Mubarak Hussain Syed—also known as the “Fly Guy”—is a developmental neuroscientist and educator committed to understanding how the brain develops to generate complex behaviors, while mentoring the next generation of scientists. Originally from Wahabpora Budgam in Kashmir, Syed’s journey into science began after a transformative developmental biology workshop at NCBS in Bengaluru, India.

He earned his PhD as a Max Planck Graduate student at the University of Münster under Dr. Christian Klaembt. He later completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Chris Doe at the University of Oregon, where he uncovered how neural stem cells use temporal patterning to produce diverse neuron types. Now an Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico, Syed leads a research group that uses fruit flies to investigate how neural stem cells specify neurons that regulate behaviors like olfactory navigation and sleep.

Beyond the lab, Syed is a dedicated mentor and science educator. He founded JKScientists and Pueblo Brain Science, two grassroots organizations that mentor and support students—from Kashmir to New Mexico. JKScientists, primarily run by active researchers, has had a significant impact on science and education and has inspired many new organizations locally and internationally. As President, Syed oversees strategic direction, outreach, training, and leadership development.

His work has earned multiple honors, including the NSF CAREER Award, Sloan Research Fellowship, McKnight Scholar Award, National Academy Kavli Fellowship, and the Elizabeth D. Hay New Investigator Award.         

In his free time, Syed enjoys mountain hikes, long runs, and exploring outdoors with his kids. You can learn more about Syed’s interests here

Email : president@jkscientists.org