Zayna Chaker
@zaycha.bsky.social
Neuroscience, Stem Cells, Physiology, OMICs, Evolution, Modeling-lover
Team leader @IGFL (ENSdeLyon, CNRS),
Spatio-Temporal Logic of Adult Neurogenesis Group (ST-LAN)
Team leader @IGFL (ENSdeLyon, CNRS),
Spatio-Temporal Logic of Adult Neurogenesis Group (ST-LAN)
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
now or never, submission deadline Jan 19th!
Don't forget to submit your abstract for #EESSexDifferences by 19 January: s.embl.org/ees26-07-bl
This new symposium will explore how sex influences health and disease through genetic, hormonal, immune, metabolic, and environmental factors 🧬
🗓️ 27 – 30 Apr
📍 EMBL Heidelberg and Virtual
This new symposium will explore how sex influences health and disease through genetic, hormonal, immune, metabolic, and environmental factors 🧬
🗓️ 27 – 30 Apr
📍 EMBL Heidelberg and Virtual
January 12, 2026 at 1:26 PM
now or never, submission deadline Jan 19th!
PhD applicants: This is an amazing opportunity with a great and generous mentor AND outstanding brain research questions! Go for it 👇
⚡️Funded PhD position in my lab in Exeter 🧠 @exeter.ac.uk If you are interested in brain development, cell-type diversity, neuroglia, subcortical structures and neurodevelopmental disorders, check out this opportunity. Deadline 28 Feb.
Please RT🙏. www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
Please RT🙏. www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
PhD Funding: Subcortical brain deve | University of Exeter
The University of Exeter’s Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences is inviting applications for a PhD studentship to commence on September 21st, 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
www.exeter.ac.uk
January 12, 2026 at 8:24 AM
PhD applicants: This is an amazing opportunity with a great and generous mentor AND outstanding brain research questions! Go for it 👇
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
📣First preprint of the lab📣 Did that really happen?😅
Enteric neurons, aka somatic postmitotic cells, must hold on to their sex identity tight, to deliver a tuned response to signals from the ovary that instruct the animal to engage sex-matched behavioural programmes.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Enteric neurons, aka somatic postmitotic cells, must hold on to their sex identity tight, to deliver a tuned response to signals from the ovary that instruct the animal to engage sex-matched behavioural programmes.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Genetic sex of enteric neurons enables ovarian relaxin to gate maternal gut plasticity
Animals must align intestinal plasticity and feeding with reproductive state, yet the checkpoint that gates these adaptations is unknown. Here we show that an ovary-to-enteric-neuron axis gates the on...
www.biorxiv.org
January 11, 2026 at 3:32 PM
📣First preprint of the lab📣 Did that really happen?😅
Enteric neurons, aka somatic postmitotic cells, must hold on to their sex identity tight, to deliver a tuned response to signals from the ovary that instruct the animal to engage sex-matched behavioural programmes.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Enteric neurons, aka somatic postmitotic cells, must hold on to their sex identity tight, to deliver a tuned response to signals from the ovary that instruct the animal to engage sex-matched behavioural programmes.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
I am very happy (and a bit scared) to present to you what we have been working on over the last 4 years. This manuscript is exactly what I dreamt of when I started the lab and I could not be happier and prouder of the outcome!
Evolutionary dynamics of temporal transcription factor series in the insect optic lobe https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.08.698497v1
January 10, 2026 at 9:43 AM
I am very happy (and a bit scared) to present to you what we have been working on over the last 4 years. This manuscript is exactly what I dreamt of when I started the lab and I could not be happier and prouder of the outcome!
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
🎉 Proud moment for our Center
Pierre Vanderhaeghen received the 2025 Fyssen Foundation International Prize, also awarded this year to Franck Polleux (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) for work on the neurobiological foundations of human cognition. 🧠🏆
Congratulations!
#FyssenPrize #Neuroscience #VIB
Pierre Vanderhaeghen received the 2025 Fyssen Foundation International Prize, also awarded this year to Franck Polleux (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) for work on the neurobiological foundations of human cognition. 🧠🏆
Congratulations!
