Leigh Wilson is a Public Engagement Manager for the Dev Neuro Academy Programme Lead and Teaching Fellow with the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London. 

With a background in neuroscience research, Leigh works at the intersection of public engagement, education and neurobiology.

As the public engagement lead for two research centres focused on brain development and neurodevelopmental conditions, Leigh supports researchers in engaging with the public in meaningful ways. She also lead the Dev Neuro Academy, the widening participation outreach programme for 16–18-year-olds which enables students to explore neuroscience and increase progression to university.

Leigh's teaching and research focuses on how science (and science communication) connects with other subjects, exploring and encouraging more creative and cross-disciplinary approaches to STEM across university education and the outreach field.

She iss also interested in how we shape research culture, making it more inclusive, supportive, and collaborative. As an impact champion for IoPPN and member of King’s Engaged Research Network, she strives to ensure our research and work has real-world benefits in wider society.

Find out more about my work

Online articles

1. “Cultivating a Connected Research Culture: The Power of Public Engagement in Neuroscience” IoPPN Research Culture Insights, Feb 2025
2. "Connecting with the next generation of diverse neuroscientists: accessing research and inspiring through outreach” KERN Blog website, Feb 2023
3. “Developmental Neurobiology Academy: Exploring neuroscience, creating opportunities and forging networks” King’s Newsletter article, Nov 2022.
4. “Building Neuro Networks” KERN Blog website, July 2022

Educational research

Knowing Through Making Research

Knowing Through Making Report

Wilson LJ. 2019. Teaching children about the brain using the world around you. Neuronline. 

Neuroscience research

1. Wilson, L., Chambers, D., 2014. Transcriptomic analysis of midbrain and individual hindbrain rhombomeres in the chick embryo. Sci Data 1, 140014.
2. Wilson, L.J., Myat, A., Sharma, A., Maden, M., Wingate, R.J., 2007. Retinoic acid is a potential dorsalising signal in the late embryonic chick hindbrain. BMC Dev Biol 7, 138.
3. Wilson, L.J., Wingate, R.J., 2006. Temporal identity transition in the avian cerebellar rhombic lip. Dev Biol 297, 508-521.
4. Wilson, L., Gale, E., Chambers, D., Maden, M., 2004. Retinoic acid and the control of dorsoventral patterning in the avian spinal cord. Dev Biol 269, 433-446.

Key collaborators

• Dr Stephen Webster, The Good Science Project, Imperial College London
• Artist partners: Mel Frances, Les Bicknell, Asma Bashir and Charlie Murphy
• In2Science
• Society for Neuroscience and Brainfacts.org
• NW Noggin International neuroscience outreach group

Websites

Science Communication

3^rd year undergraduate project in Communicating Science website

Public Engagement/Outreach

Dev Neuro Academy (New website coming soon for this at the end of April))

Short film

Dev Neuro Academy: Pathways to Discovery

Social media

TikTok: @dev_neuro_academy
Instagram: dev_neuro_academy