Ben Kanter
@beneuroscience.bsky.social
Neuroscientist / Neuroethologist at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, NTNU.
www.brkanter.com
#Memory #Learning #Time #Space #Hibernation #Torpor #Sleep #Dynamics #Circuits #AnimalBehavior #Ethology #Ecology
www.brkanter.com
#Memory #Learning #Time #Space #Hibernation #Torpor #Sleep #Dynamics #Circuits #AnimalBehavior #Ethology #Ecology
Pinned
Ben Kanter
@beneuroscience.bsky.social
· Sep 25
1/5 How does the brain turn the low-dimensional, universal grid cell metric into the rich, diverse codes needed for memory in hippocampal place cells? 🧵
Preprint link 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Preprint link 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Functional independence of entorhinal grid cell modules enables remapping in hippocampal place cells
A systems-level understanding of cortical computation requires insight into how neural codes are transformed across distinct brain circuits. In the mammalian cortex, one of the few systems where such ...
www.biorxiv.org
So happy to release this to the world!! A big one that's been cooking for years.
If you like #Memory #GridCells #PlaceCells #Theory #Attractors #Neuropixels or just anything exciting in #Neuroscience, this is a must read 👇
If you like #Memory #GridCells #PlaceCells #Theory #Attractors #Neuropixels or just anything exciting in #Neuroscience, this is a must read 👇
Totally agree. I'm glad it's out but had similar concerns as the reviewers (for version 1).
Also a great summary here of some of the latest from @edvardmoser.bsky.social and @m-bmoser.bsky.social 's lab! Featuring: @martipof.bsky.social @matteoguardamagna.bsky.social @azvollan.bsky.social et al
Also a great summary here of some of the latest from @edvardmoser.bsky.social and @m-bmoser.bsky.social 's lab! Featuring: @martipof.bsky.social @matteoguardamagna.bsky.social @azvollan.bsky.social et al
I am really proud that eLife have published this paper. It is a very nice paper, but you need to also read the reviews to understand why! 1/n
"The inevitability and superfluousness of cell types in spatial cognition". Intuitive cell types are found in random artificial networks using the same selection criteria neuroscientists use with actual data. elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre... 1/2
November 26, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Totally agree. I'm glad it's out but had similar concerns as the reviewers (for version 1).
Also a great summary here of some of the latest from @edvardmoser.bsky.social and @m-bmoser.bsky.social 's lab! Featuring: @martipof.bsky.social @matteoguardamagna.bsky.social @azvollan.bsky.social et al
Also a great summary here of some of the latest from @edvardmoser.bsky.social and @m-bmoser.bsky.social 's lab! Featuring: @martipof.bsky.social @matteoguardamagna.bsky.social @azvollan.bsky.social et al
Reposted by Ben Kanter
New paper from the lab, "Perceiving Event Structure in Brief Actions," now out in Cognitive Psychology :)
Led by the inimitable Zekun Sun
This was my lab's first foray into event cognition
gift link: sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Led by the inimitable Zekun Sun
This was my lab's first foray into event cognition
gift link: sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 25, 2025 at 3:40 PM
New paper from the lab, "Perceiving Event Structure in Brief Actions," now out in Cognitive Psychology :)
Led by the inimitable Zekun Sun
This was my lab's first foray into event cognition
gift link: sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Led by the inimitable Zekun Sun
This was my lab's first foray into event cognition
gift link: sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Ben Kanter
A new preprint "Anxiety Modulates Event Segmentation" with @yaelniv.bsky.social and colleagues!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
November 20, 2025 at 4:54 PM
A new preprint "Anxiety Modulates Event Segmentation" with @yaelniv.bsky.social and colleagues!
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Ben Kanter
How do changes in context influence how we organize our memories in time?
Faster contextual changes are associated with faster drift in hippocampal activity and reduced temporal clustering in recalled memories.
Elegant work led by @lindsayrait.bsky.social!
www.jneurosci.org/content/45/4...
Faster contextual changes are associated with faster drift in hippocampal activity and reduced temporal clustering in recalled memories.
Elegant work led by @lindsayrait.bsky.social!
www.jneurosci.org/content/45/4...
Hippocampal Drift Rate Reflects the Temporal Organization of Memories
When freely recalling past events, individuals tend to successively remember stimuli that were studied close together in time—a phenomenon known as temporal clustering. Temporal clustering is thought ...
www.jneurosci.org
November 20, 2025 at 2:37 PM
How do changes in context influence how we organize our memories in time?
Faster contextual changes are associated with faster drift in hippocampal activity and reduced temporal clustering in recalled memories.
Elegant work led by @lindsayrait.bsky.social!
www.jneurosci.org/content/45/4...
