Ignacio Saez, PhD
@ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
760 followers 220 following 80 posts
Associate Professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. | Harnessing neurotechnology to explore human brain states & advance neurotherapies for mental health. thesaezlab.com
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ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
How is prefrontal neural activity refined as we age?

Out today in @nathumbehav.nature.com‬! This study, from Elizabeth Johnson, uncovers how subtle changes in neural 'noise' impact our attention, memory, and cognition through development.

Proud to have contributed!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The development of aperiodic neural activity in the human brain header
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
Excited to be speaking at #NYBCI25 this weekend, alongside so many leaders in #Neurotech and #BCI.

It’s rare to have such diverse perspectives in one place, and I’m looking forward to the dialogue that emerges from bringing them together to advance the field.

www.nybci.com/event/2886b6...
2025 New York BCI Symposium
https://www.nybci.com/event/2886b64d-65fd-42dd-856c-57ff4a467388/program"
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
I left the 2025 @onemindorg.bsky.social music festival feeling inspired by the advances in mental health research and awareness that, together, are cracking the future of care wide open.

Proud to be part of this community alongside peers like @maryamshanechi.bsky.social & @claudialugo.bsky.social!
Reposted by Ignacio Saez, PhD
sinaibrain.bsky.social
❤️Thank you to all of Mount Sinai’s past, present and future #PostdoctoralScholars whose hard work and dedication play a vital role in advancing biomedical research. Here, we celebrate the #SchillerLab’s Dr. @paruljain.bsky.social! #NPAW2025 Learn More about her work👉 www.teenmiso.org/post/intervi...
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
I'm looking forward to seeing how these findings complement our work in human models & how, together, these approaches can move us toward a unified understanding of the neural mechanisms that shape our decisions.
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
What I’m reading 👉📚 A powerful & personal piece by
@jacobrobinson.bsky.social (CEO @motifneuro.bsky.social) on how brain-computer interfaces could transform mental health.

Honest, bold & inspiring. I encourage folks to read & subscribe. brainjacob.substack.com

#BCIs #BrainComputerInterface
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
Data from participants with treatment-resistant depression is revolutionizing our understanding of network disorders 🧠💻

Listen to a great discussion between @crozell.bsky.social and @braininspired.bsky.social on the potential of neuromodulation as a treatment for psychiatric disorders! 🎙️
thetransmitter.bsky.social
In the latest episode of Brain Inspired, ‪@crozell.bsky.social describes how his team is combining deep brain stimulation and explainable artificial intelligence to develop tools to help people with treatment-resistant depression.‬

www.thetransmitter.org/brain-inspir...

#neuroskyence
Chris Rozell on brain stimulation and AI to treat depression
Rozell and his colleagues, using deep brain stimulation and explainable AI, have developed tools to help people with treatment-resistant depression.
www.thetransmitter.org
Reposted by Ignacio Saez, PhD
sinaibrain.bsky.social
NOT TO MISS! On Sept 22, 2025, Dr. Peter Rudebeck & The Lipschultz Center for Cognitive Neuroscience invite cognitive neuroscientists to a free symposium showcasing cutting-edge research being conducted across NYC & the surrounding area. Learn More | RSVP friedmanbrain.icahn.mssm.edu/lipschultz-s...
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
Need reality check on where brain-computer interface technology stands today? 🧠💻

This insightful conversation from @wired.com offers an accessible and grounded introduction to the field, covering what's possible now and some of the challenges that lie ahead.
Reposted by Ignacio Saez, PhD
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
How is prefrontal neural activity refined as we age?

Out today in @nathumbehav.nature.com‬! This study, from Elizabeth Johnson, uncovers how subtle changes in neural 'noise' impact our attention, memory, and cognition through development.

Proud to have contributed!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The development of aperiodic neural activity in the human brain header
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
As we step into summer, we’re taking a moment to reflect on an amazing past year and offer a warm welcome aboard to our new lab members, @emanuelmcoleman.bsky.social‬ and Henry Asher! We’re thrilled to have you join the Saez Lab team and look forward to an exciting year ahead.
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
Huge news for Paradromics! 🎉 Their first human implant is a major milestone. Excited to see the Connexus Brain-Computer Interface enter clinical trials, bringing us closer to restoring motor and speech function for people with disabilities. Great coverage from @ashleycapoot.cnbc.com
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
Looking forward to speaking at #DES2025! I’ll be sharing insights on how brain computer interfaces are helping us advance cognitive neuroscience.

www.des-show.com/agenda-sessi...
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
What an incredible milestone! 🎉 Proud to celebrate Dr. Arianna Neal Davis, the Saez Lab's first Ph.D. graduate! 🎓

After an exceptional defense, we wish her all the best as she embarks on completing medical school 🥼 So proud to have co-supervised this trailblazer with
@xiaosigu.bsky.social
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
Had a great conversation hosted by Dr. Josh Bederson about how our lab is revolutionizing our understanding of the brain with intraoperative recordings.

🎞️ Watch to learn how our lab is advancing translational & cognitive neurosciences & neurotechnology: vimeo.com/1079556842/7...
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
Unlocking the brain's potential 🔐

Our research investigates how activities like meditation influence human brain activity, revealing pathways for noninvasive neuromodulation.

Thanks to Yoga Journal for highlighting this work.

www.yogajournal.com/meditation/n...
What the Latest Research in Neuroscience Tells Us About Meditation
An exploration of the neuroscience of meditation, including recent research as well as future potential for its application.
www.yogajournal.com
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
We suggest that low-frequency OFC oscillations in humans reflect risk-taking attitudes & stimulation can alter risk behaviors, informing new therapies for disorders associated with risky behavior.

Congrats Alexandra Skular, Dr. Lu Jin & Dr. Jacqueline Overton on their great work!

(11/11)
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
As a consequence, when delta-theta coherence is slow, or disrupted through stimulation, patients revert to the safe bet, which does not require strong integration of multiple computations ($10 is $10!). Stimulating OFC causes risk aversion!

(10/11)
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
How does this work?

We propose that delta-theta coherence serves to integrate reward computations (risk, win probability, etc.) present in high-frequency activity through CFC. Thus, personal preferences (low freqs) and external risk (in high freqs) are integrated.

(9/11)
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
OFC stimulation was also associated with faster reaction times.

This suggests that stimulation effects on risk preference are distinct from impulsivity, which is often associated with faster reactions.

(8/11)
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
Strikingly, disruption of delta-theta oscillations via targeted OFC stimulation modulated risk preferences.

Stimulation results in increased risk-averse behavior, which is less dependent on functional integration of multiple reward computations.

(7/11)
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
The oscillatory phase of delta-theta OFC activity modulates high-frequency activity (gamma/high-gamma), which we previously showed encodes the level of risk presented, via phase-amplitude cross-frequency coupling (CFC).

(6/11)
ignaciosaezphd.bsky.social
Individuals with stronger synchronization of low-frequency (delta-theta) oscillatory activity within the OFC showed riskier behavior.

This link was location & frequency specific, suggesting that coordinated timing of OFC activity plays a central role in decision making.

(5/11)