Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 14/08/2026I'm thrilled to announce the opening of the Kaplan lab at the University of Virginia @uvabio.bsky.social ! We are a neuroscience lab aiming to define circuits underlying naturalistic behaviors in infants and adults. We're actively recruiting students and postdocs. Learn more at kaplan-lab.org. 96917
Reposted by Harris KaplanCatherine Dulac @dulaclab.bsky.social · 13/12/2025New paper alert!!...🤩 Led by @blogeman.bsky.social, we identify how cell type-specific hormonal responses in the hypothalamus tunes parenting behavior in males and females 🐭🧠🍼. Highlights in thread 👇 1/6 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.orgCell Type-Specific Hormonal Signaling Configures Hypothalamic Circuits for ParentingParenting behavior emerges from hormonally sensitive circuits, but how distinct circuit components are affected by, and contribute to, sex and state dependent changes in infant caregiving remains uncl... 17332
Reposted by Harris KaplanCatherine Dulac @dulaclab.bsky.social · 09/12/2025I am thrilled to share our latest work led by @zurisullivan.bsky.social in collaboration with @moffittlab.bsky.social ! We find that the brain encodes distinct, pathogen-specific sickness states across behavior, physiology, neural activity, and gene expression 1/6 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.org 28423
Reposted by Harris KaplanHarvard_MCB @harvardmcb.bsky.social · 05/11/2025MCB Researchers Highlighted in Nature Publication Series 🧠 🧪🧬 #AcademicSky #higherEd www.mcb.harvard.edu/department/n... @dulaclab.bsky.social @rachellegaudet.bsky.social @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social @nature.com @harriskaplan.bsky.socialmcb.harvard.eduMCB Researchers Highlighted in Nature Publication Series - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular BiologyResearchers from the Brain Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) will release an extraordinary series of 16 manuscripts in Nature on November 5.. This collection, made possible by large […] 0125
Reposted by Harris KaplanMatt Collie @mottcallie.bsky.social · 17/07/2025New paper from our lab! This was such a fun project to be a part of - proof that sometimes following a spurious observations down the rabbit hole leads to awesome findings. www.cell.com/current-biol...cell.comA cell type in the visual system that receives feedback about limb movementHartman et al. describe a cell type in the Drosophila visual system that is activated during head grooming through visual and non-visual signals arising from foreleg movements. These neurons inhibit a... 34819
Reposted by Harris KaplanThe Friedman Brain Institute @sinaibrain.bsky.social · 17/07/2025Animal behavior changes considerably over postnatal development. How do such changes relate to the development of underlying neuronal circuits? On Friday, 7/25, 3pm, join hosts Drs. Marco Rizzo & Tamara Markovic as they welcome @harvard.edu's Dr. @harriskaplan.bsky.social to #MSNseminars & Find out! 023
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025Finally, this work was supported by the NIH BICCN, Nomis Foundation, @jcchildsfund.bsky.social, @hhmi.org, and others. Thank you! 041
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025Thanks to all co-authors, within the @dulaclab.bsky.social - @blogeman.bsky.social, Tate Yawitz, Mustafa Talay, and Changwoo Seo, and collaborators: Kai Zhang & Bing Ren, Celine Santiago & David Ginty, and Noor Sohail, Serhiy Naumenko, & Shannan Ho Sui. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025In summary, we described the molecular programs that make up preoptic area cell type development, and showed how the maturation of these cell types depends in part on external inputs. 100
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025We also did a deep dive into (1) the development of signaling pathways important for various hypothalamic functions, such as sleep and social behavior, and (2) the emergence of sex differences in gene expression. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025Adults showed only subtle differences in gene expression, indicating that cell types eventually “catch up” in their maturation. Future work will address whether these gene expression differences cause any of the dramatic effects on social behavior previously reported in adult Trpc2 mutants. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025We found that this difference amounts to a transient developmental delay in the maturation of preoptic area cell types. 100
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025To address this, we sequenced the POA in mutant mice impaired in various sensory modalities. This revealed little to no effect of bodily touch, olfaction, cold sensation or vision. However, in Trpc2 mutants, which lack pheromone sensation through the vomeronasal organ, many cell types were affected. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025However, it’s possible that the causality is the other way around: cell types may mature in response to other changes in the animal. For example, early life social experience can have long-lasting impacts on sociality into adulthood, suggesting the existence of critical periods in early life. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025This suggests that the timing of gene expression changes correlates with the timing of changes in the behavior that the cell type is involved in. While these data are intriguing, future work must be done to show how these gene expression changes relate to changes in cell type function. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025Cell types involved in social behavior matured especially late, consistent with social behavior changing dramatically with puberty. Cell types involved in sleep showed major changes from P10 to P18, which is the same time as dramatic changes in sleep behavior in mice. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025This revealed diverse maturation trajectories. Some cell types matured gradually, others more non-linearly. Some matured early, others late. We found that these differences depend in part on the cell type’s sub-regional location within the preoptic area, its function, and the sex of the animal. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025While cell type identity is diversified very early on, cell types are not yet mature – their gene expression differs from their adult states. We asked whether different cell types mature along distinct trajectories, by measuring similarity to the adult state at each younger age. