Laura Bradfield (she/her)
@bradfield-neuro.bsky.social
Behavioural neuroscientist. With a 'u'. Slight obsession with astrocytes
Pinned
Dorsomedial striatal neuroinflammation causes excessive goal-directed action control by disrupting astrocyte function
Neuropsychopharmacology - Dorsomedial striatal neuroinflammation causes excessive goal-directed action control by disrupting astrocyte function
rdcu.be
rdcu.be/eIyQB
Now published in Neuropsychopharmacology, here we mimicked the striatal neuroinflammation seen in the brains of individuals with compulsive disorders and found that this facilitated goal-directed action, whereas activating the Gi pathway in astrocytes prevented it
Now published in Neuropsychopharmacology, here we mimicked the striatal neuroinflammation seen in the brains of individuals with compulsive disorders and found that this facilitated goal-directed action, whereas activating the Gi pathway in astrocytes prevented it
I wish I was as busy as I was the first time I felt like I was busy.
November 24, 2025 at 12:49 AM
I wish I was as busy as I was the first time I felt like I was busy.
Got an invitation to provide an article for a journal called "Nature, Cell, and Science" and was wondering if it was predatory. Google gave me this reddit thread, funny:
www.reddit.com/r/labrats/co...
www.reddit.com/r/labrats/co...
From the labrats community on Reddit: Predatory journal: let’s sound impactful by having a combined name of Nature, Cell, and Science 😂😂
Explore this post and more from the labrats community
www.reddit.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Got an invitation to provide an article for a journal called "Nature, Cell, and Science" and was wondering if it was predatory. Google gave me this reddit thread, funny:
www.reddit.com/r/labrats/co...
www.reddit.com/r/labrats/co...
Reposted by Laura Bradfield (she/her)
First alcohol lab paper out today! Neurotoxic effects of chronic ethanol on cholinergic interneurons in the dorsomedial striatum.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...
Many thanks to all contributors!
doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...
Many thanks to all contributors!
Redirecting
doi.org
October 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
First alcohol lab paper out today! Neurotoxic effects of chronic ethanol on cholinergic interneurons in the dorsomedial striatum.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...
Many thanks to all contributors!
doi.org/10.1016/j.ne...
Many thanks to all contributors!
P.P.S. As far as treatments go, my prediction would be that varenicline would be most effective in treatment individuals with neuroinflammation in the dorsal striatum in particular, based on prior work showing that acetylcholine in the dorsal striatum is necessary for cognitive flexibility
October 1, 2025 at 12:07 AM
P.P.S. As far as treatments go, my prediction would be that varenicline would be most effective in treatment individuals with neuroinflammation in the dorsal striatum in particular, based on prior work showing that acetylcholine in the dorsal striatum is necessary for cognitive flexibility
We have recently back-translated a task from humans to rats and mice (called value modulated attentional capture) that is associated with transdiagnostic compulsivity, and we are finding really interesting effects of neuroinflammation in dorsal/ventral striatum on that too. Stay tuned!
October 1, 2025 at 12:02 AM
We have recently back-translated a task from humans to rats and mice (called value modulated attentional capture) that is associated with transdiagnostic compulsivity, and we are finding really interesting effects of neuroinflammation in dorsal/ventral striatum on that too. Stay tuned!
