Neural Development, Plasticity and Repair
The Neural Development, Repair and Plasticity Group
Glial cell development, plasticity & function
Neuro-glia development & disease
Mechanisms of neural development
Oligodendrocyte development & myelination
PhD Student
PhD Student
PhD Student
PhD Student
Alexander Fudge
Technician / PhD Student
Dr Cheng Yang
Associate Staff
Visiting PhD Student
Marcus Lloyd
Research Assistant
Lab Manager
Selected Publications
- ShimizuT, Nayar SG, SwireM, JiangY, GristM, KallerM, Sampaio BaptistaC ...LiH,RichardsonWD(2023). . Nat Commun,14:6499.
- KessarisNand DenaxaM(2023). . Current Opinion in Neurobiology 80, 102703.
- WuS, HuL, FuY, ChenY, HuZ, LiH,LiuZ(2023). . Molecular Neurobiology.
- KessarisN(2022). . Science 375 (6579), 383-384.
- AsgarianZ, OliveiraMG, StryjewskaA, MaragkosI, RubinAN… KessarisN(2022). . Nature Communications 13 (1), 5217.
- Magno L, Asgarian Z, Apanaviciute M, Milner Y, Bengoa-Vergniory N, Rubin AN, Kessaris N (2022). . Communications Biology 5 (1), 1137.
- MagnoL, AsgarianZ, PendolinoV, VelonaT, MackintoshA… KessarisN(2021). . Cell Reports, 35 (11), 109249.
- ZhangG-Y, LvZ-M, MaH-X, ChenY, YuanY, SunP-X ...LiH,LiW(2021). . Journal of Molecular Cell Biology,Vol.14, Issue 1.
- JuJ, YangX, JiangJ, WangD, ZhangY, ZhaoX...LiH, LiN(2021). . Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 15.
- Swire M, Assinck P, McNaughton PA, Lyons DA, Ffrench-Constant C, Livesey MR(2021). . J Neurosci. 22;41(38):7954-7964.
- AnJ, ZhangY, FudgeAD, LvH, RichardsonW, LiH(2021). . Developmental Neurobiology2021 Nov;81(8):975-984.
- Asgarian Z, Magno L, Ktena N, Harris KD,Kessaris N(2019). . Stem Cell Reports 13.
- Swire M, Kotelevtsev Y, Webb DJ, Lyons DA, Ffrench-Constant C(2019). . Elife 28;8:e49493.
- KasugaY, FudgeAD, ZhangY,LiH(2019). . Glia. Nov;67(11):2166-2177.
- JollyS, BazarganiN, QuirogaAC, PringleNP, AttwellD, RichardsonWD, LiH(2018). . Glia. Jan;66(1):47-61.
- Xiao L, Ohayon D, McKenzie IA, Sinclair-Wilson A, Wright JL, Fudge AD, Emery B, Li H, Richardson WD (2016). . Nat Neurosci, Sep;19(9):1210-1217.
- McKenzie IA, Ohayon D, Li H, Paes de Faria J, Emery B, Tohyama K, Richardson WD (2014). . Science. Oct 17;346(6207): 318-22.
- Young KM, Psachoulia K, Tripathi RB, Dunn S-J, Cossell L, Attwell D, Tohyama K, Richardson WD (2013). . Neuron. Mar 6;77(5): 873-85.
- LiH, de FariaJP, AndrewP, NitarskaJ,Richardson WD(2011). . Neuron, 69(5), 918-929.
- Kessaris N, Fogarty M, Iannarelli P, Grist M, Wegner M, Richardson WD(2006). . Nat Neurosci. 9(2):173-9.