Faster contextual changes are associated with faster drift in hippocampal activity and reduced temporal clustering in recalled memories.
Elegant work led by @lindsayrait.bsky.social!
www.jneurosci.org/content/45/4...
Reposted by Ben Kanter
Thanks, Adrian! I’m excited to be starting a lab at the University of Utah (theluolab.org)!
We’re recruiting at all levels.
If you’re excited about neural computation, large-scale multi-region recordings, and machine learning, let’s talk!
And yes, the mountains are as incredible as they say!
We’re recruiting at all levels.
If you’re excited about neural computation, large-scale multi-region recordings, and machine learning, let’s talk!
And yes, the mountains are as incredible as they say!
November 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Thanks, Adrian! I’m excited to be starting a lab at the University of Utah (theluolab.org)!
We’re recruiting at all levels.
If you’re excited about neural computation, large-scale multi-region recordings, and machine learning, let’s talk!
And yes, the mountains are as incredible as they say!
We’re recruiting at all levels.
If you’re excited about neural computation, large-scale multi-region recordings, and machine learning, let’s talk!
And yes, the mountains are as incredible as they say!
Last reminder - come say hi! QQ14
#sfn25
#sfn25
Hey #sfn25, come check out QQ14 tomorrow morning (Wednesday) where I'll be presenting @clykken.bsky.social 's poster showing how the rigid structure of grid cells can be recombined to create flexible place cell maps in the hippocampus! Would love to hear what you think :)
QQ14: Lykken et al. show that differential phase shifts between grid cell modules may form the basis for the orthogonalization of downstream hippocampal spatial codes during remapping. @clykken.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Last reminder - come say hi! QQ14
#sfn25
#sfn25
Hey #sfn25, come check out QQ14 tomorrow morning (Wednesday) where I'll be presenting @clykken.bsky.social 's poster showing how the rigid structure of grid cells can be recombined to create flexible place cell maps in the hippocampus! Would love to hear what you think :)
QQ14: Lykken et al. show that differential phase shifts between grid cell modules may form the basis for the orthogonalization of downstream hippocampal spatial codes during remapping. @clykken.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Hey #sfn25, come check out QQ14 tomorrow morning (Wednesday) where I'll be presenting @clykken.bsky.social 's poster showing how the rigid structure of grid cells can be recombined to create flexible place cell maps in the hippocampus! Would love to hear what you think :)
Reposted by Ben Kanter
QQ14: Lykken et al. show that differential phase shifts between grid cell modules may form the basis for the orthogonalization of downstream hippocampal spatial codes during remapping. @clykken.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 10:32 PM
QQ14: Lykken et al. show that differential phase shifts between grid cell modules may form the basis for the orthogonalization of downstream hippocampal spatial codes during remapping. @clykken.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Kanter
Still at SfN on the last day? During the morning session on the 19th, 8:00AM - 12:00PM, come check out our posters from the Moser, Zong, and Gonzalo Cogno groups in row QQ ('Grid cells and spatially modulated cells'). Ephys, imaging, remapping, development, sweeps and more! 🧠
Detailed thread below 👇
Detailed thread below 👇
November 18, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Still at SfN on the last day? During the morning session on the 19th, 8:00AM - 12:00PM, come check out our posters from the Moser, Zong, and Gonzalo Cogno groups in row QQ ('Grid cells and spatially modulated cells'). Ephys, imaging, remapping, development, sweeps and more! 🧠
Detailed thread below 👇
Detailed thread below 👇
Reposted by Ben Kanter
The Sosa Lab is going to #SfN25 and actively recruiting ✨postdocs✨ with systems neuroscience experience! We study both fundamental memory processes and how memory changes during pregnancy and postpartum.
If you are interested in meeting at SfN, please email me! www.sosaneurolab.com/join/postdoc...
If you are interested in meeting at SfN, please email me! www.sosaneurolab.com/join/postdoc...
Sosa Lab - Postdoctoral Researchers
We are seeking postdocs to start in 2026!
www.sosaneurolab.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:53 PM
The Sosa Lab is going to #SfN25 and actively recruiting ✨postdocs✨ with systems neuroscience experience! We study both fundamental memory processes and how memory changes during pregnancy and postpartum.
If you are interested in meeting at SfN, please email me! www.sosaneurolab.com/join/postdoc...
If you are interested in meeting at SfN, please email me! www.sosaneurolab.com/join/postdoc...
Reposted by Ben Kanter
If you are interested I suggest reading the excellent review by David Robbe @davidrobbe.bsky.social, in which he acknowledges the pioneering work of the philosopher Henri Bergson, who introduced the concept of 'la durée' to distinguish between experienced and measured time doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...
