A study by Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, and Travis E. Faust, PhD, in Cell explains how cell types in the brain communicate in response to changes in sensory input to remodel synapses: direc.to/nJHH Alzheimer’s and ALS patients have synaptic damage. @travisfaust.bsky.social @cp-cell.bsky.social

Can always count on @femmeinstem.bsky.social and the Winder Lab for hyping you up!

How do opioids disrupt the brain’s internal clock, and how does this differ between sexes? Our new study uses RNAseq to examine the suprachiasmatic nucleus across different opioid exposure states in genetically diverse rats. ✨https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772392525000458

This bed feels like a faraday cage 🤣

so, to understand this story there are a few things you need to know - my cat, Gus, believes he is a trained support animal - he is not (he has relatives who are, but he is not) - he believes he is a seizure-detecting dog - he is not a dog - I do not get seizures

My 8 yo cousin just asked me what part of the brain is responsible for his love of potato chips

First cell patched!

What really blows my mind right now is that human civilization has been consuming alcohol since 7000 BC, but alcohol research in CNS has only been relatively recent. Early evidence in the literature…1948 AD (to be clear). That’s definitely a huge gap. Earliest study examining sex differences? 1989

Gilles E. Martin, PhD, identifies a group of 500 neurons associated with the suppression of binge drinking: direc.to/npLM

🚨 I am pleased to share w/ everyone a new Nature #Neuroscience paper led by Dr. Pablo Gimenez-Gomez from the lab of Dr. Gilles Martin @umasschan.bsky.social In this paper, we found a specific #alcohol activated neuronal ensemble that functions to suppress binge drinking behavior. #AlcoholResearch

Still want to be a professional pierogi eater if anyone is wondering

I feel honored to have been selected by UMass Chan to represent the university as this year’s college volunteer for my work as a K-12 science outreach volunteer in the Worcester, MA public school system.

Did some more science outreach with 7th graders! This time, we isolated DNA from bananas and strawberries! 🧬 🍌 🍓 A lot of enthusiasm and curiosity from these future scientists!

Happy Earth Day! Here are some pictures of nature to cleanse your timeline

Had fun teaching Neuroanatomy to 4th and 5th graders today! #Outreach

Not the penguins!

Why does the #DisabledInSTEM Mentorship Program matter? It matters because it builds confidence in identity and capabilities to help recognize that everyone belongs in STEM! I love when previous mentees decide to come back as mentors as it really shows how the program helps to empower!

For a presentation I am giving, I made a wordcloud of the titles of the NIH grants that were canceled. It is clear about the unscientific goals of this administration

I filled out my departmental March madness bracket out based on where I would like to do my postdoc. This is quick way to find out if the institution is a basketball school or not

🔬 Scientific breakthroughs need proper infrastructure to happen. This video from @ucsandiego.bsky.social explains why F&A funding is essential for researchers turning ideas into lifesaving discoveries. Protect the future of research. Contact your representatives! 🔗 bit.ly/4bOkjtM #NeuroAdvocate

This is the worst thing that can happen. I cannot imagine going from one of the highest point in my life to crashing to this low.

At @standupforscience.bsky.social and the signs are statistically significantly excellent

Winder lab is ready for #standupforscience2025!!!

My advisor doesn’t even ask me for this kind of email.

The main takeaway from this paper is rodent shows empathy by performing first-aid like behaviors towards unconscious familiar rodents. The study informs what brain region are involved in this empathic behavior Overall: pretty cool study five snow flakes ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

I think I just conditioned place preferenced myself because I can't wait to go to lab because I know I will get coffee

The first paper out of the Snell lab is live! This review was led by my postdoc Dr. Nichelle Jackson. We dove into the cerebellar contribution to dystonia, specifically focusing on Purkinje cell and cerebellar nuclei dysfunction and calcium handling. www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/dys...

I love this

If the government wants to make budget cuts, it should look at the DoD. Not vital biomedical science research that benefits humanity

I am proud to share this new review on The Biology of Addiction that appeared today in Science Signaling. It was fun to write the review all by myself and reflect on the tremendous progress achieved over the past three decades...

Got her first cell on the first day!!!

Teaching the 2nd year how to patch a cell

Patching an astrocyte! Just for fun

As someone w/ cerebral palsy who grew up in a First-Gen American household, I don't know where I would be w/o the support of Title I programs, NIH URM training programs such as SfN NSP, @mblscience.bsky.social SPINES, and an NIH Diversity Supplement to help me develop as a scientist. #Neuroscience

If you are at Winter Brain, stop by my poster tomorrow! Especially if you are interested learning about a motor pathway that might help us understand how exercise influences affective states! #wcbr2025

Advisor: you should analyze as soon as you get the data Me: fine, I will analyze as I’m recording

I just realized that I have contributed to 11 (2 1st) publications with more on the way through collaborations since I started my PhD program at UMass Chan 🤯 🧠 #neuroscience

Today I reached a point where I can analyze data while patching 🧠

The best part about getting data for two papers from one mouse is that it’s a win-win situation. Can’t get data for one project, that’s ok, you can get data for the other project

Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume? Neuroscientist: It’s a membrane channel between adjacent cells that allows for the passage of ions, small molecules, and so on.

If this is her way of getting me to patch some cells for her…she’s absolutely right, I will patch for cookies #neuroscience

Not gonna lie, my favorite part about being a scientist, especially being a grad student, is designing experiments. 🧠🧪

I’m Timmy, I’m a molecular neuroscientist/electrophysiologist/stereotaxic mouse brain surgeon who has #cerebralpalsy and I study alcohol use disorder. Currently, I’m interested in stress & addiction. I’m planning to defend my PhD dissertation work in May 2025. #DisabledINSTEM 🧠🧪

Hi! Let me introduce myself to everyone! My name is Timmy Lê & I’m going to defend my PhD dissertation on the effects of alcohol on PFC-BLA communication w/ the NAc next spring under the mentorship of Dr. Gilles Martin at UMass Chan. Recently, I developed an interest in stress & addiction 🧪🧠

Had a Ph.D. committee meeting today and it looks like I’m defending soon! 🧪

The 7th floor needs to step it up