The brain’s extraordinary internal GPS
Nobel Laureate May-Britt Moser shares her thoughts on her science, its intrinsic rewards, and what she’ll be talking about in a few weeks at EMBL’s 2025 Kafatos Lecture
There’s a saying that inside every adult is the heart of a child. But the expression generally refers to a playfulness that gets tempered as one gets older.
In the case of Nobel laureate May-Britt Moser, a passion and fascination with animal behaviour that began when she was a child has persisted. And it seems to be a driving force behind one of the most notable contemporary neuroscience discoveries. Along with Edvard Moser and their research group, her curiosity led them to discover the brain’s network of grid cells, which functions as essentially our internal GPS, registering our place in the world and helping us navigate our environments safely.
One of today’s preeminent neuroscientists, Moser is Co-Director of the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience in Norway. She will deliver EMBL’s 2025 Kafatos Lecture, ‘The power of science: uncovering the algorithms of the brain’, on 18 March during ISFiT 2025, the International Student Festival in Trondheim, Norway. There, she will share some of the latest developments she and her team have made in this research.
We had the opportunity to ask her more about herself, her research, and her plans for the talk.
Tell me about the brain’s grid cells and why they are so important.
The brain’s grid cell network, discovered by us in 2005, is an intricate system responsible for helping us navigate and understand our spatial environment. Grid cells fire in a consistent, grid-like pattern as we move through space. This activity creates a mental map of our surroundings. This network collaborates with other cell types, forming a comprehensive internal GPS system.
Recent studies have shown that grid cells’ collective activity forms a doughnut shape, also known as a torus. Essentially, our brain’s inner map takes the shape of a doughnut, allowing for a dynamic and flexible representation of space. Without endpoints, the map provides a continuous and seamless representation of space. This allows the brain to navigate smoothly without encountering boundaries or disruptions.
This discovery has provided new insights into how the brain organises information and performs high-level cognitive functions. It also underscores the importance of understanding the collective behaviour of neurons in neural networks. This knowledge could lead to advancements in treating conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, which affects spatial memory and navigation.
Where do we stand in what we know and don’t know about grid cells?
We still do not know how the grid cell network develops, which our lab continues to investigate.
Our lab recently discovered that the grid cells’ coordinated activity not only moves along the doughnut’s surface but also exhibits an antenna-like dynamic. We have observed that grid cell activity sweeps from left to right in front of an animal on a millisecond scale, occurring 8-10 times per second. This rapid sweeping behaviour raises the intriguing possibility that this basic mechanism could possibly help the animal detect significant events in the environment by adjusting the direction of the sweeps toward important locations.
What aspects of your work will you discuss during your Kafatos Lecture?
From the time I was a curious child fascinated by animal behaviour to the scientist I am today, my journey has been driven by a profound desire to understand the neural processes underlying cognitive functions. My early interest in how animals think and behave naturally evolved into a quest to uncover the mysteries of the brain.
Today, technological advancements allow us to study thousands of brain cells simultaneously and identify the intricate algorithms or rule sets that govern the brain. Our research begins with the brain’s GPS – a tiny but powerful structure known as the entorhinal cortex. This is where the grid cells reside. This region, closely interconnected with the hippocampus, plays a crucial role in enabling our navigation through space.
Our path to success is paved with collaboration and the creation of a scientific environment that values happiness and diversity, both in people and in animals. By fostering a community that embraces these values, we can achieve remarkable breakthroughs in understanding the brain and its astonishing capabilities.
How did you get interested in this area of research?
My interest in the brain began when I realised it drives our behaviour. I’ve always been curious about the origins of cognition, emotions, and behaviour, in general. This curiosity led me to study the spatial navigation and memory system, offering a glimpse into the brain’s mysteries.
Over time, and especially in recent years, advancements in methods and technology have enabled us to gather data and address questions unimaginable during our student days. Two notable developments in our lab are neuropixel probes and the MINI2P mini microscope. These innovations allow us to record the activity of thousands of cells simultaneously. The future looks promising with these tools.
Tell me a bit more about the translational aspects of your work.
In my pursuit of basic science, I aim to uncover fundamental principles in how the brain functions. Our research focuses on networks of cells involved in navigation, with the goal of understanding how such cognitive functions are generated. By gaining insights into these processes, we hope to generalise our findings to other brain areas, comprehend developmental changes, and determine whether these algorithms are present in other species.
Our new Centre of Excellence, the Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex, includes principal investigators who study the brains of rodents, zebrafish, and humans. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to explore the similarities and differences across species. Our work is supported by a 10-year grant, providing us with the resources and time needed to make significant advancements in our understanding of the brain.
What has been the most gratifying moment so far in your research?
The most gratifying moments in my career come when I understand something unexpected, such as the discovery of grid cells or the sweeping behaviour of these cells on a millisecond timescale. However, the most fulfilling experience of my career has been the privilege of working with so many talented individuals. These collaborations have enriched my journey and made every breakthrough even more rewarding.
Who offered you the best bit of advice during your career?
I’ve received a lot of valuable advice throughout my journey, but the guidance from our PhD supervisor, Per Andersen, has been particularly impactful. He told Edvard and me, “If you want to go far in science, the two of you should work together.” Another piece of advice from him was to focus on doing solid, interesting work. This resonated with both Edvard’s and my own views on science, making it easy to adopt and integrate into our approach.
Lastly, a former colleague and friend, clinical psychologist Tor Grønbech, taught me the importance of relaxation and how crucial it is to cultivate that skill. The mantra “calm down” has become a guiding principle in my life, reminding me to take a step back and recharge.
EMBL’s Alumni Relations office has been organising the Kafatos Lecture series since its start in 2021. The series is intended to bring groundbreaking and socially relevant life sciences research to the public, especially to young scientists and students worldwide. The Bodossaki Foundation once again provides support for this year’s lecture. There is still time to register to attend the talk either in person or online. Admission is free although registration is required due to limited seating. The talk will be recorded for later viewing on YouTube. Visit the Kafatos Lecture webpage for more information.