environmental circumstances (e.g. sometimes it is underscored by enhanced cognitive control, other times it results from increased sensitivity to cues). This is interesting as it shows that compulsivity is complex and multi-faceted, which could be why treatments work for some and not others. 4/4
October 1, 2025 at 12:01 AM
environmental circumstances (e.g. sometimes it is underscored by enhanced cognitive control, other times it results from increased sensitivity to cues). This is interesting as it shows that compulsivity is complex and multi-faceted, which could be why treatments work for some and not others. 4/4
such that these individuals might have distinct cognitive processes underlying their compulsivity. Second, for those with neuroinflammation in both regions it could mean that the source of their compulsivity is multi-factorial and changes depending on the 3/4
October 1, 2025 at 12:01 AM
such that these individuals might have distinct cognitive processes underlying their compulsivity. Second, for those with neuroinflammation in both regions it could mean that the source of their compulsivity is multi-factorial and changes depending on the 3/4
goal-directed control, whereas in the ventral striatum, neuroinflammation caused excessive sensitivity to cues. This is interesting for a couple of reasons, first because different individuals have different distributions of neuroinflammation in their striatum 2/4
October 1, 2025 at 12:01 AM
goal-directed control, whereas in the ventral striatum, neuroinflammation caused excessive sensitivity to cues. This is interesting for a couple of reasons, first because different individuals have different distributions of neuroinflammation in their striatum 2/4
Probably the thing that is most exciting to me is the finding that, even within the striatum, there is heterogeneity in the behavioural consequences of neuroinflammation in different regions. That is, neuroinflammation in the dorsal striatum caused excessive 1/4
October 1, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Probably the thing that is most exciting to me is the finding that, even within the striatum, there is heterogeneity in the behavioural consequences of neuroinflammation in different regions. That is, neuroinflammation in the dorsal striatum caused excessive 1/4
Thank you! I would love to think so. Anti-inflammatories, cholinergic agonists (e.g. champix/varenicline) with anti-inflammatory properties are two of the ideas we are going to try in the lab. Also interested in exercise, sleep, and behavioural training, and interactions between all of the above
September 29, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Thank you! I would love to think so. Anti-inflammatories, cholinergic agonists (e.g. champix/varenicline) with anti-inflammatory properties are two of the ideas we are going to try in the lab. Also interested in exercise, sleep, and behavioural training, and interactions between all of the above
rdcu.be/eIyQB
Now published in Neuropsychopharmacology, here we mimicked the striatal neuroinflammation seen in the brains of individuals with compulsive disorders and found that this facilitated goal-directed action, whereas activating the Gi pathway in astrocytes prevented it
Now published in Neuropsychopharmacology, here we mimicked the striatal neuroinflammation seen in the brains of individuals with compulsive disorders and found that this facilitated goal-directed action, whereas activating the Gi pathway in astrocytes prevented it
Dorsomedial striatal neuroinflammation causes excessive goal-directed action control by disrupting astrocyte function
Neuropsychopharmacology - Dorsomedial striatal neuroinflammation causes excessive goal-directed action control by disrupting astrocyte function
rdcu.be
September 29, 2025 at 12:38 AM
rdcu.be/eIyQB
Now published in Neuropsychopharmacology, here we mimicked the striatal neuroinflammation seen in the brains of individuals with compulsive disorders and found that this facilitated goal-directed action, whereas activating the Gi pathway in astrocytes prevented it
Now published in Neuropsychopharmacology, here we mimicked the striatal neuroinflammation seen in the brains of individuals with compulsive disorders and found that this facilitated goal-directed action, whereas activating the Gi pathway in astrocytes prevented it
You played a critical part! And we are extremely grateful
September 29, 2025 at 12:36 AM
You played a critical part! And we are extremely grateful
Reposted by Laura Bradfield (she/her)
Latest lab preprint! Astrocytes are a brain cell type vulnerable to the effects of stress and the development of psychiatric-like phenotypes in animals, yet how this translates to humans is unclear... so we dived in:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Astrocytic glutamate regulation is shaped by adversity and glucocorticoid signalling
Astrocytes are a brain cell type vulnerable to the effects of stress and the development of psychiatric-like phenotypes in animals, yet how this translates to humans is unclear. Here, we probed the di...
www.biorxiv.org
September 25, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Latest lab preprint! Astrocytes are a brain cell type vulnerable to the effects of stress and the development of psychiatric-like phenotypes in animals, yet how this translates to humans is unclear... so we dived in:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Thank you for your interesting paper too!
August 21, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Thank you for your interesting paper too!
