Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Chen Ran

Ann Kennedy @antihebbiann.bsky.social · 1h

Finally out: our recent work with Nick Betley is a view into how the brain reshapes its behavior in the face of competing survival needs- and also a potential angle on treatment targets for enduring pain.

A brief rundown...

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A parabrachial hub for need-state control of enduring pain - Nature

Activity in a set of parabranchial neurons in the mouse brain is increased during chronic pain, predicts coping behaviour, and can be modulated by circuits activated by survival threats.

www.nature.com

5 8 24

Reposted by Chen Ran

Rocio Servin @rocioservin.bsky.social · 8d

We’re hiring!
My new Gut–Brain Axis Lab at Northwestern is looking for a Research Technologist 2 to help build the lab and explore how the nervous system shapes gut health and disease.
🔬 Apply here: myhr.northwestern.edu/psp/hrnu/EMP...

Sign In

JavaScript is required. This web browser does not support JavaScript or JavaScript in this web browser is not enabled.

myhr.northwestern.edu

2 19 43

Reposted by Chen Ran

bioRxiv Neuroscience @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 20d

Submedius Thalamus Modulates Orbitofrontal Cortex Representations During Maternal Behavior in Mice https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.18.677207v1

2 1

Chen Ran @chenran.bsky.social · 20d

Very interesting paper—>must read- and the first author will be looking for a job soon: one of the strongest scientists I could imagine. I learned so much from Yunxiao since my graduate school days.

Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · 20d

New preprint alert! The uterus expands ~500-fold in pregnancy, yet we know little about how pressures are sensed. Led by @yunxiao-dr.bsky.social, we show PIEZOs are required for contractions and birth in mice, with dual roles of PIEZO1 in muscle and PIEZO2 in neurons
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

PIEZO channels link mechanical forces to uterine contractions in parturition

Mechanical forces are extensively involved in pregnancy and parturition, but their precise roles and mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we identify mechanically activated ion channels PIEZO1 a...

www.biorxiv.org

1

Reposted by Chen Ran

Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · 20d

New preprint alert! The uterus expands ~500-fold in pregnancy, yet we know little about how pressures are sensed. Led by @yunxiao-dr.bsky.social, we show PIEZOs are required for contractions and birth in mice, with dual roles of PIEZO1 in muscle and PIEZO2 in neurons
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

PIEZO channels link mechanical forces to uterine contractions in parturition

Mechanical forces are extensively involved in pregnancy and parturition, but their precise roles and mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we identify mechanically activated ion channels PIEZO1 a...

www.biorxiv.org

1 41 130

Reposted by Chen Ran

Mark Rossi @markrossi.bsky.social · 24d

🚨 New preprint from an ongoing collaboration with the Pang lab. Project led by rising stars @rohansavani.bsky.social and @lewang1.bsky.social showing how individual GLP-1R neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamus track ingestion across energy states.

Preprint: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Individual Paraventricular Hypothalamic GLP-1R Neurons Track Ingestion Across Energy States

Energy homeostasis is tightly regulated to ensure metabolic health in the face of uncertain environments. Changes in energy states or circulating hormonal signa

papers.ssrn.com

6 13

Chen Ran @chenran.bsky.social · Sep 8

Lots of interesting data there!

Virginia M. S. Ruetten @vmsruetten.bsky.social · Sep 8

Thanks Misha for the shout-out!
It has been a truly mind-opening journey. WHOLISTIC is one step towards whole-organism neuroscience and a true physiological observatory - with extensions on the way! I am continually amazed by what the data reveals - so much remains to be discovered and mined.

Misha Ahrens @mishaahrens.bsky.social · Sep 8

Preprint -
Excited to present WHOLISTIC, which extends the concept of whole-brain functional imaging to the entire body. Pioneering work by incredibly talented Virginia Ruetten @vmsruetten.bsky.social, this platform reveals whole-organism cellular dynamics in vivo.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

1

Reposted by Chen Ran

Virginia M. S. Ruetten @vmsruetten.bsky.social · Sep 8

Thanks Misha for the shout-out!
It has been a truly mind-opening journey. WHOLISTIC is one step towards whole-organism neuroscience and a true physiological observatory - with extensions on the way! I am continually amazed by what the data reveals - so much remains to be discovered and mined.

