So excited to see our latest paper out today in @natcomms.nature.com! Studies led by the amazing @margestelzner.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41.... VTA GABA neurons have a unique role in economic decision making - they integrate reward seeking motivation and the current cost of seeking

Big new paper from us published yesterday: The synaptic ectokinase VLK triggers the EphB2–NMDAR interaction to drive injury-induced pain www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Led by @hajisciencebaji.bsky.social in my lab and a wonderful collaboration with Matthew Dalva's lab at Tulane

#SfN2025 here we come! I am thrilled to be joined at the Society for Neuroscience meeting this year by Madelyn Moore, @kelseyperson.bsky.social, @valeriarobleto.bsky.social, and Crystal Lemchi. If you are in San Diego for the conference, please stop by to say hi! 👋 🧪🧠🟦

Multiple Allosteric Sites Allow for Synergistic Enhancement of GPCR Signaling https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.21.683604v1

Thank you SBP for the wonderful highlight! And thank you @behnoushhajian.bsky.social for the beautiful artwork! ✨

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys, the University of Minnesota and Duke University report in Nature that “biased modulators” can target GPCRs more precisely—expanding potential drug targets and reducing side effects. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Newly designed molecules acting as "molecular glues" and "bumpers" can selectively rewire GPCR signaling, offering a pathway to more precise and potentially safer medicines. doi.org/g98xfp

Wow! Thank you @nature.com for highlighting our recent work in this nice Research Brief! 🧪🧠🟦 A broad overview and glimpse behind the making of the paper 👨‍🍳👩‍🍳 A big thank you to John McCorvy for weighing in!! Brief 👉 www.nature.com/articles/d41... Paper 👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Nature research paper: Designing allosteric modulators to change GPCR G protein subtype selectivity go.nature.com/49jaBQS

Now online @nature.com! Want to change the consequences of receptor activation? Small molecules binding the GPCR-transducer interface change G protein subtype preference in predictable ways, enabling rational drug design 💥 So many new possibilities! 🧪🧠🟦 www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵👇

Final version of this work is now live! Mitch developed this model and found that a history of chronic neuropathic pain in the SNI model facilitates pain-induced reinstatement of ethanol CPP in male mice. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Excited to present our newest preprint on the structure-function relationship of anaphylatoxin complement receptors. A casual number of 19 structures deciphering ligand recognition mechanisms, G protein/arrestin and species specific signaling. Please check it out! 🧪💊 www.biorxiv.org/content/bior...

Check out our latest! Studies led by the amazing Megan Brickner - she finds really interesting patterns of dopamine signaling in the basolateral amygdala that report the emotional salience of sensory state transitions. These are largely non-associative, value-free signals, in contrast to classic DA.

If anyone who had a grant terminated (at Harvard or elsewhere) would like to partner with my scicomm channel (LetTheDataSpeak across platforms), I’m happy to work with you. I will feature an elevator pitch of your exciting science, then end with “this project was terminated” and a call to action.

Excited to share this new publication in Behavioural Pharmacology! Check it out via the link below. Congratulations to first author Dr. Nina Beltran, and the whole team including our collaborator Dr. Vanessa Minervini! journals.lww.com/behaviouralp... @ninabeltran.bsky.social

Surgeries are a common source of #pain in the clinic. Check out our new paper published today in PNAS exploring how stress can lead to enhanced pain after surgery. We found that targeting prolactin can improve outcomes in females. @pnas.org www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Hi Science colleagues! Does anyone have recommendations for companies selling custom cannula for intracranial microinfusions. Plastics 1 has gone through so many transformations, now only a limited off the shelf inventory is available.

Published an op-ed for @cnn.com: “Nobel laureate: I owe America my success. Today, its scientific future is in danger.” A personal reflection on what’s at stake as science funding gets slashed. I’d be grateful if you could amplify both in and beyond the science world. www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/h...

GPCR allosterism, a popular #ASPET2025 session chaired by @laurenslosky.bsky.social & Laura Wingler.

Working with an interdisciplinary team, we have developed a website to communicate how the White House's proposed cuts to health research would cause losses of $16B and 68,500 jobs. Find out how your community may be impacted. Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org a 🧵

Excited to see this NIDA supported work from lab PhD student Kasey Brida officially published! Kasey identified a marker of neurons that are responsive to the psychostimulant drug cocaine, and discovered that this marker is essential for cocaine reward. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Check out our latest - we found that complex terpene extracts from Cannabis had similar pain relief and cannabimimetic effects as purified single terpenes, and also via the same target, the adenosine a2a receptor. Free share link! url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Uq14CnGWL0...

UAB Neurobiology is hiring up to 4 new tenure-track faculty as part of 3 new open-rank searches. Come join our vibrant, supportive, and growing neuroscience community! uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/23916 uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/23944 uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/24010

I have been trying to find the time to move away from the polical hellscape we find ourselves in to finish and share a bluetorial about science. This helps me remember what this is all about. Ironically, it is about the treatment of pain.

