iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Host-microbe interactions are essential for neurological function. Valentina Lagomarsino shares new research from the Rao Lab showing how microbes play a vital role in regulating the neuroendocrine axis and activity of motor circuits in the colon. brain.harvard.edu/hbi_news/how...

brain.harvard.edu

How Microbes Use Sex Hormones to Shape Gut-Brain Interactions

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Mass. General Brigham Neuroscience Institute researchers Alexandra Touroutoglou, Thiago Paranhos, and colleagues have found that a pattern of brain atrophy visible on MRI could help predict how quickly people with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease progress from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

A new study from Daniel Daneshvar, Jesse Mez, and colleagues found evidence that at least 1 in 4 former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of their death, a much higher prevalence compared to the general population.

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A new paper from Erin Hecht’s Evolutionary Neuroscience Laboratory analyzed how human influence, through both selective breeding across evolutionary time and training during individual lifetimes, has shaped the canine brain to make dogs better communicators. current.fas.harvard.edu/stories/how-...

current.fas.harvard.edu

How a little nurture, a little nature shaped your dog’s brain

New research from Erin Hecht’s Evolutionary Neuroscience Laboratory analyzes how human influence has shaped the canine brain to make dogs better communicators.

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Harvard, Yale Researchers Awarded $46 Million Grant To Study Autism, Brain Development. This grant establishes the Human Developmental Neurobiology Hub, to be co-led by Paola Arlotta (Harvard) and Nenad Sestan (Yale). hms.harvard.edu/news/harvard...

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Join us on 9/17 for an event on music therapy and the stress response! This event will feature talks by Kerry Ressler (McLean Hospital and HMS) and Sheri L. Robb (Indiana University) as well as a musical performance. Learn more and register here: brain.harvard.edu/hbi_events/m...

brain.harvard.edu

Boston Music & the Brain Dialogues

The goal of Boston Music & the Brain Dialogues is to promote interdisciplinary conversations between neuroscience researchers, clinicians, musicians, music therapists, and music researchers interested...

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Join us at HMS on 9/22 for a screening of the film Brainstorm: Transforming the Bipolar Landscape followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr. Andrew Nierenberg (MGH) and filmmakers Bonnie Waltch & Sara Schley. Register and learn more: brain.harvard.edu/hbi_events/b...

brain.harvard.edu

Brainstorm: Transforming the Bipolar Landscape Film Screening

BrainStorm follows six compelling people living with bipolar in their journey from devastation to recovery. The film connects their experiences with the latest bipolar brain science to shed light on p...

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

Amar Sahay @amarsahay.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Excited to share our discovery of a convergent mechanism for cognitive restoration and seizure suppression in neurodevelopment disorders in Nature (Open Access www.nature.com/articles/s41...). Led by two amazing neuroscientists, @yutzushih.bsky.social and @jasonalipio.bsky.social + a great team 1/2

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Nuria Domínguez-Iturza and Paola Arlotta present new research describing the molecular signals that promote myelination in the cerebral cortex and show that these signals are expressed at varying levels across neuronal types. brain.harvard.edu/hbi_news/how...

brain.harvard.edu

How Different Neurons Shape Myelination in the Cerebral Cortex

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

Kempner Institute at Harvard University @kempnerinstitute.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

🧠 ✨ New AI framework from the Kempner's @kanakarajanphd.bsky.social & colleagues helps scientists decode how different parts of the brain talk to one another! Research just published in Neuron. Learn more: hms.harvard.edu/news/ai-fram... @cp-neuron.bsky.social @harvardmed.bsky.social

hms.harvard.edu

AI Framework Decodes How Brain Regions Talk to One Another

Recurrent neural network framework could accelerate research into depression, memory disorders

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health @hsph.harvard.edu · 06/08/2026

Male veterans of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard had higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal nervous system disease, compared to veterans of the Army, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard Chan School.

hsph.harvard.edu

In veterans, ALS risk linked with military branch, rank | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Male veterans of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard had higher rates of ALS, a fatal nervous system disease, compared to veterans of the Army, according to a new Harvard Chan School study.

