Jason Shepherd
@jasonsynaptic.bsky.social
🇿🇦🇳🇿🇺🇸Neuroscientist/amateur virologist. Professor and Director of the Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Utah. Molecular mechanisms of memory, repurposed transposons, and virus-like intercellular signaling. Personal views.
www.shepherdlab.org
www.shepherdlab.org
Had a blast hosting @xinjin.bsky.social for our department seminar this week! A true rising star in the field!
February 5, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Had a blast hosting @xinjin.bsky.social for our department seminar this week! A true rising star in the field!
Just got to Big Sky MT for the winter conference on brain research! Trying to ignore the world burning for the next few days.
January 25, 2026 at 1:25 AM
Just got to Big Sky MT for the winter conference on brain research! Trying to ignore the world burning for the next few days.
Celebrating double grant success in the house!! Well..at least scores < 10%ile.
January 23, 2026 at 1:24 AM
Celebrating double grant success in the house!! Well..at least scores < 10%ile.
This week has been a roller coaster..but I’ll take the wins! 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Won’t entirely celebrate until I see a NoA as the A0 R01 score was 10% and it didn’t get funded.
Won’t entirely celebrate until I see a NoA as the A0 R01 score was 10% and it didn’t get funded.
January 21, 2026 at 7:33 PM
This week has been a roller coaster..but I’ll take the wins! 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Won’t entirely celebrate until I see a NoA as the A0 R01 score was 10% and it didn’t get funded.
Won’t entirely celebrate until I see a NoA as the A0 R01 score was 10% and it didn’t get funded.
Everyday I say “you can’t make this shit up” with this presidency. This might be the cake though…going to war over Greenland because Norway refused to “give” Trump a Nobel Peace Prize 😱. Yes, this is apparently real folks. Just embarrassing. Irony is dead.
January 19, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Everyday I say “you can’t make this shit up” with this presidency. This might be the cake though…going to war over Greenland because Norway refused to “give” Trump a Nobel Peace Prize 😱. Yes, this is apparently real folks. Just embarrassing. Irony is dead.
Yesterday my 7th PhD student, Mitali Tyagi, defended her thesis! A joy of being a PI is seeing students flourish into independent scientists. I was lucky to have Mitali in the lab! Her beautiful work on tau transmission will hopefully come out soon. She’s now off to do a postdoc with David Holtzman.
January 17, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Yesterday my 7th PhD student, Mitali Tyagi, defended her thesis! A joy of being a PI is seeing students flourish into independent scientists. I was lucky to have Mitali in the lab! Her beautiful work on tau transmission will hopefully come out soon. She’s now off to do a postdoc with David Holtzman.
Beautiful day on the slopes..with stimulating science convos on the lifts!
#alta
@jim-heys.bsky.social Andre Fenton
#alta
@jim-heys.bsky.social Andre Fenton
January 10, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Beautiful day on the slopes..with stimulating science convos on the lifts!
#alta
@jim-heys.bsky.social Andre Fenton
#alta
@jim-heys.bsky.social Andre Fenton
Study section done. Now can enjoy the PC learning and memory meeting! Looking forward to some stimulating science chats on the ski lift as well this weekend.
January 9, 2026 at 10:29 PM
Study section done. Now can enjoy the PC learning and memory meeting! Looking forward to some stimulating science chats on the ski lift as well this weekend.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Park City learning and memory meeting! Not many neuroscience meetings that are this old or have been ongoing continuously for so long.
Jim McGaugh starting this special session with how the meeting got its start.
Jim McGaugh starting this special session with how the meeting got its start.
January 9, 2026 at 3:08 AM
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Park City learning and memory meeting! Not many neuroscience meetings that are this old or have been ongoing continuously for so long.
Jim McGaugh starting this special session with how the meeting got its start.
Jim McGaugh starting this special session with how the meeting got its start.
Had to break our Christmas streak of skiing Deer Valley..because no snow. Instead we went for a hike in our backyard!
December 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Had to break our Christmas streak of skiing Deer Valley..because no snow. Instead we went for a hike in our backyard!
Merry Christmas to me! Hope everyone has a relaxing day with their loved ones.
December 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Merry Christmas to me! Hope everyone has a relaxing day with their loved ones.
Current playlist…
December 20, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Current playlist…
Thanks to @chillinwithpfn1.bsky.social for hosting me at the Medical College of Georgia/Augusta university! Enjoyed talking with everyone and the surprisingly good sushi dinner (and coffee shop).
December 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Thanks to @chillinwithpfn1.bsky.social for hosting me at the Medical College of Georgia/Augusta university! Enjoyed talking with everyone and the surprisingly good sushi dinner (and coffee shop).
Reason #679 you should always take the window seat!
On my way to Georgia medical school/Augusta university!
On my way to Georgia medical school/Augusta university!
December 11, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Reason #679 you should always take the window seat!
On my way to Georgia medical school/Augusta university!
On my way to Georgia medical school/Augusta university!
The last month has been..a lot. But it’s always a highlight to have a student defend their PhD! Kaelan worked his ass off and I’m super proud of him.
Now just hoping for good reviews on his resubmitted epic paper🤞🏻
Excited to see what he does in @tinakim-neuro.bsky.social’s lab as a PD!
Now just hoping for good reviews on his resubmitted epic paper🤞🏻
Excited to see what he does in @tinakim-neuro.bsky.social’s lab as a PD!
December 1, 2025 at 11:23 PM
The last month has been..a lot. But it’s always a highlight to have a student defend their PhD! Kaelan worked his ass off and I’m super proud of him.
Now just hoping for good reviews on his resubmitted epic paper🤞🏻
Excited to see what he does in @tinakim-neuro.bsky.social’s lab as a PD!
Now just hoping for good reviews on his resubmitted epic paper🤞🏻
Excited to see what he does in @tinakim-neuro.bsky.social’s lab as a PD!
Winter has FINALLY come to the Wasatch! ❄️
November 30, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Winter has FINALLY come to the Wasatch! ❄️
Yes! Didn’t have time to do Beethoven house. Next time!
November 27, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Yes! Didn’t have time to do Beethoven house. Next time!
Thanks to @gokcegroup.bsky.social for playing “tour guide” despite the weather! Hiked up to a cool castle above the Rhein and checked out the classic Christmas market in Bonn!
November 26, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Thanks to @gokcegroup.bsky.social for playing “tour guide” despite the weather! Hiked up to a cool castle above the Rhein and checked out the classic Christmas market in Bonn!
Had a great day visiting the @dzne.science German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn! Thanks to @sabinekrabbe.bsky.social for the invitation and hosting me.
November 25, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Had a great day visiting the @dzne.science German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn! Thanks to @sabinekrabbe.bsky.social for the invitation and hosting me.
SLC—>JFK—>FRA.
Looking forward to visiting the DNZE in Bonn!
First leg done.
Looking forward to visiting the DNZE in Bonn!
First leg done.
November 23, 2025 at 10:59 PM
SLC—>JFK—>FRA.
Looking forward to visiting the DNZE in Bonn!
First leg done.
Looking forward to visiting the DNZE in Bonn!
First leg done.
"The heart will break, but broken live on."
November 19, 2025 at 1:08 AM
"The heart will break, but broken live on."
He wanted to take one more walk on his favorite trail behind the house today. He’s now over the rainbow bridge in a better place. We are still in shock and heartbroken 💔
November 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
He wanted to take one more walk on his favorite trail behind the house today. He’s now over the rainbow bridge in a better place. We are still in shock and heartbroken 💔