Marcus Siems
@marcussiems.bsky.social
🧠👨🔬 Postdoc UKE Hamburg - attention, decision-making & large-scale dynamics
Twitter: @itSiemsThatWay
Twitter: @itSiemsThatWay
Pinned
Marcus Siems
@marcussiems.bsky.social
· Nov 24
Inter-areal coupling for cognition through coincident oscillatory transients
How do large-scale brain networks interact to enable cognition? Correlated oscillations, a mechanism for inter-areal interactions, can be expressed as phase coherence or amplitude co-fluctuations. Whi...
www.biorxiv.org
New Preprint alert 🚨
“Inter-areal coupling for cognition through coincident oscillatory transients” together with
@ycaoneuro.bsky.social
@ktsetsos.bsky.social
@donnerlab.bsky.social &
Andreas Engel
#MEG #neuroscience #bioRxiv
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
“Inter-areal coupling for cognition through coincident oscillatory transients” together with
@ycaoneuro.bsky.social
@ktsetsos.bsky.social
@donnerlab.bsky.social &
Andreas Engel
#MEG #neuroscience #bioRxiv
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Marcus Siems
🎄 New Xmas preprint 🎄
Portable, contact-free magnetomyography (MMG) can decode fine finger movements 🖐️ and recover EMG-like muscle 💪activations patterns, without electrodes or a shielded room!
A step towards MMG 🧲 as a practical tool for neuromuscular assessment and human-machine interface
🧵👇
Portable, contact-free magnetomyography (MMG) can decode fine finger movements 🖐️ and recover EMG-like muscle 💪activations patterns, without electrodes or a shielded room!
A step towards MMG 🧲 as a practical tool for neuromuscular assessment and human-machine interface
🧵👇
December 26, 2025 at 4:43 PM
🎄 New Xmas preprint 🎄
Portable, contact-free magnetomyography (MMG) can decode fine finger movements 🖐️ and recover EMG-like muscle 💪activations patterns, without electrodes or a shielded room!
A step towards MMG 🧲 as a practical tool for neuromuscular assessment and human-machine interface
🧵👇
Portable, contact-free magnetomyography (MMG) can decode fine finger movements 🖐️ and recover EMG-like muscle 💪activations patterns, without electrodes or a shielded room!
A step towards MMG 🧲 as a practical tool for neuromuscular assessment and human-machine interface
🧵👇
Reposted by Marcus Siems
New paper in Imaging Neuroscience by Holly Schofield, Matthew J. Brookes, et al:
Towards a 384-channel magnetoencephalography system based on optically pumped magnetometers
doi.org/10.1162/IMAG...
Towards a 384-channel magnetoencephalography system based on optically pumped magnetometers
doi.org/10.1162/IMAG...
December 25, 2025 at 5:30 PM
New paper in Imaging Neuroscience by Holly Schofield, Matthew J. Brookes, et al:
Towards a 384-channel magnetoencephalography system based on optically pumped magnetometers
doi.org/10.1162/IMAG...
Towards a 384-channel magnetoencephalography system based on optically pumped magnetometers
doi.org/10.1162/IMAG...
Reposted by Marcus Siems
And very finally, we thank the people who have written earlier antiarealization and antilocalizationist work, from both the empirical and philosophical sides. We cited as many as we could fit.
This one was particularly inspiring for us:
www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
This one was particularly inspiring for us:
www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
Improving the study of brain-behavior relationships by revisiting basic assumptions
Most brain imaging studies present stimuli and measure behavioral responses in temporal
units (trials) that are ordered randomly. Participants’ brain signals are typically
aggregated to model structur...
www.cell.com
December 23, 2025 at 1:02 PM
And very finally, we thank the people who have written earlier antiarealization and antilocalizationist work, from both the empirical and philosophical sides. We cited as many as we could fit.
This one was particularly inspiring for us:
www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
This one was particularly inspiring for us:
www.cell.com/trends/cogni...
Reposted by Marcus Siems
New Perspective from myself, Sarah Heilbronner and @myoo.bsky.social . “Rethinking the centrality of brain areas in understanding functional organization” in Nature Neuroscience. 🧵
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
Rethinking the centrality of brain areas in understanding functional organization
Nature Neuroscience - Parcellation of the cortex into functionally modular brain areas is foundational to neuroscience. Here, Hayden, Heilbronner and Yoo question the central status of brain areas...
rdcu.be
December 23, 2025 at 1:02 PM
New Perspective from myself, Sarah Heilbronner and @myoo.bsky.social . “Rethinking the centrality of brain areas in understanding functional organization” in Nature Neuroscience. 🧵
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
Reposted by Marcus Siems
This head is spinning continuously, but we see it rotating back and forth...
...presumably because of our strong prior expectation that faces are convex.