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

BD² @bipolardiscoveries.org · 21/07/2026

🧬 Applications are open for the BD² Data Science Fellowship. Postdocs can apply for up to $125,000 per year over two years to analyze existing BD² datasets and advance data-driven #BipolarDisorder research. Apply by July 31: bit.ly/4ajk768

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

A new statistical framework could speed up the search for rare mutations that cause common diseases, helping researchers zero in on possible therapeutic targets. hms.harvard.edu/news/new-too...

hms.harvard.edu

New Tool Helps Uncover Rare Genetic Mutations in Common Diseases, Including Parkinson’s

NERINE bridges model systems and human genetics, points to potential drug targets

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

Society for Neuroscience @sfn.org · 29/06/2026

It is not too late to apply for the Trainee Professional Development Award. Recipients receive complimentary registration and a travel stipend for #SfN26. 🚨 Applications close tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET! Apply now: 🔗 vist.ly/59fkc #neurosky #medsky #scisky

Did you submit an SfN26 abstract? Deadline: June 30.

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

Kempner Institute at Harvard University @kempnerinstitute.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

The #KempnerInstitute is Hiring! 👇 Explore our opportunities: - Kempner AI Fellows: for BS- or MS- level researchers - Postdoctoral AI Researchers: for recent PhD recipients - Educational Content & Curriculum Developer Learn more and apply! bit.ly/439R2Gp #AI #NeuroAI

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

Society for Neuroscience @sfn.org · 23/06/2026

Submitted an abstract for #SfN26? Apply for a Trainee Professional Development Award! Advance your professional development, network with peers, and share your research at #SfN26. Hear what past awardees have to say about the program! 🔗 vist.ly/58s82 #neurosky

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Psychiatrists have long treated depression using transcranial magnetic stimulation. New research is allowing them to fine-tune their approach, potentially targeting specific symptoms and opening new possibilities for precision care. news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

news.harvard.edu

A promising first for researchers probing mental illness — Harvard Gazette

Anxiety finding a highlight in stimulation studies signaling path to precision care.

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

John Tuthill @tuthill.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

A glowing profile of my post-doc advisor. As @yvetteefisher.bsky.social says in the piece, Rachel is truly "...one of these generational scientists who thinks extremely incisively about both the details and the big-picture frameworks." magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/stu...

magazine.hms.harvard.edu

By Studying Fruit Flies, Rachel Wilson Is Changing How We Understand the Brain

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

Wei-Chung Allen Lee @darbly.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Now published - the #BANC! A full central nervous system (CNS) connectome of a limbed animal at single-synapse resolution, enabling us to follow sensory-motor arcs and understand how the CNS controls the body. rdcu.be/fncjS. #neuroscience. Video by @quorumetrix.bsky.social 1/18

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

In a first, a large, international team led by multiple labs at Harvard Medical School and Princeton University has published a complete wiring diagram of all the connections between neurons in the central nervous system of an adult fruit fly. hms.harvard.edu/news/researc...

hms.harvard.edu

Researchers Publish First Complete Connectome of Fruit Fly Brain and ‘Spinal Cord’

Open-source resource poised to propel research on how nervous systems work

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

Kempner Institute at Harvard University @kempnerinstitute.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

📢 Today @ 4:30pm ET, #KempnerInstitute joins Harvard Alumni; “Kempner Institute: Unlocking Intelligence.” Learn about our work on the foundations of intelligence. Featuring @blsabatini.bsky.social, @shamkakade.bsky.social, @kanakarajanphd.bsky.social, and @yilundu.bsky.social. Watch: bit.ly/4oarIJW

bit.ly

Harvard Alumni Day 2026 Symposia Session: Kempner Institute Unlocking Intelligence

Join the Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial ...

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

New research reports that mice can categorize odor sequences based on encounter frequency and reveals how early olfactory circuits encode that information, shedding light on how the brain transforms intermittent sensory signals into useful guidance. www.mcb.harvard.edu/department/n...

mcb.harvard.edu

Sniffing Out Distance: How the Brain Tracks Odor Dynamics - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

A dog unearths a bone buried months ago. A moth flies across a forest toward an orchard. A person opens container after container in the fridge, trying to […]

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Researchers have discovered a new way that brain plasticity is controlled in early life, offering insight into the little-understood phenomenon of critical-period closure. hms.harvard.edu/news/researc...

hms.harvard.edu

Research Reveals Link Between Stress Hormone, Brain Plasticity in Early Life

Cortisol kicks off cascade of brain changes that closes critical periods of learning in mice

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Congratulations to Clifford Woolf on his election to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences! royalsociety.org/news/2026/05...

