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Stan Floresco

@dr-stan.bsky.social
1.1K followers 319 following 151 posts

Professor, Neuroscientist, Journal Editor (x4), fan of the dopamine, people, Marvel/Star Wars/Trek, and having a good time. @ubcpsych.bsky.social

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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Zach Pennington @zachtpennington.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I'm SO excited to have this out in the world!!!! Check out our latest work on the contribution of the anterior hypothalamic nucleus to stress sensitivity and valence processing.
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Amazing! Congrats Zach!
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Thanks so much Alicia!
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Thanks so much buddy!
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
*sigh*- zero for two on your righteousness metric...
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Ryan Reynolds Says Genius
ALT: Ryan Reynolds Says Genius
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I am truly humbled, and elated for this recognition, and grateful to my mentors, colleagues, trainees and family who've supported me on this journey
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Thank you!
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Ahh thanks so much brother!
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Thank you sir- you're far too kind.
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Thanks so much buddy!
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
😊
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Bita Moghaddam @bita137.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Love seeing entirely novel findings about dopamine Move over G proteins! Dopamine can regulate glutamate/NMDA directly and without second messenger systems: D2R physically couples GluN2B to suppress NMDA current directly 🤯 (congrats to team from Javitch & Ford labs) www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Dopamine D2 receptors bypass canonical signaling to directly tune NMDA receptor function and aversive learning
Dopamine acts at D2-NMDA receptor heteromers to control glutamatergic transmission and aversive learning.
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Ahh yes. Triple G. Triple H's less successful older brother...
static.klipy.com
Triple H's Iconic Entrance
ALT: Triple H's Iconic Entrance
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
static.klipy.com
Theodoros Points and Makes a Face
ALT: Theodoros Points and Makes a Face
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Kiran Soma @kiransoma.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
New preprint in which we developed a task to measure motivation to exercise in rats! This will hopefully open many doors. 🏃🐀 Big thanks to Prof. Desiree Seib, who led this effort, and @dr-stan.bsky.social !! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
A Novel Operant Conditioning Task to Assess Motivation to Exercise in Rats
Voluntary physical activity is a highly motivated behavior with important implications for physical and mental health, yet the neural and endocrine mechanisms underlying motivation to exercise remain ...
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Neuropsychopharmacology @npp-journal.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Glewwe et al. demonstrate that female mice outperform males in a touchscreen set-shifting task, suggesting that stable choice commitment in females paradoxically enhances cognitive flexibility
nature.com
Sex-biased computations underlying differential set shift performance in mice
Neuropsychopharmacology - Sex-biased computations underlying differential set shift performance in mice
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Favorite Instructor comment for the year: "Great professor! Very passionate (especially about catecholamines) and delivers information clearly. Also looks like Tony Stark and has the voice of a mix of Jack Black and Lin Manuel Miranda."🤷‍♂️
static.klipy.com
Hamilton: It Must Be Nice
ALT: Hamilton: It Must Be Nice
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Kiran Soma @kiransoma.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Congrats Des and Michelle @minseonjung.bsky.social !! 🤩 And thank you @joendocrinology.bsky.social I love this journal, which is owned by a scientific society and truly gives back to the scientific community. @socendocrinology.bsky.social
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Patrick Piantadosi @ppiantad.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
for anyone interested in the amygdala and risky decision-making, check out our new preprint: biorxiv.org/content/10.1... amygdala neurons track reward-seeking actions, and punishment risk dramatically alters this function. lots of other (BLA-accumbens!) data included.
biorxiv.org
Risk reshapes amygdala representation of choice
Modifying behavior in response to changing environmental conditions is a crucial adaptive function. This capacity is exemplified when animals curtail pursuit of a valued outcome that risks being punis...
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Dr. Natasha Rajah, Ph.D. @mnrajah.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Dear reviewer, We all hate those pesky reminder emails to submit overdue reviews that are automatically sent by the journal’s system software. BUT if you’re several weeks late, maybe respond or decline reviewing so authors & EiCs aren’t stuck in limbo? #bekind #AcademicChatter
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
I grew up with phasic dopamine = reward prediction errors, phasic dips- negative prediction errors etc. Looks like that's not always the case- PFC DA signals seem to be doing something way different than in the striatum. So proud to be associated with this work.
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
They lucky to have you buddy...
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Can the incentive-sensitization theory of addiction incorporate addiction to opioid drugs? - Psychopharmacology
The Incentive Sensitization Theory (IST) of addiction posits that repeated intermittent exposure to potentially addictive drugs can sensitize brain mesolimbic dopamine systems. Those systems normally ...
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
An excellent overview of contemporary issues with dopamine - WTF? (What's the function). Time to burn all the theories down, or maybe a set of adversarial collaborations?
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Monica H Green @monicamedhist.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Absolutely essential reading for anyone considering those "unicorn" hiring positions in Canada. Observations from researchers who are already there: www.nature.com/articles/d41... 🧪
nature.com
The problem with Canada’s plan to buy scientific prestige
The government’s plans to poach 100 US researchers might make good economic sense. But what about the existing community?
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
These data came out at a perfect time for a grant I'm retooling!
media.tenor.com
a picture of a man with the words excellent timing below him
