Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · 8d

📣 We're hiring! 📣

Research Assistant in Sleep and Stroke Rehabilitation

The Plasticity Lab are looking for a research assistant who will carry out studies investigating sleep, motor learning and recovery in healthy adults and people with brain injury.

Details and application:
shorturl.at/fgdm7

Research Assistant in Sleep and Stroke Rehabilitation at University of Oxford

Discover an exciting academic career path as a Research Assistant in Sleep and Stroke Rehabilitation at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

www.jobs.ac.uk

2 1

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · 21d

✨ This week we had our annual Neuroplastics retreat! ✨

We spent 2 days getting to know each other better, having some fun, and doing a bit of science 🧠

Challenges during the retreat included building contraptions to catch eggs, blindfolded jigsaws, and showing off some killer dance moves💃🕺

2

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

University of Oxford @ox.ac.uk · Sep 10

NEW: Researchers at UCL and Oxford have created an ultrasound device that can target deep areas of the brain without surgery — opening up new ways to study the brain and treat conditions like Parkinson’s and depression.

Read more ⬇️

New ultrasound helmet enables deep brain stimulation in people

An ultrasound device that can precisely stimulate areas deep in the brain without surgery has been developed by researchers from UCL and the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Clinical

www.ox.ac.uk

1 8 25

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · Sep 9

🌟 It's been a day full of celebrations for the Neuroplastics Network! 🌟

🎉 And last, but not least, @igrigoras.bsky.social received a prize for the best post-doc talk at the preclinical stroke symposium

🥳 Great to see such great work coming from our group!

2

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · Sep 9

🌟 It's been a day full of celebrations for the Neuroplastics Network! 🌟

🎉 Secondly, @mels-science.bsky.social has been awarded a 5-year fellowship from the Stroke Association to continue her fantastic research in the stroke and sleep field

👏 Very well deserved and we're brimming with pride!

1

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · Sep 9

🌟 It's been a day full of celebrations for the Neuroplastics Network! 🌟

🎉 Firstly, a huge congratulations to Jacinta O’Shea, one of our lab PIs who has been awarded the title of full Professor.

🧠 She is now Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience - a massive well done from us all!

a bunch of colorful balloons against a pattern of icons

ALT: a bunch of colorful balloons against a pattern of icons

media.tenor.com

1

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · Sep 5

🚨 New Paper Alert! 🚨

🔎 Read about using a novel ultrasound stimulation device to precisely target deep brain nuclei below

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Ioana Grigoras @igrigoras.bsky.social · Sep 5

Paper alert: our study using a novel ultrasound stimulation device to precisely target deep brain nuclei is out in Nature Communications @ndcnoxford.bsky.social @oxcin.bsky.social @mrcbndu.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk @ucl.ac.uk www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Ultrasound system for precise neuromodulation of human deep brain circuits - Nature Communications

Modulating deep brain structure can lead to therapies for neurological conditions. Here, the authors show a transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) system featuring a 256-element helmet-shaped trans...

www.nature.com

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · Jul 21

🎉 A huge con-grad-ulations to our Dr Lasbareilles‬ who had her graduation at the weekend! 🎉

Camille Lasbareilles @lasbareilles.bsky.social · Jul 19

Do Fidem 💙❤️

Today, I graduated from @ox.ac.uk with a DPhil in Clinical Neurosciences!

@stedmundhall.bsky.social
@ndcnoxford.bsky.social
@oxcin.bsky.social
@mrcbndu.ox.ac.uk

A woman in a red and blue DPhil gown walking through an archway

A woman in a red and blue DPhil gown twirling in front of a wooden door

A woman in a red and blue DPhil gown throwing her graduation cap.

4

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · Jul 3

🔗 We're on LinkedIn! 🔗

You can see and follow our page using the link below (or if that's not your cup of tea, we'll still be here on BlueSky!)

www.linkedin.com/company/neur...