#FyssenPrize #Neuroscience #VIB
January 7, 2026 at 4:22 PM
🎉 Proud moment for our Center
Pierre Vanderhaeghen received the 2025 Fyssen Foundation International Prize, also awarded this year to Franck Polleux (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) for work on the neurobiological foundations of human cognition. 🧠🏆
Congratulations!
#FyssenPrize #Neuroscience #VIB
Pierre Vanderhaeghen received the 2025 Fyssen Foundation International Prize, also awarded this year to Franck Polleux (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) for work on the neurobiological foundations of human cognition. 🧠🏆
Congratulations!
#FyssenPrize #Neuroscience #VIB
Amazing to have @alainchedotal.bsky.social with us today @igflyon.bsky.social in front of a full room of people from all over the @ensdelyon.bsky.social campus! Very happy start of 2026 🤯
January 5, 2026 at 10:08 AM
Amazing to have @alainchedotal.bsky.social with us today @igflyon.bsky.social in front of a full room of people from all over the @ensdelyon.bsky.social campus! Very happy start of 2026 🤯
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
"revision requests can expand beyond what is feasible...we've been told reviews are unnecessarily harsh... reviews can seem formidable but usually represent constructive critiques"
Interesting reflections and introspection from editors of Development 1/n
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
Interesting reflections and introspection from editors of Development 1/n
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
The hard truth about how hard it is to publish in Development
Every researcher knows the anticipation and trepidation that come with submitting a paper to a journal. Years of effort have been distilled into a few thousand words and a handful of figures containin...
journals.biologists.com
January 3, 2026 at 4:23 PM
"revision requests can expand beyond what is feasible...we've been told reviews are unnecessarily harsh... reviews can seem formidable but usually represent constructive critiques"
Interesting reflections and introspection from editors of Development 1/n
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
Interesting reflections and introspection from editors of Development 1/n
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
People are going to try and lure you into debates about whether Maduro was a good guy or not and the thing is, it doesn’t matter for the purposes of discussing whether violent kidnappings and extrajudicial murders by the US government are ok. No, they aren’t! End of convo.
January 3, 2026 at 2:01 PM
People are going to try and lure you into debates about whether Maduro was a good guy or not and the thing is, it doesn’t matter for the purposes of discussing whether violent kidnappings and extrajudicial murders by the US government are ok. No, they aren’t! End of convo.
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Happy 2026 everyone- the time has come to apply!
Registration for this exciting Dev Bio conference is until the end of January!
Registration for this exciting Dev Bio conference is until the end of January!
Come join us in beautiful Roscoff for this Conference Jacques Monod on Developmental regulation: from molecular to ecological niches
May 18-22, 2026 Roscoff, France
Abstract deadline: January 31, 2026
Apply here: cjm.sb-roscoff.fr/en
May 18-22, 2026 Roscoff, France
Abstract deadline: January 31, 2026
Apply here: cjm.sb-roscoff.fr/en
January 3, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Happy 2026 everyone- the time has come to apply!
Registration for this exciting Dev Bio conference is until the end of January!
Registration for this exciting Dev Bio conference is until the end of January!
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Just finished my first book of the year: a sober, courageous, yet emotional, eye-opening and haunting narrative by an Ukrainian writer, father and staunch pacifist who enlisted the day his country was invaded. A must read for anyone concerned by current world affairs...
January 3, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Just finished my first book of the year: a sober, courageous, yet emotional, eye-opening and haunting narrative by an Ukrainian writer, father and staunch pacifist who enlisted the day his country was invaded. A must read for anyone concerned by current world affairs...
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
The "Hard Truth" about how hard it is to publish in Development. We wrote this to really drive the point that we are a discerning community journal, and we really want to publish your best developmental and stem cell biology contributions.
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
a cartoon of homer simpson and bart simpson sitting on a couch with the words join us above them .
ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson and bart simpson sitting on a couch with the words join us above them .
media.tenor.com
January 2, 2026 at 10:04 PM
The "Hard Truth" about how hard it is to publish in Development. We wrote this to really drive the point that we are a discerning community journal, and we really want to publish your best developmental and stem cell biology contributions.
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned with Kenneth Stanley.
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/38MN...
@nightsciencepod.bsky.social
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/38MN...
@nightsciencepod.bsky.social
Why greatness cannot be planned with Kenneth Stanley
Podcast Episode · Night Science · 12/29/2025 · 32m
podcasts.apple.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned with Kenneth Stanley.
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/38MN...
@nightsciencepod.bsky.social
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/38MN...
@nightsciencepod.bsky.social
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Unpopular opinion: biologists are still the ones who understand biology best
December 18, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Unpopular opinion: biologists are still the ones who understand biology best
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
My lab is hiring a postdoc (ERC funded)! If you're interested, get in touch!
December 18, 2025 at 8:36 AM
My lab is hiring a postdoc (ERC funded)! If you're interested, get in touch!
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Ces Unes auxquelles vous avez échappé | N°1743
December 17, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Ces Unes auxquelles vous avez échappé | N°1743
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Deadline for this post-doc position in my lab extended to Jan 11th!
I'm looking to recruit a post-doc to help push forward our growing interests in insect ecotoxicology.
Apply here by Nov 30th!
(thanks for reposting)
career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/job...
Apply here by Nov 30th!
(thanks for reposting)
career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/job...
Career Opportunities: Posdoctoral researcher in toxin susceptibility and evolution of resistance in insects (22517)
career5.successfactors.eu
December 12, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Deadline for this post-doc position in my lab extended to Jan 11th!
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Evolution created brains so that it would be hard to predict behavior from genes.
December 12, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Evolution created brains so that it would be hard to predict behavior from genes.
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Come to be our colleague! Center of Paris, excellent facilities, research spanning the whole range of basic and biomedical life science topics, enthusiastic and collaborative colleagues, crème brûlée every Friday... What else could one want?
🔬 Call to create junior research groups at the Institut Pasteur
Focus: Infectious diseases, host-microbe interactions, vaccines
Special interest: AI methodologies
📅 Deadline: Feb 9, 2026
👥 2-12 years post-PhD
Apply now 📝 research.pasteur.fr/en/call/crea...
#JobOpportunity #Research
Focus: Infectious diseases, host-microbe interactions, vaccines
Special interest: AI methodologies
📅 Deadline: Feb 9, 2026
👥 2-12 years post-PhD
Apply now 📝 research.pasteur.fr/en/call/crea...
#JobOpportunity #Research
Creation of new junior research groups at the Institut Pasteur - Call for applications 2026 - Research
The Institut Pasteur is launching an international call to recruit new junior research group leaders leveraging cutting-edge transdisciplinary approaches to exploring infectious diseases, host-microbe...
research.pasteur.fr
December 8, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Come to be our colleague! Center of Paris, excellent facilities, research spanning the whole range of basic and biomedical life science topics, enthusiastic and collaborative colleagues, crème brûlée every Friday... What else could one want?
Very very excited to have Elly Tanaka from @imbavienna.bsky.social for our external seminar series @igflyon.bsky.social! Thanks Eglantine Heude for hosting 🤯
December 8, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Very very excited to have Elly Tanaka from @imbavienna.bsky.social for our external seminar series @igflyon.bsky.social! Thanks Eglantine Heude for hosting 🤯
PhD students => Extremely highly recommended mentor and research topics :-) 👇
Apply for a PhD in Paris!! A project to come and work with me and my team at the GutSense lab included in the list! 🪰🧠⛽
📚 The international DIM C-BRAINS PhD program is back!
Up for grabs: 7 fully funded, 3-year doctoral contracts in the Île-de-France region, 3 of which will be hosted by Paris Brain Institute.
📆 Application deadline: February 1, 2026.
👉 Find out more: parisbraininstitute.org/dim-c-brains...
Up for grabs: 7 fully funded, 3-year doctoral contracts in the Île-de-France region, 3 of which will be hosted by Paris Brain Institute.
📆 Application deadline: February 1, 2026.
👉 Find out more: parisbraininstitute.org/dim-c-brains...
