Liz Chrastil's Avatar

Liz Chrastil

@chrastil.bsky.social

spatial neuroscience researcher, associate professor at UC Irvine, creator of virtual environments, lover of mazes faculty.sites.uci.edu/spatialneuro/

982 Followers  |  795 Following  |  79 Posts  |  Joined: 18.08.2023  |  2.0887

Latest posts by chrastil.bsky.social on Bluesky

Interactive Cognition Lab | USC Interactive Cognition Lab at USC, led by principal investigator, Dr. Nina Rouhani.

I will be recruiting ๐ŸŒŸPhD students๐ŸŒŸ for my newish lab! If you're interested in learning & memory mechanisms applied to individual, interactive & collective behavior using computational modeling, real-world experiments and fMRI, email me! RTs much appreciated ๐Ÿ™ rouhanilab.com

24.10.2025 16:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 86    ๐Ÿ” 74    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

I donโ€™t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americansโ€™ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. Itโ€™s a disaster. We wonโ€™t recover.

11.10.2025 03:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 13950    ๐Ÿ” 6186    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 517    ๐Ÿ“Œ 397
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BREAKING: A federal judge has granted a restraining order blocking President Trump's call-up of the National Guard in Portland.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

04.10.2025 23:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5425    ๐Ÿ” 1430    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 111    ๐Ÿ“Œ 170
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Trump attacks 9 universities: Sign the alumni petition to defend your school now Are you an alum outraged by Trump's attacks on universities? Defend your school now by signing this alumni petition in support of these 9 universities as well as campus communities across America.

๐Ÿšจ Are you an alum from one of the 9 universities Trump is attempting to extort right now?

โœ๏ธ Sign this petition to defend your university, free speech, and democracy. I signed.

This is a time for courage, not capitulation.
#JustSayNo #Compact ๐Ÿงช๐Ÿง ๐Ÿงฌ

(context in thread)

03.10.2025 19:27 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 49    ๐Ÿ” 45    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4    ๐Ÿ“Œ 5

ER doc here! This is a lie. Wait times are up because the American healthcare system is an unsustainable business model and a for-profit national healthcare system just doesnโ€™t work. These problems will continue to get worse until we change that system. It literally has nothing to do with immigrants

01.10.2025 18:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 14845    ๐Ÿ” 5274    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 341    ๐Ÿ“Œ 133

the president of the united states wants to use the american military to kill american citizens on american soil. that's the whole story!

30.09.2025 14:43 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 49948    ๐Ÿ” 15612    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 670    ๐Ÿ“Œ 724
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The NIH has confirmed that it is complying with court orders and re-instating $500 million in frozen research grants to UCLA, Vice Chancellor for Research & Creative Activities Roger Wakimoto wrote today. He says workers โ€œhave shown great resilience in this challenging time.โ€

24.09.2025 22:08 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 148    ๐Ÿ” 39    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 9
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Huntingtonโ€™s disease treated successfully for first time in gene therapy trial UCL trialled hours-long surgical procedure to treat disease which causes dementia and paralysis Huntingtonโ€™s disease, a devastating degenerative illness that runs in families, has been treated successfully for the first time in a breakthrough gene therapy trial. The disease, caused by a single gene defect, steadily kills brain cells leading to dementia, paralysis and ultimately death. Those with a parent with Huntingtonโ€™s have a 50% chance of developing the disease, which until now has been incurable. Continue reading...

Huntingtonโ€™s disease treated successfully for first time in gene therapy trial

24.09.2025 14:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 460    ๐Ÿ” 132    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 15    ๐Ÿ“Œ 21

While I am genuinely concerned for my colleagues who are doctors currently on H1B visas, I acknowledge that I can't make people care about other humans.

But American *should* care about the fact that their ability to get medical care WILL be affected by these visa restrictions.

