iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Cecilia Vezzani @cecivez.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Come check out poster 36 today at #s4sn2026 👀 @s4sn.bsky.social to find out more about the ReSST - a tool we recently developed to induce repeated stress (vs a neutral control state) both within and across session! Not at s4sn? Check out the preprint here: osf.io/preprints/ps...

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Cecilia Vezzani @cecivez.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Aaaaand we also have a new preprint out: the Repeatable Social Stress Test(ReSST)! This is a primer on the repeated stress induction setup we designed to induce stress both WITHIN & BETWEEN sessions. Link to the preprint here: lnkd.in/eA6tMyaT 1/🧵

lnkd.in

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

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Siri Leknes @sirileknes.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

2/ The ReSST is a setup for inducing stress in the lab both WITHIN & BETWEEN sessions We adapted the Trier dream job talk+maths task, added the Iowa singing task for a second stress session (all in front of unresponsive panel 🫣) ReSST materials & detailed instructions here: osf.io/rq5wv/overview

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Siri Leknes @sirileknes.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

3/ We also used videos to cause psychosocial stress+embarrassment WITHIN testing sessions: Reminder 1 video explained how we would judge recordings of their initial job talk/singing performance Reminder video 2 actually contained some of the recordings, so participants would see themselves perform

static.klipy.com

Katlyn Nichol: This Is Embarrassing

ALT: Katlyn Nichol: This Is Embarrassing

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Siri Leknes @sirileknes.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Data & materials from this study are shared on OSF: osf.io/3jvw8/overview We @cecivez.bsky.social also wrote a primer on the repeated stress induction setup we designed (inspired by @dsquintana.bsky.social's practice of publishing how-to-guides) Preprint here: osf.io/preprints/ps...

osf.io

OSF

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Cecilia Vezzani @cecivez.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

So exciting to finally see this paper out!! @marieeikemo.bsky.social led a fantastic effort now out in @natmentalhealth.nature.com 🎉 A striking result showing that men (but not women) had increased drug self-admin after stress, despite both groups experiencing high stress levels! Find out more 👇

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Marie Eikemo @marieeikemo.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

New paper out! Spent a few years on this one ☺️

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Siri Leknes @sirileknes.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

3/ Big sex difference: Both men & women showed a big increase in stress ratings, heart rate, and cortisol (top panels). They also got pretty high (bottom panels), though mood (PA/NA) was not improved by oxycodone (3 mg/70 kg iv) But only men showed increased drug self-administration after stress

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Siri Leknes @sirileknes.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Major paper out: A heroic* demonstration that even acute stress increases drug intake in healthy people *4-session 2x2 RCT with ~4 oxycodone injections in 66 volunteers - with repeated blinded 2-panel stress/control inductions (ReSST) 1/🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s44...

nature.com

Effects of psychosocial stress on opioid self-administration in healthy participants: a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial - Nature Mental Health

In this triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial, Eikemo et al. tested whether acute psychosocial stress increases opioid self-administration using controlled stress induction, oxy...

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Siri Leknes @sirileknes.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Some highlights #ESCAN2026 👌 Excellent poster discussion by @cecivez.bsky.social on inducing repeated stress in the lab 👏 keynote by Tallon-Baudry on bodily rhythms as coordinators of cognition 💪 cool work by Aleksandra Herman & @tashstanton.bsky.social on effort-reward discounting in fibromyalgia

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Cecilia Vezzani @cecivez.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Interested in the role of mu-opioid receptors on key mechanisms of pain, stress and reward? Come join our team as a PhD student working on a newly discovered OPRM1 human knockout model! 🧬 Find out more at the link below⬇️

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Siri Leknes @sirileknes.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Recruiting for a salaried 4-year PhD project (or two) in Oslo We seek someone dynamic, curious & fun! Work closely w other PhDs in neuroscience/biology & w our three brilliant Knockout project postdocs (psychology/pain/behavioural genetics) Please share widely www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...

jobbnorge.no

PhD-fellowship (301774) | University of Oslo

Job title: PhD-fellowship (301774), Employer: University of Oslo, Deadline: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

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Cecilia Vezzani @cecivez.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Finally arrived in Rome for #ESCAN2026 🧠 Come by poster 158 today if you wanna hear more about the #ReSST, our novel paradigm to elicit repeatable stress responses!

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Nils Kroemer @nbkroemer.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Pupil dilation is an established biomarker of arousal, and studies have shown that non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) elicits pupil dilation. Here, we find that it depends on sensory matching. #neuroskyence 🩺 Now published in @cp-iscience.bsky.social www.cell.com/iscience/ful...

cell.com

Effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation on pupil dilation are dependent on sensory matching

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising tool to modulate motivation and affect, with prior studies showing greater pupil dilation compared to sham. However, sensory dif...

