The School of Biosciences @unibirmingham.bsky.social is recruiting five Assistant/Associate Professors working across a range of areas, including neuroscience. Join a vibrant interdisciplinary research environment. Deadline: 14 April 2026 edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

1/6 Check out our new study in @currentbiology.bsky.social that examines how our brain accommodates for two opposing demands - efficient and yet accurate learning. 🧵👇

Congratulations Shai! Very proud to be a part of this project.

1/ Check out our Juila Manoim, Tal Camchy, @eyalrozenfeld.bsky.social, Hadas Lerner, Hao-Hsin Chang, Ran Darshan, and Ya-Hui Chou new study in @currentbiology.bsky.social. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

This exciting new paper about the neural mechanisms underlying classical and operant learning in flies 🪰 is finally out - it matters which paradigm you use to test your animals!

New from Shiko Parnas' lab: Classical & operant learning in *Drosophila* rely on distinct neuronal pathways, challenging current paradigms! Unstoppable www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Sex or survival—what’s more important? Excited to share our @Nature paper on how flies resolve this conflict. We found a dopamine-based filter that reduces threat perception, helping flies focus on courtship when close to mating. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

7/ 🌐 The Big Picture: Our findings challenge the long-held belief that these memories just stack up together. Instead, there’s a tug-of-war, and your brain actively picks sides. This discovery could change how we study learning, from flies to humans.

6/ 🔍 Why Should We Care?: This isn’t just about flies—it’s a peek into how our own brains might handle competing memories. Imagine the implications for understanding decision-making, multitasking, or even mental health! 🤯

5/ 🧠 Neural Circuit Plot Twist: We found that operant learning taps into the brain’s navigation center (CX). The CX actively blocks classical learning, allowing operant memory to form without interference. It’s like having a bouncer neuron guarding the dance floor of your memories! 💃🧠

4/ 🏃‍♂️ The Behavior Shift: Here’s where it gets wild: After classical learning, flies freeze when they smell the conditioned odor. But after operant learning, they actively avoid it! This active vs. passive response hints at different cognitive processes, even for the same stimulus.

3/ 🧩 Surprise! They Clash: Turns out, the two types of memories compete. When flies try to form both at once, they end up learning… nothing. It’s like trying to follow two GPS directions at the same time. One system has to take charge, or it all falls apart.

2/ 💥 Classical vs. Operant Conditioning: Classical (Pavlovian) learning is when you passively associate a cue with an outcome (think Pavlov’s dogs 🐶🔔). Operant learning is active—you have to make a choice to change the outcome. But what happens when both collide? 🧐

1/ 🧠 Ever wondered how different types of learning coexist in our brains? Spoiler: Sometimes, they don’t! Our new study flips the script on what we thought about memory and learning in Drosophila. Dive in for a surprising twist! 🧵👇 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

1/ How do animals integrate different forms of learning? Our @eyalrozenfeld.bsky.social new study in Science Advances shows that active mechanisms prevent the co-formation of competing memories. Here’s what we found! 🧵👇 science.org/doi/10.1126/...