Kari Johnson

A Cross-Species Enhancer-AAV Toolkit for Cell Type-Specific Targeting Across the Basal Ganglia https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.23.706695v1

Furlough is like being on Jersey shore. Just laundry and working out :

How basic neuroscience has paved the path to new drugs A growing list of medications—such as zuranolone for postpartum depression, suzetrigine for pain, and the gepants class of migraine medicines—exist because of insights from basic research.

“Basic neuroscience hasn’t produced new drugs.” 💊

Not true - zuranolone (PPD), suzetrigine (pain), gepants (migraine), and more... were born out of a long arc of studies in the lab.

I wrote a Perspective on why this matters. @thetransmitter.bsky.social

www.thetransmitter.org/drug-develop...

Incorporating open connectomics data into teaching neuroscience Learn to analyze open neuroscience data and introduce dry lab modules into your existing classes at the Incorporating Open Connectomics data into...

Teach neuroscience to undergrads? Learn how to incorporate our connectomics data into your courses!

🗓️ July 23-24
🛫 Travel funds available
⏳ Apply by Feb. 2. https://alleninstitute.org/events/incorporating-open-connectomics-data-into-teaching-neuroscience/

🧠 We're hiring! 🧠 Are you passionate about neuroscience and education? Join our faculty at UNC Chapel Hill to inspire and teach the next generation of neuroscientists. Apply now: 🔗​​https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/308455

#Neuroscience #TeachingJobs #AcademicJobs #HigherEd

Neuroscience funding: A source directory Our list features expected and lesser-known governmental and nongovernmental sources of funding for basic neuroscience research.

Most basic neuroscience research in the U.S. is funded by the federal government, but there is an entire funding landscape that lies beyond those federal agencies. To bring those sources together, @thetransmitter.bsky.social presents a funding source directory: bit.ly/4pBBF2B

#StateOfNeuroscience

Missed us at #SfN25? We’ve got you covered! Check out our upcoming workshops and webinars. Some even include travel funding. 🛫

Check out our upcoming #neuroskyence workshops: https://alleninstitute.org/events/?_related_divisions=10%2C5&_audience=scientists

If you're at SfN, don't forget about the BRAIN Toolmakers Showcase tonight! This is always a fun opportunity to learn about new technologies and network.

Not long after I started my lab, a prominent scientist told me it was “impossible” to be a successful PI and a mother

Don’t ever let the naysayers tell you it can’t be done - of course it can!

#HappyMothersDay this weekend to all the amazing scientist mamas raising their wonderful kids 🥰

If I could just keep the stress exercising w/out the stress eating & drinking that would be really great….

My PhD project is out as a preprint!
We combined 2P and synchrotron X-ray to understand mouse olfactory bulb circuits, linking physiology to structure in 3 animals!
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
🙌 @carlesbosch.bsky.social, @apacureanu.bsky.social, @andreas-t-schaefer.bsky.social, @esrf.fr, @crick.ac.uk

#preprint:

We mapped the structure and function of olfactory bulb circuits with in vivo 2-photon microscopy and synchrotron #Xray holographic nanotomography.

doi.org/10.1101/2025...

@yuxinzhang.bsky.social @andreas-t-schaefer.bsky.social @apacureanu.bsky.social
@crick.ac.uk @esrf.fr

There is a version of this in every single interaction with another local in DC..."has your job been affected?" Acquaintances in any field. Neighbors. The people in line at the coffee shop.
My HAIRDRESSER asked me this.

Inhibitory cells orchestrate neural activity in mouse brain A cubic millimeter of brain tissue, sectioned, stained and scrutinized over seven years, reveals in detail the role of inhibitory interneurons.

Anyone with a web browser can use MICrONS Explorer to visualize segments of the 120,000 cells packed into the cubic millimeter of mouse cortex—a specimen roughly the size of a sharp pencil point.

By Katie Moisse

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/connectome/i...

Inhibitory specificity from a connectomic census of mouse visual cortex - Nature Using volumetric electron microscopy, the authors map and analyze the structure of cortical inhibition with synaptic resolution across a column of visual cortex.

It's been done for a while, accepted almost a year ago, but I'm happy to share that my first analysis of the MICrONs cubic mm dataset is online! nature.com/articles/s41...

How does the brain work?

Scientists are closer to the answer with the largest wiring diagram and functional map of a mammalian brain to date. 🧵

🧠📈

Connectome-driven neural inventory of a complete visual system - Nature A connectome of the right optic lobe from a male fruitfly is presented together with an extensive collection of genetic drivers matched to a comprehensive neuron-type catalogue.

I know there's a 𝒍𝒐𝒕 going on right now, but I couldn’t be prouder to share this long-incubated labor of love: the complete connectome of the male 𝐷𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑎 optic lobe 🧠🪰
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Integrating multimodal data to understand cortical circuit architecture and function - Nature Neuroscience This paper discusses how experimental and computational studies integrating multimodal data, such as RNA expression, connectivity and neural activity, are advancing our understanding of the architectu...

Advances in neuroscience have yielded massive, rich datasets from various analysis techniques and modalities. 🧠📈

In a @natureneuro.bsky.social perspective, researchers underscore the importance of an integrative approach to render a more complete picture of the brain.

Single-cell genomics technologies and cell atlases have ushered in a new era of human neurobiology Single-cell approaches are already shedding light on the human brain, identifying cell types that are most vulnerable in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, for example.

Single-cell approaches are already shedding light on the human brain, identifying cell types that are vulnerable in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, for example, write Ed Lein and @hongkuizeng.bsky.social in The Transmitter's human neurotech series.

www.thetransmitter.org/human-neurot...

The Transmitter’s ‘Rising stars in neuroscience’ 2025 Recognize early-career researchers who have made outstanding contributions to the field. Selected nominees will be featured on our website and in our annual book.

We are excited to announce that nominations are open for our “Rising stars in neuroscience” 2025 report. We seek to feature early-career researchers who have made outstanding scientific contributions and demonstrated a commitment to community-building. Submit a nominee here:
bit.ly/4bsoBXD

A look back on the BRAIN Initiative in 2024 (and what’s coming in 2025!) - The BRAIN Initiative Alliance In a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation, 2024 was marked by numerous partnerships, events, developments, and accomplishments for The BRAIN Initiative®. We are reflecting on 10 year...

Over 10 years after its founding, the BRAIN Initiative program has led to incredible leaps in our understanding of the brain.

Look back at its biggest accomplishments: www.braininitiative.org/achievements...

#BrainAwarenessWeek #studyBRAIN #Neuroskyence

Here's my #FluorescenceFriday, an experiment I messed up 😁. I was attempting to identify neurons (cell body, nuclei) and glial cells (microglia, astrocytes), but I accidentally mixed up the antibodies for astrocytes and neuronal nuclei, resulting in both having the same color 🌕. A pretty mistake?

A relevant perspective piece was recently published by my colleagues at NIH: Continuing trial responsibilities for implantable neural devices pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37582365/