Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · 7h

For #WildlifeWednesday one of my fav species: Yellow-billed cuckoo!!

So elusive! I’ve only seen them a few times.

Taken at Lullwater Preserve #ATL

#birds #BirdsSeenIn2025

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · 2d

Yay! Congrats to all involved 🎉

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

EssJay PURPLE PURPOSE @purplepurpose.bsky.social · 2d

I’ve been around long enough to remember older children in my primary school who’d contracted polio. It was a scary time— & we placed such hope & trust in science (and the sugar cubes!). A great read ⬇️
The Polio Vaccine Was a Miracle—and We Must Not Forget It
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

The Polio Vaccine Was a Miracle—and We Must Not Forget It

As a polio survivor, I am a dinosaur today. My great hope is that our country’s living memory of the disease ends with my generation.

open.substack.com

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · 8d

Juvenile greater flamingos 🦩!!!!

How can you tell they’re juvenile? They haven’t eaten enough brine shrimp and crustaceans to become pink yet.

Taken in Cabo de Gata 🇪🇸

#EBPS2025 #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

Bertoglio lab (FMC/UFSC) @bertogliolab.bsky.social · 13d

Astrocytes functionally integrate multiple synapses via specialized leaflet domains
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Astrocytes functionally integrate multiple synapses via specialized leaflet domains

Volumetric high-resolution electron microscopy reveals thin astrocyte leaflets form gap-junction-interconnected domains that contain minuscule endoplasmic reticulum saccules and enwrap synapses in clu...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

davidweinshenker.bsky.social @davidweinshenker.bsky.social · 14d

Check out our new work from former undergrad Akash Shanmugam and team in Addiction Neuroscience directly comparing the rewarding and analgesic potencies of morphine and methadone. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Methadone and morphine have equivalent analgesic but not reward potency in female mice

Morphine is a potent opioid analgesic but carries high abuse potential. Some evidence indicates that the opioid methadone, used in maintenance therapy…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · 18d

Amazing session at #EBPS2025 on sex differences in SUD, mood, & AD. @christinadalla.bsky.social organized a great group.

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · 18d

Agreed. Another tour-de-force talk from John! Love the new directions.

Carmen Sandi @carmensandi10.bsky.social · 18d

A brilliant keynote today by @jfcryan.bsky.social at the EBPS meeting on how the gut shapes behavior, including striking causal evidence for microbiome’s role in social behaviors. A masterclass of body-brain complexity! & with an impressive depth of data and the right dose of humor!

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

davidweinshenker.bsky.social @davidweinshenker.bsky.social · 26d

We showed previously that chemogenetic activation of the LC rescues spatial reversal learning in the TgF344-AD rat. New paper follows up and reports that optogenetic stimulation of LC terminals in CA1 also rescues cognitive deficits in 3xTg mouse model of AD. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Photostimulation of locus coeruleus CA1 catecholaminergic terminals reversed Spatial memory impairment in an alzheimer’s disease mouse model - Psychopharmacology

Rationale One of the earliest changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the loss of catecholaminergic terminals in the cortex and hippocampus originating from the Locus Coeruleus (LC). This ...

link.springer.com

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

BlueVoter @bluevoter24.bsky.social · Sep 2

This chick already looks like it’s seen too much 💭🦤😂 #birds #humor

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

Neuropsychopharmacology @npp-journal.bsky.social · Aug 27

A new 🔥 Hot Topic 🔥 from @kundakoviclab.bsky.social is out now in @npp-journal.bsky.social

Marija Kundakovic @kundakoviclab.bsky.social · Aug 26

Thrilled to share our Hot Topics article just published @npp-journal.bsky.social :

"Leveraging high-resolution brain imaging & (epi)genomic approaches to improve women’s mental health"

Always huge pleasure to work w/ @cogneuroend.bsky.social on revolutionizing #WomensMentalHealth 🔥

rdcu.be/eCy6i

Leveraging high-resolution brain imaging and (epi)genomic approaches to improve women’s mental health

