Research

The Queen Square Institute of Neurology is one of the world's largest, most productive and highest-impact neuroscience centres. More than 80% of UCL’s neuroscience research was rated world-leading or internationally excellent in the last REF.

Our research spans the whole spectrum of basic and clinical research into neurological disorders, and we have extensive collaborations with both the UCL Neuroscience Domain and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

Our research excellence

UCL is the top-rated university in the UK for research power, and we are home to one of the largest group of neuroscience experts in the world
UCL is 1st in Europe and 2nd in the world for neuroscience and behaviour, based entirely on quantitative data relating to scientific papers (2020 National Taiwan University report)
UCL is 1st in Europe and 2nd worldwide for citations in neuroscience and behaviour, with more than twice as many published papers as any other European university (InCites Essential Scientific Indicators 2020)
UCL is 1st for neuroscience in the REF, with more than 80% of our research rated as world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) (UK’s Research Excellence Framework)
12 of our professors are named as being among the most influential academics in the world (Clarivate Web of Science’s ‘Highly Cited Researchers 2020’)
We are home to a Nobel Prizewinner (James Rothman) and Professor Ray Dolan was awarded the Brain Prize in 2017, followed by Professors John Hardy and Bart De Strooper in 2018. It was unprecedented for academics from the same institution to be awarded the coveted prize two years in a row.
Neuroscience accounts for more than 33% of UCL’s entire research income, with 130 principal investigators leading our research
We are the hub of the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI), the single biggest investment the UK has ever made in dementia thanks to £290 million from founding funders the Medical Research Council, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK

Our departments

We have eight departments covering clinical and basic research, spanning areas that range from brain rehabilitation to neuromuscular diseases.

Our research centres

These include the MRC International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging.

Our divisions

Alongside our departments, we have six divisions representing professional affiliations and providing a forum for those with similar specialist training.

Student testimonials

Fahm Deen, PhD, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology

"UCL Brain Sciences consists of internationally renowned scientists who contribute to ground-breaking discoveries and offers world-class facilities not found under one hood elsewhere in the world."

Claudia Cannavo, PhD student, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology

"I deeply appreciate the meritocracy and transparency that characterise learning and research at UCL and, more generally, in the UK."