Serena M. Dudek

Didi says hi #caturday

1/ No, you do not always need single-cell RNA-seq.
Here's why bulk RNA-seq might still be the smarter move for your experiment.

Pro tips for ❄️ cryo-sectioning in the Carolinas during the summer:
1) just don’t. wait until Oct
2) if you must, avoid days with rain - may need to wait until Oct anyway
3) get a dehumidifier and a humidity monitor. Use them
Need humidity <40% per cryostat instructions
Thank me later

Flood Recovery in Saxapahaw July 2025 100% of your contribution will go directly to supporting recovery efforts for the community of Saxapahaw following the recent flooding from Chantal. Saxapahaw Forward is committed to working together ...

Triangle friends. If you've been to Saxapahaw you know what an amazing community has built up around the old mills. While most of the mill escaped the Chantal flooding unscathed, other neighbors were severely affected. You can donate to recovery efforts at:
www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...

Mineralocorticoid receptor knockout alters hippocampal CA2 neurons to become like those in CA1 Communications Biology - Spatial transcriptomics reveals that the molecular phenotype of hippocampal area CA2, which is critical for many social behaviors, is profoundly altered upon knock-out of...

Now officially out! What do CA2 neurons become in an Nr3c2 KO? We used spatial transcriptomics to find out.
With @neuroerin.bsky.social and @jmw86069.bsky.social
Lots in the suppl data rdcu.be/evGGh

It's here! ✨
The #ExSRRF protocol paper is out 😍. Full details for merging Expansion Microscopy with our eSRRF analysis. From cells to tissue. A partnership with @puellesv.bsky.social's lab. Lead by Dominik Kylies and @hannah-superres.bsky.social + colleagues. #ExM #eSRRF
➡️ Open link: rdcu.be/euvEw

Preliminary program out now- GRC on Neuroscience of Social Behavior- March 2026! More talks chosen from the abstracts. Mark your calendars www.grc.org/the-neurosci...

Never seen it

Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.

NIH chief stands by funding cuts to ‘politicized science’ at tense hearing Jayanta Bhattacharya says the US biomedical agency can’t continue ‘business as usual’ if it wants to restore its reputation.

US senators grilled NIH director Jayanta Bhattacharya at a hearing today about how his professed support for science squares with unprecedented grant terminations at the agency and enormous cuts that have been proposed for its 2026 budget.

https://go.nature.com/3FWM2wN

Love this idea! A cartoon by Sam Lau, from 2024. #NewYorkerCartoons #productivity

#truthmatters #medsky 🧪
My summary of today's Senate hearing with Jay Bhattacharya on the NIH budget.
Lots of concern among Senators about aging research.
Lots of dodges, non-answers and buck passing from Jay.
Bipartisan support for NIH
Serious questions except for posturing by Kennedy and Britt.
🧵

Very excited to see this important work out led by the talented @mictott.bsky.social @boyiguo.bsky.social @jhubiostat.bsky.social! 🧪🧬🖥️

Depends- do you entertain often? If so, use for serving so your friends can see it too!

Congrats!

Medical Research Funding — Unbreaking How the administration is breaking the government, and what that means for all of us.

I urge everyone to read Unbreaking’s new page on everything the govt is doing to destroy & diminish medical research funding.

It’s the best thing I’ve read on this topic: @lizneeley.bsky.social & co have such done an incredible job.

unbreaking.org/issues/medic...

The evolving neurobiology of early-life stress This review explores the effects of early-life stress on brain development and cognitive function, highlighting gaps in understanding perceived stress, vulnerable developmental stages, underlying mole...

Excellent review by @talliezee.bsky.social and Matthew T. Birnie on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the consequences of early life adversity. Highly recommended! www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...

Does Kei know he’s in a jet bridge at SNA? ☕️

Gary lynch rocking a huge crowd talking about th 50 years of LTP @cnlm.bsky.social @serenadudette.bsky.social @ucirvine.bsky.social
@mikeyassa.bsky.social 🧪🧠 #memory @franklandlab.bsky.social

Sex Hormones Are Brain Hormones. What Does This Mean for Treating Brain Diseases? (Gift Article) A growing understanding of how “reproductive” hormones sculpt the brain could transform the management of neurological conditions.

Excellent article from The New York Times on steroid hormones in brain health and diseases --no paywall--. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/h...

Speak up! Important to register widespread opposition to transitioning NIH to funding ideologically-motivated science. If you want advancements in knowledge and eventual cures, it is critical that research is steered by knowledgeable scientists, not political appointees

New NIH director defends grant cuts as part of shift to support MAHA vision In his first public remarks, Bhattacharya emphasizes his overall support for agency

Breaking news: Jayanta “Jay” Bhattacharya, the new director of the NIH, told biomedical researchers in his first public remarks today that he’s pushing to “restore regular order” to the agency after funding cuts and delays, firings, and leadership purges. scim.ag/42pW6XP

Hot off the science presses! The largest map of the brain's wiring and activity to date is featured on the cover of @nature.com.

🧠📈 Check out 'Cortex in Context' at: www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

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. 🧵

🧠📈

Dynamic Memory Lab_Jr Specialist_Ranganath University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!

I'm looking for a new full-time research assistant ("junior specialist"). It's not quite "lab manager" because I have someone who takes care of the administrative tasks, and here I'm looking for someone to help us get research done! Info is below, please pass on to any talented candidates, thanks!

A National Day of Action Today, over a thousand protests take place nationwide come just after some big actions and setbacks for Trump, Musk, and Vought.

Other than markets collapsing, this week was...some kind of good news? Signs of life - and collective action - at universities and law firms.

A rundown, and a reminder to go to Saturday's Day of Action: samwang.substack.com/p/a-national...

@cnn.com @nytimes.com @nbcnews.com @cbsnews.com @npr.org @abcnews4.com There are large, #HandsOff protests all over the country today to protest the fall of democracy in this country. This is really front page news and needs to be covered live. Thanks in advance for helping.

Open-Rank Faculty Cluster Hire in Depression Research University of California, Irvine is hiring. Apply now!

Open-Rank Faculty Cluster Hire in Depression Research
Exciting opportunity at UCI in the department of Biomedical Engineering! We're seeking an innovative Assistant or Tenured Associate Professor to pioneer novel approaches in phenotyping and treatment of depression. recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09510

Someone just referred to Teams as "Dollar Store Zoom" and I've not agreed with something so hard in a very long time.

A lot going on here, but at least our geese laugh at attempts to RIF