ZVR Lab

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YouTube video by Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Can the Brain Be Repaired by Replacing Its Cells?

Dr. Steve Goldman has taken his research from birds to people, demonstrating that stimulating natural brain processes may help repair damaged neural networks in Huntington's & other diseases #URochesterResearch

🎧Latest episode of Neuroscience Perspectives w/ @johnfoxe.bsky.social

Graphic reading "100 years School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Rochester" featuring the 1850 Meliora shield logo.

On September 17, the @urochester.bsky.social School of Medicine and Dentistry celebrated 100 years of #meloria (ever better). Happy #centennial, @urochestersmd.bsky.social! 🎂

How does alcohol impact brain cells?

Mariah Marrero in the Arefin Lab @urochestersmd.bsky.social uses advanced imaging techniques to study the impact alcohol use disorders have on astrocytes & the brain's communication network #URochesterResearch In a Neuro Minute🧠

Data‐Driven Approach to Dynamic Resting State Functional Connectivity in Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder: An ENIGMA‐PGC PTSD Study In a large global sample of people with trauma exposure, we utilized a data-driven approach to evaluate resting state brain network dynamics. Neither static nor dynamic functional connectivity dynami...

@zvr-bsj.bsky.social and the international @enigmabrains.bsky.social PTSD working group collaborated on a global study of resting state functional connectivity in PTSD. ⤵️
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
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#URochesterResearch @urneuroscience.bsky.social @urochestersmd.bsky.social

Excellent writing by @lucinauddin.bsky.social on the importance of multinational collaboration in #neuroscience research, and how US mandates are jeopardizing both funding and data access for international partners.
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Congratulations to our favorite PI, Ben Suarez-Jimenez, on this new publication! 👏 @zvr-bsj.bsky.social @urneuroscience.bsky.social #neuroskyence #neuroimaging #fear #conditioning

Some brains may be wired for pain—before it even starts

On Neuroscience Perspectives, Dr. @paulgeha.bsky.social discusses groundbreaking research on brain pathways that predict chronic pain risk

🎧 Full episode → bit.ly/4n7nAt9

@johnfoxe.bsky.social @urochestersmd.bsky.social #podcast

Yes, this, and follow #neuroskyence. Welcome to Bluesky!

Image of a large wall mounted computer monitor with text reading "THANK YOU, SHREYA!!! WE'LL MISS YOU!!" and various photos of of Shreya at poster presentations, the UR PREP Symposium and in the ZVR Lab with lab members.

Six ZVR Lab members smile and pose for a photo in the lab with Shreya, including, in the front row, Tanya Garg, Shreya Bavdekar, and Melanie Snell, and in the back row, Skylar DeWitt, Abigail Bossa, and Caitlin Sharp.

It's always bittersweet when a lab member says goodbye! 😭 Shreya Bavdekar is off to new adventures at @colorado.edu. Best of luck Shreya, your future is bright! We appreciate you. ❤️🌟 #URochesterResearch @urochestersmd.bsky.social @zvr-bsj.bsky.social @urneuroscience.bsky.social

So happy to see our NEUROCITY Scholars @urneuroscience.bsky.social making the most of their summer at @urochestersmd.bsky.social! 🌞🧠
#URochesterResearch #neuroskyence #science

Rochester named site of research center to study the biology of aging The NIH-funded center will allow researchers to explore why some species live longer—and what that could mean for human health.

🎉We're proud that @urochester.bsky.social is now one of only eight Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging by NIH to advance our efforts in understanding of why and how we age #URochesterResearch

What’s going right in the world: 30 Indigenous communities won against a gold mine, turning plastic into painkillers, Poland moves to renewables, saving earthworms along a posting route… What’s your story?

#ALTTEXT that was missing: 10 new Mental Health First Aiders who recently completed the training at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry smile and stand together for a photo.

Congratulations to the 4! new Mental Health First Aid certified members of our 🧠lab, Skylar DeWitt, Abigail Bossa, Tanya Garg, and Caitlin Sharp! 🎉
#URochesterResearch @skylardewitt.bsky.social @abigailbossa.bsky.social
Find more info on this training @urochestersmd.bsky.social:
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bit.ly/4lG1pZZ

Congratulations to our favorite PI, @zvr-bsj.bsky.social, et al., on this recent publication in universitypress.cambridge.org, "PTSD subtypes and their underlying neural biomarkers: a systematic review"! #PTSD #research #neuroimaging #neuroskyence 🧠

#Healthcare is a human right. ❤️

Looks like a happy little #neuron to me! Must be all of those connections! #neuroscience #brainthings #science 🧠😉

Since 2003, URMC PREP has given 141 scholars 1-year biomedical research training opportunities to prepare them for successful entry into competitive PhD programs and careers as outstanding research scientists and leaders in the biomedical community.
More about PREP: bit.ly/4kLWuGC
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Shreya Bavdekar stands at the lectern delivering her PREP research findings at the PREP Symposium. Presentation slide shows a venn diagram describing the relationship between trauma exposure and sleep disturbances. Where trauma exposure and sleep disturbances intersect is the question "Sleep disturbances may be both a cause and consequence of PTSD?"