This is a very nice example of the Hollow-Face illusion promoted by Richard Gregory:
www.richardgregory.org/experiments/
...presumably because of our strong prior expectation that faces are convex.
This is a very nice example of the Hollow-Face illusion promoted by Richard Gregory:
www.richardgregory.org/experiments/
December 20, 2025 at 5:59 PM
This head is spinning continuously, but we see it rotating back and forth...
...presumably because of our strong prior expectation that faces are convex.
This is a very nice example of the Hollow-Face illusion promoted by Richard Gregory:
www.richardgregory.org/experiments/
...presumably because of our strong prior expectation that faces are convex.
This is a very nice example of the Hollow-Face illusion promoted by Richard Gregory:
www.richardgregory.org/experiments/
Reposted by Marcus Siems
New paper! Flexible cognition can arise when oscillatory activity organizes where information can be expressed in neuronal spiking.
Oscillatory control of cortical space as a computational dimension
www.cell.com/current-biol...
@picowerinstitute.bsky.social @mitbcs.bsky.social
#neuroscience
Oscillatory control of cortical space as a computational dimension
www.cell.com/current-biol...
@picowerinstitute.bsky.social @mitbcs.bsky.social
#neuroscience
Oscillatory control of cortical space as a computational dimension
Chen et al. show that alpha/beta oscillations form spatially structured patterns across
the cortical surface that encode task context and dynamically gate the expression
of sensory information in spik...
www.cell.com
December 22, 2025 at 9:19 PM
New paper! Flexible cognition can arise when oscillatory activity organizes where information can be expressed in neuronal spiking.
Oscillatory control of cortical space as a computational dimension
www.cell.com/current-biol...
@picowerinstitute.bsky.social @mitbcs.bsky.social
#neuroscience
Oscillatory control of cortical space as a computational dimension
www.cell.com/current-biol...
@picowerinstitute.bsky.social @mitbcs.bsky.social
#neuroscience
Applying physical modeling to dissociate ephaptic from other local ensemble activity can show that LFP inter-trial variability in #workingmemory might rely on ephaptic coupling. The „math wall“ with the approach is high (imho) but an interesting take on local field dynamics.
#neuroskyence
#neuroskyence
Ephaptic coupling can explain variability in neural activity https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.21.695758v1
December 22, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Applying physical modeling to dissociate ephaptic from other local ensemble activity can show that LFP inter-trial variability in #workingmemory might rely on ephaptic coupling. The „math wall“ with the approach is high (imho) but an interesting take on local field dynamics.
#neuroskyence
#neuroskyence
Reposted by Marcus Siems
New results!
Ephaptic coupling can explain variability in neural activity
doi.org/10.64898/202...
Work led by @pinotsislab.bsky.social
#neuroscience
Ephaptic coupling can explain variability in neural activity
doi.org/10.64898/202...
Work led by @pinotsislab.bsky.social
#neuroscience
Ephaptic coupling can explain variability in neural activity
The waxing and waning cortical oscillatory power correlates with function and disease. This cross-trial variability has been thought to be due to neuromodulation, uncertainty encoding, and/or changes ...
doi.org
December 22, 2025 at 12:16 PM
New results!
Ephaptic coupling can explain variability in neural activity
doi.org/10.64898/202...
Work led by @pinotsislab.bsky.social
#neuroscience
Ephaptic coupling can explain variability in neural activity
doi.org/10.64898/202...
Work led by @pinotsislab.bsky.social
#neuroscience
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Sequences are everywhere! In every brain region. And are written in stone.
Invariant Activity Sequences Across the Mouse Brain.
Out today, by Célian Bimbard, with @kenneth-harris.bsky.social.
Based on data by Célian and by @intlbrainlab.bsky.social.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Invariant Activity Sequences Across the Mouse Brain.
Out today, by Célian Bimbard, with @kenneth-harris.bsky.social.
Based on data by Célian and by @intlbrainlab.bsky.social.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
December 22, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Sequences are everywhere! In every brain region. And are written in stone.
Invariant Activity Sequences Across the Mouse Brain.
Out today, by Célian Bimbard, with @kenneth-harris.bsky.social.
Based on data by Célian and by @intlbrainlab.bsky.social.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Invariant Activity Sequences Across the Mouse Brain.
Out today, by Célian Bimbard, with @kenneth-harris.bsky.social.
