Hanchate Group

Neural Circuits, Physiology and Behaviour

The mission of the Hanchate lab is to unravel circuit mechanisms through which the brain controls physiology and behavior, particularly those involved in innate functions, such as stress, reproduction, & appetite, and how this circuitry plays a role in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. We develop and apply single-cell genomic tools (e.g., Connect-seq), especially RNA sequencing, combined with a range of established interdisciplinary techniques (e.g., molecular biology, single-molecule RNA-FISH, hormonal and behavioral assays) and neurogenetic techniques (e.g., viral circuit tracing, transgenic mice). We highly collaborative working with clinicians who treat patients with neurodevelopmental and neuroendocrine disorders, especially at GOSH, and geneticists to understand disease mechanisms and translational neuroscientists to develop novel treatment strategies.

Naresh Hanchate (PI) - UCL Excellence Fellow - Supported by GOSH Charity, Rosetrees Trust and the Stoneygate Trust.

Main Funding

MRC, GOSH Charity, Rosetrees Trust, Stoneygate Trust

Lab News

May 2023: 

• A 3-year PhD Studentship in Child Health Research funded by the Rosetrees Trust is available within Hanchate lab at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. The studentship will commence from 25/09/2023 onwards, under the supervision of Prof Mehul Dattani and Dr Naresh Hanchate.
• We have several openings for trainings (postdocs & PhD students, and research assistants), so please get in touch with Dr Naresh Hanchate (n.hanchate@ucl.ac.uk) if you are interested in joining the group.  

April 2023: 

• Naresh completes his first London Marathon!!! He raised funds for GOSH Charity to help build their new worldclass cancer care centre! 

Selected Publications

• Lee EJ*, Hanchate NK*, Kondoh K, Tong APS, Kuang D, Spray A, Ye X & Buck LB A psychological stressor conveyed by appetite-linked neurons, Sci Adv 6, eaay5366 (2020).
• Hanchate NK*, Lee EJ*, Ellis A**, Kondoh K**, Kuang D, Basom R, Trapnell C & Buck LB Connect-seq to superimpose molecular on anatomical neural circuit maps, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2020).
• Hanchate NK, Kondoh K, Lu Z, Kuang D, Ye X, Qiu X, Pachter L, Trapnell C & Buck LB Single-cell transcriptomics reveals receptor transformations during olfactory neurogenesis, Science 350, 1251-5 (2015).
• Hanchate NK*, Parkash J*, Bellefontaine N, Mazur D, Colledge WH, d'Anglemont de Tassigny X & Prevot V Kisspeptin-GPR54 signaling in mouse NO-synthesizing neurons participates in the hypothalamic control of ovulation, J Neurosci 32, 932-45 (2012).
• Hanchate NK*, Giacobini P*, Lhuillier P*, Parkash J, Espy C, Fouveaut C, Leroy C, Baron S, Campagne C, Vanacker C, Collier F, Cruaud C, Meyer V, Garcia-Pinero A, Dewailly D, Cortet-Rudelli C, Gersak K, Metz C, Chabrier G, Pugeat M, Young J, Hardelin JP, Prevot V & Dode C SEMA3A, a gene involved in axonal pathfinding, is mutated in patients with Kallmann syndrome, PLoS Genet 8, e1002896 (2012).

Principal Investigator

Dr Naresh Hanchate - UCL Profiles page

Contact us

Molecular Basis of Rare Diseases Section
UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
30 Guilford Street
London
WC1N 1EH