Andrew MacAskill
@macaskillaf.bsky.social
UCL neuroscientist investigating the neural basis of contextual decision making. Views are my own.
Prof @uclnpp
lab website: www.macaskilllab.com
UCL profile: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/5194
also @[email protected]
Prof @uclnpp
lab website: www.macaskilllab.com
UCL profile: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/5194
also @[email protected]
Pinned
Andrew MacAskill
@macaskillaf.bsky.social
· Nov 22
Hidden state inference requires abstract contextual representations in the ventral hippocampus
The ability to use subjective, latent contextual representations to influence decision-making is crucial for everyday life. The hippocampus is hypothesized to bind together otherwise abstract combinat...
www.science.org
Huge congrats to @karyna-mi.bsky.social for her paper published today in Science! She found that the hippocampus is really important for a key strategy we use to make decisions called hidden state inference! 🧪 🧠https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq5874 1/7
Great opportunity here! For amazing science as well as proximity to the calanques 😅
📣 PhD position in computational & systems neuroscience (Marseille, France).
⏰ Deadline 28 Jan.
We are recruiting a PhD student to work on neuromodulatory control of predictive processing in mouse vision, jointly supervised by @ederancz.bsky.social (INMED) and @laurentperrinet.bsky.social (INT).
⏰ Deadline 28 Jan.
We are recruiting a PhD student to work on neuromodulatory control of predictive processing in mouse vision, jointly supervised by @ederancz.bsky.social (INMED) and @laurentperrinet.bsky.social (INT).
January 5, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Great opportunity here! For amazing science as well as proximity to the calanques 😅
Reposted by Andrew MacAskill
New preprint from the lab!
A frontal motor circuit for economic decisions and actions:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We use a novel task in mice, cortex-wide imaging and optogenetics, NPX recording and modelling to reveal a circuit mechanism that transforms abstract decisions to spatial actions.
A frontal motor circuit for economic decisions and actions:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We use a novel task in mice, cortex-wide imaging and optogenetics, NPX recording and modelling to reveal a circuit mechanism that transforms abstract decisions to spatial actions.
A frontal motor circuit for economic decisions and actions
Flexible behaviour requires transforming abstract cognitive representations, such as value preferences, into concrete motor actions. During economic decision-making, individuals evaluate options to gu...
www.biorxiv.org
December 14, 2025 at 10:59 AM
New preprint from the lab!
A frontal motor circuit for economic decisions and actions:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We use a novel task in mice, cortex-wide imaging and optogenetics, NPX recording and modelling to reveal a circuit mechanism that transforms abstract decisions to spatial actions.
A frontal motor circuit for economic decisions and actions:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We use a novel task in mice, cortex-wide imaging and optogenetics, NPX recording and modelling to reveal a circuit mechanism that transforms abstract decisions to spatial actions.
what do people actually put here? like number of student in the current cohort? (~100) or ever taught (ive no idea? ~infinity?)
December 1, 2025 at 11:34 PM
what do people actually put here? like number of student in the current cohort? (~100) or ever taught (ive no idea? ~infinity?)
Ill be talking about this at our symposium at SfN on Monday at 2, along with an amazing array of other ventral hippocampus investigations! See you there!
November 14, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Ill be talking about this at our symposium at SfN on Monday at 2, along with an amazing array of other ventral hippocampus investigations! See you there!
Congrats to Ella for her new paper! She asked a really interesting question about how the brain represents uncertainty during hidden state inference, and in a lovely crossover with theoretical work, she shows that in mice, acetylcholine dynamics play a crucial role. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Acetylcholine reflects uncertainty during hidden state inference
To act adaptively, animals must infer features of the environment that cannot be observed directly, such as which option is currently rewarding, or which context they are in. These internal estimates,...
www.biorxiv.org
November 14, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Congrats to Ella for her new paper! She asked a really interesting question about how the brain represents uncertainty during hidden state inference, and in a lovely crossover with theoretical work, she shows that in mice, acetylcholine dynamics play a crucial role. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
come join our dept as a fellow - and join a fantastic crew of people using interdisciplinary approaches to investigate the brain across scales - from molecules to behaviour. reach out if you have any Qs!