21.09.2025 20:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 78    ๐Ÿ” 25    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 6    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Asking journalists to sign a pledge not to disclose anything the Pentagon doesnโ€™t want you to see just as Pentagon is:
-sending troops into US cities
-illegally murdering alleged low level drug runners
-possibly preparing to invade Venezuela

20.09.2025 16:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 251    ๐Ÿ” 103    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 16    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

This thread.

Free speech to say the things conservatives want to say and hear.

But dare to criticize, simply quote what they say, or state what they do?

1/2

16.09.2025 14:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Here are the details of Trump's $1.2-billion call to remake UCLA in a conservative image The Times describes the details, for the first time, of the 28-page proposal the Trump administration has made to remake the UCLA campus.

www.latimes.com/california/s...

15.09.2025 22:43 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 48    ๐Ÿ” 21    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 5

Yes come work with us!!

12.09.2025 04:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Senior fMRI Technologist and Lab Manager, UNLV Research [R0148627] The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) appreciates your interest in employment. We ask that you keep in mind the following when completing your application: Once you start the application process ...

UNLV's MRI facility is close to completion and we are now searching for an MRI Technologist. Please help me spread the word!

nshe.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UNLV-E...

#neuroimaging #MRI #neuroscience #psychology

20.08.2025 23:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 8    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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How a Ph.D. is like riding a bike This researcher struggled in grad schoolโ€”until he embraced it as a time for learning

โ€œYou are here to learn to ride a bicycle, not to invent a bicycle.โ€

"Now, Iโ€™m about to establish my own research group. I feel ready to design and invent my own bicycle. Iโ€™ll remind my trainees that their job, first and foremost, is to learn how to ride."

www.science.org/content/arti...

21.08.2025 02:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 17    ๐Ÿ” 7    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Dear President Milliken, Regents, and Governor Newsom,
As faculty members of University of California law schools, we endorse Governor Newsom's commitment to resist the Trump Administration's unlawful actions taken against the University of California, Los Angeles. The Governor is on firm legal ground. The Trump Administration's termination and suspension of federal funds has violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in numerous ways. Governor Newsom and the University of California Regents will protect the vital interests not only of Californians but of all Americans if they defend the University of California's rights.
The U.S. Department of Justice notified UCLA on July 29, 2025, that it had found that UCLA had "violated its obligations under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964." Chancellor Frenk subsequently announced that
"the federal government claims antisemitism and bias as the reasons" for federal grant terminations. UCLA faces losses of at least $584 million, funding that has supported vital research on matters ranging from treatments for pancreatic cancer to advances in online security.
The Trump Administration has made no pretense of following the law. Title VI permits a federal agency to terminate funding only if it has found that the particular program receiving that funding has violated the law's non-discrimination provisions. Funding cannot disappear just because the agency's policy or political preferences differ from the institution's.
Moreover, the agency can act only after following specific procedural steps. Importantly, Title VI requires a formal administrative hearingโ€”a proceeding much like a trial-before the agency can terminate funding. At the hearing, the agency would have the burden of proving the university's alleged violations of Title VI before an impartial decision-maker. If the agency prevails at the hearing, the university or other interested persons could appeaโ€ฆ

Dear President Milliken, Regents, and Governor Newsom, As faculty members of University of California law schools, we endorse Governor Newsom's commitment to resist the Trump Administration's unlawful actions taken against the University of California, Los Angeles. The Governor is on firm legal ground. The Trump Administration's termination and suspension of federal funds has violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in numerous ways. Governor Newsom and the University of California Regents will protect the vital interests not only of Californians but of all Americans if they defend the University of California's rights. The U.S. Department of Justice notified UCLA on July 29, 2025, that it had found that UCLA had "violated its obligations under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964." Chancellor Frenk subsequently announced that "the federal government claims antisemitism and bias as the reasons" for federal grant terminations. UCLA faces losses of at least $584 million, funding that has supported vital research on matters ranging from treatments for pancreatic cancer to advances in online security. The Trump Administration has made no pretense of following the law. Title VI permits a federal agency to terminate funding only if it has found that the particular program receiving that funding has violated the law's non-discrimination provisions. Funding cannot disappear just because the agency's policy or political preferences differ from the institution's. Moreover, the agency can act only after following specific procedural steps. Importantly, Title VI requires a formal administrative hearingโ€”a proceeding much like a trial-before the agency can terminate funding. At the hearing, the agency would have the burden of proving the university's alleged violations of Title VI before an impartial decision-maker. If the agency prevails at the hearing, the university or other interested persons could appeaโ€ฆ

