Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · 5h

Huge gratitude to @jordwynn.bsky.social and Anisha Khosla who led the research and to @shen4brains.bsky.social who ate lunch with me 10 years ago at a conference where we first dreamt up this line of work. 🤩

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · 5h

What does this mean? Two things.

1. When the hippocampus starts to become dysfunctional, this creates real-time changes in the the operations of other systems.

2. Tracking eye movements may be key for early detection of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and other dementias.

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · 5h

With increasing hippocampal compromise, the information that is built up over time from eye movements becomes less distinct, leading to increasingly impoverished memories that likely become confusable with one another.

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

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Decoding memory function through naturalistic gaze patterns | PNAS

Eye movements are closely linked to encoding and retrieval processes, with changes in viewing behavior reflecting age- and pathology-related memory...

www.pnas.org

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · 5h

People with memory problems have altered patterns of eye movements, even when they're looking at something new and we're not asking them to remember anything.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

This change in how the eyes move has consequences.

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Changes in Naturalistic Viewing in Healthy Aging and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Visual exploration—where the eyes move and when—is guided by prior experiences. Memory-guided viewing behavior is altered in healthy aging and is further disrupted in amnestic mild cognitive impairme...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · 5h

Memory problems will change how you see the world...literally 👀

Across two new papers, we examined the eye movement patterns of younger adults, older adults, individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and amnesic cases.

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Jul 29

This job is HARD. So this article is incredibly validating that maybe there’s something to what we’re doing here. And if it sparks new ideas that generates success for others, then it’s definitely been worth it. Really appreciate you @mariamaly.bsky.social and everyone who has supported us ❤️ 3/3

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Jul 29

Lots of challenges over the years getting people to consider that maybe there’s something more than attention that drives eye movements. My favorite grant on this topic never got funded (one reviewer hated it and wouldn’t budge); but we found ways to get some of the work done anyway.
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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Jul 29

Well this brought tears to my eyes 😭 thank you so much @mariamaly.bsky.social ❤️ funny thing is, we had a really hard time getting this published. Rejected from other journals. Reviewers who said “everyone knows the hippocampus does conscious/explicit memory, so the data must be wrong”….1/n

Mariam Aly @mariamaly.bsky.social · Jul 28

I was given the opportunity to write a brief highlight of a paper that is important to the field & personally meaningful, and I chose to write about @drjenryan.bsky.social's elegant work linking the hippocampus to eye movement markers of relational memory. Read more about it here! 👇🏼
rdcu.be/eyaXA

Eye movements provide insight into amnesia

Nature Reviews Neuroscience - In this Journal Club, Mariam Aly discusses a 2000 study that attempted to settle the debate about whether implicit memories are lost or retained in amnesia.

rdcu.be

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Jul 29

Oh my goodness! 🥹❤️ This is quite the honour, thank you so much! I spent so many years wondering if I was just going to survive in this field. It’s really validating to know that someone amazing like you found inspiration in it. 😭

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Jul 1

Congratulations!! So well-deserved!! 🎉

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Reposted by Dr Jen Ryan

Rhydhimma @rhydhimma.bsky.social · Apr 23

Pete Buttigieg explains why basic science research matters.

Source: Flagrant Podcast
@petebuttigieg.bsky.social

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Apr 24

I’m so sorry, Anna. I would also add to the great advice from others to call or write your representatives and senators. Maybe an op-ed in local papers or radios to explain how these terminations impact local economies as well as the overall science.

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Apr 2

One messy sentence at a time ☺️

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Apr 2

Does writing suck for you? How do you make it better? Personally, I make my practice more enjoyable by writing in the morning with coffee and lo-fi music and, if I’m feeling particularly bougie, a fave candle burning. 🕯️ 3/3

Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Apr 2

This week, @shen4brains.bsky.social and I discuss one of the reasons why writing is so hard: because it’s personal and because it requires empathy for your reader. 2/3

drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...

Writing is personal — DR JEN RYAN

Photo by Nik on Unsplash .

drjenryan.com

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Apr 2

Writing sucks. It sucks so much for everyone at every stage that I wrote a blog post about it, and I discuss some strategies to make it more enjoyable. 1/3

drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...

Writing sucks for everyone — DR JEN RYAN

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash .

drjenryan.com

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Mar 19

I appreciate your voice in this 🙏 we are quite alarmed up here and taking this very seriously.

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Mar 18

“…justify military ops in Mexico/Canada.” This is reprehensible. Stay on your representatives, everyone. Tagging mine in here; reminding you that these are allies AND you have constituents- like me- living in these countries: @duckworth.senate.gov @budzinski.house.gov @durbin.senate.gov

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · Mar 18

SCOOP—Trump plans to issue an executive order designating fentanyl as a "Weapon of Mass Destruction," per copy of EO reviewed by me. Source at State speculates purpose is to designate cartels as terrorist orgs/justify military ops in Mexico/Canada.

Context/full text of draft only on The Handbasket:

Trump to declare fentanyl “Weapon of Mass Destruction," per draft EO

A copy of the draft was obtained and reviewed by The Handbasket.

www.thehandbasket.co

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Mar 17

Ahh thanks should have tagged Cognitive Neuroscience Society @cogneuronews.bsky.social in the original post.

Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Mar 17

It is so disheartening that it has come to this. For those who are still going to the US, particularly for CNS in Boston, please make sure you have a plan. Share your flight itinerary with someone, and check in with them when you get through arrivals. Other tips?? Please share 👇

Randy McIntosh @ar0mcintosh.bsky.social · Mar 16

With a heavy heart, I've decided to suspend all academic travel to the USA for me and my lab. Given the escalation of tensions and uncertainties, it seems to be the wisest move. To our US colleagues, please be certain that we will continue to do what we can to support you. Science is global.

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Mar 13

“…hope is the consequence of action, rather than its cause.”

Inspiring vision, message, and playbook that I think we, as scientists, can adopt as well to counteract the cruel cuts being made to science and education in the US.

Pete Buttigieg @petebuttigieg.bsky.social · Mar 13

I care deeply about who Michigan will elect as Governor and send to the U.S. Senate next year, but I have decided against competing in either race.

I wrote more here about my decision and how I view the work required of us all in this moment:

I'm Not Running in 2026, But I Am Getting to Work

We all have work to do in delivering a better kind of politics for America.

substack.com

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Mar 5

Frustrating. 😣 I also heard that DOGE folks have been wandering around NASA HQ trying to sort out who everyone is and what they do, including whether they are a contractor or a direct employee. I can’t even imagine the stress everyone at NASA must be feeling 🥺

Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Feb 28

Awful and terrifying. At least it’s completely clear (not like it wasn’t before) that they’re not interested in preserving democracy anywhere.

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Reposted by Dr Jen Ryan

M. Natasha Rajah 🇨🇦 @mnrajah.bsky.social · Feb 27

🇨🇦Hey ON voters‼️

Today is our provincial election 🗳️ Find your electoral district & #vote!!

#onpoli

voterinformationservice.elections.on.ca/en/election/...

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Dr Jen Ryan @drjenryan.bsky.social · Feb 27

From a friend: DOGE threw out every living plant in NASA’s HQ, even the ones on people’s desks, because ‘watering plants is a waste of taxpayers’ money’.

So that’s how this is going.

Lori Lou Freshwater @lorifreshwater.bsky.social · Feb 23

Letter from congress that is incredibly alarming. Looks like #DOGE got access to #nasa and they use the word ominous.

democrats-science.house.gov/imo/media/do...

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