EPFL Brain Mind Institute

When objects are close together, seeing details is harder 👉visual crowding. @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social prof. Michael Herzog's lab shows that a single nearby object barely affects perception, but many can aid or impede it, depending on alignment, challenging current theories doi.org/10.1177/1747...

Understanding how brain regions communicate to shape behavior requires realistic models. The @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social labs of Carl Petersen & Wulfram Gerstner show that adding biological features to neural networks improves the prediction of brain responses to stimulation doi.org/10.7554/eLif...

Identifying individual wild animals is key for conservation. The lab of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Alexander Mathis @trackingskills.bsky.social uses AI and images of Alaskan brown bears to non-invasively identify individuals & their behavior across seasons & years doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...

EPFL Life Sciences Early Independent Research Scholar (ELISIR) From exceptional PhD directly to independent group leader

EPFL ELISIR apps now open go.epfl.ch/ELISIR. Fantastic opportunity for young neuroscientists to start an independent lab right after PhD, just like @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social ELISIR group leaders @jamespriestley.bsky.social & @ashleymaynard.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjPD... 👉 April 1 26

@epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Michael Herzog's lab carried out a simulation study to identify how many visual elements are needed for object recognition by cortical visual prostheses, establishing a practical lower-bound phosphene estimate for more effective function: doi.org/10.1016/j.vi...

The group of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Johannes Gräff @graeffjohannes.bsky.social show that altering histone acetylation enhances fear memory recall, while reducing it weakens recall, demonstrating a functional link to the activity of memory engram cells: doi.org/10.1002/hipo...

Switching memories on and off with epigenetics EPFL scientists have found that changing the “packaging” of DNA in neurons can turn memories on or off in mice.

Read the news story: actu.epfl.ch/news/switchi... and perspective: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Can memories be switched on and off, as in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'? The team of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Johannes Gräff @graeffjohannes.bsky.social use CRISPR-based epigenetic control of Arc to reduce or enhance memories in mice: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Providing alternative fuel for the brain in anorexia nervosa: a review of the literature on ketones and their effects on metabolism and the brain - Translational Psychiatry Translational Psychiatry - Providing alternative fuel for the brain in anorexia nervosa: a review of the literature on ketones and their effects on metabolism and the brain

Prof. Carmen Sandi's @carmensandi10.bsky.social group reviews the potential for modulation of metabolic pathways to treat anorexia nervosa - www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation and #FENS are thrilled to announce the winner of the Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation Award in Translational Neuroscience 2026: Prof. Carmen Sandi (@carmensandi10.bsky.social)! 🧠

👉 https://loom.ly/Uh0TghU

The group of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Henry Markram shows that glucose-dependent N-glycosylation drives variability in the Kv3.4 ion channel, regulating activity & cell excitability. N-glycosylation regulation may link neurological disorders & glucose metabolism: doi.org/10.1016/j.is...

How do we weigh curiosity, effort, and reward? The labs of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professors Wulfram Gerstner & Michael Herzog find humans overexplore when seeking monetary reward, drawn to novel options even when more exploration offers no advantage. Explore the paper 👉 doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

New study by the group of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Carmen Sandi @carmensandi10.bsky.social shows that three mitochondrial associated metabolites in the dmPFC/dACC brain region can predict mental effort choices - www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Last chance to apply for the EPFL Neuroscience tenure track assistant professor faculty position - the deadline is tomorrow October 1. Submit now! go.epfl.ch/neurofaculty.

Group of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Gioele La Manno @gioelelamanno.bsky.social + Giovanni D’Angelo lab, use MS imaging & a novel analytical framework to map the 4D distribution >100 lipids in zebrafish & find unexpected distributions 👉 unknown developmental roles - doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure worldwide. The lab of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Michael Herzog shows that in addition to visual acuity, cataracts also affect low-level visual processing, which should be considered in ophthalmic clinical care doi.org/10.1167/jov....

