The Transmitter

Top-down and bottom-up neuroscience: overcoming the clash of research cultures - Nature Reviews Neuroscience As scientists, we want solid answers, but we also want to answer questions that matter. Yet, the brain’s complexity forces trade-offs between these desiderata, bringing about two distinct research app...

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 “Top-down and bottom-up neuroscience: overcoming the clash of research cultures,” by Fernando Rosas @frosas.bsky.social 𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑙. in 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑁𝑒𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Cross-species connectome comparison shows uneven olfactory circuit evolution in flies The findings start to reveal evolutionary changes that may have helped two species develop different olfactory preferences and adapt to their particular environments.

Some parts of the Drosophila olfactory circuit have evolved more than others, according to a new comparison of two fruit fly species’ connectomes.

By @martajhill.bsky.social

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www.thetransmitter.org/connectome/c...

Excellent summary of an important study from Joshua Roffman and crew. Less data > more bad data.

Null and Noteworthy: Downstream brain areas read visual cortex signals en masse in mice The finding contradicts a theory that the regions prioritize neurons that are adept at identifying specific stimuli. Plus, a response to a study that questioned immune memory in astrocytes.

Some neurons respond more strongly to visual stimuli than others. But the rest of the brain doesn’t prioritize signals from those neurons, according to a new study. Read more in this month’s Null and Noteworthy.

By @ldattaro.bsky.social

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www.thetransmitter.org/null-and-not...

What U.S. science stands to lose without international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers Neuroscience in other countries will strengthen—at the United States’ expense—as rising visa restrictions and rejections block many international students from enrolling at U.S.

Many institutes in Asia and Europe are already on par with the best in the United States, and as they improve further, coming to the U.S. for training will no longer seem like the obvious career path for brilliant students, writes Joshua Sanes.
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www.thetransmitter.org/policy/what-...

Poor image quality introduces systematic bias into MRI data Analyses that include low-quality MRI data underestimate cortical thickness and overestimate surface area, according to new work from the ABCD Study.

Poor image quality introduces systematic bias into large neuroimaging datasets, new study of ABCD data shows.

By Natalia Mesa

www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/poo...

Babies, bees, and bots: On the hunt for markers of consciousness To truly understand consciousness, we need new methods to measure it and detect it in other intelligent systems.

Great to work with @franciscorr25.bsky.social and the Transmitter folks on this piece about markers of consciousness

www.thetransmitter.org/consciousnes...

Budget brainwaves: low-cost system collects brain data outside the lab Neuroscience initiative in India and Tanzania amasses a trove of high-quality EEG recordings from diverse populations.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 “Budget brainwaves: Low-cost system collects brain data outside the lab” by Miryam Naddaf in 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 doi.org/10.1038/d415...

Breaking the jar: Why NeuroAI needs embodiment Brain function is inexorably shaped by the body. Embracing this will benefit computational models of real brain function and the design of ANNs.

If #NeuroAI efforts are to provide any insight into biology, they must carefully consider each animal’s body, not just tracked key points and other aggregate measures of behavior, write @bingbrunton.bsky.social and @tuthill.bsky.social.

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/neuroai/brea...

Jennifer Prendki describes how AI needs to emulate life Prendki explains how her work on large AI models shaped her views that current AI needs inspiration from living organisms.

Paul Middlebrooks @braininspired.bsky.social talks with particle physicist turned artificial-intelligence expert Jennifer Prendki about how AI needs to emulate biological life. Listen now: www.thetransmitter.org/brain-inspir...

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#neuroskyence

Babies, bees, and bots: On the hunt for markers of consciousness To truly understand consciousness, we need new methods to measure it and detect it in other intelligent systems.

Why should we think that theories of consciousness developed in adult humans apply to different kinds of organisms? @timbayne.bsky.social argues that to truly understand consciousness, we need updated methods to measure it and detect it in a wide range of intelligent systems.

bit.ly/3U2gFEL

New dopamine sensor powers three-color imaging in live animals The tool leverages a previously unused segment of the color spectrum to track the neurotransmitter and can be used with two additional sensors to monitor other neurochemicals at different wavelengths.

A new molecular sensor leverages a previously unused segment of the color spectrum to track dopamine and can be used together with two additional sensors that monitor other neurochemicals at different wavelengths.

By @dianakwon.bsky.social

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/methods/new-...

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 “Attentional sampling resolves competition along the visual hierarchy,” by Daniele Re 𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑙. in 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑆𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...

Excellent piece today in @thetransmitter.bsky.social by @callimcflurry.bsky.social on a paper we’ve discussed at some length here (🧵below); she does a terrific job capturing different reasons to be excited about this work (as well as the controversies).

www.thetransmitter.org/emotion-proc...