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Siri Leknes @sirileknes.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Please RT 2 new positions in the lab as postdoc & PhD! Interested in stress, pain, or reward? This project has it all! We are a friendly but ambitious group. Oslo is a capital city on the fjord & bordered by forest, great urban & outdoors opportunities: 💃 ⛷️ 🚣 🎭 🎶 www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...

jobbnorge.no

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (286516) | University of Oslo

Job title: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (286516), Employer: University of Oslo, Deadline: Wednesday, October 15, 2025

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bioRxivpreprint @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation on pupil dilation are dependent on sensory matching www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…

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Anne Kühnel @akuehnel.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Our meta-analysis showed tVNS-induced pupil dilation (neuromadlab.shinyapps.io/tVNSPupilmeta/). We wanted to replicate with right-sided tVNS, but when accounting for sensation (even with initial matching) there was no effect compared to sham in our sample (N=94). www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Anne Kühnel @akuehnel.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

This is the first paper of my first grant 🎉. Work led by our PhD-student @cecivez.bsky.social together with @ulrichettinger.bsky.social & @nbkroemer.bsky.social

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Nils Kroemer @nbkroemer.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

There is also good news embedded in the report. We find that taVNS briefly purturbs the correlation of the pupil dilation trace of the left and the right eye. This novel marker is not as strongly associated with sensory ratings. But it makes sense since we stimulate one side of the vagus.

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Nils Kroemer @nbkroemer.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Pulsed taVNS elicits pupil dilation. However, if sham feels as intense, there is not much left. Based on our comparatively large sample (94 participants, single-blind crossover), we show that a highly variable sham response explains this. #neuroskyence 🩺 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A plot showing that taVNS does not induce larger pupil dilation compared to sham.

A plot showing that sham-induced pupil dilation is much more variable

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Junior Researcher Programme @jresearcherprog.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

🚨 Applications for jSchool 2025 are NOW OPEN! Are you a psychology or behavioural science student interested in research? Join jSchool 2025 to gain hands-on research experience, guided by early-career researchers. 👉 Apply now: jrp.pscholars.org/jschool2025 #jschool2025

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Junior Researcher Programme @jresearcherprog.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

📢 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗥𝗣 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀! Our former JRP Supervisor, Dr. @gabrielapavarini.bsky.social, shares what made her experience so rewarding. This year, we’re looking for PhD students or postdoctoral researchers to join us in exploring the 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 at 𝗷𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱.

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Nils Kroemer @nbkroemer.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Want to learn more about these truly eye-opening findings? You can run your adjusted meta-analysis using our living Bayesian meta-analysis, which is provided as a ShinyApp. Check it out here: neuromadlab.shinyapps.io/tVNSPupilmeta/

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Nils Kroemer @nbkroemer.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Does tVNS elicit replicable effects beyond BOLD responses in the brainstem? Yes, pulsed, but not conventional tVNS leads to robust pupil dilation in our new meta-analysis. Published in Brain Stim w/ @cecivez.bsky.social @akuehnel.bsky.social #neuroskyence 🩺 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Across 18 studies, the meta-analysis shows moderate evidence against an effect of taVNS on pupil dilation

Stimulation effects of taVNS on pupil dilation depend on the use of a phasic vs. conventional protocol.

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Marta Gerosa @martager.bsky.social · 24/09/2024

I thought it could be nice to connect the community of researchers exploring body-brain interactions on bsky, so here is the Body-Brain Interactions Starter Pack! 🫀🫁👀🧠 #neuroskyence #academicsky Let me know if you would like to be added or know someone to add. Enjoy and share! go.bsky.app/Fwqeu32

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Anne Kühnel @akuehnel.bsky.social · 15/09/2024

In search of markers of tVNS, we looked at pupil dilation 👁️ doi.org/10.1101/2024... . Short pulsed but not continuous stimulation seems to work! You can also look at the data yourself neuromadlab.shinyapps.io/tVNSPupilmeta/. work w/@nbkroemer.bsky.social & @cecivez.bsky.social 🧠

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Nils Kroemer @nbkroemer.bsky.social · 03/12/2023

After months of piloting and optimization, we are finally seeing high-quality recordings of tVNS-induced pupil dilation. @akuehnel.bsky.social also set up an automated QC report with several plots and is too humble to brag about it. Work w/ @cecivez.bsky.social #neuroscience

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Cecilia Vezzani @cecivez.bsky.social · 28/09/2023

Such an inspiring WISE luncheon hosted by @therealspr.bsky.social today. Thanks to the speakers for sharing their experiences on how to build a more inclusive and diverse environment in academia. Great food for thoughts on how we as students and ECRs can also contribute! #2023SPR

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Cecilia Vezzani @cecivez.bsky.social · 26/09/2023

Finally arrived in New Orleans right on time for #2023SPR (plus some city sightseeing)🤩 Looking forward to the next few days of talks, posters and social events, and to presenting some of our recent work on taVNS and decision-making on Friday! @therealspr.bsky.social

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Nils Kroemer @nbkroemer.bsky.social · 21/09/2023

Out now in Nature Metabolism: metabolic tuning during the menstrual cycle. I wrote an N&V feature about a new study by Hummel & Benkendorff et al. showing changes in insulin sensitivity during the menstrual cycle. #neuroscience www.nature.com/articles/s42...

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Nils Kroemer @nbkroemer.bsky.social · 06/09/2023

Out now in PLoS Digital Health: Reward learning parameters are often seen as trait-like characteristics. We collected >9.7k runs of a gamified task to estimate reliability and find considerable fluctuations. Work w/ @akuehnel.bsky.social #neuroskyence #MedSky journals.plos.org/digitalhealt...

journals.plos.org

Reliability of gamified reinforcement learning in densely sampled longitudinal assessments

Author summary Learning from rewards is a fundamental aspect of motivation and alterations in learning and value-based choices are evident across different mental disorders. However, the traditional l...

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