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Gonzalo Urcelay

@gurcelay.bsky.social
558 followers 465 following 53 posts

Assistant Professor at University of Nottingham, interested in learning and memory.

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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Check out @parnianrafei.bsky.social's work comparing the classic outcome devaluation and response remapping strategies to assess habits in humans. This study clarifies what each test assesses and is highly needed in this continuously-growing habit literature
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Tomás Ryan @tjryan.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Announcing #engramsensembles '27, to be held at @tcddublin next May. Registration and abstract submission will open in autumn 2026.
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Pablo Martínez-López @martinezlopezp.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Overreliance on habits is linked to maladaptive behaviors & clinical conditions. But are some people more habit-prone than others? Here, we tested the temporal stability of individual differences in both habit learning & expression. Our data suggest trait-like tendencies! osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io
OSF
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Mark Haselgrove @markhaselgrove.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
NEW PAPER! "Variations in the Accuracy of Old-New Judgements Following Compound Learned-Predictiveness Training" by Sandra Lagator, Clara Muñiz-Diez, @tombeesley.bsky.social and Me Out now as an express publication in @qjep.bsky.social journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
media.tenor.com
a man in a shirt and tie is screaming with his hands in the air .
ALT: a man in a shirt and tie is screaming with his hands in the air .
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Looks like a very interesting opportunity for someone looking for a postdoc in attention
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
that was fun indeed
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Lovely visit to Birkbeck to talk about avoidance, hosted by @silviaseghezzi.bsky.social. Good engagement from staff and students, really enjoyed visiting. Also got to talk with @matildevaghi.bsky.social, lots to think about in my way home.
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Laura Bradfield (she/her) @bradfield-neuro.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Our back-translation of value-modulated attentional capture to rats and mice is now published in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, and it's open access! Yay. psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
psycnet.apa.org
APA PsycNet
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Reacquisition after standard extinction is sometimes faster and sometimes slower (doi.org/10.3758/BF03...) and to me the source of these discrepancies is not clear so its good that your model can shed light on this.
doi.org
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
The way that all these models (R-W, SOP and comparator) handle differential and unpaired inhibition is by assuming that the context is excitatory and drives inhibition, so I think that the Dickinson & Burke can explain the retrospective extinction effects that you observed.
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The Experimental Psychology Society @exppsychsoc.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Experimental Psychology Society, we invite proposals for a special anniversary symposium reflecting on the current state of experimental psychology and its future trajectory. Please see below for information on how to submit a proposal! eps.ac.uk/eps-80th-ann...
eps.ac.uk
EPS 80th Anniversary Symposium – Call for Proposals
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Experimental Psychology Society, we invite proposals for a special anniversary symposium that reflects on the current state of experimental psychology and its fu…
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Thank you for engaging with all this.
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Correct, the original SOP does not explain G3 but Dickinson & Burke (1996 doi.org/10.1080/7139...) proposed a modification (no new parameters) that explains these phenomena (so called "retrospective revaluation" - i.e., learning about absent cues)
doi.org
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
If it is a "threshold" then I'd see less of a reason to assume that the memory has been "erased" (it is harder to cross the threshold), I guess it depends on how you define a memory
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
I think that given conditioned inhibition training, you expect to see animals that "never reacquire" 50% partial reinforcement (this obviously depends on what threshold you use), so I do not see a reason for discarding them. These animals learned inhibition and therefore show retarded acquisition
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
great that you could visit, very informative and insightful conversations - and obviously a very nice talk
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Looks like an amazing opportunity to do a postdoc
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Esther Mondragón @e-mondragon.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
New preprint and simulator of associative learning attentional models. Have fun! 👁️ arxiv.org/abs/2602.07519 cal-r.org/index.php?id... #simulation #associative_learning #attention
arxiv.org
PALMS: Pavlovian Associative Learning Models Simulator
Simulations are an indispensable step in the cycle of theory development and refinement, helping researchers formulate precise definitions, generate models, and make accurate predictions. This paper i...
