Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Jacob Lab

Randolph Helfrich @randolph-helfrich.bsky.social · 2d

New position, new social media account. After 5 fantastic years in Tuebingen, I moved to @yale.edu and the @wutsaiyale.bsky.social this summer - which means that I’ll be recruiting PhD students and postdocs. Please help me to spread the word and see current opportunities below 👇

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · 4d

Fantastic news! Congratulations, Jule! 🎉👏🏻

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · 10d

Looking forward to this!
(coming Tuesday)

Franziska Knolle @franziskaknolle.bsky.social · 10d

If you’re in #Munich 🥨 and curious about decision-making, perception, and cognition through a translational lens, join us for a seminar I’m hosting on Oct 30 with three fantastic speakers: @jkesby.bsky.social (visiting from 🇦🇺), @miguelbengala.bsky.social, and @jacob-lab.bsky.social 🧠💡

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · 12d

Exciting new work on cortical visual prosthesis!

Michael Beyeler @mbeyeler.bsky.social · 12d

👁️🧠 New preprint: We demonstrate the first data-driven neural control framework for a visual cortical implant in a blind human!

TL;DR Deep learning lets us synthesize efficient stimulation patterns that reliably evoke percepts, outperforming conventional calibration.

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

Diagram showing three ways to control brain activity with a visual prosthesis. The goal is to match a desired pattern of brain responses. One method uses a simple one-to-one mapping, another uses an inverse neural network, and a third uses gradient optimization. Each method produces a stimulation pattern, which is tested in both computer simulations and in the brain of a blind participant with an implant. The figure shows that the neural network and gradient methods reproduce the target brain activity more accurately than the simple mapping.

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · 16d

Sure

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Reposted by Jacob Lab

Armin Lak @laklab.bsky.social · 18d

Beautiful and clear results showing that temporal difference error calculation is hardwired in the dopamine/striatum mircocircuits: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
from @malcolmgcampbell.bsky.social and @naoshigeuchida.bsky.social

A hardwired neural circuit for temporal difference learning

The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a major role in learning by acting as a teaching signal to update the brain's predictions about rewards. A leading theory proposes that this process is analogous to...

www.biorxiv.org

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · 19d

Enjoy your weekend! 🍺🍸🍹🍷You can always blame evolution

Science Magazine @science.org · 19d

By munching on fermented fruit, chimpanzees consume the equivalent of roughly 1 alcoholic drink per day, new #ScienceAdvances research finds. https://scim.ag/4nIu55z

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · 21d

„We don’t hire smart people to tell them what to do, we hire them to tell us what to do“

Spot on! That’s how science labs should be run!

European Research Council (ERC) @erc.europa.eu · 21d

"We don't hire smart people to tell them what to do, we hire them to tell us what to do."

ERC grantee Jan Lagerwall (quoting Steve Jobs), during this morning's #RIDaysEU discussion of how bottom-up funding, supporting investigator-driven frontier research, helps meet future innovation challenges.

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Sep 4

Congratulations to all ERC @erc.europa.eu #STG winners @tum.de and around Europe! 🎉👏🏻🧪 Can’t wait to hear about the exciting science you will all be doing!

Technische Universität München @tum.de · Sep 4

Congratulations to six of our #researchers, including Lukas Heinrich, who receive prestigious ERC #StartingGrants worth up to 1.5 million euros each for projects in #informatics, #medicine, #LifeSciences & #NaturalSciences: go.tum.de/682017 👏

#ERCStG @erc.europa.eu

📷A.Eckert

Six ERC Starting Grants for researchers at TUM

Six further researchers at TUM are to receive the prestigious ERC Starting Grants for their projects.

go.tum.de

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Reposted by Jacob Lab

OxfordDPAG @oxforddpag.bsky.social · Aug 12

We have an exciting new book to announce! www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/news/oxford-...

Oxford Professors Cragg and Walton celebrate publication of new book, The Handbook of Dopamine

www.dpag.ox.ac.uk

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Aug 10

Congratulations, Julio!

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Reposted by Jacob Lab

Matt Perich @mattperich.bsky.social · Jul 29

Check out our new review/perspective (w/ @juangallego.bsky.social & Devika Narain) on neural manifolds in the brain! It was a lot of fun to think through these ideas over the past couple of years, and I'm excited it's finally out in the world!

🔗: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
📄: rdcu.be/ex8hW

A neural manifold view of the brain - Nature Neuroscience

Recent advances in neuroscience have revealed how neural population activity underlying behavior can be well described by topological objects called neural manifolds. Understanding how nature, nurture...

www.nature.com

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Jul 15

107! 🎉 What a remarkable scientist. What a remarkable person. What a remarkable life!

Le Neuro (Institut-Hôpital neurologique de Montréal) @theneuro.bsky.social · Jul 15

Happy 107th Birthday, Brenda Milner! Her contributions to neuropsychology shaped the way we understand the human brain. From surviving two world wars and two pandemics, to paving the way for future generations of researchers, Milner’s legacy continues. @mcgill.ca @cusm-muhc.bsky.social

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Reposted by Jacob Lab

Denise J. Cai, Ph.D. @denisejcai.bsky.social · Jul 14

What’s better than a one-channel #Miniscope? 🥁 A TWO-CHANNEL Miniscope!

