Amber Howell's Avatar

Amber Howell

@ambrains.bsky.social

Neuroscientist studying corticosubcortical circuitry in humans and NHP. Currently a postdoc at Rutgers; PhD at Yale

87 Followers  |  254 Following  |  1 Posts  |  Joined: 27.10.2024  |  1.9657

Latest posts by ambrains.bsky.social on Bluesky

the climate's probably just changing for attention

29.09.2025 09:51 β€” πŸ‘ 1563    πŸ” 138    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 13

Resting-State fMRI and the Risk of Overinterpretation: Noise, Mechanisms, and a Missing Rosetta Stone https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.16.676611v1

19.09.2025 21:15 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2
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Interested in the mechanisms shaping the extraordinary complexity of the connectome?

Then check out our new preprint, lead by
Francis Normand with a stellar team, showing how geometry constrains connectome architecture:

biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Full thread here:
tinyurl.com/sfv3yf73

19.09.2025 20:37 β€” πŸ‘ 38    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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I still get chills

Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts

Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE

see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...

10.08.2025 18:22 β€” πŸ‘ 392    πŸ” 137    πŸ’¬ 18    πŸ“Œ 35
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The effect of the β€œexposome” on developmental brain health and cognitive outcomes Neuropsychopharmacology - The effect of the β€œexposome” on developmental brain health and cognitive outcomes

Absolutely thrilled to share the 🌟 FIRST PAPER 🌟 from ACORN Lab! 🐿️ I’m beyond proud of all-star grad student @heatherarobinson.bsky.social for this review of β€œexposome” effects on neurodevelopment & cognition! Paper here rdcu.be/ezUqx & thread below πŸ‘‡ /1

#neuroskyence #PsychSciSky #devsky #cogdev

08.08.2025 16:22 β€” πŸ‘ 68    πŸ” 32    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1
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🚨Preprint!🚨 So excited to share my 1st major study as a postdoc at @holmeslab-bhi.bsky.social!🀘

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Using a transdiagnostic framework, we found that brain network dynamics were able to discriminate individualized psychiatric symptom profiles with high accuracy 🧡1/9πŸ‘‡

30.05.2025 19:47 β€” πŸ‘ 34    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2
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High–resolution laminar recordings reveal structure–function relationships in monkey V1 The relationship between the structural properties of diverse neuronal populations in the monkey primary visual cortex (V1) and their functional visual processing in vivo remains a critical knowledge ...

On behalf of Nicole Carr: new preprint from the Chand/Moore labs! High-resolution laminar recordings reveal structure-function relationships in monkey V1.

1/4

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

19.05.2025 21:08 β€” πŸ‘ 58    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Info theory offers powerful measures for capturing complexity & interaction among elements of a complex system, like the brain! 🧠 Here's our new unified reference for key info-theoretic time series measures ft. πŸ“Š visuals, βž—equations, & πŸ’¬descriptions:

arxiv.org/abs/2505.13080

20.05.2025 03:26 β€” πŸ‘ 64    πŸ” 29    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 2
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πŸ§ πŸ’ŠNew preprint differentiating antipsychotic medication vs. illness effects on cortical thickness in people w/ psychosis.

Finding: People receiving placebo show prominent cortical thinning over 1st year of illness, whereas those receiving antipsychotics do not. 1/3

www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

12.05.2025 01:09 β€” πŸ‘ 32    πŸ” 17    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Check out our new special issue on cognitive flexibility @coolscontrol.bsky.social: authors.elsevier.com/a/1l4vl8MqMi...

12.05.2025 22:23 β€” πŸ‘ 37    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2
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Inferring macroscopic intrinsic neural timescales using optimal control theory The temporal evolution of brain activity relies on complex interactions within and between brain regions that are mediated by neurobiology and connectivity. To understand these interactions, many larg...

🧠 Check out the new preprint from Dr. Linden Parkes, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Core member of Rutgers Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR) and BHI! @lindenmp.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

29.04.2025 15:00 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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a man applauds with the words so proud of my team above him ALT: a man applauds with the words so proud of my team above him

Excited to share the first major piece of work and preprint from my lab! Led by Jason Kim! πŸ₯³πŸŽ‰πŸ€˜

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

28.04.2025 12:56 β€” πŸ‘ 44    πŸ” 23    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 4
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fMRI must break out of its silo We need to develop research programs that link phenomena across levels, from genes and molecules to cells, circuits, networks and behavior.

The scientific community needs to develop processes to support, hire and retain researchers whose work sits between traditional fields of study, writes @avramholmes.bsky.social

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/future-of-fm...

16.04.2025 15:29 β€” πŸ‘ 31    πŸ” 13    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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fMRI must break out of its silo We need to develop research programs that link phenomena across levels, from genes and molecules to cells, circuits, networks and behavior.

Future of #fMRI:

To make a meaningful contribution to neuroscience, fMRI must break out of its silo

www.thetransmitter.org/future-of-fm...

#neuropsychology #cognition

12.04.2025 15:28 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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The molecular and cellular underpinnings of human brain lateralization Hemispheric specialization is a fundamental characteristic of human brain organization, where most individuals exhibit left-hemisphere dominance for language and right-hemisphere dominance for visuosp...

🚨 New #preprint: The molecular and cellular underpinnings of human brain lateralization

πŸ”— doi.org/10.1101/2025...