Excited to present the result of a fantastic collaborative effort - funded by the National Institutes of Health, including the NIH HEAL Initiative, to develop safer analgesic drugs. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Large scale investigation of GPCR molecular dynamics data uncovers allosteric sites and lateral gateways www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We @chronicle.com reported on Friday that applications for F31 diversity fellowships had been withdrawn. Now, multiple scholars tell me their applications have been re-assigned to their original study sections, in a reversal of instructions NIH officials gave reviewers last week. #AcademicSky

I am not normally an alarmist, but these are not normal times. This change would cripple research infrastructure at hundreds of US institutions, and threatens to end our global superiority in scientific research. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

A big day for pain care, and for pain science. www.fda.gov/news-events/...

Anyone familiar with NIDA (or other relevant data) who could point me towards recent estimates for direct/indirect economic costs of SUD in the U.S.?

Call to End Freeze on Federal Grants The White House's pause on federal grants threatens our nation’s scientific progress. Read SfN's full statement urging this Administration to lift the freeze to protect the health and security of our nation: bit.ly/4gq9i2I

New paper out in @currentbiology.bsky.social with the inestimable @kurtfraser.bsky.social and @janaklab.bsky.social. We think this work illuminates an important way the brain dynamically orchestrates motivation, and look forward to testing new hypotheses this inspires in disease models.

Hi #ACNP2024!! 👋 I’m an Asst Prof @UMNews and excited to be in AZ for my 5th meeting! Stop by Tuesday evening to say hi and stay to hear about our latest work on small molecules that change #GPCR G protein subtype preference 🤓🧠💊 T108 You can also read here! 👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

@hmarusak.bsky.social and I will be hosting a #SoberScientist meet-up at #ACNP2024 ‼️ This is a casual meet-up to create a network of sober scientists—happening before the 1st poster session. Open to anyone who is sober for now, sober for life, sober curious, or looking to support a friend 🙌

Excited to see this review manuscript from lab MD/PhD student Dalton Fitzgerald officially out in Addiction Neuroscience! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Excited to see our paper in press today at HGG Advances!!! We described a new variant in #ADPRS gene in individuals with CONDSIAS, disrupting its #ARH3 protein function leading to increased #ADP-ribosylation in cells. bit.ly/3OmvwqH

Can we design allosteric modulators that change a GPCR's preferred G protein? Yes!💥 BAMs at the GPCR-transducer interface change G protein subtype selectivity in predictable ways, enabling rational drug design. The lab's 1st preprint! Check it out! 🧪💊🧠🟦https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.20.624209 🧵👇

New paper with @jocelynrichard.bsky.social + @janaklab.bsky.social! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

100 scientists in our "Behavioral & Preclinical Neuroscience" starter pack ! Thank you for your enthusiasm! It also means, there are still 50 spots left, so ✋ raise your hand and 📢 nominate your colleagues! go.bsky.app/7cNykut

Nice paper from the Dror lab on alternate activation mechanisms for GPCRs: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Working on a figure for my seminar today made me realize just how many design styles you can create with ChimeraX! 🤔Is everyone familiar with the full range of styles in ChimeraX? ⚠️ By the way, the toughest choice (and always will be) is picking the right colors!

A first attempt to assemble GPCR aficionados here on 🦋 Let me know who I missed by replying below! go.bsky.app/75ukb81

Stephen Zhang and the team found that in vivo peptide release and signaling gradually enhances responses of satiety-promoting hypothalamic neurons to each bite of food. These consequences of each bite take minutes to manifest, and could help explain why slow eating enhances satiety. rdcu.be/dZlI3

Hi all! 👋 Slow to migrate over but happy to be here! I’m an Assistant Prof at the University of Minnesota studying addiction biology and working on GPCR drug discovery for substance use disorders and pain. 🧠💊 I’m a new PI - and finding out every day how much I don’t know. Would love to connect!

A starter pack! Some of my favorite women in neuroscience (sorry if I forgot you, I will add!) go.bsky.app/SCFmKoC

I made a starter pack for neuroscience folks but I just saw that it’s capped at 150 people. Sorry if I missed anyone! Maybe #neuroscience folks should start making subfield starter packs? 🧪 go.bsky.app/Q69XurQ

Very happy to share our latest exploration of the neurotensin system and it's role in alcohol related behavior! A great collaborative effort that began during lockdown when I had my first zoom meeting with Lauren Slosky as I marched around the woods in the summer of 2020!

En route to SfN2023! Several stories brewing: Stop by to hear how beta-arrestin deletion effects cocaine self-administration and stick around to hear more than you (ever knew you) wanted to about neurotensin 🤓 Come say hi! 👋

Congrats to lab PhD and Graduate Program in Neuroscience student Crystal Lemchi on being appointed to the NIDA T32 Neuroscience Training in Drug Abuse Research program 🎉 This award will support her work on corticostriatal circuits in drug seeking. Big things to come!