Neuroplastics Network | LinkedIn

Neuroplastics Network | 8 followers on LinkedIn. A collaborative network of 3 research groups at OxCIN, University of Oxford, with a shared interest in brain plasticity. | The Neuroplastics Network is...

www.linkedin.com

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · Jun 30

"We have to go where people are" - Juju from our wider department highlighting the importance of improving inclusivity in research and recruitment 🙌

🔗 Read more about it below!

Juju Fars (They/Them) @juju-vision.bsky.social · Jun 27

Look, I say things about inclusion here!
www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk/news/recruit...

Recruiting participants - improving inclusivity

We talk to postdoctoral researcher and EDI ambassador Juju Fars about LGBTQIA+ inclusion in research and how they marked Pride month.

www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk

1 2

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

Melanie Fleming @mels-science.bsky.social · Jun 27

Incredibly excited to be a part of this!

Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences @ndcnoxford.bsky.social · Jun 27

🔊NDCN researchers to co-lead new £50m MRC Centre.

The new Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence (MRC CoRE) aims to develop brain stimulation devices to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s, dementia, stroke and childhood epilepsy.

Read more: tinyurl.com/mr359x2d

NDCN researchers to co-lead new £50m MRC Centre to develop medical device-based therapies for brain conditions

A new Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence (MRC CoRE) aims to develop brain stimulation devices to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s, dementia, stroke and childhood epilepsy.

tinyurl.com

1 2

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · May 29

🧠 We're at Westgate in Oxford today! 🧠

Play our games, and learn about the brain! If you're in Oxford, come and see us - we'll be here until 4pm.

@oxcin.bsky.social

1 3

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences @ndcnoxford.bsky.social · May 26

Are you interested in exploring career options in clinical neuroscience? Join the Clinical Neurosciences Society networking and career day focused on AI, big data, and machine learning.

9-5pm, 5 June
LT 2, Academic Centre, JR
FREE entry, plus lunch, refreshments and drinks reception

1 2

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

Katrijn Schruers @katschruers.bsky.social · May 21

Just published my first paper!
Really grateful to everyone at the plasticity lab @oxcin.bsky.social who made this possible.

huge thanks to my co-authors — couldn’t have done it without you.

If you want to check it out:
📄 paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Sleep regularity index as a novel indicator of sleep disturbance in stroke survivors: a secondary data analysis - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Sleep regularity index as a novel indicator of sleep disturbance in stroke survivors: a secondary data analysis

www.nature.com

5 9

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · May 21

📣 New paper alert! 📣

🔎 The RISES Study looked at the sleep regularity index in stroke survivors compared to people who haven't had a stroke.

🔗 See a summary of our findings in our infographic below, and find the full paper here: rdcu.be/emZ09

@oxcin.bsky.social @ndcnoxford.bsky.social

An infographic summarising the methods and findings of the RISES Study. Images of stars, the moon, and people sleeping with text as follows.
Summary: Sleep regularity is disturbed post-stroke, and may influence well-being. Sleep regularity: The sleep regularity index compares sleep state (i.e. sleep or wake) at time points across different days, giving a score of sleep regularity. Less regular sleep has been associated with increased health risks. Population: Data was used from 162 stroke survivors, and 60 controls who had not had a stroke. Methods: Sleep was assessed using a sleep watch, worn at home for a minimum of 5 days, and a questionnaire about subjective sleep quality. The stroke group also completed questionnaires for depression, disability, and quality of life. Findings: Stroke survivors had significantly lower sleep regularity compared to the control group. In the stroke survivor group less regular sleep was associated with worse depression scores, and more regular sleep was associated with higher reports of quality of life. Implications: This study has identified the usefulness of using sleep regularity as a metric for post-stroke sleep research. The findings highlight a potential target for improving post-stroke quality of life. Funding: Funding: Wellcome Trust, and Oxford Health BRC. Reference: Reference: Schruers, K.B., Weightman, M., Guttesen, A.á.V. et al. Sleep regularity index as a novel indicator of sleep disturbance in stroke survivors: a secondary data analysis. Sci Rep 15, 17510 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01332-4

4 7

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

Oxford University Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (OxCIN) @oxcin.bsky.social · May 20

We are excited to be returning to the annual BRC Health Research Showcase event at the Westgate shopping centre, Thursday 29 May, 10am-3.30pm. It's a great opportunity to engage with members of the public we may not otherwise reach. Come say hi! tinyurl.com/3x49x5eh

1 4

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

Oxford University Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (OxCIN) @oxcin.bsky.social · May 15

Not one, but TWO Vice Chancellor's Awards for OxCIN today! 🏆🏆 Massive congratulations to the Ambassadors Programme and the Oxford Young Sports Leaders Programme! Read more about them here: hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/vice-chancel...

