory, and cluster analysis.
Speaker(s): Professor Larry Swanson (University of Southern California), Neely Swanson
Venue: Sherrington Building - Sherrington Library - Sherrington Library Sherrington Building off Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT United Kingdom
Department: Physiology Anatomy and Genetics (Department)
Host: Professor Zoltán Molnár, Professor Randy Bruno, Associate Professor Kerry Walker and Professor David Paterson See less

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 2mo ago

National Undergraduate and Graduate Neuroanatomy Competition (natneurocomp.com) took place last Saturday at Glasgow. Half of all distinctions (5 out of 10) were awarded to Oxford Zain Ali; Wai Fu; Ziad Elderini; Divya Ganesh; Natasha Wheeler. We are very proud of them and all the participants.

National Undergraduate and Graduate Neuroanatomy Competition (https://natneurocomp.com) took place last Saturday (30th May 2026) at University of Glasgow.
We had the largest number of entries from University of Oxford this years (see the enthusiastic group of students on the pictures taken at St John’s on the preparatory session and at Glasgow on Saturday.

Half of all distinctions (5 out of 10) at the 2026 National Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Competition were awarded to Oxford medical students.
Zain Ali SEH;
Wai Fu MER;
Ziad Elderini WORC;
Divya Ganesh WORC;
Natasha Wheeler MAGD
We are very proud of them and all the participants. We say thanks to Kush Kale, Dr Sharmila Rajendran (Departmental Lecturer in Anatomy) for the preparatory sessions and we are grateful to all the Demonstrators and Prospectors who participated in the practical teaching of this year’s cohort during the academic year. More on Oxford Neuroanatomy teaching: https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.24405

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Congratulations to Florina Szabó whose paper doi.org/10.1111/joa.... has been recognised as a top viewed article in: The Journal of Anatomy between January 1 , 2024 - December 31, 2024, view count taken at 12 months after publication.

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 3mo ago

There are transient interactions between cellular elements in the developing brain. Proteomic data generation is now essential for ligand–receptor pair prediction & validation. We examined brain regions, of a single human 20GW brain from @HDBR, Univ Newcastle. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

A posttranslational proteomic survey of a single anatomically preserved human 20‐week postconception brain

A well-preserved 20 post-conception week human brain was obtained and finely dissected into 18 anatomically distinct regions, including the pia mater. Each region underwent in-depth proteomic analysi...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 3mo ago

AZ AGY FEJLŐDÉSE: A KEZDETEKTŐL A GONDOLKODÁSIG 2026. május 20. (szerda) 13:00 óra Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Székház, Díszterem THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BRAIN: FROM BEGINNINGS TO THOUGHT Time: Wed, 20 May 2026, 1 p.m. Venue: Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Ceremony Hall 1051 Budapest, Széchenyi tér 9

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Hexalaminar structure is a fundamental feature of the cerebral cortex. In primates Layer 5 has historically been subdivided into two laminae, but now we found three clearly defined sub-laminae in V1 in historic archive material that we denoted as 5Aα, 5Aβ and 5B. (doi.org/10.1111/joa....).

Lamination is a fundamental principle in the mammalian cerebral cortex. Historically, the cortex has been divided into 6 basic layers, but there are many sublayers are apparent within these layers, especially in the primate brains. In primates Layer 5 has historically been subdivided into two laminae, layers 5A and 5B. We have examined the lamination pattern of primary visual cortex (V1) in historic material from the McBrain Resource Centre of Yale University (https://medicine.yale.edu/neuroscience/macbrain/; https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.70137) and have found that layer 5 can consistently be subdivided into three clearly defined laminae that we denoted as 5Aα, 5Aβ and 5B. This trilaminar arrangement within layer 5 is prominent around V1 of the opercular occipital cortex, representing central visual field, but less prominent or absent around the cortex overlying the calcarine fissure where V1 represents peripheral and far peripheral visual fields. We show that in the bilaterally enucleated macaque a similar pattern is present. This supports the concept that the geniculo-cortical input and the developing occipital and calcarine regions do not require visual experience to form the unique laminated structure of V1. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.70137 The paper is part of the special edition of Journal of Anatomy associated to the Human Brain Development special issue.

