Courtney Babbitt

Beyond Rodents and Primates: Uncovering Cortical Astrocyte Diversity across Mammals Abstract. Astrocytes, a type of glial cell type in the brain, show remarkable morphological and functional diversity across mammalian species. This review explores astrocyte biology beyond the commonl...

Want to learn more about #astrocyte diversity across #mammals beyond Rodents and Primates?

My student and I dug the literature to find out what is known about astrocytes in non-rodent and non-primate species, I hope you will enjoy our review!

🤩👇👇👇

karger.com/bbe/article-...

A chocolate cake with red and white decorations and lit candles shaped as the number 75. Bold text reads: ‘The NSF Turns 75 Today. What has it done over the past 7 decades?’ The background is a celebratory red with a spray-paint texture.

HAPPY 75th, NSF!

We’re celebrating this milestone by highlighting some of NSF’s most transformative accomplishments—innovations that have shaped our world and continue to drive progress in health, technology, the environment, and beyond.

Read on 🧵(1/11):

Thread with an email being sent to @asn-amnat.bsky.social @sse-evolution.bsky.social @systbiol.bsky.social members today calling for a Tri-society week of action for NSF:

Dear members:
The tri-societies (ASN, SSE,SSB) are running a ‘Week of Action for NSF’. Your engagement is crucial.

A phylogeny of the 7 ape genomes that have now been completed from "T2T", with Homer Simpson representing mankind.

A project five years in the making, we've now published complete "T2T" genomes for six additional ape species! It turns out that finishing (and analyzing) six genomes is slightly more work than one... doi.org/10.1038/s415...

@carmenfalcone.bsky.social Me too!

Thank you @carmenfalcone.bsky.social !!!

Exploring the Expanded Role of Astrocytes in Primate Brain Evolution via Changes in Gene Expression Abstract. Background: Astrocytes are a subtype of glial cells, which are non-neuronal cells that do not produce action potentials. Rather, astrocytes are involved in various functions vital to a funct...

My latest review article on #astrocyte #evolution has been published! In this article, @cbabbitt.bsky.social and I explore how these glial cells have evolved to support the unique demands of the human brain compared with other primates. 🧠 🧫

You can check it out here! karger.com/bbe/article-...

More research updates! The second chapter of my dissertation is now available as a preprint - looking at the evolution of the primate cerebellum using transcriptomics.

Interested in discovering the genetic changes that made us human? Our lab is looking for students and postdocs! 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬 gokhmanlab.com
please RT!

Transcriptomic changes across subregions of the primate cerebellum support the evolution of uniquely human behaviors Compared to other primates, humans display unique behaviors including language and complex tool use. These abilities are made possible in part by the cerebellum. This region of the hindbrain, comprisi...

For cerebellum fans: new preprint by @cbabbitt.bsky.social:
Transcriptomic changes across subregions of the primate cerebellum support the evolution of uniquely human behaviors 🧪🧠🧬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Here’s what’s what at UChicago. Not good.

I am recruiting master students to join my lab at Towson University in the fall 2025 💪

If you are interested in studying #astrocyte evolution, development & pathology, reach out to me via email carmenfalcone0@gmail.com or DM!

Deadline: Jan 15

More info below👇

Ok, I don't think an #EvolutionaryNeuroscience starter pack existed already...so I have started one!

This is not nearly as exhaustive as it should be, so drop your name (or the names of your colleagues) in the comments if you want to be added!🤩🙌

go.bsky.app/Q2UW2Sn

Thank you!!!

I’m happy to be added!

go.bsky.app/Lyzro3M

!WELCOME!

thought we might need a starter pack for all those coming over from the birdhouse - here's a GliaSky list.

apologies for missing many of you - please do reply to get added

and remember to repost so the newbies can find us!