Funding and Partnerships
Grants awarded:
- William Richardson (since 2013)
- 2019-2024: Wellcome Trust Investigator Award “Adaptive myelination in learning and memory”
- 2019-2024: Sanming collaborative project (with H. Li, J. Wood, J. Zhao, M. Häusser, D. Attwell at С̳ and others at Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China)
- 2019-2023: BBSRC Research Grant “Control of oligodendrocyte development by OLIG2 and chromatin remodelling complexes” (with H. Li, WIBR)
- 2015-2022: Wellcome Strategic award “Functional Neuromics of the Cerebral Cortex” [with K. Harris, M. Häusser, M. Carandini, N. Kessaris (С̳), P. Somogyi (Oxford U), J. Hjerling-Leffler, M. Nilsson, S. Linnarsson (Karolinska Inst, Sweden)]
- 2013-2019: Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award, "Transcriptional control of CNS myelination in development and maturity"
- 2012-2017: European Research Council Advanced Grant "MOTOGLIA: axoglial synapses, adult myelination and motor skills learning"
- 2008-2013: National Institutes of Health "Cellular and genetic origins of astrocytes" (with David Rowitch, UCSF; Charles D Stiles, Harvard Med Sch; Ben Barres, Stanford U)
- 2008-2013: Medical Research Council Programme "Stem and progenitor cells of the postnatal CNS" (with Nicoletta Kessaris, WIBR)
- Nicoletta Kessaris
- 2015-2022: Wellcome Strategic award “Functional Neuromics of the Cerebral Cortex” [with K. Harris, M. Häusser, M. Carandini, W. Richardson (С̳), P. Somogyi (Oxford U), J. Hjerling-Leffler, M. Nilsson, S. Linnarsson (Karolinska Inst, Sweden)]
- 2016-2020: BBSRC project grant, “LHX6, MTG8 and MTG16: functions and interactions in cortical interneuron development”
- 2017-2018: PTEN Foundation project grant “The impact of the PTENR173C point-mutation on neuronal development in mice and explanted neurons” (with B. Vanhaesebroeck, С̳)
- 2010-2013: Wellcome project grant, “Optogenetic manipulation of interneuron development and function” (with D. Kullmann and M.K. Häusser, С̳)
- 2008-2014: European Research Council Starting Independent Research Grant, “Migration and integration of GABAergic interneurons into the developing cerebral cortex: a transgenic approach”
- 2008-2011: Wellcome Trust PhD studentship, “Neurogenesis in the mouse telencephalon”
- 2008-2013: Medical Research Council Programme "Stem and progenitor cells of the postnatal CNS" (with W. Richardson (PI), WIBR)
- 2007-2012: Wellcome Programme grant, “Diversity and function of CNS glia: a transgenic and electrophysiological approach” (with W. Richardson (PI), I. Attwell and R. Karadottir)
- 2007-2011: MRC Capacity building PhD studentship “Biology of neural stem cells in the adult mouse forebrain: a transgenic approach”
- 2006-2009: MRC New Investigator award “Generation of neuronal diversity in the developing telencephalon”
- 2002-2007: MRC Programme grant, “Neural stem cells and neuroglial lineages in the central nervous system” (with W. Richardson (PI) and H.K. Smith)
- Huliang Li
- 2022-2024: BBSRC Research Grant, Co-I, Metabolic and behavioural phenotyping platform for obesity, diabetes, aging and exercise studies in mouse (BB/W020009/1 with Prof. Stefan Trapp and others)
- 2021-2023: Royal Society Cost Share Grant, PI, Collaborative Study of the Effects of Natural Molecules on Reactive Astrocytes (IEC\NSFC\201134)
- 2019-2023: BBSRC Research Grant, Co-PI, Control of oligodendrocyte development by Olig2 and chromatin remodelling complexes (with Prof. Bill Richardson, BB/S008934/1)
- 2019-2022: Newton International Fellowship Grant, UK-PI, Towards CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene correction for inherited retinal disease (NIF\R1\181649 with Dr Jing An)
- 2018-2022: BBSRC Research Grant, PI, Cholesterol esters of oligodendrocytes in developmental and ageing brain (BB/S000844/1)
- 2018-2020: Newton International Fellowship Grant, UK-PI, Improving the therapeutic potential of adult stem cells for Alzheimer's disease treatment (NIF003\1003 with Dr Yajun Wang)
- 2017-2019: Alzheimer's Research UK Pilot Grant, PI, Cholesterol esters in oligodendrocytes and the implications for Alzheimer’s disease (ARUK-PPG2017B-013)
- 2016: British Council Researcher Links Grant, PI, Collaborative strategies to study myelin and fight against multiple sclerosis and other white matter diseases. (227225126)
- 2015-2018: Newton Advanced Fellowship Grant, UK-PI, Towards rapid and efficient production of oligodendrocyte precursors from human pluripotent stem cells (with Dr Wenlin Li)
- 2014-2017: BBSRC Research Grant, PI, Transgenic approaches to understanding astrocyte heterogeneity (BB/L003236/1)
- Matthew Swire
- 2023-2028: MRC Career Development Award, How does Adaptive Myelination Re-shape Neural Circuits During Learning? (MR/X019977/1)
Related programmes
Our members contribute to BSc and master's degrees within the Faculties of Medical Sciencesand Life Sciences. We also have a long and excellent track record in providing high-quality training to undergraduate, master's and PhD students interested in the areas of neuro glia development, plasticity and disease. More than 30 PhD students have trained with us, graduated and moved on to further research positions in academia, industry and UK government positions.
Contact details
William D Richardson PhD
Professor of Biology
Email: w.richardson@ucl.ac.uk
Tel:+44 (0)20 7679 6729 / fax +44 (0)20 7209 0470
Nicoletta Kessaris PhD
Professor of Neuroscience
Email: n.kessaris@ucl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6737
Huiliang Li PhD
Professor of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
Email: huiliang.li@ucl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6360
Matthew Swire PhD
MRC Career Development Fellow
Email: m.swire@ucl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 6797
Postal address
Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research
The Cruciform Building
С̳
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT