About
Beatriz Rico is a Professor of Developmental Neurobiology at King's College London, based in the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology. She leads the Rico lab, which investigates the development and maturation of cortical circuits, focusing on how synaptic connectivity and inhibitory circuits contribute to cognitive function and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia. Her work bridges basic science and translational research, supported by grants from the Wellcome Trust, ERC, and MRC.
- Affiliations: Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
- Education: PhD from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, postdoc at UCSF.
- Research Interests: Cortical circuit assembly, synaptic specificity, and the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Her lab has pioneered studies on the molecular mechanisms governing inhibitory synapse formation and cortical wiring, including seminal work on cadherins and brevican's roles in circuit development. Recent projects include a £4M Wellcome Discovery Award to study human cerebral cortex inhibitory circuits and collaborations on auditory hallucinations and mTORpathies.
- Awards: EMBO Member (2021), ERC Consolidator/Advanced Grants, Wellcome Investigator Award.
- Grants: Active projects on cortical circuits in psychosis, mTORpathies, and early-life sensory experience impacts.
Labs/Teams: Rico Lab at King's College London, collaborating with institutions worldwide. Future work focuses on translating developmental neuroscience insights into clinical applications for neurodevelopmental disorders.
