Russ Poldrack
@russpoldrack.org
Professor at Stanford. Psychology/Neuroscience/Data Science. Books include: The New Mind Readers, Handbook of fMRI Data Analysis, Hard to Break, and Statistical Thinking.
https://poldrack.github.io/
https://poldrack.github.io/
One of the best things about AI coding tools is that I no longer have to endure frustration trying to figure out how to parse XML files and write SQL queries.
November 22, 2025 at 8:00 PM
One of the best things about AI coding tools is that I no longer have to endure frustration trying to figure out how to parse XML files and write SQL queries.
Very cool new work from the Iglesias group at MGH: A probabilistic histological atlas of the human brain for MRI segmentation (also available at OpenNeuro - openneuro.org/datasets/ds0...) : www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A probabilistic histological atlas of the human brain for MRI segmentation - Nature
NextBrain is an open source, probabilistic atlas of the entire human brain, assembled using artificial-intelligence-enabled registration and segmentation methods to reconstruct the multimodal serial h...
www.nature.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Very cool new work from the Iglesias group at MGH: A probabilistic histological atlas of the human brain for MRI segmentation (also available at OpenNeuro - openneuro.org/datasets/ds0...) : www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This is a great piece by @cbo.bsky.social on the need to rethink tenure. undark.org/2025/09/11/o...
It’s Time to Rethink the Academic Tenure Process
Opinion | To fight the war on science, higher education needs to reimagine the most important career milestone for faculty.
undark.org
November 20, 2025 at 7:29 PM
This is a great piece by @cbo.bsky.social on the need to rethink tenure. undark.org/2025/09/11/o...
Computational notebooks - the first in a set of posts on this topic. russpoldrack.substack.com/p/computatio...
Computational notebooks
Better Code, Better Science: Chapter 6, Part 4
russpoldrack.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Computational notebooks - the first in a set of posts on this topic. russpoldrack.substack.com/p/computatio...
Project structure for scientific coding projects
- the latest in my Better Code, Better Science series open.substack.com/pub/russpold...
- the latest in my Better Code, Better Science series open.substack.com/pub/russpold...
Project structure for scientific coding projects
Better Code, Better Science: Chapter 6, Part 3
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Project structure for scientific coding projects
- the latest in my Better Code, Better Science series open.substack.com/pub/russpold...
- the latest in my Better Code, Better Science series open.substack.com/pub/russpold...
It's really nice when people actually use software that you create. This is an updated usage figure for the MRIQC.org Web API showing continued usage for the last 7 years, with more than half a million unique BOLD images in BIDS datasets! If you aren't already using MRIQC, check it out!
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
It's really nice when people actually use software that you create. This is an updated usage figure for the MRIQC.org Web API showing continued usage for the last 7 years, with more than half a million unique BOLD images in BIDS datasets! If you aren't already using MRIQC, check it out!
Using containers for reproducible computing russpoldrack.substack.com/p/using-cont... - the latest in my Better Code, Better Science series
Using containers for reproducible computing
Better Code, Better Science: Chapter 6, Part 2
russpoldrack.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Using containers for reproducible computing russpoldrack.substack.com/p/using-cont... - the latest in my Better Code, Better Science series
Reposted by Russ Poldrack
Our new paper is out! It offers a tool to assess collinearity impact on contrast estimates
*and*
uses simulations + MID data to show how common collinearity avoidance strategies can bias results.
Huge thanks to @russpoldrack.org , M Demidenko, and the ABCD folks.
🔗 direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
*and*
uses simulations + MID data to show how common collinearity avoidance strategies can bias results.
Huge thanks to @russpoldrack.org , M Demidenko, and the ABCD folks.
🔗 direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
Unintended bias in the pursuit of collinearity solutions in fMRI analysis
Abstract. In task functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), collinearity between task regressors in time series models may impact power. When collinearity is identified after data collection, rese...
direct.mit.edu
October 29, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Our new paper is out! It offers a tool to assess collinearity impact on contrast estimates
*and*
uses simulations + MID data to show how common collinearity avoidance strategies can bias results.
Huge thanks to @russpoldrack.org , M Demidenko, and the ABCD folks.