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 4mo ago

ART AND LEGACY OF SANTIAGO RAMON y CAJAL Organised by the Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK, sponsored by @oxforddpag.bsky.social, @stjohnsox.bsky.social Launch: Wednesday 29th April from 3:50. Register here: www.tickettailor.com/events/oxfor... Lecture theatre 1, Lower ground floor LaMB

Launch of the art and legacy of Santiago Ramon Cajal
Wed 29 Apr 2026 3:50 PM - 6:45 PM
Life and Mind Building, OX1 3EL
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The art and legacy of Santiago Ramon Cajal

An exhibition of the fascinating artwork of Cajal. Organised by the Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK (SRUK)

Launch: Wednesday 29th April.

Talks: Lecture theatre 1, Lower ground floor LaMB

3.50 Welcome from Professor Matthew Rushworth, Head of the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford

4.00 – 4.30 Dr Patricia Garcia Jareño, Director of Neuroscience Committee, Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK

5.00 – 5.30 – "Cajal, the man, the myth, the scientist... and more" Professor José Ramón Alonso, University of Salamanca

5.30 – 6.00 – "Cajal's interactions with Sherrington"Professor Zoltán Molnár, University of Oxford

6.00 – 6.45 Drinks reception – Ground floor LaMB

Location
Life and Mind Building, OX1 3EL

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 4mo ago

36TH CAMBRIDGE NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR AT QEENS' COLLEGE - CNS2026 “CONNECTIONS AND NETWORKS ACROSS SCALES, SPECIES AND TIME” @camneuro.bsky.social prepared an excellent programme featuring 11 talks from Cambridge, 2 talks from NeuroWorks fellows, and 2 plenary lectures neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/.../.

CNS2026 PROGRAMME

Cambridge Neuroscience prepared an excellent programme featuring 11 talks from Cambridge neuroscientists, 2 talks from Cambridge NeuroWorks fellows, and 2 plenary lectures from external, guest speakers: Professor Sophie Scott (Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London), and Professor Zoltán Molnár (Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford).

In addition to the talks, there was a poster session, a trade exhibition, an Early Career Data Blitz session, a drinks reception, and a conference dinner at the beautiful Old Hall at Queens’ College.

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 4mo ago

A plaque appeared on the wall of our department to remember the work of Sir John Eccles (1903-1997). The first excitatory postsynaptic potential recording was performed in the laboratory of Eccles in the University of Otago, Dunedin and an example was gifted to me by Professor Phil Sheard in 2014.

One of the first excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) recording from Sir John Eccles’ Laboratory from the University of Otago, Dunedin from 08/02/1951. The EPSP was recorded on a glass plate and was gifted to Professor Zoltán Molnár by Professor Phil Sheard after his seminar at University of Otago in December 2014. Professor Molnár donated the plate to DPAG on the celebrations of Sir John Eccles in 2026. Historic background from Stuart and Brownstone (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2011.06.007):
Intracellular (IC) recording from vertebrate neurons in the CNS was first achieved by John Eccles [1903–1997] and two younger colleagues (Lawrence Brock [1923–1996]; John Coombs [1917–1993] in Dunedin, NZL (Brock et al., 1951, Brock et al., 1952a, Brock et al., 1952b) and by J. Walter Woodbury [1923-] and Harry Patton [1918–2002] in Seattle, WA, USA (Woodbury and Patton, 1952a, Woodbury and Patton, 1952b).
Both groups began their experiments within a few weeks of each other in May–June 1951 and it has become conventional to consider them the co-pioneers of IC-recording in the CNS. This custom probably began after the June 1952 Cold Spring Harbor (NY, USA) Symposium “The Neuron”, where there were presentations from both groups. Woodbury presented the Woodbury and Patton (1952b) results, which included IC recording from spinal myelinated nerve axons, interneurons (INs) and MNs.
Woodbury's talk was preceded by that of Eccles (1952), who presented an IC recording of a MN action potential (AP), and a model of the MN's resting potential (RP), excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP), and inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP), as based on the results of Brock et al., 1952a, Brock et al., 1952b. This talk and later Eccles' articles exploited the classic results of Alan Hodgkin [1914–1998] and Andrew Huxley [1917–] on the sodium and potassium currents mediating the RP and AP of the giant axons of the squid Loliga (Hodgkin and Huxley, 1952, Hodgkin et al., 1952).
At first…

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 4mo ago

7th Japan-UK Neuroscience Symposium held in Cambridge at Christ’s College. We thank AMED and the MRC for their support in making this meeting possible. Thanks goes to the organisers: Kevin Fox, Gaynor Smith, Jemeen Sreedharan, Kei Cho, Kenji Doya, Mayu Takahashi, Tom Macpherson.