I think this is consistent with our findings in mice that hippocampal neuroinflammation enhances goal-directed control. Depression is linked with hippocampal neuroinflammation. Paper if you're interested:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I suspect this effect might be different for aged mice
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I suspect this effect might be different for aged mice
Hippocampal neuroinflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide causes sex-specific disruptions in action selection, food approach memories, and neuronal activation
Hippocampal neuroinflammation is present in multiple diseases and disorders that impact motivated behaviour in a sex-specific manner, but whether neur…
www.sciencedirect.com
August 21, 2025 at 12:30 AM
I think this is consistent with our findings in mice that hippocampal neuroinflammation enhances goal-directed control. Depression is linked with hippocampal neuroinflammation. Paper if you're interested:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I suspect this effect might be different for aged mice
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I suspect this effect might be different for aged mice
Reposted by Laura Bradfield (she/her)
Reposted by Laura Bradfield (she/her)
Position open for a neuroimaging focused postdoc to come work with us in Sydney
Feel free to get in touch for a chat if you have any questions about it :)
usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/USYD_E...
Feel free to get in touch for a chat if you have any questions about it :)
usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/USYD_E...
August 15, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Position open for a neuroimaging focused postdoc to come work with us in Sydney
Feel free to get in touch for a chat if you have any questions about it :)
usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/USYD_E...
Feel free to get in touch for a chat if you have any questions about it :)
usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/USYD_E...
I guess they're better than the ones that charge $10k though.
August 12, 2025 at 12:15 AM
I guess they're better than the ones that charge $10k though.
Best meeting ever!
Congrats Mel xo
Congrats Mel xo
August 11, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Best meeting ever!
Congrats Mel xo
Congrats Mel xo
Oooh interesting. I'd love to know how you did it.
Just between you and me (and anyone reading this post, lol), we have some more recent data in which we've induced neuroinflammation in NAC core which prevents rats from showing sign-tracking, but they still show a VMAC effect on measures.
Just between you and me (and anyone reading this post, lol), we have some more recent data in which we've induced neuroinflammation in NAC core which prevents rats from showing sign-tracking, but they still show a VMAC effect on measures.
July 31, 2025 at 4:41 AM
Oooh interesting. I'd love to know how you did it.
Just between you and me (and anyone reading this post, lol), we have some more recent data in which we've induced neuroinflammation in NAC core which prevents rats from showing sign-tracking, but they still show a VMAC effect on measures.
Just between you and me (and anyone reading this post, lol), we have some more recent data in which we've induced neuroinflammation in NAC core which prevents rats from showing sign-tracking, but they still show a VMAC effect on measures.
Very cool!
July 30, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Very cool!
July 30, 2025 at 4:37 AM
New preprint from the lab, produced in collaboration with Simon Killcross' lab:
Modelling compulsive actions in rats and mice: The back-translation of value-modulated attentional capture from humans to rodents
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
I will be presenting some of this work at Pavlovian next week!
Modelling compulsive actions in rats and mice: The back-translation of value-modulated attentional capture from humans to rodents
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
I will be presenting some of this work at Pavlovian next week!
OSF
doi.org
July 30, 2025 at 4:35 AM
New preprint from the lab, produced in collaboration with Simon Killcross' lab:
Modelling compulsive actions in rats and mice: The back-translation of value-modulated attentional capture from humans to rodents
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
I will be presenting some of this work at Pavlovian next week!
Modelling compulsive actions in rats and mice: The back-translation of value-modulated attentional capture from humans to rodents
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
I will be presenting some of this work at Pavlovian next week!
Reposted by Laura Bradfield (she/her)
Now on bioRxiv! Astrocytes in one brain region (cyan) communicate in expansive networks (magenta). Through tool development, tissue clearing, and many hours on our @zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social Z1, we now know these networks are repeatable across mice, plastic, and specific.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
July 22, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Now on bioRxiv! Astrocytes in one brain region (cyan) communicate in expansive networks (magenta). Through tool development, tissue clearing, and many hours on our @zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social Z1, we now know these networks are repeatable across mice, plastic, and specific.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...