Our new Miniscope2C is a dual-channel, open-source Miniscope that lets you record 2 fluorescent signals simultaneously in freely moving animals.

Read the paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

(1/10)

Screenshot of the top of the article, including the title, authors, and abstract.

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Jul 10

Beautiful cover!

Cell - a Cell Press journal @cp-cell.bsky.social · Jul 10

The new issue is out 👉https://www.cell.com/cell/current

On the cover, three articles from the Mesoscopic Brain Mapping Consortium published with Neuron and Developmental Cell shed light on the cell type diversity and their connectivity in mouse and primate brains.

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Jul 4

Congratulations to the #Munich Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences class of 2025! A bright future awaits you. We are very proud of what you have achieved! 🧪🧠🎉🥂 #neuroskyence @lmumuenchen.bsky.social @tum.de @mpiforbi.bsky.social @mpi-psychiatry.bsky.social @www.helmholtz-munich.de

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LMU München @lmumuenchen.bsky.social · Jul 3

🚨 Big move for medical research in Germany:
#LMU, @tum.de , their university hospitals & @www.helmholtz-munich.de launch the M1 Munich Medicine Alliance to boost innovation, research & healthcare in Munich. 🔬🚀
🔗 Read more:
www.lmu.de/en/newsroom/...
#M1 #MunichMedicineAlliance

The Foundation Council and Foundation Board of the new alliance (from left to right): Dr. Martin Siess, Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Hofmann, Prof. Dr. Dr. Matthias Tschöp, Prof. Dr. Markus M. Lerch, Prof. Dr. Stephanie E. Combs, Prof. Dr. Thomas Gudermann, Minister of Science Markus Blume, and Prof. Dr. Martin Hrabe de Angelis.
© Axel Koenig - StMWK

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Jul 1

Filming in the lab today for a feature on our #BCI work. Scorching hot day! Well done @lauraschiffl.bsky.social and all! ☀️☀️☀️😎🎥

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Reposted by Jacob Lab

Technische Universität München @tum.de · Jul 1

Visit our #UniversityHospital Rechts der Isar and the German Heart Center on #OpenHouse Day on July 5 to gain insight into many areas of #medicine with guided tours, lectures and exhibitions: go.tum.de/788103 🤩

📷E. Totoeva

Modern building facade with large glass fronts, slatted blinds, and metallic elements. In the foreground, stairs and a sculptural metal design feature.

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Jun 26

Cyborg tadpoles! Stretchy implantable neuroelectronics that grow with the brain. You gotta love it! 🧪🧠 #neuroskyence

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

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Reposted by Jacob Lab

Technische Universität München @tum.de · Jun 25

We are ranked first in the @timeshighered.bsky.social 2025 University Impact Ranking for #Industry, #Innovation and #Infrastructure, contributing to sustainable innovations – through research, spin-offs, and corporate collaborations: go.tum.de/364093 👏

📷A. Eckert

Ranking: TUM remains global leader in innovation

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) continues to rank first in the "THE University Impact Ranking" category of industry, innovation, and infrastructure.

go.tum.de

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Jun 23

We just concluded a very stimulating #Neuroengineering #summer #school at #Georgetown. Big thanks to Max Riesenhuber and Josef Rauschecker from GU. Great attendance from @tum.de. Looking forward to next year in Munich! cne.georgetown.edu/2025-summer-...

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Reposted by Jacob Lab

Technische Universität München @tum.de · Jun 19

Our #university ranks 22nd worldwide in the latest QS World University #Rankings – entering the top 25 for the first time and staying number one in Germany for the 11th year in a row: go.tum.de/974607 🥳

#QSWUR

📷A. Heddergott

QS Rankings: TUM among top 25 universities in the world

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) has again moved up in the QS World University Rankings and now holds the 22nd position worldwide.

go.tum.de

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Jun 18

Nice move @nature.com. What about also opening the most cryptic ‘black box’ in publishing - how do editors arrive at their decisions to send out for review or desk reject?

Nature @nature.com · Jun 16

From today, all new submissions to Nature that are published will be accompanied by referees’ reports and author responses — to illuminate the process of producing rigorous science

https://go.nature.com/4kIRR01

Transparent peer review to be extended to all of Nature’s research papers

From today, all new submissions to Nature that are published will be accompanied by referees’ reports and author responses — to illuminate the process of producing rigorous science.

go.nature.com

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Jacob Lab @jacob-lab.bsky.social · Jun 15

Returning from🇨🇭. #LuganoAccord: first steps to setting up a European network for #implantable #BCIs. 🧪
#neuroskyence
#Blackrock #Neurotech #Wyss
Ian Burkhart Luke Bashford Alessandro Del Vecchio Mohammed Hussain Bijan Pesaran @giacomovalle.bsky.social @neuroengineering.bsky.social

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