At the PREP Symposium, Shreya presented "Exploring the Collective Impact of Trauma Exposure and Sleep Disturbances on Threat Discrimination Learning." #neuroskyence #research #trauma #DiscriminationLearning #science
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Six people stand and pose for a photo at the URMC PREP Symposium on June 17, 2025. From left to right, Brook Melon, PREP Program Coordinator, PREP Program Directors Elaine Smolock and Jacques Robert, Caitlin Sharp (Shreya's Bench Mentor), Shreya Bavdekar (holding her program completion certificate), and our favorite PI (and Shreya's Mentor), Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez.

Please join us in congratulating Shreya Bavdekar and the 2025 URMC PREP cohort on their outstanding presentations at the PREP Symposium! Next up for Shreya: @colorado.edu! 🎓👏 #URochesterResearch #neuroskyence @zvr-bsj.bsky.social @jackofrogy.bsky.social @urochestersmd.bsky.social
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ZVR Lab members pose for a photo outside on a sunny day, in front of a tree on the University of Rochester Campus. From left to right, Shreya Bavdekar, Skylar DeWitt, Caitlin Sharp, Tanya Garg, Abigail Bossa, and Melanie Snell.

Last week, grad student Tanya Garg shared "How threat influences selection history: An eye-tracking study of attentional biases following trauma" for her 2-year Clinical Psychology presentation @urochester.bsky.social. Congrats, Tanya! #URochesterResearch #psychsky #neuroskyence @zvr-bsj.bsky.social

large group standing together under a tree looking at the camera

people outside sitting at tables on patio

person standing talking to a group of people sitting at a table

people sitting at table talking

Did someone say summer?! Let's kick off summer learning with a picnic😎

Since '21, we have welcomed NEURO RocHS & NEUROCITY scholars. High school students from the Rochester City School District & undergrads from @cuny.edu spend the summer working in our neuroscience labs #URochesterResearch

Just started following @jacobsimonsays.bsky.social to get more #goodnews like this. I hope those high school scientists go into #neuroskyence research and continue helping others. Excellent work! #science #neuroscience

NEW: Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez is the recipient of a @urneuroscience.bsky.social Pilot Award for a new #VR study, "Translating rodent paradigms to virtual reality to understand human approach-avoidance behavior during decision-making conflict." Congrats, @zvr-bsj.bsky.social 🧠🥽 #URochesterResearch
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Researchers find that a brief episode of anxiety may have a bigger influence on someone's ability to learn what is safe and what is not #URochesterResearch

Melanie Snell, wearing a white lab coat and holding VR goggles, stands next to the ZVR Lab sign, smiling.

Melanie Snell, wearing a white lab coat and VR goggles, stands next to the ZVR Lab sign, smiling.

Meet Melanie Snell, Undergrad RA in the ZVR Lab: “I’m interested in using #neuroimaging to study the neural mechanisms of reward and psychopathologies. Fun fact: I love to collect little items for collaging in my junk journal!” ~ @melaniesnell.bsky.social 🧠🖥️
#URochesterResearch @zvr-bsj.bsky.social

What happens when the communication network from our eyes to our brain goes awry?

Sarah Yablonski, a Neuroscience grad student @urochestersmd.bsky.social, studies two molecules that are critical to this communication and to retinal ganglion cell death 👇 #URochesterResearch In a Neuro Minute🧠

Past University Research Award Winners - University of Rochester Explore historic University Research Award (URA) winners and project details at the University of Rochester.

Congratulations to all of the 2025 award recipients!
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www.rochester.edu/university-r...

🌞 Thrilled to announce that @zvr-bsj.bsky.social is the recipient of a University Research Award for "Emotional Conflict and Decision-Making: Using Virtual Reality to Elucidate the Neural Correlates of Human Approach-Avoidance Behavior." Thank you, @urochester.bsky.social! #URochesterResearch
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