Team - Comparative Neuroanatomy

Pavel Němec, PI

Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science
pavel [dot] nemec [at] natur [dot] cuni [dot] cz (pavel[dot]nemec[at]natur[dot]cuni[dot]cz)

I am a comparative neuroanatomist and sensory biologist. The major mission of my lab is to use modern neuroscience tools to study the evolution of vertebrate brains in quantitative terms. We seek to combine the isotropic fractionator that allows estimation of neuronal and glial cell numbers and distributions across hundreds of species with whole-brain labeling, clearing and automated light microscopy methods that allow quantitative whole-brain mapping of cell type distributions. Our ultimate goal is to assess how evolutionary diversification or convergence in brain quantitative features contributes to the broad behavioral repertoires seen across vertebrates.

Kristina Kverková, PhD

Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science
karakri [at] gmail [dot] com (karakri[at]gmail[dot]com)

I am a member of the neuroanatomy team led by Pavel Němec. I study vertebrate brain evolution and I have a particular interest in non-avian reptiles and amphibians, as they are largely understudied but can give us important clues about the evolutionary changes that shaped the brains of birds and mammals.

Rahul Avaroth Bhaskaran, PhD student

Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science
avarothr [at] natur [dot] cuni [dot] cz (avarothr[at]natur[dot]cuni[dot]cz)

I am a member of the Sensory and Evolutionary Neurobiology research group led by Pavel Němec. My research focuses on novel bioimaging techniques and advanced deep-learning tools for quantifying neuronal cell types across vertebrate species. Quantifying neuronal cell types across various brain regions is crucial for understanding their localized functions. While the isotropic fractionator technique has traditionally been used for neuron quantification, its reliance on nuclear markers and tissue homogenization presents limitations in identifying cytoplasm-tagged neural cell types and uncovering local brain microcircuits underlying behavior. To overcome these challenges, my project integrates cutting-edge methodologies such as whole-brain imaging, tissue expansion, neuronal image tracing, and light-sheet microscopy. Expanded brain tissues are labeled with a combination of cytoplasmic and nuclear markers specific to distinct neuronal types, and the resulting data are analyzed using the deep-learning algorithms, including Stardist and Cellpose. These tools facilitate efficient quantification of neuronal cell types, enabling proportional analysis across brain regions in vertebrate species models.

Alexandra Polonyiová, PhD student

Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science
AlexPolonyiova [at] seznam [dot] cz (AlexPolonyiova[at]seznam[dot]cz)

I am a PhD student in zoology at Charles University and I focus on evolution of brain complexity and processing capacity in different vertebrate lineages. Using the isotropic fractionator, we estimate number of neurons and glial cells in whole brains and parts thereof. Number of neurons, which is used as a proxy for the information processing capacity of the brain, can help us better understand the evolution of brain. 

George Poon, PhD student

Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science
george [dot] poon [at] natur [dot] cuni [dot] cz (george[dot]poon[at]natur[dot]cuni[dot]cz)

I am a PhD student in the comparative neuroanatomy group led by Pavel Němec. I have a strong passion for studying the evolution of the brain and the biology of cognition in vertebrates.

My research focuses on synapse quantification of the brain across different vertebrate groups. By combining expansion microscopy with light sheet fluorescence microscopy and super-resolution imaging, we aim to assess the total number and density of synapses. This will enable us to compare the average computing power of individual neurons across closely and distantly related species, as well as deepen our understanding of how cognition has evolved in different vertebrate lineages.

Patrik Stehlík, PhD student

Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Division of Animal Evolutionary Biology
stehlikpa [at] natur [dot] cuni [dot] cz (stehlikpa[at]natur[dot]cuni[dot]cz)

I am a member of the Sensory and Evolutionary Neurobiology research group led by Pavel Němec. I study the evolution of vertebrate brains with particular interests in the number of neurons in the bird brain. Although the numbers of neurons can vary strikingly between different groups of avians studied so far, current sampling does not allow us to reconstruct the evolution of brain complexity and processing capacity in birds. Only a broader phylogeny sampling may deepen our understanding of brain evolution and related processes, and not only in birds.