December 5, 2025 at 6:13 PM
PhD students => Extremely highly recommended mentor and research topics :-) 👇
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Come join us in beautiful Roscoff for this Conference Jacques Monod on Developmental regulation: from molecular to ecological niches
May 18-22, 2026 Roscoff, France
Abstract deadline: January 31, 2026
Apply here: cjm.sb-roscoff.fr/en
May 18-22, 2026 Roscoff, France
Abstract deadline: January 31, 2026
Apply here: cjm.sb-roscoff.fr/en
December 3, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Come join us in beautiful Roscoff for this Conference Jacques Monod on Developmental regulation: from molecular to ecological niches
May 18-22, 2026 Roscoff, France
Abstract deadline: January 31, 2026
Apply here: cjm.sb-roscoff.fr/en
May 18-22, 2026 Roscoff, France
Abstract deadline: January 31, 2026
Apply here: cjm.sb-roscoff.fr/en
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Please check out and RT this new position for an exciting collaborative project with @boninlab.bsky.social and @franckp.bsky.social on the links between human-specific mechanisms and neurodevelopmental disorders in cortical circuits.
Please repost widely. @vanderhaeghenp2.bsky.social and I are hiring a postdoc with expertise in sensory physiology and in vivo circuit imaging/manipulation. The project centers on human-specific brain development and SYNGAP1-related disorders. Call closing soon—apply ASAP
jobs.vib.be/j/119852/pos...
jobs.vib.be/j/119852/pos...
Postdoctoral Fellow / PhD Student in Systems Neuroscience - VIB
The Laboratory of Cortical Information Processing | Vision to Action at NERF (www.nerf.be) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow or PhD Student to work on a new research project funded by the...
jobs.vib.be
November 27, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Please check out and RT this new position for an exciting collaborative project with @boninlab.bsky.social and @franckp.bsky.social on the links between human-specific mechanisms and neurodevelopmental disorders in cortical circuits.
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
Thrilled to share our new paper!
With @tomtom-auer.bsky.social team, we asked how #evolution reshapes what animals #eat to match their ecological niches. Using pan-neuronal Ca2+ imaging, we show that the changes are in how the brain processes #taste.
Link @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
With @tomtom-auer.bsky.social team, we asked how #evolution reshapes what animals #eat to match their ecological niches. Using pan-neuronal Ca2+ imaging, we show that the changes are in how the brain processes #taste.
Link @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Evolution of taste processing shifts dietary preference - Nature
Calcium imaging of taste neurons and the ventral brain provides insight into evolutionary divergence of food choice in Drosophila species, supporting a role of sensorimotor processing in addition to p...
www.nature.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Thrilled to share our new paper!
With @tomtom-auer.bsky.social team, we asked how #evolution reshapes what animals #eat to match their ecological niches. Using pan-neuronal Ca2+ imaging, we show that the changes are in how the brain processes #taste.
Link @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
With @tomtom-auer.bsky.social team, we asked how #evolution reshapes what animals #eat to match their ecological niches. Using pan-neuronal Ca2+ imaging, we show that the changes are in how the brain processes #taste.
Link @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
📢To all scientists working on STRESS and/or RESILIENCE:
Save the date: 2027 GSRNet Conference, February 3–5, 2027 in Lausanne
Cutting-edge science, discussion sessions & great networking across our global community to connect, exchange, and advance our field together
Check for updates gsr-net.org
Save the date: 2027 GSRNet Conference, February 3–5, 2027 in Lausanne
Cutting-edge science, discussion sessions & great networking across our global community to connect, exchange, and advance our field together
Check for updates gsr-net.org
November 23, 2025 at 2:19 PM
📢To all scientists working on STRESS and/or RESILIENCE:
Save the date: 2027 GSRNet Conference, February 3–5, 2027 in Lausanne
Cutting-edge science, discussion sessions & great networking across our global community to connect, exchange, and advance our field together
Check for updates gsr-net.org
Save the date: 2027 GSRNet Conference, February 3–5, 2027 in Lausanne
Cutting-edge science, discussion sessions & great networking across our global community to connect, exchange, and advance our field together
Check for updates gsr-net.org
Reposted by Zayna Chaker
"In the end, I have come to realize that being authentic at work is not a weakness, but rather a strength." #ScienceWorkingLife https://scim.ag/49B7hRv
November 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
"In the end, I have come to realize that being authentic at work is not a weakness, but rather a strength." #ScienceWorkingLife https://scim.ag/49B7hRv