Lab members

Beatriz Rico
Principal Investigator

beatriz.rico@kcl.ac.uk

Bio

Beatriz Rico is a Professor of Developmental Neurobiology. She received her PhD in the University Autónoma of Madrid and she did her postdoctoral research in University of California at San Francisco. In 2004 she got a Ramon y Cajal position at the Institute of Neuroscience in Alicante (IN), Spain (CSIC-UMH), and then in 2005 she become an Assistant Professor at the CSIC in the IN. In 2014, she was recruited with a Professorship position at King’s College London. Rico’s lab is interested in understanding how genes are involved in the development of neuronal circuits and the consequences on their disruption. In the last years, her lab has highlighted the relevance of cortical GABAergic circuitry in cognitive function, and their possible implication in the pathophysiology of developmental disorders, particularly in schizophrenia. Her work has been recognised by the European Molecular Biology Organisation with an EMBO YIP 2010 and she has been granted with and ERC Consolidator and ERC Advanced grants. Beatriz is a Wellcome Investigator and an EMBO member.

Affiliations

Centre for Developmental Neurobiology

The Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King’s College London is devoted to the study of the mechanisms governing the formation of the brain, both during embryonic development and in postnatal life, when early experience continues to shape the way our brain is constructed.

Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders

The MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at King’s College London aims to identify the biological mechanisms underlying developmental brain disorders such epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia, with the ultimate goal of translating this knowledge into clinical advances that change the lives of all those affected.

Funding

European Research Council

One of the main research programmes in the laboratory have been funded by the European Research Council: Synapdomain (ERC Consolidator, 2012-2017) and Experientia (ERC Advance Grant, 2021-2025).

Wellcome Trust

One of our main research programmes is funded by a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award (2014-2019). I have recently been awarded a second Investigator Award for the next five years.

MRC Medical Research Council

In collaboration with Prof. Oscar Marin, our most translational research efforts are supported by a Programme Grant from the Medical Research Council.

AIMS2-Trials

We are part of Autism Innovative Medicine Studies-2-Trials Consortium to explore the biology of autism to tailor treatments and develop new medicines (2018-2023).

Simon Foundation for the Autism Research Initiative

In collaboration with Prof. Oscar Marin, we have been granted with a pilot grant from the Simon Foundation for the Autism Research Initiative.