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
As someone with an interest in 1) ways of enhancing extinction learning to attenuate recovery and 2) assessing the evidence for memory erasure, I read this preprint from the Namboodiri lab with attention. Here are a few thoughts on the preprint doi.org/10.64898/202...
doi.org
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
A final thought on memory erasure. If a memory has been erased, the animal has no record of that prior experience. I would expect that reacquisition should occur at a similar rate as the original acquisition, not slower. The latter is consistent with conditioned inhibition.
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
The conclusion is that the treatments “truly erase” memory, and I doubt that this is the case. We have recently argued that there is no convincing evidence for memory erasure, instead the available evidence is better understood as new context-dependent learning doi.org/10.1037/rev0...
doi.org
APA PsycNet
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
The paper is set to compare one model (ANCCR) with latent cause models, but the prediction is consistent with standard associative learning theory. It is argued that R-W does not account for spont recov, but Wagner’s SOP (conceptually, a real-time R-W) anticipates these findings
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Compared to standard extinction learning, conditioned inhibition (either differential or unpaired) training resulted in retarded reacquisition and less spontaneous recovery. This extends the finding that conditioned inhibition training attenuates renewal doi.org/10.1037/0097...
doi.org
APA PsycNet
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
As someone with an interest in 1) ways of enhancing extinction learning to attenuate recovery and 2) assessing the evidence for memory erasure, I read this preprint from the Namboodiri lab with attention. Here are a few thoughts on the preprint doi.org/10.64898/202...
doi.org
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Heading back home from another @exppsychsoc.bsky.social brilliant meeting in London. Here's the information about the next one!
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Mark Haselgrove @markhaselgrove.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Excellent talk by @katepeters3.bsky.social, who visited us at @notts-psych.bsky.social today to speak about "Effects of environmental enrichment in reducing food seeking and the role of corticolimbic circuits"
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
This looks very appealing for someone looking to do a PhD in sunny Malaga (Spain) with an excellent mentor and team.
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Yes, that phenomenon is also called the "gap-filling effect". However the contiguity that @gershbrain.bsky.social refers to is (to me) a CS duration effect, because in the figure above a delay procedure was used. The manipulation is not about temporal closeness between two events (CS and US)
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
It is all dependent on parameters and preparations, what's amazing to me about the figure is that the shape of the function is always the same.
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
It depends on who you ask, much of the evidence for contiguity comes experiments in which the trace interval is manipulated, to that the "delay" vs "trace" is the relevant comparison. But yes some of the wording in the Rescorla review takes on the view that you allude to
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Mackintosh's figure (p 203) has a panel D in which contiguity (CS offset to US onset) does not follow the same inverted U pattern. As to why the inverted U, I take it that if the CS is too short it doesn't get processed and therefore less learning. Imagine a 3 ms tone and try to learn from it
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
I love this figure - it actually appeared first in Mackintosh's 1983 book and Rescorla adapted it - but I interpret it as showing a CS duration effect rather than proper contiguity (contiguity, that is the time between CS offset and US onset, is strong in all the examples by Rescorla)
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Thought-provoking analysis by @markhaselgrove.bsky.social on a recent preprint looking at benchmarks for associative learning models 👇
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Mark Haselgrove @markhaselgrove.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
In which 94 benchmark phenomena are identified. 16 are domain- and species-general and should be explained by any theory claiming generality. 30 are species- and/or domain-specific but highly robust across procedures
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
I looked into this two years ago and concluded that GPower cannot do this power calculation (2x2 W-S). Daniel Lakens has a shinny app that can do it (but there is a parameter [correlation between measures] which gives a lot of flexibility).
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Mark D Humphries @markdhumphries.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
The MRC are looking for a computational neuroscientist to join their Neuroscience & Mental Health Board, to replace me as I step down next year. Drop me a line if you want to know more Deadline September 14th www.ukri.org/who-we-are/w....
ukri.org
MRC Neurosciences and Mental Health Board (NMHB) member vacancies
Closing date 14 September 2025 at 11:59pm (UK time) Number of positions Six Length of term Two years, plus additional two years after review Time commitment Two days per month Remuneration £160 per da...