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025When does this diversity first emerge? We sequenced at E14, an age where ~half of the POA cells are dividing progenitors, and the other half are newborn neurons. These data revealed that diversification occurs rapidly upon neurogenesis. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025To quantify this, we used CCA-based label transfer, and found that indeed each E16 cell type maps onto just a single adult cell type. This indicates that the full complement of ~150 cell types is already diversified well before birth. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025Each cell type's developmental trajectory appeared as a gradient in UMAP space. This intriguingly suggested that cell types are diversified very early in life – as early as embryonic day 16 (E16), based on the grouping of those cells with adult cell types. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025The dataset is massive: 200,000 cells and ~150 cell types, ~25% of which have known behavioral annotations thanks to previous work by many labs, such as @dulaclab.bsky.social work on parenting or social drive (recently published by @dingliu.bsky.social). Maybe you can spot your favorite cell type! 121
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025Preoptic cell types have been defined using single-cell RNA-seq in adults, so we used snRNA-seq to ask whether we can identify these cell types early in life, and how they might differ molecularly from adult cell types. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025These cell types have been studied extensively in adults, but not earlier. Social behavior and homeostasis change dramatically with age. For example, infants meet homeostatic needs like thirst or warmth through social interactions, so these cell types may function differently early in life. 120
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025We focused on the mouse hypothalamic preoptic area (POA), a brain region containing genetically defined cell types that have been linked to specific social behaviors, such as parenting, and homeostatic functions, such as sleep. 110
Harris Kaplan @harriskaplan.bsky.social · 05/03/2025I’m excited to share our publication from @dulaclab.bsky.social in @nature.com, where we illuminate the development of hypothalamic cell types involved in a broad range of functions, from social behaviors to thirst, thermoregulation, and sleep. Highlights below! 🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comSensory input, sex and function shape hypothalamic cell type development - NaturePaired transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility profiling are used to examine the developmental trajectories of neuronal populations in the hypothalamic preoptic region, including cell types with ke... 23511
Reposted by Harris KaplanCatherine Dulac @dulaclab.bsky.social · 05/03/2025Delighted to share our new work just out today, led by terrific postdoc in the lab @harriskaplan.bsky.social: the development of instinct at the single cell level. Thread to follow shortly www.nature.com/articles/s41... 3368
Reposted by Harris KaplanDing Liu @dingliu.bsky.social · 27/02/2025In our new paper @dulaclab.bsky.social, we investigated a fundamental question in social neuroscience: the origin of "sociality" (the need of being together) at the levels of behavior, neuron type, neural circuit and sensory modulation. (Detailed digest below) (1/7) www.nature.com/articles/s41... 24713
Reposted by Harris KaplanCatherine Dulac @dulaclab.bsky.social · 27/02/2025Please look at the 🧵 from @dingliu.bsky.social summarizing our discovery of brain-wide circuits controlling the emergence and satiation of social drive during social isolation vs grouping 1257
Reposted by Harris KaplanMichael Hendricks 🇨🇦 @michaelhendricks.bsky.social · 19/02/2025Obviously we don't need to wonder about Zuckerberg's moral compass or pecuniary interests here, we've known who this guy is forever. The question of why leaders of institutions like HHMI / universities would be so silent/compliant is more complicated. 3269
Reposted by Harris KaplanItai Yanai @itaiyanai.bsky.social · 15/02/2025We have to stand up for science! Anyone who can join these rallies and believes that US science must be protected should come! @standupforscience.bsky.social 7232105
Reposted by Harris KaplanJeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 09/02/2025F99/R00 AND K99/R00 DIVERSITY AWARD APPLICANTS If you have applied for a F99/R00 or K99/R00 Diversity award and the study section for review is not listed on your eRA Commons page, please reach out to me. DM me, email berg.grants.2029@gmail.com, Signal jeremymberg.78 THANK YOUmedia.tenor.coma picture of a cartoon character with the words call me on itALT: a picture of a cartoon character with the words call me on it 0124141
Reposted by Harris KaplanSreeparna Pradhan @sreeparnap.bsky.social · 19/01/2025Exciting abstracts are already rolling in! Don’t wait—submit your work before the speaker selection deadline. We’re also eager to highlight the latest tools and tech in development! #neuroethology #animalbehavior #neuralcircuits 078
Reposted by Harris KaplanAndres Bendesky @bendeskylab.com · 15/01/2025Humans and other animals take turns during conversations. In our new paper we study the aggressive visual conversations of betta fish. We discover how fish know when is their turn and how the telencephalon is not needed! 🧪 www.cell.com/cell-reports... More details in 🧵 ⬇️ bsky.app/profile/bend...cell.comCoordination and persistence of aggressive visual communication in Siamese fighting fishEverett et al. investigate the visual cues and neural substrates that drive turn taking and persistent aggression in Siamese fighting fish aggressive displays. They identify the pallial amygdala as es... 39333
Reposted by Harris KaplanNacho Sanguinetti @neuroetho.bsky.social · 24/11/2024Just In case people need to follow people in neuroscience focused on natural behaviors and the brains of cool non-trad animals! Please join let me know if you wanna be added. go.bsky.app/AcLpM4h 4011053
Reposted by Harris KaplanWill Allen @weallen1.bsky.social · 21/11/2024In collaboration with Reuben Saunders, @jswlab.bsky.social, and Xiaowei Zhuang, we are very excited to release Perturb-Multi: a platform for pooled multimodal genetic screens in intact mammalian tissue. Check it out! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...biorxiv.orgA platform for multimodal in vivo pooled genetic screens reveals regulators of liver functionOrgan function requires coordinated activities of thousands of genes in distinct, spatially organized cell types. Understanding the basis of emergent tissue function requires approaches to dissect the... 12716