The group of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Carmen Sandi @carmensandi10.bsky.social shows Corticotropin-releasing Hormone (CRH) modulates the thalamic reticular nucleus brain region to affect sleep, linking CRH with sleep impairment due to stress and anxiety- www.nature.com/articles/s41...

@epfl-brainmind.bsky.social Prof. Carmen Sandi's lab @carmensandi10.bsky.social show Urolithin A (UA), a gut microbiota-derived metabolite, can alleviate anxiety in rodents including behaviour, mitochondria & neuronal features. UA could be a new treatment for chronic anxiety doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...

The group of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social Prof. Michael Herzog (also + @carmensandi10.bsky.social) show that human social dominance, a key social interaction factor, is a stable personality trait, has reliable specific brain EEG markers which in females mirror those in males doi.org/10.1016/j.is...

Action potential 👉 3 faculty opportunities to join EPFL neuroscience 1. Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Neuroscience go.epfl.ch/neurofaculty, 2. Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Life Sciences Engineering, or 3. Associate Professor (tenured) in Life Sciences Engineering go.epfl.ch/LSEfaculty

We are happy to announce an opening for a Tenure Track Assistant Professor Faculty Position in Neuroscience at EPFL. Join our groups working on cellular & circuit neuroscience & neurocomputation - go.epfl.ch/brain. Application deadline is Oct 1 2025. Apply now 👉 go.epfl.ch/neurofaculty

blu.ski/@epfl-brainmind professor Michael Herzog & team show that while older adults perform initially less efficiently in reinforcement learning tasks, given sufficient trials, they could perform as well as young adults. 👉 ageing does not universally impair performance: doi.org/10.1007/s002...

Self-supervised, label-free 3D cell imaging is here EPFL researchers introduce CellSeg3D, a self-supervised tool for 3D cell segmentation in fluorescence microscopy, eliminating the need for manual labeling and enhancing accessibility for various biolo...

New tool CellSeg3D, from the group of blu.ski/@epfl-brainmind professor Mackenzie Mathis @trackingactions.bsky.social enables self-supervised 3D cell segmentation in fluorescent microscopy,👇 labeling time & 👆quantitative analysis -
paper: elifesciences.org/articles/99848
news: tinyurl.com/y2hpmbb9

Amazing hierarchical & multimodal wild animal behavior recognition + segmentation from the group of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Alexander Mathis @trackingskills.bsky.social. See the demo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZjk... story: actu.epfl.ch/news/ai-moni... & paper: arxiv.org/html/2503.18...

The @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social lab of Gioele La Manno @gioelelamanno.bsky.social together with @maweigert.bsky.social develop Spotiflow, a deep learning method for subpixel-accurate spot detection in 2D & 3D images, a crucial tool for many life-science applications www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The lab of @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Alexander Mathis @trackingskills.bsky.social show that task-driven models of proprioception, similar to proprioception in vivo, have illusions & that the vibration frequency of primary afferents alone can explain them - doi.org/10.1113/EP09....

Congratulations to @epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor @carmensandi10.bsky.social on winning the 2025 ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award - www.ecnp.eu/news/press-o...

EEG measures are often used to explain differences in performance between groups, however the lab of
@epfl-brainmind.bsky.social professor Michael Herzog, using EEG & visual tests, shows these measures mainly reflect stable traits of participants rather than test performance doi.org/10.1016/j.bb...

Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience The mission of the Simons Collaboration on Ecological NEuroscience (SCENE) is to understand how affordances offered by the world shape representations in the mind and the brain.

Delighted to see our new collaboration on ecological neuroscience 🧩🌿🧠 announced today! A huge ❤️🙏🏼 to @simonsfoundation.org

I’m so excited by this theory-driven question. It’s core to our research on adaptive intelligence & sensorimotor systems 🙌 #SCENE

www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/04/24/s...

Really thrilled to be part of the Simons collaboration for ecological neuroscience - www.simonsfoundation.org/neuroscience...