iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Thank you to the @yulonglilab.bsky.social for the generation and characterization of the GRABeCB sensor, which made this study possible.

000

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Thank you to the Stella lab, the Land lab, and Anthony English for the continued discussion and helping to refine my story, and especially for the creation and validation of the Linear Track pipeline for supervised behavioral classification.

100

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to all of our wonderful collaborators both within the UW community and abroad.

100

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Overall this report uncovers a fundamental molecular mechanism that involves localized eCB production in the regulation of engagement in reward-seeking behaviors through gain-control of an anatomically and genetically defined thalamo-striatal circuit.

100

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Furthermore, using novel pose estimation and machine learning algorithms combined with 1-photon imaging, we found that engagement in reward-seeking is encoded by specific ensembles of genetically defined NAc neurons that receive aPVT input.

100

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

We found that eCBs are released in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) during reward seeking, and that these eCBs regulate engagement in reward-seeking behaviors through retrograde inhibition excitatory terminals arising from the anterior paraventricular thalamus (aPVT).

100

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

In this study, we brought to bear several novel tools and approaches to understand how endocannabinoid signaling regulates reward-seeking behaviors, which are highly evolutionarily conserved, and importantly disrupted in numerous psychiatric and substance use disorders.

100

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Since my undergraduate research, I have been investigating the eCB system, the most widely expressed neuromodulatory system in the brain. However, this ubiquitous expression as well as the lipophilic nature of the ligands have made investigation if its role in vivo difficult.

100

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

I’m excited to share the most recent study from the Bruchas lab, which represents the culmination of my postdoctoral work, and serves as the platform for my future research programs investigating the in vivo role of the endocannabinoid signaling system! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

biorxiv.org

Endocannabinoids facilitate transitory reward engagement through retrograde gain-control

Neuromodulatory signaling is poised to serve as a neural mechanism for gain control, acting as a crucial tuning factor to influence neuronal activity by dynamically shaping excitatory and inhibitory f...

1158

Reposted by @davidjmarcus.bsky.social

Raaj Gowrishankar @outraajeous.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Hi #ACNP2024! I'm a NIDA K99 postdoc in Michael Bruchas' lab at UW, interested in how endogenous opioids in the basal ganglia promote goal-directed behavior. Come by my poster on Wed (W171) if you'd like to hear more. I'm also on the job market and would love to chat about potential opportunities!

0218

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

You know you’ve goofed up when the official @npp-journal.bsky.social account starts ribbing you 😅

110

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Also, as of last month I am officially on the market, so please swing by to discuss potential opportunities!

031

davidjmarcus.bsky.social @davidjmarcus.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Hello #ACNP24 ! I'm David and I am a postdoc in the Bruchas lab at the University of Washington studying how endogenous cannabinoid signaling facilitates motivated behavior. Please swing by poster T61 on Tuesday from 5-7 to hear more about my work over the last four years!

2147

Reposted by @davidjmarcus.bsky.social

Brain in a Jar @braininajar.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Hello #ACNP2024 I’m Kasey Girven a Postdoc in the Bruchas Lab at The University of Washington. I study how a neuropeptide S, peri-coerulear projection to the OFC is recruited during repeat exposure to high value rewards 🐭🧀💉 Come listen to my spiel this Wednesday at 3PM in the Grand Sonoran JK 🧠

1367