🔗 direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
*and*
uses simulations + MID data to show how common collinearity avoidance strategies can bias results.
Huge thanks to @russpoldrack.org , M Demidenko, and the ABCD folks.
🔗 direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
If you use the Monetary Incentive Delay task or any task with complex events in fMRI, you should read this. We demonstrate that common modeling approaches can result in bias due to omitted variables. By @jeanette-mumford.bsky.social & the ABCD task fMRI team. direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
Unintended bias in the pursuit of collinearity solutions in fMRI analysis
Abstract. In task functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), collinearity between task regressors in time series models may impact power. When collinearity is identified after data collection, rese...
direct.mit.edu
October 29, 2025 at 1:23 PM
If you use the Monetary Incentive Delay task or any task with complex events in fMRI, you should read this. We demonstrate that common modeling approaches can result in bias due to omitted variables. By @jeanette-mumford.bsky.social & the ABCD task fMRI team. direct.mit.edu/imag/article...
Ten Simple Rules for AI-Assisted Coding in Science arxiv.org/abs/2510.22254 - our latest, led by @ericwbridgeford.bsky.social
Ten Simple Rules for AI-Assisted Coding in Science
While AI coding tools have demonstrated potential to accelerate software development, their use in scientific computing raises critical questions about code quality and scientific validity. In this pa...
arxiv.org
October 28, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Ten Simple Rules for AI-Assisted Coding in Science arxiv.org/abs/2510.22254 - our latest, led by @ericwbridgeford.bsky.social
The goals of a scientific software project - the first section from a new chapter on Project Structure and Management in Better Code, Better Science. open.substack.com/pub/russpold...
The goals of a scientific software project
Better Code, Better Science: Chapter 6, Part 1
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 12:08 AM
The goals of a scientific software project - the first section from a new chapter on Project Structure and Management in Better Code, Better Science. open.substack.com/pub/russpold...
Great piece by @natolambert.bsky.social on the current state of human exhaustion in the AI world. Makes this important point:
October 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Great piece by @natolambert.bsky.social on the current state of human exhaustion in the AI world. Makes this important point:
If you are on the job market this fall, listen to this! The tips here are great for everyone, not just for quant folks. I have a couple of additional comments:
Coming tomorrow. It’s almost that time of year…
October 16, 2025 at 11:09 PM
If you are on the job market this fall, listen to this! The tips here are great for everyone, not just for quant folks. I have a couple of additional comments:
OpenNeuro @openneuro.bsky.social just hit a huge milestone: 1500 datasets! Congrats to the team on making this project so successful over the last 7 years.
October 13, 2025 at 11:35 PM
OpenNeuro @openneuro.bsky.social just hit a huge milestone: 1500 datasets! Congrats to the team on making this project so successful over the last 7 years.
Reposted by Russ Poldrack
Pope Leo quotes Hannah Arendt:
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
Pope Leo calls for news agencies to stand as bulwark against "post-truths," lies and manipulation
Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the "ancient art of lying" and manipulation.
www.cbsnews.com
October 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Pope Leo quotes Hannah Arendt:
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."
www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
Reposted by Russ Poldrack
These datasets live on OpenNeuro. Shout out to @russpoldrack.org team's vision to build a data-sharing platform that accelerates discovering + maximizes the ROI of painstakingly collected data.
Access these datasets and more at: wbhi.ucsb.edu/researchers/...
Access these datasets and more at: wbhi.ucsb.edu/researchers/...
October 3, 2025 at 8:00 PM
These datasets live on OpenNeuro. Shout out to @russpoldrack.org team's vision to build a data-sharing platform that accelerates discovering + maximizes the ROI of painstakingly collected data.
Access these datasets and more at: wbhi.ucsb.edu/researchers/...
Access these datasets and more at: wbhi.ucsb.edu/researchers/...
Reposted by Russ Poldrack
When @laurapritschet.bsky.social & Pavel Shapturenka set out to build the 28&Me + 28&He datasets, I don't think any of us could've predicted the spectacularly creative ways the datasets would be used years later. That's the power of open science. 👇🏼
October 3, 2025 at 8:00 PM
When @laurapritschet.bsky.social & Pavel Shapturenka set out to build the 28&Me + 28&He datasets, I don't think any of us could've predicted the spectacularly creative ways the datasets would be used years later. That's the power of open science. 👇🏼
This is pretty hilarious github.com/TomLefley/i-...