1 9

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · May 15

🧠 It's Stroke Awareness Month! 🧠

Our group do a lot of research with stroke recovery - here you can watch two of our researchers discussing sleep after stroke at a Bristol After Stroke session.

@mattweightman26.bsky.social, @oxcin.bsky.social

Bristol After Stroke @bristolafterstroke.bsky.social · May 15

It’s Stroke Awareness Month: count down our top ten information videos!

No 7: Improving Sleep in rehabilitation after stroke

Dr Matthew Weightman and Barbara Robinson describe the role of sleep in recovery.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIyZ...

Improving Sleep in rehabilitation after stroke

After stroke people often have problems with their sleep. As bad sleep has been related to worse mood, quality of life, and recovery, it is important to look...

www.youtube.com

1 2

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

Oxford University Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (OxCIN) @oxcin.bsky.social · May 13

So proud of our projects shortlisted for the Vice Chancellor's Awards: BReal & the Ambassador Programmes! All are welcome to learn more at the Showcase event today at the Weston Library until 4pm. Keeping our 🤞for the results on Thursday...

hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/vice-chancel...

Stuart standing next to the poster showcasing our Ambassador Programmes

Poster explaining our Ambassador Programmes

Poster explaining the BReal project about building stress resilience in early adolescents' lives

2 2

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · May 9

🎉 We're absolutely delighted that several of our group received an OxCIN Good Citizen Award! 🎉

A huge well done to @lasbareilles.bsky.social, Poly, and Barbara!

1

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre @oxhealthbrc.bsky.social · May 2

Join us at our Health Research Showcase 2025!

📅Thursday 29 May
📍Westgate Centre, Oxford
⏲️10am to 3.30pm

Experience interactive stands showcasing the exciting medical innovation that’s taking place in Oxford
tinyurl.com/3hm6wu3t

4 5

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

Oxford University Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (OxCIN) @oxcin.bsky.social · May 1

🌍 OxCIN Global Scholars: apply by June 30th! 🌎

Our Global Scholars programme provides a year of remote MRI training and collaboration for early-career researchers from the Global South.

Apply now to join the 2025/26 cohort. Please repost!

oxcin.ox.ac.uk/about/traini...

3 2

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

Oxford University Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (OxCIN) @oxcin.bsky.social · Apr 28

We're excited to announce that WIN is now the Oxford University Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging: OxCIN! Our mission: developing and deploying neuroimaging and related technology to solve big challenges in basic neuroscience and brain health. oxcin.ox.ac.uk/about/vision

14 43

Reposted by The Neuroplastics 🧠

Camille Lasbareilles @lasbareilles.bsky.social · Apr 25

Yesterday we launched into a new era as the "Oxford Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging" (OxCIN) in the most wholesome and fun day! Really looking forward to seeing where this next stage takes us 👏👏

@ndcnoxford.bsky.social
@heidijoberg.bsky.social
@fmrib-karla.bsky.social

A woman standing at a podium presenting a PowerPoint presentation slide stating "OxCIN: our vision"

A woman standing at a podium presenting a PowerPoint presentation slide stating "Thank you to our brilliant Director" with a photo of Heidi Johansen-Berg.

A photo of a certificate for "Good Citizen Award" with a glass award.

1 4

The Neuroplastics 🧠 @neuroplastics.bsky.social · Apr 4

📣 3-Year Postdoc Position Available! 📣

See below for more information in this joint industry-academic fellowship between Novo Nordisk and the University of Oxford, to study the impact of obesity on the brain.

1 1