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Brain Awareness Week at Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland 9-12 March 2026 @BrainAwarenessWeek2026

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Molnar Lab profile in the latest issue of The Biologist

OxfordDPAG@oxforddpag.bsky.social · 5mo ago

The Royal Society of Biology's journal The Biologist has published a profile on the Molnár Lab in the latest issue. @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social biologist.rsb.org.uk/zoltan_molna...

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Teams from DPAG and Chemistry at @ox.ac.uk engineered 3D constructs containing human neuronal progenitor cells cultured either alone or together with mouse astrocytes. Co-cultures performed much better advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... @martinschool.bsky.social

Collaborating teams from @Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and @Department of Chemistry at University of Oxford engineered 3D microfluidic constructs containing human neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) cultured either alone or together with mouse astrocytes.
The results were striking. Compared to NPCs alone, co-cultures exhibited:
Enhanced neuronal maturation
Increased cell viability and density
Reduced lesion size after implantation
Greater axonal outgrowth
Improved astrocyte coupling to blood vessels within the graft.
High-resolution deconvolved microscopy confirmed the presence of synapses within the implants, while optogenetic experiments demonstrated functional connections between host brain tissue and the transplanted constructs.
Both NPC-only and co-culture grafts increased astrocyte size, but co-cultures demonstrated superior structural and functional outcomes overall, underscoring the importance of astrocyte–neuron interactions from the outset.
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/.../advs.202507423
The research was done with support from the Oxford Martin School- https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/brain-repair Oxford Martin School
More details: https://www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/.../study-reveals-unexpected...

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Brain Growth Patterns Predict 2-Year Neurodevelopment bioengineer.org/brain-growth... Growth of fetal brain with long-term neurodevelopmental validation provides insights into in utero brain maturation and their predictive relationship with postnatal neurological function. doi.org/10.1038/s414...

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 6mo ago

A long-neglected layer of cells at the very bottom of the cerebral cortex may directs and sustains attention according to Matthew Larkum, Tim Zolnik and Britta Eickholt from Berlin, and Zoltán Molnár from Oxford @einsteinberlin.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.ne... www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/long-ov...

Berlin and Oxford collaborative researchers funded by Einstein Foundation propose a new circuit theory linking a little-known cortical layer to attention and brain disorders. A long-neglected layer of cells at the very bottom of the cerebral cortex may play a central role in how the brain directs and sustains attention, according to a new paper published in Neuron. In a Perspective article, Matthew Larkum from Humboldt University of Berlin, Tim Zolnik and Britta Eickholt from the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Zoltán Molnár from University of Oxford, propose that layer 6b, a thin band of neurons once thought to be merely a developmental remnant, acts as a powerful controller of attention-related brain activity. Layer 6b is the adult descendant of the subplate, a transient structure that plays a crucial role during early brain development. Although subplate neurons are essential for wiring the cortex in infancy, their surviving counterparts in the adult brain have largely been ignored. The new work argues that this assumption is no longer tenable and suggests that these neurons are ideally positioned to control some of the brain’s most important circuits—those involved in attention, arousal, and awareness. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2025.11.024

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Orexin/hypocretin knockout impairs mouse visual perception, processing and plasticity, and disrupts development of the cortical subplate Dr Cornelia Schöne (University of Göttingen) 26 February 2026, 16:00. DPAG Sherrington Building Florence Buchanan Lecture Theatre talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/b43...

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 6mo ago

CORTICAL EVOLUTION CONFERENCE June 15-17, 2026 Organizers: Verónica Martínez Cerdeño, Fernando García Moreno, Elena Vecino, and Stephen Noctor. ventricular.org/corticalevol...

CORTICAL EVOLUTION CONFERENCE
June 15-17, 2026
Organizers: Verónica Martínez Cerdeño, Fernando García Moreno, Elena Vecino, and Stephen Noctor.
https://ventricular.org/corticalevolution26/
Topic: The Cortical Evolution symposium will promote the dissemination of novel ideas and concepts to shed light on evolution of the mammalian cerebral cortex. The goal of this conference is to further our understanding of factors involved in cortical evolution that are relevant for human brain function under normal and pathological conditions. Experts from prestigious research universities in the Americas, Europe, and Africa will present their most recent findings at the meeting. 150 faculty, students, and interested parties are expected. Attendees will have the opportunity to present their work in poster format, and six abstract submissions will be selected for a short oral presentation. The meeting will be organized into topical 5 sessions:

Cortical Development
Cortical Evolution
Evolution of Cellular Types
Evolution of Cortex and Behavior
Paleoanthropology

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Title: Physiology of orexin: from nutrient sensing to decision making 📅 Date: 19 January 🕓 Time: 16:00-17:00 📍 Location: Biochemistry Department, DCHB, 20-026, Seminar Room 1 The event is open to all and should be of interest to anyone working in or curious about neuroscience.