factually supported and consistent with civil rights laws. Without the steps Title VI requires, there is no protection against an administration alleging discrimination as a pretext to force compliance with its policy or partisan preferences. Title VI's procedures guarantee the constitutional due process requirement that no person can be deprived of liberty or property without fair notice and opportunity to be heard. They protect the university and its members' academic freedom, an endowment essential to scientific research, intellectual discovery, and open debate.
We are deeply committed to the core principle of non-discrimination codified in Title VI and in the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. The principle that no person may suffer discrimination because of race, color, or national origin protects equality and ensures fairness in political as well as social life. Allegations of discrimination deserve serious and careful consideration and, where established, effective redress. But this enforcement effort must follow the law.
We urge Governor Newsom and the UC Regents to continue to stand up for the fundamental principles of the rule of law, due process, and equal protection. A defense of the University of California's rights in court will model respect for these bedrock principles of equality and fairness, and it will ensure that the government honors them. The Trump Administration's failure to abide by the law subverts these principles by denying the University of California a fair opportunity to contest the government's charges of unlawful discrimination before an impartial decisionmaker. It is precisely because we cherish the principles of the Civil Rights Act and the Constitution that we encourage Governor Newsom, the UC Regents, and the University of California to fight back.
Through its grantmaking powers, the federal government wields vast influence over social and economic life. If not held to account by the procedural protections enacted by Congresโ€ฆ

factually supported and consistent with civil rights laws. Without the steps Title VI requires, there is no protection against an administration alleging discrimination as a pretext to force compliance with its policy or partisan preferences. Title VI's procedures guarantee the constitutional due process requirement that no person can be deprived of liberty or property without fair notice and opportunity to be heard. They protect the university and its members' academic freedom, an endowment essential to scientific research, intellectual discovery, and open debate. We are deeply committed to the core principle of non-discrimination codified in Title VI and in the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause. The principle that no person may suffer discrimination because of race, color, or national origin protects equality and ensures fairness in political as well as social life. Allegations of discrimination deserve serious and careful consideration and, where established, effective redress. But this enforcement effort must follow the law. We urge Governor Newsom and the UC Regents to continue to stand up for the fundamental principles of the rule of law, due process, and equal protection. A defense of the University of California's rights in court will model respect for these bedrock principles of equality and fairness, and it will ensure that the government honors them. The Trump Administration's failure to abide by the law subverts these principles by denying the University of California a fair opportunity to contest the government's charges of unlawful discrimination before an impartial decisionmaker. It is precisely because we cherish the principles of the Civil Rights Act and the Constitution that we encourage Governor Newsom, the UC Regents, and the University of California to fight back. Through its grantmaking powers, the federal government wields vast influence over social and economic life. If not held to account by the procedural protections enacted by Congresโ€ฆ

๐Ÿšจ 150 University of California law professors (and counting) have now signed this open letter to the UC Regents and other officials, explaining the flagrant illegality of the Trump Administrationโ€™s UCLA funding cut offs, and urging the UC to fight back. sites.google.com/view/uclawfa...

15.08.2025 18:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1043    ๐Ÿ” 343    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 11    ๐Ÿ“Œ 17
Participants in the โ€œKill the Cutsโ€ rally march against the Trump administrationโ€™s proposed research funding cuts in Los Angeles on April 8, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters.

