What We Do

The emergence of the nervous system and its fundamental unit, the neuron, represents a major transition in animal evolution. Nervous systems enable sensory processing, intercellular communication, and complex cognitive functions. Despite their central biological importance, the developmental and evolutionary origins of neuronal cell types remain incompletely understood.

The Feuda Lab investigates how neurons are specified during development and how neuronal cell types have diversified across animal evolution.

How We Do It

We combine work in established model organisms and emerging comparative systems. Our research integrates approaches from:

• evolutionary genomics

• molecular and developmental biology

• phylogenomics

• computational biology

• single-cell and multi-omics
  
  

This integrative strategy allows us to reconstruct the gene regulatory programs underlying neuronal identity and evolution.

Our Research Environment

The Feuda Lab is based in the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BIGEA) at the University of Bologna, traditionally regarded as the oldest university in the world. We operate within a collaborative environment that connects evolutionary biology, developmental biology, and genomics across multiple research groups. Our work is further strengthened by an extensive international network of collaborators across Europe and beyond.

Join the Lab

We are committed to training the next generation of scientists in a rigorous and intellectually open research environment. Lab members are encouraged to develop independent ideas while contributing to collaborative projects at the interface of evolutionary genomics, developmental biology, and single-cell biology.

Opportunities are periodically available for MSc/MRes students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers. Prospective applicants and potential collaborators are welcome to get in touch to discuss potential projects and funding routes.

Contact: roberto.feuda@unibo.it