Misha Ahrens @mishaahrens.bsky.social · Sep 8

Preprint -
Excited to present WHOLISTIC, which extends the concept of whole-brain functional imaging to the entire body. Pioneering work by incredibly talented Virginia Ruetten @vmsruetten.bsky.social, this platform reveals whole-organism cellular dynamics in vivo.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

2 11 45

Reposted by Chen Ran

Andrew Lutas @andrewlutas.bsky.social · Aug 6

We are looking for a postdoc fellow to join the group. Focus on studying feeding-relevant slow dynamics in the brain using invivo microscopy approaches. Please share with anyone interested. Thank you. www.training.nih.gov/jobs/pdf-inf...

www.training.nih.gov

1 6 7

Reposted by Chen Ran

Ann Kennedy @antihebbiann.bsky.social · Aug 20

I wrote a Comment on neurotheory, and now you can read it!

Some thoughts on where neurotheory has and has not taken root within the neuroscience community, how it has shaped those subfields, and where we theorists might look next for fresh adventures.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Theoretical neuroscience has room to grow

Nature Reviews Neuroscience - The goal of theoretical neuroscience is to uncover principles of neural computation through careful design and interpretation of mathematical models. Here, I examine...

www.nature.com

8 52 150

Chen Ran @chenran.bsky.social · Aug 19

What’s the effect of no withdraw, just overdose?

1

Reposted by Chen Ran

Lisa Beutler @lbeutler.bsky.social · Aug 16

Amid lots of uncertainty, anger, and exhaustion I am excited to share this work from my incredibly talented MSTP and @nuincomm.bsky.social student Haley Province. In it we explore the fascinating and powerful anti-aversive properties of GIPR agonists

bioRxiv Neuroscience @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · Aug 16

GIP receptor agonism suppresses inflammation-induced aversion and food intake via distinct circuits https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.12.669936v1

2 6 14

Reposted by Chen Ran

Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · Aug 15

UCSD is holding a town hall with @repscottpeters.bsky.social this Wednesday to urge him to oppose proposed research funding cuts in the FY2026 budget, set for a vote in September. Please RSVP below and share widely. Everyone is welcome.
form.laborbase.org/251675765832...

8 18

Reposted by Chen Ran

Kazunari Miyamichi @k-miyamichi.bsky.social · Jul 2

Happy to share our new work in Sci Adv! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...　We found a robust representation of pup retrieval in the orbitofrontal cortex of female mice, which positively regulates VTA dopamine neurons during the acquisition of maternal behavior. Congrats to Gen-ichi and the team!

Orbitofrontal cortex influences dopamine dynamics associated with alloparental behavioral acquisition in female mice

Orbitofrontal cortex neurons facilitate alloparental behaviors in virgin female mice by modulating the dopamine system.

www.science.org

1 1 7

Reposted by Chen Ran

Weizhe Hong @honglab.bsky.social · Jul 2

Thrilled to share our latest work in @nature.com studying inter-brain neural dynamics in both biological and artificial intelligence systems — amazing work by @nobrainxz.bsky.social and Nguyen Phi, and fantastic collaboration with Jonathan Kao! Read the full article here: rdcu.be/euu5Z

1 1 4

Chen Ran @chenran.bsky.social · Jul 2

Very interesting!

1

Reposted by Chen Ran

Justus Kebschull @justuskebschull.bsky.social · Jun 26

Excited to share the first 2(!) preprints from the Kebschull Lab. The amazing @hyopilkim.bsky.social developed MAPseq2 & POINTseq and used them to map the dopaminergic cells of VTA and SNc. tl;dr MAPseq2=10x cheaper, 4x better; POINTseq=easy cell type specific barcoding; DA neurons=very cool.