Hed: Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore hundreds of UCLA research grants

Participants in the โ€œKill the Cutsโ€ rally march against the Trump administrationโ€™s proposed research funding cuts in Los Angeles on April 8, 2025. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters. Hed: Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore hundreds of UCLA research grants

Breaking: A federal judge ordered the Trump admin. to restore a portion of the 800 federal science research grants that it suspended at UCLA, delivering a major setback to efforts to force the university into a $1 billion settlement buff.ly/cJKbdTY

๐Ÿ“ @mzinshteyn.bsky.social
๐Ÿ“ธ Jules Hotz

13.08.2025 01:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 433    ๐Ÿ” 117    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 10
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Assistant, Associate or Full Professor (Tenure Track), Translational Neurosciences (Phoenix) - Phoenix, Arizona job with University of Arizona | 12842366 Assistant, Associate or Full Professor (Tenure Track), Translational Neurosciences (Phoenix) Posting Number req23491 Department COM Phx Translation...

The University of Arizona is holding an open-rank neuroscience faculty search, multiple tenure-track positions available! Positions will be in the new Department of Translational Neurosciences at the College of Medicine in Phoenix. tinyurl.com/42t8tcey

08.08.2025 00:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 36    ๐Ÿ” 30    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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NYU Application Support Group Matching Form Dear Prospective Neuroscience & Psychology PhD Students, We are a group of current NYU Neuroscience & Psychology PhD students who would like to help you with your PhD applications. We want to support...

Thinking of applying to US-based Ph.D. programs in neuroscience, psychology, or cognitive science? Weโ€™ve got your back! NYUโ€™s Application Support Group is a student-led, free mentorship program offering 1-on-1 support and guidance. Apply now! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

28.07.2025 15:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 14    ๐Ÿ” 16    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to improve the process of Federal

Well, this is a huge Executive Order power grab...

www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

1/3

07.08.2025 20:43 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 436    ๐Ÿ” 240    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 52    ๐Ÿ“Œ 83
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Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to improve the process of Federal

1. Federal funding for research promotes tech, biomedical, and scientific discovery in the US, and provides training for the sci/tech workforce that has brought immeasurable wealth to the US over the past 75 years.

Today's executive order includes a provision that will obliterate both functions.

08.08.2025 01:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1009    ๐Ÿ” 547    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 25    ๐Ÿ“Œ 76

Zot zot @ucibiosci.bsky.social

03.08.2025 06:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Wait! FEMA has money to build concentration camps but doesnโ€™t have money to help communities rebuild from floods, hurricanes, and wildfires?

26.07.2025 23:34 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7315    ๐Ÿ” 3434    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 590    ๐Ÿ“Œ 346

The President could deploy troops to help disaster recovery efforts from devastating storms, but instead he sends them to Los Angels to chase fry cooks and landscapers.

06.07.2025 02:02 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 9277    ๐Ÿ” 2725    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 183    ๐Ÿ“Œ 101
Post by suzuki_takaya

่กๆ’ƒใฎไบ‹ๅฎŸใ€‚ใƒใ‚ณใฏ๏ผ‘ๆ—ฅ12โˆ’16ๆ™‚้–“ๅฏใ‚‹ใ‘ใ‚Œใฉใ‚‚ใ€ใ“ใฎไธธใพใฃใŸใƒใ‚ธใ‚ทใƒงใƒณใฎๅทฆๅทปใใƒปๅณๅทปใใฎใฉใกใ‚‰ใŒๅคšใ„ใ‹ใ€‚YouTubeใงไฝ•ๅŒนใ‚‚ใฎ็œ ใ‚‹ใƒใ‚ณใ‚’่ฆณๅฏŸใ—ใ€266ๅŒน๏ผˆ65๏ผ…๏ผ‰ใฎใƒใ‚ณใŒๅทฆๅทปใใ€142ๅŒนใฎใƒใ‚ณใŒๅณๅทปใใซๅฏใฆใ„ใŸใ“ใจใ‚’็™บ่ฆ‹ใ€‚ๆœ‰ๆ„ใชๅทฎใŒ่ฆ‹ใ‚‰ใ‚ŒใŸใจใฎใ“ใจใ€‚ไบบ้กžๅฒไธŠใซๆฎ‹ใ‚‹ๅนธใ›ใช็ ”็ฉถใจใ„ใˆใ‚‹ใ€‚