ALT: a picture of a man with the words excellent timing below him
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
This is a fantastic study! Thanks so much Kate, congratulations to you and your team!
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Phil Jean-Richard-dit-Bressel @philjrdb.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
New paper from lab on how VTA dopamine neurons + GABA inhibition contribute to punishment learning. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Disinhibition of ventral tegmental area during initial punishment learning causes enduring punishment insensitivity - Neuropsychopharmacology
Neuropsychopharmacology - Disinhibition of ventral tegmental area during initial punishment learning causes enduring punishment insensitivity
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
media.tenor.com
a group of people are sitting in a room and a woman is raising her fist in the air and says no more meetings .
ALT: a group of people are sitting in a room and a woman is raising her fist in the air and says no more meetings .
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Most awesome! You rock!
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
media.tenor.com
a man in a plaid shirt and tie is sitting at a desk in front of a computer and talking .
ALT: a man in a plaid shirt and tie is sitting at a desk in front of a computer and talking .
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
BCCHR ResDev (DM) @resdevbcch.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Happy #CIHR notice of decision day to those who celebrate. Congratulations to 10-15% of you 🥳, and so very sorry to the other 85+% ☹️.
media.tenor.com
a cartoon of a cookie wearing sunglasses with the words " you 're one tough cookie stay strong " below it
ALT: a cartoon of a cookie wearing sunglasses with the words " you 're one tough cookie stay strong " below it
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Reposted by Stan Floresco
Mathieu Ferron @mathieuferron.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
13.5% is the last success rate at CIRH. The government is slowly tanking the Canadian research system.
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
media.tenor.com
a man in a green jacket is laughing with another man
ALT: a man in a green jacket is laughing with another man
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
media.tenor.com
a man in a batman costume with the words let 's get nuts behind him
ALT: a man in a batman costume with the words let 's get nuts behind him
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
media.tenor.com
a man is dancing in an arcade with the words hey now you 're an all star get your game on go play
ALT: a man is dancing in an arcade with the words hey now you 're an all star get your game on go play
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
Omg amazing! Congratulations!
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
I'm so sorry l! Keep strong and hope they bounce back quick
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Congratulations to both you and @britt-chamberlain.bsky.social ! Can't wait to see the findings in print!
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
www.jneurosci.org/content/45/4...
jneurosci.org
Complementary yet Dissociable Influences of Medial and Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex over Cue-Guided Decisions Involving Reward Magnitude and Uncertainty
Converging evidence suggests that orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) subregions subserve distinct roles in decision-making across a variety of tasks. Cost/benefit decisions can require an organism to choose b...
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Thanks as always for your attention {cross posted on...the other place}
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie stands in front of a crowd of people
ALT: a man in a suit and tie stands in front of a crowd of people
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Collectively, these results bolster a growing literature that mOFC and lOFC play distinct yet complimentary roles in the evaluation of outcomes and cues that inform the costs and benefits associated with future action. As is typical of studies of OFC function…
media.tenor.com
a close up of a woman 's face with the words look it 's complicated behind her
ALT: a close up of a woman 's face with the words look it 's complicated behind her
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
What’s notable is that comparing this to previous studies where risk/reward decisions are guided by internal representations of action/outcome reward history (instead of external cues), these OFC regions play markedly different roles in guiding choice.
media.tenor.com
a man wearing a tie dye shirt says the two things are similar but they are not quite similar
ALT: a man wearing a tie dye shirt says the two things are similar but they are not quite similar
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Oh, BTW, when we inactivated the anterior agranular insular cortex adjacent to the lOFC, we found no changes in behavior
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie with the words you have no effect on his face
ALT: a man in a suit and tie with the words you have no effect on his face
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Whereas disrupting lOFC activity leads to a default in pursuing the larger rewards, even if this strategy is not always the most profitable strategy.
media.tenor.com
a picture of a man with a mustache and the words " more is not always better "
ALT: a picture of a man with a mustache and the words " more is not always better "
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
So both OFC regions are integral for guiding risk/reward decisions informed by cues that signal how likely certain actions may (or not) be rewarded, but do so in different way. The mOFC helps focus on the cues, in part by shaking off the impact of recent losses…
media.tenor.com
a man with a beard is sitting at a table with his hand on his chest
ALT: a man with a beard is sitting at a table with his hand on his chest
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
In contrast, lateral OFC inactivation had the opposite increased risky choice irrespective of the odds the cues signaled
media.tenor.com
a man says never tell me the odds in front of a gold robot
ALT: a man says never tell me the odds in front of a gold robot
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
This reduction in risky choice was associated with exaggerated focus smaller rewards and recent losses, even though on this task, they should have ignored this past information and focused on the cues in front of them
media.tenor.com
a man with a beard is wearing a green shirt that says you gotta work with
ALT: a man with a beard is wearing a green shirt that says you gotta work with
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Stan Floresco @dr-stan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
HERE is where we saw differences! Inactivating medial OFC made rats risk averse
media.tenor.com
a man talking on a walkie talkie with the words you can 't take the risk above him
ALT: a man talking on a walkie talkie with the words you can 't take the risk above him
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