2 12 35

Reposted by Chen Ran

Takaki Komiyama @takakikomiyama.bsky.social · Jun 20

Our new paper is out in Science.

We identified a subgroup of cholinergic neurons that mediate sensory modality-specific attention. They change their funcitonal properties within secs of behavioral context change.

Congrats to Bin for the great thesis, and the team!

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Cholinergic feedback for modality- and context-specific modulation of sensory representations

The brain’s ability to prioritize sensory information is crucial for adaptive behavior, yet its mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated basal forebrain cholinergic neurons modulating olfactory bulb...

www.science.org

33 130

Reposted by Chen Ran

Ye Lab @liye-tsri.bsky.social · Jun 20

Congrats to @xinjin.bsky.social @tinakim-neuro.bsky.social and many others!

Jason Shepherd @jasonsynaptic.bsky.social · Jun 19

Love seeing friends and colleagues #slay! Congrats to @moriel-z.bsky.social @utah.edu for becoming a @hhmi.org Hrabowski scholar! Also congrats to @tinakim-neuro.bsky.social @xinjin.bsky.social @doctheagrif.bsky.social www.hhmi.org/programs/fre...

The 2025 Freeman Hrabowski Scholars | HHMI

Freeman Hrabowski Scholars are outstanding early career faculty who have the potential to become leaders in their research fields.

www.hhmi.org

1 3 11

Reposted by Chen Ran

Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · Jun 19

I spoke with Jade Hindmon, host of @kpbssandiego.bsky.social Midday Edition, about the consequences of the current administration’s cuts to science funding. Please share to help spread the word and raise awareness.
www.kpbs.org/podcasts/kpb...

Nobel laureate on how Trump's cuts are hurting science

Neuroscientist, biologist and 2021 Nobel Prize winner Ardem Patapoutian joined Midday Edition to talk about how the Trump administration's effort to cut back on science spending is impacting researche...

www.kpbs.org

2 120 190

Reposted by Chen Ran

Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · Jun 3

Talked to @KateZernike at @nytimes about my journey and the current moment for scientists in the U.S.

“Ardem Patapoutian’s story is not just the American dream, it is the dream of American science.”

Read the article here. No subscription required:

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/03/u...

The U.S. Lit a Beacon for Science. Under Trump, Scientists Fear It’s Dimming

www.nytimes.com

7 94 230

Reposted by Chen Ran

Mark Andermann @markandermann.bsky.social · Jun 2

Wild!

Stephen, Praneel and their team use fluorescence lifetime imaging and various manipulations to show that, in male mice, both mating drive and hypothalamic tonic dopamine release drop after a successful mating and gradually recover over the next week, paralleling the recovery in sperm count.

Praneel Sunkavalli @praneelsunkavalli.bsky.social · Jun 2

I am excited to share our preprint on how hypothalamic dopamine neurons govern slow changes in motivation over days! Below are our findings:

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Slow-Timescale Regulation of Dopamine Release and Mating Drive over Days

The rise and fall of motivational states may take place over timescales as long as many days. We used mouse mating behavior to model how the brain orchestrates slow-timescale changes in motivation. Ma...

www.biorxiv.org

5 22

Reposted by Chen Ran

Mark Andermann @markandermann.bsky.social · May 29

We previously showed that specific hypothalamic neurons get more and more activated by each bite of food until they put a brake on homeostatic feeding. Here, we find that this brake is already on at the start of a meal in obese mice on a high-fat diet.

Congrats to Marta, Stephen and the whole team!

2 10

Chen Ran @chenran.bsky.social · May 22

Share your favorite ones in the NTS 😆😆

1 1

Reposted by Chen Ran

Xin Jin @xinjin.bsky.social · May 14

Thrilled to share 2 reviews from the lab:
🧬Annual Review Functional Neurogenomics
annualreviews.org/content/jour...
🧠Current Opinion high-throughput analysis of corticogenesis
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

Thanks to my labbies and the field—we were honored to showcase your work! #WeAreHiring

www.annualreviews.org

5 15