Based on data by Célian and by @intlbrainlab.bsky.social.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Cortex-wide Dynamics of Internal Decisions About Behavioral Context https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.18.694943v1
December 22, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Cortex-wide Dynamics of Internal Decisions About Behavioral Context https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.18.694943v1
Reposted by Marcus Siems
📆 updated for 2026!
list of summer schools & short courses in the realm of (computational) neuroscience or data analysis of EEG / MEG / LFP: 🔗 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
list of summer schools & short courses in the realm of (computational) neuroscience or data analysis of EEG / MEG / LFP: 🔗 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
various computational neuroscience / MEEG / LFP short courses and summer schools
docs.google.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
📆 updated for 2026!
list of summer schools & short courses in the realm of (computational) neuroscience or data analysis of EEG / MEG / LFP: 🔗 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
list of summer schools & short courses in the realm of (computational) neuroscience or data analysis of EEG / MEG / LFP: 🔗 docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Reposted by Marcus Siems
AI-assisted coding: 10 simple rules to maintain scientific rigor www.thetransmitter.org/artificial-i... - my latest in @thetransmitter.bsky.social
AI-assisted coding: 10 simple rules to maintain scientific rigor
These guidelines can help researchers ensure the integrity of their work while accelerating progress on important scientific questions.
www.thetransmitter.org
December 16, 2025 at 1:48 PM
AI-assisted coding: 10 simple rules to maintain scientific rigor www.thetransmitter.org/artificial-i... - my latest in @thetransmitter.bsky.social
Reposted by Marcus Siems
The Sun’s fiery surface, a tattooed tardigrade, rare red lightning and more - these are the best science images from 2025, chosen by Nature's Photo Team
Check them out: go.nature.com/3MANqs5
Check them out: go.nature.com/3MANqs5
December 15, 2025 at 4:59 PM
The Sun’s fiery surface, a tattooed tardigrade, rare red lightning and more - these are the best science images from 2025, chosen by Nature's Photo Team
Check them out: go.nature.com/3MANqs5
Check them out: go.nature.com/3MANqs5
Reposted by Marcus Siems
🚨 🆕 Preprint 🚨
How does the brain represent natural images?
Using MEG + multivariate analysis, we disentangle contributions of retinotopy, spatial frequency, shape, and texture
Together, our results reveal how visual features jointly and dynamically support human object recognition.
link 👇
How does the brain represent natural images?
Using MEG + multivariate analysis, we disentangle contributions of retinotopy, spatial frequency, shape, and texture
Together, our results reveal how visual features jointly and dynamically support human object recognition.
link 👇
December 13, 2025 at 5:39 PM
🚨 🆕 Preprint 🚨
How does the brain represent natural images?
Using MEG + multivariate analysis, we disentangle contributions of retinotopy, spatial frequency, shape, and texture
Together, our results reveal how visual features jointly and dynamically support human object recognition.
link 👇
How does the brain represent natural images?
Using MEG + multivariate analysis, we disentangle contributions of retinotopy, spatial frequency, shape, and texture
Together, our results reveal how visual features jointly and dynamically support human object recognition.
link 👇
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Transcranial Focused Ultrasound of the Human Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Reconfigures Resting State Connectivity: A Sham-Controlled fMRI Study https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.10.693481v1
December 13, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Transcranial Focused Ultrasound of the Human Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Reconfigures Resting State Connectivity: A Sham-Controlled fMRI Study https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.10.693481v1
Reposted by Marcus Siems
A “universal” pattern of cortical brain oscillations may be less ubiquitous than previously proposed.
By @claudia-lopez.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-waves/...
By @claudia-lopez.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-waves/...
Dispute erupts over universal cortical brain-wave claim
The debate highlights opposing views on how the cortex transmits information.
www.thetransmitter.org
December 12, 2025 at 2:20 PM
A “universal” pattern of cortical brain oscillations may be less ubiquitous than previously proposed.
By @claudia-lopez.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-waves/...
By @claudia-lopez.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/brain-waves/...
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Come and join our team! We are looking for a Research Officer to help with recruitment and assessment on a large-scale human brain imaging study:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
Job Search
careers.pageuppeople.com
December 11, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Come and join our team! We are looking for a Research Officer to help with recruitment and assessment on a large-scale human brain imaging study:
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
careers.pageuppeople.com/513/cw/en/jo...
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Check out our recently updated calendar, featuring the top neuroscience meetings and events through September 2027.
Are you organizing a neuroscience conference? Share it with us at [email protected].
www.thetransmitter.org/events/?utm_...
#neuroskyence
Are you organizing a neuroscience conference? Share it with us at [email protected].
www.thetransmitter.org/events/?utm_...
#neuroskyence
Events
www.thetransmitter.org
December 11, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Check out our recently updated calendar, featuring the top neuroscience meetings and events through September 2027.
Are you organizing a neuroscience conference? Share it with us at [email protected].
www.thetransmitter.org/events/?utm_...
#neuroskyence
Are you organizing a neuroscience conference? Share it with us at [email protected].
www.thetransmitter.org/events/?utm_...