GitHub - TomLefley/i-am-absolutely-right: Counts the number of times Claude Code has said I'm absolutely right
Counts the number of times Claude Code has said I'm absolutely right - TomLefley/i-am-absolutely-right
github.com
September 26, 2025 at 8:55 PM
This is pretty hilarious github.com/TomLefley/i-...
A better way to track problem solving during agentic coding - the latest in my Better Code, Better Science series russpoldrack.substack.com/p/a-better-w... - I have found this relatively simple approach to work very well.
A better way to track problem solving during agentic coding
Better Code, Better Science: Chapter 5, Part 5
russpoldrack.substack.com
September 23, 2025 at 3:04 PM
A better way to track problem solving during agentic coding - the latest in my Better Code, Better Science series russpoldrack.substack.com/p/a-better-w... - I have found this relatively simple approach to work very well.
I know that citation statistics are faulty indicator, but I have to say that there is something humbling in knowing that people have decided 100,000 times to cite a paper that I was involved in.
September 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM
I know that citation statistics are faulty indicator, but I have to say that there is something humbling in knowing that people have decided 100,000 times to cite a paper that I was involved in.
Reposted by Russ Poldrack
My mom called me last night about the Kimmel firing, saying "This is how Hitler got started!" I quickly responded, "By firing the late night tv hosts?"
Turns out, mom was right.
Turns out, mom was right.
September 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM
My mom called me last night about the Kimmel firing, saying "This is how Hitler got started!" I quickly responded, "By firing the late night tv hosts?"
Turns out, mom was right.
Turns out, mom was right.
I have just dropped a new version of my academicdb project, which helps prolific researchers generate a CV automatically. Now with a web interface! If you are interested, please try it out and let me know what you think - it takes a bit of setup work but then runs easily using Docker.
GitHub - poldrack/academicdb: Project to maintain a database for CV/website rendering
Project to maintain a database for CV/website rendering - poldrack/academicdb
github.com
September 18, 2025 at 7:39 PM
I have just dropped a new version of my academicdb project, which helps prolific researchers generate a CV automatically. Now with a web interface! If you are interested, please try it out and let me know what you think - it takes a bit of setup work but then runs easily using Docker.
Reposted by Russ Poldrack
In our Trends in Cogn Sci paper we point to the connectivity crisis in task-based human EEG/MEG research: many connectivity metrics, too little replication. Time for community-wide benchmarking to build robust, generalisable measures across labs & tasks. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Confronting the connectivity crisis in human M/EEG research
The cognitive neuroscience community using M/EEG has not converged on measures of task-related inter-regional brain connectivity that generalize acros…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 18, 2025 at 3:23 PM
In our Trends in Cogn Sci paper we point to the connectivity crisis in task-based human EEG/MEG research: many connectivity metrics, too little replication. Time for community-wide benchmarking to build robust, generalisable measures across labs & tasks. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Russ Poldrack
Can large language models stand in for human participants?
Many social scientists seem to think so, and are already using "silicon samples" in research.
One problem: depending on the analytic decisions made, you can basically get these samples to show any effect you want.
THREAD 🧵
Many social scientists seem to think so, and are already using "silicon samples" in research.
One problem: depending on the analytic decisions made, you can basically get these samples to show any effect you want.
THREAD 🧵
The threat of analytic flexibility in using large language models to simulate human data: A call to attention
Social scientists are now using large language models to create "silicon samples" - synthetic datasets intended to stand in for human respondents, aimed at revolutionising human subjects research. How...
arxiv.org
September 18, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Can large language models stand in for human participants?
Many social scientists seem to think so, and are already using "silicon samples" in research.
One problem: depending on the analytic decisions made, you can basically get these samples to show any effect you want.
THREAD 🧵
Many social scientists seem to think so, and are already using "silicon samples" in research.
One problem: depending on the analytic decisions made, you can basically get these samples to show any effect you want.
THREAD 🧵