Calling aspiring group leaders! We've just opened applications for group leader fellowship sponsorship to start a lab in UCL NPP. Deadline 5 Jan. @uclnpp.bsky.social tinyurl.com/3h33dvev
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
tinyurl.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:17 AM
come join our dept as a fellow - and join a fantastic crew of people using interdisciplinary approaches to investigate the brain across scales - from molecules to behaviour. reach out if you have any Qs!
Reposted by Andrew MacAskill
Today is the 89th anniversary of The Battle of Cable Street when the people of the East End of London halted the march of Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts through Stepney.
October 4, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Today is the 89th anniversary of The Battle of Cable Street when the people of the East End of London halted the march of Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts through Stepney.
Yay! Congrats!!
September 28, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Yay! Congrats!!
Reposted by Andrew MacAskill
In London, hate will never win.
September 17, 2025 at 6:10 AM
In London, hate will never win.
Reposted by Andrew MacAskill
True. Current Biology on the other hand...
September 8, 2025 at 5:26 PM
True. Current Biology on the other hand...
Doubling up a few others - UK you don't need a masters, but it's very competitive (at UCL it's about 1-5%) so either proper lab experience or a masters is really helpful. My advice would be to reach out to pis that you are interested in working for and ask for advice about programs and requirements!
September 5, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Doubling up a few others - UK you don't need a masters, but it's very competitive (at UCL it's about 1-5%) so either proper lab experience or a masters is really helpful. My advice would be to reach out to pis that you are interested in working for and ask for advice about programs and requirements!
Reposted by Andrew MacAskill
This had me laughing to tears. The person sitting next to me on the flight must have thought I was nuts.
A must read for the FEP curious.
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
A must read for the FEP curious.
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
(PDF) The Exit Manual: How to Leave the Free Energy Cult and Still Get Tenure
PDF | This manual is not a plea. It is a jailbreak from a cult—the Free Energy Principle, a theoretical metastasis that began in computational... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Res...
www.researchgate.net
August 15, 2025 at 7:04 PM
This had me laughing to tears. The person sitting next to me on the flight must have thought I was nuts.
A must read for the FEP curious.
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
A must read for the FEP curious.
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Reposted by Andrew MacAskill
We're looking for a research assistant to work in our neuroscience lab at @princetonneuro.bsky.social @hhmi.org where we study learning and decision-making circuitry.
Apply here: research-princeton.icims.com/jobs/21001/r...
Pls share w/ anyone who might be interested!
Apply here: research-princeton.icims.com/jobs/21001/r...
Pls share w/ anyone who might be interested!
August 5, 2025 at 1:26 PM
We're looking for a research assistant to work in our neuroscience lab at @princetonneuro.bsky.social @hhmi.org where we study learning and decision-making circuitry.
Apply here: research-princeton.icims.com/jobs/21001/r...
Pls share w/ anyone who might be interested!
Apply here: research-princeton.icims.com/jobs/21001/r...
Pls share w/ anyone who might be interested!
Reposted by Andrew MacAskill
🚨Amazing opportunity: position available for a new associate/full professor at the FIL @imagingneuroucl.bsky.social @uclbrainscience.bsky.social! Do you have a neuroimaging-focused research program? Get applying! 🚨
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
www.ucl.ac.uk
August 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
🚨Amazing opportunity: position available for a new associate/full professor at the FIL @imagingneuroucl.bsky.social @uclbrainscience.bsky.social! Do you have a neuroimaging-focused research program? Get applying! 🚨
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Reposted by Andrew MacAskill
The story — written by journalist @emmaanne.bsky.social — raises tough questions about the perverse incentives at play in mine action.
