About the PDN Symposium

The Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience (PDN) at the University of Cambridge was brought together in 2006 by combining the two departments of Anatomy and Physiology. Anatomy as a discipline was taught in the university as early as 1231. The merged department has four basic research areas: namely  Cellular and Systems Physiology, Developmental and Reproductive Biology, Neuroscience, and Form and Function. The department houses an eclectic group of scientific minds that comprise 40 Ph.D. supervisors, a flourishing graduate community with over 100 research students, and a significant community of postdoctoral researchers. Notably, the department has been home to at least six Nobel Laureates at different stages of their academic careers: Edgar Adrian, Henry Dale, Alan Hodgkin, Andrew Huxley, Roger Y. Tsien, and Robert G. Edwards.  

The PDN symposium was initiated as a postdoc symposium in 2011. However, since 2015, it has been amalgamated with the graduate students’ symposium to become the intradepartmental PDN Symposium. The symposium continues to be the most anticipated event amongst the PDN community. Barring 2020 and 2021 (when it was held online), the symposium has increased in popularity with over 100 researchers attending the conference and engaging in scientific dialogue and deliberations. Since its inception, the symposium has proven to be a unique platform for generating scientific ideas, pivoting to an alternative strategy to address a research question or forging collaborations. The symposium continues to grow with the efforts and contributions of the department community. The PDN Symposium acknowledges the support of all companies, whose generosity has contributed to its successful organization over the years.   

This year, the symposium is scheduled for the 23rd and 24th of April 2026. Mark your calendars if you have not already!  

If you wish to be involved in the organisation of the 2026 PDN Research symposium, please contact the PDN symposium committee:  symposium@pdn.cam.ac.uk