Title: Physiology of orexin: from nutrient sensing to decision making
Orexins are neuropeptides that play a key role in regulating wakefulness, arousal, and motivation. In this talk, Prof. Burdakov will draw on over 20 years of work from his lab to discuss how orexin neurons integrate signals about brain activity and the body’s energy state, and how this information is used to orchestrate real-time arousal and influence fundamental behavioural decisions, such as whether to engage in voluntary exercise.
The talk will briefly review key discoveries in the field before focusing on several recent studies that provide new insights into orexin function.
Event details:
📅 Date: 19 January
🕓 Time: 16:00-17:00
📍 Location: Biochemistry Department, DCHB, 20-026, Seminar Room 1
The event is open to all and should be of interest to anyone working in or curious about neuroscience, physiology, and decision making.

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 8mo ago

NeuroecologyLab@neuroecologylab.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Paper alert! Jasper Hunt’s DPhil project w @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social, @swarringtonmri.bsky.social, @saadjbabdi.bsky.social, @mristam.bsky.social @oxcin.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/cerc...

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 8mo ago

EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEURONAL CIRCUITS @Lauraandreae, @justuskebschull.bsky.social, @tonyzador.bsky.social Hard copy is out on the collection of articles on how brains are built, diversified, and adapted. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41184133/ with KennethKwan pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38167425/

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Professor László Acsády's Neuroscience Seminar 4pm-5pm, Tuesday 13th January at Florence Buchanan Lecture Theatre, DPAG. Hungarian Research Network - Institute of Experimental Medicine Axo-spinous communication between the cortex and thalamus talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/73f...

Professor László Acsády's Neuroscience Seminar 4pm-5pm, Tuesday 13th January at Florence Buchanan Lecture Theatre

Thalamus Research Group; Hungarian Research Network - Institute of Experimental Medicine
Szigony st 43., Budapest, Hungary, H-1083

Seminar Title:
Axo-spinous communication between the cortex and thalamus

Absract:
Spines are ubiquitous morpho-functional elements of excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity in the neocortex. Whether functional spines are also present in the thalamus is currently unclear. Here I demonstrate that layer 5 cortico-thalamic terminals arising from several frontal cortical regions preferentially target functional spines in the thalamus via variable and complex synapses. These axo-spinous L5-thalamic connections are surprisingly powerful, able to selectively recruit a subset of thalamic neuron and are involved in motor learning.

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Neonatal hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Cortical subplate neurons transiently secrete a brain specific protein, neuroserpin. We now show that exogenous neuroserpin is protective agains mild neonatal HIE (doi.org/10.3390/cell...).

Neonatal hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) remains a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide, with therapeutic hypothermia being the only clinically approved treatment. Cortical subplate neurons have transient secretory function during development and one of the protein they secrete in mouse and human is neuroserpin encoded by the serpini1 gene (https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2015.00100; https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12931). We proposed that subplate might influence cortical circuit formation through a transient secretory function.
We have previously demonstrated that exogeneous neuroserpin is protective agains ER stress and hypoxia/ischaemia in adult (DOI: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-00044). Recent work from Onoda et al. suggests that the brain specific neuroserpin is also a sensitive indicator for abnormal brain development in mild fetal growth restriction DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113237). In the recent Special Issue of Cells on Perinatal Brain Injury—from Pathophysiology to Therapy we show that endogenous neuroserpin alone is insufficient for neuroprotection against hypoxia ischaemia induced damage, but exogenous neuroserpin shows promise as a pharmacological intervention for mild neonatal HIE (https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14231840).

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Hungarian Science Club - Sir George Radda FMedSci FRS (1936–2024) - a life in science By Embassy of Hungary in London Nov 28 from 4:15pm to 7:30pm GMT Commemorative Event Honouring Sir George www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hungarian-...

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 9mo ago

First-ever atlas of brain development shows how stem cells turn into neurons There are 6 excellent human brain development papers in Nature - www.nature.com/articles/d41... Check them out!

Zoltan Molnar @zoltan-molnar.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Sara Bandiera (Balliol) and Florina Szabó (St John's) had their DPhil graduation ceremony last weekend from our laboratory from @Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics. Huge congratulations to both! We thank Medical Research Council UK and Anatomical Society for their respective support.