This striking image, taken using a Leica SP5 confocal microscope, shows cortical neurons derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These are a type of stem cell that can be generated directly from adult cells. iPSC technology involves reprogramming somatic cells to a pluripotent state where they can differentiate into any type of cell in the human body. iPSCs have been widely applied to model human development and diseases, perform drug screening, and develop cell therapies.

Cortical neurons are cells in the brain's cortex, a region responsible for many complex functions, including memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness. Differentiating iPSCs into cortical neurons allows researchers to study brain development, neural function, and various neurological diseases under controlled laboratory conditions.

Dr Hung is a Race Against Dementia Fellow and Alzheimer's Research UK Senior Fellow at University College London and the Francis Crick Institute.