Neuropsychopharmacology - Leveraging high-resolution brain imaging and (epi)genomic approaches to improve women’s mental health

rdcu.be

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

Neuropsychopharmacology @npp-journal.bsky.social · Aug 26

Don't forget - poster abstract submissions for #ACNP2026 are due *this Thursday*, August 28th ⌛️

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

Bertoglio lab (FMC/UFSC) @bertogliolab.bsky.social · Aug 26

Prenatal stress induces transient developmental alterations in distinct GABAergic populations and leads to long-lasting behavioral abnormalities
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Prenatal stress induces transient developmental alterations in distinct GABAergic populations and leads to long-lasting behavioral abnormalities

Prenatal stress (PNS) is a well-established risk factor for psychiatric disorders, yet the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. Here,…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · Aug 18

Wrapped up my last of 6 tenure & promotion letters for the season. Absolutely, floored by the accomplishments of my colleagues especially given the pandemic. They persisted & made great discoveries that will improve human 🧠 health! Can’t wait to see the position update posts this spring

a cartoon llama holding a microphone with the words and that 's that

ALT: a cartoon llama holding a microphone with the words and that 's that

media.tenor.com

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · Aug 15

Congrats 🍾

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

Damien Fair @drdamienfair.bsky.social · Aug 10

I still get chills

Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts

Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE

see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · Aug 8

Congrats 🎉 awardees 👏👏👏!!!

ACNP @acnporg.bsky.social · Aug 8

Join us in Congratulating the 2025 ACNP Travel Award Class! 🙌🎉

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

Bertoglio lab (FMC/UFSC) @bertogliolab.bsky.social · Aug 8

Sex and estrous cycle effects on stress-enhanced fear learning in Long-Evans rats
learnmem.cshlp.org/content/32/7...

Sex and estrous cycle effects on stress-enhanced fear learning in Long-Evans rats

Peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing basic neuroscience research in the areas of neuronal plasticity, learning and memory

learnmem.cshlp.org

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · Aug 7

Lab represented today at the summer UG research symposium. Posters from Valeria, Margie, Luwam, Abby & Jaelen, and Tomi. Super impressed w/ them & their primary mentors!!! Valeria & Tomi took 2nd & 3rd in the competition 👏👏

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

NPP-Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience @dpn-journal.bsky.social · Aug 7

How does social media affect youth mental health?

Our latest podcast dives into work by @dpagliaccio.bsky.social et al using an exposome-wide association approach to reveal aspects of social media/smartphone use that relate to mental health

youtu.be/GwBFapo77R4?...

How does social media affect youth mental health?

YouTube video by NPP - Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience (DPN)

youtu.be

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

Dr. Gail Saltz @drgailsaltz.bsky.social · Aug 7

Why our brains aren’t just fancy computers

Humans think — AI, not so much. Science explains why our brains aren't just fancy computers

New research is revealing how specialized neurons give our brains an edge artificial intelligence can only dream of

buff.ly

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · Aug 6

So proud of our ION Summer Interns, Violet & Ishaan! These high school students did amazing research in the lab this summer. I was extremely impressed with their contributions to our science & final presentations! The future of 🧠science is bright💡 #ProudPI

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Debbie Bangasser @bangasserlab.bsky.social · Aug 6

Congrats 🎊

Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

ACNP @acnporg.bsky.social · Aug 6

Friendly Reminder: ACNP Global Scholarship Applications open! The ACNP 64th Annual Meeting is January 12-15, 2026, in Nassau, Bahamas. The deadline to apply is August 15, 2025, at 5:00pm Central. #ACNP2026 Click here for more info: tinyurl.com/j8a9zybu

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Reposted by Debbie Bangasser

Jamie Hanson @jamielarsh.bsky.social · Aug 6

🆕 RESEARCH: Not all kids respond to early adversity the same way. We examined data from ~7,400 children for 4 years and found something notable about positive emotions & mental health outcomes...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...

A thread 🧵 #MentalHealth #ChildDevelopment #Resilience /1

Positive Affect as a Developmental Mediator of Early Adversity and Internalizing Psychopathology

Early life adversities (ELAs) including experiences such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction are strongly linked to psychopathology; yet, the developmental pathways connecting ELA to external...

doi.org

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