Redirecting
doi.org
November 15, 2025 at 9:57 AM
If you are interested I suggest reading the excellent review by David Robbe @davidrobbe.bsky.social, in which he acknowledges the pioneering work of the philosopher Henri Bergson, who introduced the concept of 'la durée' to distinguish between experienced and measured time doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...
Reposted by Ben Kanter
The changes we experience may be the source of our subjective experience of time.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Time, space, memory and brain–body rhythms - Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Understanding how the brain represents experienced time and how representations of space and time are integrated to form episodic memories has been a goal of much neuroscientific research. In this Per...
www.nature.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:32 PM
The changes we experience may be the source of our subjective experience of time.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ben Kanter
Foraging as an ethological framework for neuroscience
From the amazing @lauragrima.bsky.social and colleagues - definitely looking forward to reading this!
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition
From the amazing @lauragrima.bsky.social and colleagues - definitely looking forward to reading this!
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition
Foraging as an ethological framework for neuroscience
The study of foraging is central to a renewed interest in naturalistic behavior in neuroscience. Applying a foraging framework grounded in behavioral …
www.sciencedirect.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Foraging as an ethological framework for neuroscience
From the amazing @lauragrima.bsky.social and colleagues - definitely looking forward to reading this!
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition
From the amazing @lauragrima.bsky.social and colleagues - definitely looking forward to reading this!
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition
Reposted by Ben Kanter
How prediction error drives memory updating: role of locus coeruleus–hippocampal interactions
Looks interesting, from Groves et al
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition
Looks interesting, from Groves et al
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition
How prediction error drives memory updating: role of locus coeruleus–hippocampal interactions
The brain constantly generates predictions based on one’s knowledge of the world, as captured in memory. When these predictions are in error, our know…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:22 AM
How prediction error drives memory updating: role of locus coeruleus–hippocampal interactions
Looks interesting, from Groves et al
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition
Looks interesting, from Groves et al
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition
Reposted by Ben Kanter
Thrilled to share our new paper, out now in @natneuro.nature.com, uncovering how estradiol, the most potent estrogen, modulates reinforcement learning and reward prediction errors across biological levels. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#blueprint 1/7
#blueprint 1/7
Estrogen modulates reward prediction errors and reinforcement learning - Nature Neuroscience
Dopamine encoding of reward prediction errors naturally fluctuates over females’ reproductive cycles with estrogenic signaling due to reduced expression of dopamine reuptake proteins.
www.nature.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Thrilled to share our new paper, out now in @natneuro.nature.com, uncovering how estradiol, the most potent estrogen, modulates reinforcement learning and reward prediction errors across biological levels. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#blueprint 1/7
#blueprint 1/7
Reposted by Ben Kanter
🚨Job alert🚨
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
3 Postdoctoral Research Fellows
Champalimaud Foundation (Fundação D. Anna de Sommer Champalimaud e Dr.
euraxess.ec.europa.eu
November 4, 2025 at 5:11 PM
🚨Job alert🚨
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
Reposted by Ben Kanter
I am recruiting a postdoc at UC Santa Barbara for an NIH-funded project on the organization of lateral PFC function--across emotion and cognition--using representational fMRI & TMS. I’d love to find someone w/ a background in cognitive control & computational modeling to complement our team! 🏝️ 🧠 🧲
October 29, 2025 at 6:20 PM
I am recruiting a postdoc at UC Santa Barbara for an NIH-funded project on the organization of lateral PFC function--across emotion and cognition--using representational fMRI & TMS. I’d love to find someone w/ a background in cognitive control & computational modeling to complement our team! 🏝️ 🧠 🧲
Reposted by Ben Kanter
🧠🌟🐭 Excited to share some of my postdoc work on the evolution of dexterity!
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
October 22, 2025 at 8:41 PM
🧠🌟🐭 Excited to share some of my postdoc work on the evolution of dexterity!
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
Reposted by Ben Kanter
I am excited to share my PhD work on head-direction cells recorded in the wild, now published in @science.org, where we recorded neurons in bats flying outdoors on an island.
doi.org/10.1126/sci...
With @ray-neuro.bsky.social, Shir Maimon, Liora Las, Nachum Ulanovsky and many others
doi.org/10.1126/sci...
With @ray-neuro.bsky.social, Shir Maimon, Liora Las, Nachum Ulanovsky and many others
October 16, 2025 at 6:04 PM
I am excited to share my PhD work on head-direction cells recorded in the wild, now published in @science.org, where we recorded neurons in bats flying outdoors on an island.
doi.org/10.1126/sci...
With @ray-neuro.bsky.social, Shir Maimon, Liora Las, Nachum Ulanovsky and many others
doi.org/10.1126/sci...