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Only two days left to apply for this 3-year postdoc position to look at fear, avoidance, heart rate monitoring and the neural mechanisms orchestrating these. Get in touch with Carl Stevenson or myself if you are interested, the deadline is Friday! Please repost.
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
Only a few days left to apply for this 3-year postdoc position in Nottingham (deadline Sept 5th!). If you're considering applying please get in touch. If you're already a PI, then repost this!
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Reminder that we're looking for a Post Doc and the deadline is looming (Sept 5th). If you are interested, please get in touch. If you see this, please repost it to that it is seen by potential applicants!
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Neuropsychopharmacology @npp-journal.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
In this recent #ResearchHighlight, the authors discuss new findings pointing a potential non-pharmacological approach for mitigating maladaptive craving behaviors
nature.com
To indulge or enrich: how environmental enrichment affects neurons that promote food seeking
Neuropsychopharmacology - To indulge or enrich: how environmental enrichment affects neurons that promote food seeking
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Tomás Ryan @tjryan.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
The cost of remembering: engram competition as a flexible mechanism of forgetting. Our new perspective piece in @cp-trendsneuro.bsky.social, lead by Ryan Lab alumni, Livia Autore. Also with Michael Drew from @utaustin.bsky.social Trends in Neurosciences www.cell.com/trends/neuro...
cell.com
The cost of remembering: engram competition as a flexible mechanism of forgetting
The retention and use of long-term memories is crucial for adaptive behavior. While stable memories help organisms anticipate outcomes, they may become maladaptive if not updated to reflect new condit...
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Mark D Humphries @markdhumphries.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
My latest column for @thetransmitter.bsky.social - why neural populations are a convenient fiction doi.org/10.53053/FZK...
doi.org
The challenge of defining a neural population
Our current approach is largely arbitrary. We need new methods for grouping cells, ideally by their dynamics.
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Esther Mondragón @e-mondragon.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Nick Mackintosh and the not-so-recent history of associative learning, as seen through the eyes of his friend and definitive rival, Geoff Hall. It reminded me of how much fun it was working with Geoff. www-users.york.ac.uk/~gh1/pdf/201...
www-users.york.ac.uk
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Very interesting take, I had not seen this so thanks for sharing.
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
We want to (1) characterise the relationship between different anxiety-related behaviours and arousal states, and (2) causally determine the brain circuit mechanisms involved. Please share widely and get in touch with Carl or me if you are interested. jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
jobs.nottingham.ac.uk
Job Vacancy at the University of Nottingham: Post Doctoral Research Associate/Fellow (Fixed term)
Applications from highly motivated and self-driven candidates are invited for the above position to work on the BBSRC-funded project ‘Determining the brain basis of heart rate variability during extin...
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Job Alert!!! We are looking for a motivated postdoc to join a 3-year BBSRC funded project led by my colleague Carl Stevenson (I’m coPI). This multi-disciplinary project will combine in vivo heart rate monitoring and optogenetics with behavioural testing (fear and active avoidance) in rats.
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
100% agreed!
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
I was thinking of appetitive-aversive inhibitory interactions, unless you manage to use two outcomes which are qualitatively different but of the exactly same valence. Even then you could argue that they may inhibit each other as means of explaining interference. A long shot anyway.
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Gonzalo Urcelay @gurcelay.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
You will probably need Konorski to get closer to the interaction between outcomes
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Nottingham Summer Scientist Week @nottssummersci.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Looking for a free day out over Summer? We give you free car parking, and a fun half day of science. Rember the park and the ice-cream van are only a stones throw away. We still have a few spaces left for this years Summer Scientist Week, so make sure to get booked on at www.summerscientist.org
summerscientist.org
Summer Scientist booking system
Summer Scientist Week is a free event for 4-11 year-olds and their parents, which gives a fun introduction to the mind and brain.
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