Emma reached out @thehalotrust.bsky.social for comment. They declined.
Read the full story: spoileralerts.substack.com/p/questionab...
Emma reached out @thehalotrust.bsky.social for comment. They declined.
Read the full story: spoileralerts.substack.com/p/questionab...
Questionable incentives
Why is the CEO of the world’s largest demining organisation defending banned landmines?
spoileralerts.substack.com
July 23, 2025 at 12:24 PM
The story — written by journalist @emmaanne.bsky.social — raises tough questions about the perverse incentives at play in mine action.
Emma reached out @thehalotrust.bsky.social for comment. They declined.
Read the full story: spoileralerts.substack.com/p/questionab...
Emma reached out @thehalotrust.bsky.social for comment. They declined.
Read the full story: spoileralerts.substack.com/p/questionab...
Similar to posts before - doing this in a 'many lines of evidence' approach too is probably ideal - no one golden expt. Just a series of thought out experiments designed to test the limits of a theory, each adding weight to the next.
saying this out loud makes me feel old...
saying this out loud makes me feel old...
July 11, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Similar to posts before - doing this in a 'many lines of evidence' approach too is probably ideal - no one golden expt. Just a series of thought out experiments designed to test the limits of a theory, each adding weight to the next.
saying this out loud makes me feel old...
saying this out loud makes me feel old...
Was thinking of a way to say something similar as eloquently as this! I think it needs travel in both directions - actively trying to find testable hypotheses that support (and don't support) a theory is key
July 11, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Was thinking of a way to say something similar as eloquently as this! I think it needs travel in both directions - actively trying to find testable hypotheses that support (and don't support) a theory is key
Yep we use this one - there was another but it got bought by millipore and discontinued.... Zzz
July 6, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Yep we use this one - there was another but it got bought by millipore and discontinued.... Zzz
its almost as if we live near each other isnt it 😅
June 28, 2025 at 8:18 PM
its almost as if we live near each other isnt it 😅
Depending on what your 'standard' is - Columbia rd flower market followed by hackney city farm is always a nice Sunday time!
June 28, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Depending on what your 'standard' is - Columbia rd flower market followed by hackney city farm is always a nice Sunday time!
apply! its a fantastic, collaborative and energetic department investigating physiology and neuroscience across scales - based in beautiful UCL in London
June 19, 2025 at 1:03 PM
apply! its a fantastic, collaborative and energetic department investigating physiology and neuroscience across scales - based in beautiful UCL in London
Obviously expertise in research areas that fall within our strategic priorities of engineering biology and artificial intelligence are also particularly encouraged
June 19, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Obviously expertise in research areas that fall within our strategic priorities of engineering biology and artificial intelligence are also particularly encouraged
Expertise at the cellular and molecular levels are particularly encouraged. We are interested in applications from outstanding researchers in modalities such as targeted protein degraders, protein-protein interaction disruptors, therapeutic antibodies, or de novo protein design.
June 19, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Expertise at the cellular and molecular levels are particularly encouraged. We are interested in applications from outstanding researchers in modalities such as targeted protein degraders, protein-protein interaction disruptors, therapeutic antibodies, or de novo protein design.
🚨🚨Job Alert🚨🚨!! Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology are recruiting a new lecturer/associate professor! an amazing opportunity to join our fantastic dept! @ucl.ac.uk @ucllifesciences.bsky.social @uclnpp.bsky.social post here:
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
Lecturer / Associate Professor - London, England job with University College London (UCL) | 12840324
About usThe Division of Biosciences at UCL is one of the world's foremost centres for research and teaching in the biological sciences. We have an out
www.nature.com
June 19, 2025 at 12:59 PM
🚨🚨Job Alert🚨🚨!! Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology are recruiting a new lecturer/associate professor! an amazing opportunity to join our fantastic dept! @ucl.ac.uk @ucllifesciences.bsky.social @uclnpp.bsky.social post here:
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
www.nature.com/naturecareer...