🧠 We identify an acetylcholine-norepinephrine axis underlying functional lateralization, along with mitochondrial and cellular correlates. 🧡1/9πŸ‘‡

#neuroskyence

12.04.2025 10:28 β€” πŸ‘ 49    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 4

The molecular and cellular basis of human brain lateralization. Latest paper from @holmeslab-bhi.bsky.social led by @loiclabache.bsky.social. @rutgersbhi.bsky.social, @cahbir.bsky.social

12.04.2025 12:29 β€” πŸ‘ 27    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The molecular and cellular underpinnings of human brain lateralization Hemispheric specialization is a fundamental characteristic of human brain organization, where most individuals exhibit left-hemisphere dominance for language and right-hemisphere dominance for visuosp...

Excellent preprint by a great team @loiclabache.bsky.social @sidchop.bsky.social @xi-hanzhang.bsky.social @avramholmes.bsky.social on the underpinnings of human brain lateralization: an Acetylcholine-Norepinephrine axis for functional lateralization + mitochondrial substrates & cellular correlatesπŸ§ͺ

12.04.2025 08:32 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0

"To make a meaningful contribution to #neuroscience, #fMRI must break out of its silo."

My latest attempt to convince you of the importance of multi-scale approaches for the study of the human brain.

08.04.2025 13:19 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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fMRI must break out of its silo We need to develop research programs that link phenomena across levels, from genes and molecules to cells, circuits, networks and behavior.

Until recently, in-vivo brain imaging has largely been absent from… integrative efforts, limiting the opportunities to contribute our discoveries, theories or vision toward a comprehensive view of brain function, writes @avramholmes.bsky.social.

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/future-of-fm...

08.04.2025 13:15 β€” πŸ‘ 25    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 4
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fMRI must break out of its silo We need to develop research programs that link phenomena across levels, from genes and molecules to cells, circuits, networks and behavior.

🧠 Featured Insights! Dr. @avramholmes.bsky.social, Associate Prof of Psychiatry at RWJMS and Core Member of BHI & CAHBIR, shares insights on #fMRI and the need for integration across #neuroscience disciplines in @thetransmitter.bsky.social
www.thetransmitter.org/future-of-fm...
#neuroimaging

08.04.2025 15:50 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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New paper in Imaging Neuroscience by Vaanathi Sundaresan, Anastasia Yendiki, et al:

Self-supervised segmentation and characterization of fiber bundles in anatomic tracing data

doi.org/10.1162/imag...

28.03.2025 21:10 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Temporal fMRI Dynamics Map Dopamine Physiology Spatial variations in dopamine function are linked to cognition and substance use disorders but are challenging to characterize with current methods. Because dopamine influences blood vessel dilation,...

Interested in dopamine? Have fMRI data? We’ve identified a temporal BOLD feature that carries rich information about dopamine physiology. This measure, obtainable from resting-state and task fMRI, opens new ways to indirectly probe dopamine’s role in cognition and disease. 1/n tinyurl.com/bddyz67b

26.03.2025 12:40 β€” πŸ‘ 98    πŸ” 43    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 1
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A network correspondence toolbox for quantitative evaluation of novel neuroimaging results - Nature Communications Here, the authors present the Network Correspondence Toolbox, which enables researchers to examine and report spatial correspondence between their neuroimaging results and widely used brain atlases.

It's finally here! Use the Network Correspondence Toolbox to help contextualize your neuroimaging findings 🧠

26.03.2025 01:54 β€” πŸ‘ 181    πŸ” 85    πŸ’¬ 11    πŸ“Œ 2
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πŸ‘‡

Multimodal precision MRI of the individual human brain at ultra-high fields | bioRxiv www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

25.03.2025 00:45 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

PsyPost covered @lydiaquq.bsky.social's new paper linking internalizing/externalizing symptoms to distinct features! Check it out ⬇️
πŸ–‡οΈhttps://www.psypost.org/scientists-identify-distinct-brain-patterns-linked-to-mental-health-symptoms

#SciComm #Neuroscience

25.03.2025 16:09 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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🚨New lab preprint alert!🚨

Grab a drink, sit down, and let me walk you through the moment-by-moment process of how information loops through basal ganglia circuits during a decision.

(Link at the end of the thread)

1/9

24.03.2025 19:29 β€” πŸ‘ 119    πŸ” 24    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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🧩New study: "Network Constraints on π˜ͺ𝘯 𝘷π˜ͺ𝘷𝘰 Synaptic Alterations in Schizophrenia"

medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

We map a prominent brain-wide pattern of synaptic defects in people with Schizophrenia using PET, then model the molecular, cellular & connectomic features shaping this pattern 🧡1/3πŸ‘‡

24.03.2025 01:28 β€” πŸ‘ 39    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 3
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Connectivity profile and function of uniquely human cortical areas Determining the brain specializations unique to humans requires directly comparative anatomical information from other primates, especially our closest relatives. Human ( Homo sapiens ) (m/f), chimpan...

Always thought we should use connectivity blueprints to investigate differences between human, chimpanzee, and macaque brains? www.jneurosci.org/content/earl... For Katherine Bryant’s latest masterpiece.

18.03.2025 07:14 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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New paper in Imaging Neuroscience by Yaotian Wang, Tingting Zhang, et al:

Analysis of functional connectivity changes from childhood to old age: A study using HCP-D, HCP-YA, and HCP-A datasets

doi.org/10.1162/imag...

13.03.2025 06:05 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Cerebral blood perfusion across biological systems and the human lifespan | doi.org/10.1101/2025...

How does blood perfusion map onto canonical features of brain structure and function? @asafarahani.bsky.social investigates ‡️

11.03.2025 15:01 β€” πŸ‘ 44    πŸ” 24    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1

@ambrains is following 20 prominent accounts