With @ray-neuro.bsky.social, Shir Maimon, Liora Las, Nachum Ulanovsky and many others
Reposted by Ben Kanter
🚨new paper: the head-direction circuit as a model of primary thalamocortical system. Check this out 👇
kudos to @adrian-du.bsky.social for the huge amount of work put into this opinion piece, starting with the beautiful figures comparing the different thalamocortical systems 🤩
kudos to @adrian-du.bsky.social for the huge amount of work put into this opinion piece, starting with the beautiful figures comparing the different thalamocortical systems 🤩
Really excited to share this Opinion piece we've been working on with fellow head-direction cell geeks @apeyrache.bsky.social @desdemonafricker.bsky.social and (bsky-less?) Andrea Burgalossi! While head-direction cells pop up in many cortical regions, we think that one of them is quite unique (1/8)
The postsubiculum as a head-direction cortex
The organisation of thalamocortical networks follows a conserved structure. Traditionally, these are divided into primary sensory systems that receive…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:39 PM
🚨new paper: the head-direction circuit as a model of primary thalamocortical system. Check this out 👇
kudos to @adrian-du.bsky.social for the huge amount of work put into this opinion piece, starting with the beautiful figures comparing the different thalamocortical systems 🤩
kudos to @adrian-du.bsky.social for the huge amount of work put into this opinion piece, starting with the beautiful figures comparing the different thalamocortical systems 🤩
Reposted by Ben Kanter
Trying to work from home with my kids around
October 14, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Trying to work from home with my kids around
Reposted by Ben Kanter
I’m thrilled to share my postdoc work and the first paper from the McKinley Lab! 🎉
@karalmckinley.bsky.social
We built the first transgenic model of menstruation in mice.
We used it to uncover how the endometrium organizes and sheds during menstruation. 🧪
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵
@karalmckinley.bsky.social
We built the first transgenic model of menstruation in mice.
We used it to uncover how the endometrium organizes and sheds during menstruation. 🧪
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵
Induction of menstruation in mice reveals the regulation of menstrual shedding
During menstruation, an inner layer of the endometrium is selectively shed, while an outer, progenitor-containing layer is preserved to support repeated regeneration. Progress in understanding this co...
www.biorxiv.org
October 10, 2025 at 12:50 PM
I’m thrilled to share my postdoc work and the first paper from the McKinley Lab! 🎉
@karalmckinley.bsky.social
We built the first transgenic model of menstruation in mice.
We used it to uncover how the endometrium organizes and sheds during menstruation. 🧪
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵
@karalmckinley.bsky.social
We built the first transgenic model of menstruation in mice.
We used it to uncover how the endometrium organizes and sheds during menstruation. 🧪
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵
Reposted by Ben Kanter
But the bigger takeaway is: when you have competing survival needs and one must suppress another, gating out inputs to a system is more effective than gating outputs or changing costs of actions.
It suggests early afferent sensory/interoceptive areas as a target of modulation for flexible behavior.
It suggests early afferent sensory/interoceptive areas as a target of modulation for flexible behavior.
October 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM
But the bigger takeaway is: when you have competing survival needs and one must suppress another, gating out inputs to a system is more effective than gating outputs or changing costs of actions.
It suggests early afferent sensory/interoceptive areas as a target of modulation for flexible behavior.
It suggests early afferent sensory/interoceptive areas as a target of modulation for flexible behavior.
Reposted by Ben Kanter
Come do a postdoc at the Wu Tsai Institute!
WTI fellows have freedom to work with anyone at the institute, and preference is given to applicants who want to work on interdisciplinary projects with multiple faculty mentors.
If you’re interested to work with me, please reach out!
WTI fellows have freedom to work with anyone at the institute, and preference is given to applicants who want to work on interdisciplinary projects with multiple faculty mentors.
If you’re interested to work with me, please reach out!
📣 Calling experimental, computational, or theoretical researchers!
WTI's Postdoc Fellowships application is now open, offering a competitive salary, structured mentorship, world-class facilities + more: wti.yale.edu/initiatives/...
Apply by November 10: apply.interfolio.com/174525
#KnowTogether
WTI's Postdoc Fellowships application is now open, offering a competitive salary, structured mentorship, world-class facilities + more: wti.yale.edu/initiatives/...
Apply by November 10: apply.interfolio.com/174525
#KnowTogether
October 8, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Come do a postdoc at the Wu Tsai Institute!
WTI fellows have freedom to work with anyone at the institute, and preference is given to applicants who want to work on interdisciplinary projects with multiple faculty mentors.
If you’re interested to work with me, please reach out!
WTI fellows have freedom to work with anyone at the institute, and preference is given to applicants who want to work on interdisciplinary projects with multiple faculty mentors.
If you’re interested to work with me, please reach out!