Post by suzuki_takaya ่กๆ’ƒใฎไบ‹ๅฎŸใ€‚ใƒใ‚ณใฏ๏ผ‘ๆ—ฅ12โˆ’16ๆ™‚้–“ๅฏใ‚‹ใ‘ใ‚Œใฉใ‚‚ใ€ใ“ใฎไธธใพใฃใŸใƒใ‚ธใ‚ทใƒงใƒณใฎๅทฆๅทปใใƒปๅณๅทปใใฎใฉใกใ‚‰ใŒๅคšใ„ใ‹ใ€‚YouTubeใงไฝ•ๅŒนใ‚‚ใฎ็œ ใ‚‹ใƒใ‚ณใ‚’่ฆณๅฏŸใ—ใ€266ๅŒน๏ผˆ65๏ผ…๏ผ‰ใฎใƒใ‚ณใŒๅทฆๅทปใใ€142ๅŒนใฎใƒใ‚ณใŒๅณๅทปใใซๅฏใฆใ„ใŸใ“ใจใ‚’็™บ่ฆ‹ใ€‚ๆœ‰ๆ„ใชๅทฎใŒ่ฆ‹ใ‚‰ใ‚ŒใŸใจใฎใ“ใจใ€‚ไบบ้กžๅฒไธŠใซๆฎ‹ใ‚‹ๅนธใ›ใช็ ”็ฉถใจใ„ใˆใ‚‹ใ€‚

Not Japan-related, but since we all need a distraction from The Horrors, Takaya Suzuki points out a study that examined 408 sleeping cats and found the majority (65%) curl leftwards.

I'm not sure how useful this information is, but...it's yours now.

25.06.2025 22:43 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2397    ๐Ÿ” 1139    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 47    ๐Ÿ“Œ 94
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This is incredibly beautiful storytelling.

21.06.2025 17:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7276    ๐Ÿ” 3521    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 140    ๐Ÿ“Œ 363

This is good news! 15% indirects blocked at NSF now too

21.06.2025 01:03 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 110    ๐Ÿ” 25    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

An NIH staffer reacts to today's ruling:
"I'm looking forward to the day that we are so slammed with work trying to reinstate everything that we had to terminate illegally โ€” I'll work 24/7 to make that happen if I can."

16.06.2025 22:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1116    ๐Ÿ” 297    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 9    ๐Ÿ“Œ 15
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Judge rules some NIH grant cuts illegal, saying he's never seen such discrimination in 40 years A federal judge says it was illegal for the Trump administration to cancel several hundred research grants issued by the National Institutes of Health.

AP Story on Judge Young's ruling

apnews.com/article/nih-...

16.06.2025 23:48 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 96    ๐Ÿ” 29    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
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How a discovery in Yellowstone National Park led to the development of PCR - Richmond Scientific A discovery in Yellowstone National Park led to the development of PCR, the gold-standard COVID-19 tests used to fight the global pandemic.

Reminder: Nobel-prize winning PCR (1983), used in basically all genetic tech today, was only possible because of extremophile bacterium discovered in 1964 in Yellowstone funded by a small ~$80k NSF grant with no obvious application at the time. #science ๐Ÿงช
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...

08.06.2025 21:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1233    ๐Ÿ” 520    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 22    ๐Ÿ“Œ 28

@chrastil is following 20 prominent accounts