#neuroskyence
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Cell assemblies are drawing increasing attention in neuroscience, but one could argue that they are just an epiphenomenon. Is the activity of cell assemblies relevant for the brain?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is in our paper, now online at PLOS Biology. 🧵👇 1/10
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
The short answer is yes. The long answer is in our paper, now online at PLOS Biology. 🧵👇 1/10
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Adaptive communication between cell assemblies and “reader” neurons shapes flexible brain dynamics
Cell assemblies have been proposed as key units of brain activity, underlying diverse functions, but their basic features are not well understood. This study shows that interactions between cell assem...
doi.org
December 6, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Cell assemblies are drawing increasing attention in neuroscience, but one could argue that they are just an epiphenomenon. Is the activity of cell assemblies relevant for the brain?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is in our paper, now online at PLOS Biology. 🧵👇 1/10
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
The short answer is yes. The long answer is in our paper, now online at PLOS Biology. 🧵👇 1/10
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Long thought of as support cells, astrocytes are emerging as key players in health and disease
go.nature.com/4pEKHN3
go.nature.com/4pEKHN3
The ‘silent’ brain cells that shape our behaviour, memory and health
Astrocytes make up one-quarter of the brain, but researchers are only now realizing their true value.
go.nature.com
December 7, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Long thought of as support cells, astrocytes are emerging as key players in health and disease
go.nature.com/4pEKHN3
go.nature.com/4pEKHN3
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Thread of French and Dutch research institutes slowly unsubscribing from web of science (and thence impact factors).
December 3, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Thread of French and Dutch research institutes slowly unsubscribing from web of science (and thence impact factors).
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Finally got the job ad—looking for 2 PhD students to start spring next year:
www.gao-unit.com/join-us/
If comp neuro, ML, and AI4Neuro is your thing, or you just nerd out over brain recordings, apply!
I'm at neurips. DM me here / on the conference app or email if you want to meet 🏖️🌮
www.gao-unit.com/join-us/
If comp neuro, ML, and AI4Neuro is your thing, or you just nerd out over brain recordings, apply!
I'm at neurips. DM me here / on the conference app or email if you want to meet 🏖️🌮
December 3, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Finally got the job ad—looking for 2 PhD students to start spring next year:
www.gao-unit.com/join-us/
If comp neuro, ML, and AI4Neuro is your thing, or you just nerd out over brain recordings, apply!
I'm at neurips. DM me here / on the conference app or email if you want to meet 🏖️🌮
www.gao-unit.com/join-us/
If comp neuro, ML, and AI4Neuro is your thing, or you just nerd out over brain recordings, apply!
I'm at neurips. DM me here / on the conference app or email if you want to meet 🏖️🌮
🗞️ Highly recommended new paper @natneuro.nature.com
„High-frequency bursts facilitate fast communication for human spatial attention“
@kiabanaie.bsky.social
@randolph-helfrich.bsky.social
@fiebelkornian.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
„High-frequency bursts facilitate fast communication for human spatial attention“
@kiabanaie.bsky.social
@randolph-helfrich.bsky.social
@fiebelkornian.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
High-frequency bursts facilitate fast communication for human spatial attention - Nature Neuroscience
Using intracranial electroencephalography from patients with epilepsy during spatial attention tasks, this study shows that high-frequency bursts facilitate fast communications in brain networks and s...
www.nature.com
December 3, 2025 at 7:49 AM
🗞️ Highly recommended new paper @natneuro.nature.com
„High-frequency bursts facilitate fast communication for human spatial attention“
@kiabanaie.bsky.social
@randolph-helfrich.bsky.social
@fiebelkornian.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
„High-frequency bursts facilitate fast communication for human spatial attention“
@kiabanaie.bsky.social
@randolph-helfrich.bsky.social
@fiebelkornian.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Marcus Siems
Our latest publication is now available in early access!
Utilising our RSPP procedure and the N2pc, we trace covert switches between separate attentional templates in real time, revealing exactly when observers swap from one template to another.
doi.org/10.1162/JOCN...
Utilising our RSPP procedure and the N2pc, we trace covert switches between separate attentional templates in real time, revealing exactly when observers swap from one template to another.
doi.org/10.1162/JOCN...
Rapid Changes of Attentional Priorities in Visual Search: Tracking Covert Switches of Preparatory Attentional Templates in Real Time
Abstract. Attentional selectivity focuses on what is currently relevant. Relevance changes frequently in everyday life, triggering rapid reassignments of attentional priorities. Such reassignments are...
doi.org
December 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Our latest publication is now available in early access!
Utilising our RSPP procedure and the N2pc, we trace covert switches between separate attentional templates in real time, revealing exactly when observers swap from one template to another.
doi.org/10.1162/JOCN...
Utilising our RSPP procedure and the N2pc, we trace covert switches between separate attentional templates in real time, revealing exactly when observers swap from one template to another.
doi.org/10.1162/JOCN...