#neuroskyence

Eye puffs prompt separable sensory, affective brain responses in mice, people Post-puff brain state might not be an emotion, some researchers caution, but the protocol provides a cross-species approach to study emotions.

A cross-species study captured an emotional brain state characterized by lingering brain activity in higher-order areas. “It’s one of those moments where you’re getting a first glimpse at a vast and complex landscape,” says @deisseroth.bsky.social.

By @callimcflurry.bsky.social

bit.ly/3U33raF

The Transmitter @thetransmitter.bsky.social is looking for a Director of Engagement and Marketing to engage neuroscientists with our award-winning content. For more information, please visit: simonsfoundation.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/simons...

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Human brain may anticipate looming contagion Seeing a visibly ill avatar in virtual reality activates a neuroimmune pathway in brain areas related to peripersonal space and prompts an immune response, a small new study suggests.

A new study adds evidence to the idea of the behavioral immune system, showing that participants respond to infectious avatars by turning on threat-detecting brain areas and priming an immune response to a potential infection.

By @claudia-lopez.bsky.social

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bit.ly/4o5Hi9z

🎉 First issue of the @thetransmitter.bsky.social x Neuromatch newsletter!
- Curated articles from The Transmitter
- A survey for early career neuroscientists
- Resources from Neuromatch to support your next steps

🤓 Start reading: mailchi.mp/thetransmitt...
➡️ Subscribe: neuromatch.io/mailing-list/

Newsletters and alerts The latest news and perspectives on the neuroscience topics that interest you most, direct to your inbox

In the age of AI, computational neuroscience is ever changing. Want to stay informed? Sign up for a new joint quarterly newsletter between @thetransmitter.bsky.social and @neuromatch.bsky.social. Receive the latest computational neuroscience research news.

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bit.ly/473DteN

What U.S. science stands to lose without international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers Neuroscience in other countries will strengthen—at the United States’ expense—as rising visa restrictions and rejections block many international students from enrolling at U.S.

As rising visa restrictions and rejections block many international students from enrolling at U.S. institutions and dissuade others from applying, neuroscience in many other countries will strengthen—at our expense, writes Joshua Sanes.

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/policy/what-...

How the brain wakes up from sleep — and produces that morning feeling Certain patterns of brain activity during awakening correlate with a lower likelihood of the bleary-eyed state called ‘sleep inertia’.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 “How the brain wakes up from sleep — and produces that morning feeling” by Katie Kavanagh in 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 doi.org/10.1038/d415...

What kinds of support do early-career researchers need? Help The Transmitter and Neuromatch bolster the next generation of neuroscientists.

Calling all early-career researchers! @thetransmitter.bsky.social and @neuromatch.bsky.social want to understand your journey as you become the next generation of neuroscientists. Share your experiences and help us build the resources you need.

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/early-career...

New dopamine sensor powers three-color imaging in live animals The tool leverages a previously unused segment of the color spectrum to track the neurotransmitter and can be used with two additional sensors to monitor other neurochemicals at different wavelengths.

A new dopamine sensor enables neuroscientists to simultaneously monitor the activity of two additional signaling chemicals in the brains of living mice and zebrafish.

By @dianakwon.bsky.social

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/methods/new-...

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 @storycollider.bsky.social, Wired Lives: Stories about brain-computer interfaces www.storycollider.org/stories/2025...

it was a pleasure to write this with @neuromatch.bsky.social CEO Bradley Roberts for @thetransmitter.bsky.social! thank you for the opportunity to contribute 🙏🥰

Cell ‘antennae’ link autism, congenital heart disease Variants in genes tied to both conditions derail the formation of cilia, the tiny hair-like structure found on almost every cell in the body, a new study finds.

Changes to cilia, antenna-like structures on the surface of cells, could help explain the link between congenital heart disease and autism, according to a new study.

By Lauren Schenkman

www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/cel...

We are excited to announce the launch of a joint quarterly newsletter in partnership with @neuromatch.bsky.social. Together, we want to connect neuroscientists who share a common interest in computational neuroscience. www.thetransmitter.org/newsletters-...

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How to build a truly global computational neuroscience community Computational sciences offer an opportunity to increase global access to, and participation in, neuroscience. Neuromatch’s inclusive, scalable model for community building shows how to realize this…

Computational sciences can offer a unique opportunity for democratized access and participation, but we are currently falling far short of that goal, writes @neuromatch.bsky.social's @meganakpeters.bsky.social and Bradley Roberts‬‬‬‬.

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/education/ho...