Junior European Drosophila Investigators

header-logo-small.png

Who are the JEDIs

The JEDIs are early career scientists working on Drosophila melanogaster in Europe who have recently established their independent research groups.
The JEDI Club was founded to allow Junior European Drosophila Investigators to share ideas, expertise, and resources. This portal serves as a hub for JEDIs to get to know each other and interact, both through these pages and via our mailing list.

Can I become a JEDI?

If you lead your own Drosophila research lab for up to seven years, whether on a tenure-track or temporary position, we warmly invite you to join us.
Please take a few minutes to fill out this form.

Who is behind this?

The JEDI club originated from a brainstorming session between Bart Deplancke and Alex Stark. Within a few months, the group grew to more than 60 members across Europe, working in universities and research institutes.
Bart and Alex were later joined in the organization by Giorgio Gilestro, Pavel Tomancak, and Yogi Yaeger.

👉 Meet the 2026 committee here.

news

Mar 14, 2026

Calling all #Drosophila #NewPI #researchers! A few spots remain for the upcoming JEDI Conference - and you won’t want to miss this! Every attendee gives a talk, making the exchange dynamic, personal, and highly interactive - all at a stunning venue that inspires collaboration and creativity.

[image or embed]— Junior European Drosophila Investigators (@fly-jedi.bsky.social) March 15, 2026 at 11:23 PM
Jan 13, 2026

Registration will open soon for the next JEDI meeting: June 1st - 3rd in Palmela, Portugal! Join us and our keynote speaker Eugenia Chiappe. Her #neuroscience lab studies how #Drosophila estimates its own movement and integrates sensory inputs to control locomotion. chiappelab.org

[image or embed]— Junior European Drosophila Investigators (@fly-jedi.bsky.social) January 13, 2026 at 9:36 PM
Oct 28, 2025

Preparations for the next JEDI meeting are underway! The upcoming Junior European #Drosophila Investigator / #NewPI meeting is planned for Portugal in June. Final dates and additional details will be announced soon - stay tuned for updates!​

[image or embed]— Junior European Drosophila Investigators (@fly-jedi.bsky.social) October 28, 2025 at 11:14 PM