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Beautiful photos of our initiative's co-director David Ginty receiving The 2026 Brain Prize from the King of Denmark together with co-recipient Patrik Ernfors. You can read more about the science and the awardees here: brainprize.org/files/media/...

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

New research from From Zhengyi Chen, Yilai Shu, and colleagues finds that an experimental gene therapy for people with an inherited form of deafness led to durable hearing improvements, with associated gains in patients’ ability to recognize speech. hms.harvard.edu/news/hearing...

hms.harvard.edu

Hearing Restoration From Gene Therapy for Inherited Deafness Lasts Years, New Trial Results Show

Largest, longest clinical trial to date shows benefits extend to adults

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Mariella Filbin, co-first authors Daeun Jeong and Sara G. Danielli, and colleagues, have mapped the different cell types in supratentorial ependymomas, an aggressive cancer that often returns after surgery and radiation therapy. answers.childrenshospital.org/brain-tumor-...

answers.childrenshospital.org

Brain tumor cells form 'neighborhoods' - Boston Children's Hospital

Brain tumor researchers learn about the function and location of individual cells in aggressive childhood brain tumors.

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

New research from @dattalab.bsky.social and colleagues, first author David Brann, results in the first detailed map of the thousands of smell receptors in the mouse nose, catching up with similar achievements in sight, hearing, and touch. hms.harvard.edu/news/scienti...

hms.harvard.edu

Scientists Create First-Ever ‘Smell Map’

A detailed diagram of smell receptors in the nose fills in missing details of how olfaction works

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Join us next week (April 16) for our Bipolar Disorder Symposium! This half day symposium will feature a poster session and talks by Gustavo Turecki, Lauren Orefice, Kathryn Eve Lewandowski, Pascal Kaeser, Olga Ponomareva, and Abby Finkelstein. Learn more at brain.harvard.edu/hbi_events/2...

brain.harvard.edu

HBI Bipolar Disorder Symposium - Harvard Brain Science Initiative

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

We're having a special event next week, April 8th, on innovations in pediatric brain cancer treatment. Learn more and register here: brain.harvard.edu/hbi_events/i...

brain.harvard.edu

In First-Person: Pediatric Brain Cancer's Giant Leap - The True Story of Real-Life Super Heroes, the Cancer Revengers - Harvard Brain Science Initiative

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

In a new HBI Community Story, Kenichi Iwasaki shares the highlights of two recent studies exploring the use of fruit flies in research probing the neural mechanisms of object interaction. brain.harvard.edu/hbi_news/fru...

brain.harvard.edu

Fruit Flies Can Be Guided to Interact With a Ball

This work includes the development of a behavioral study paradigm where fruit flies are guided to interact with a small plastic ball and found to manipulate it with great dexterity.

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Congratulations to David Ginty, the Edward R. and Anne G. Lefler Professor and Chair of Neurobiology at HMS, an HHMI investigator, and co-director of the Harvard Brain Science Initiative, on being awarded the 2026 Brain Prize! He shares this honor with Patrik Ernfors. brainprize.org/winners/touc...

brainprize.org

Touch and pain

David Ginty and Patrik Ernfors are awarded The Brain Prize 2026 for pioneering work on the cellular architecture of somatosensation, revealing how the nervous system detects and processes stimuli such...

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Jelena Patrnogić shares a new flexible competency framework she developed with Xiuqi Li and David Van Vactor to help prepare early-career scientists for today’s wide range of career paths in and beyond the lab. brain.harvard.edu/hbi_news/ret...

brain.harvard.edu

Rethinking How We Train Scientists for Today’s Careers

How do we prepare early-career scientists for today’s wide range of paths in and beyond the lab? Jelena Patrnogić shares a new flexible competency framework she developed with Xiuqi Li and David Van V...

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

We are excited to announce the 2026 HBI Postdoc Pioneer awardees! Congratulations to Jennifer Ding, Bruno Gegenhuber, Mark Khoury, Rishav Mitra, Sebastiano Trattaro, Diana Valverde, Sanket Walujkar, Cosmos Wang, & Zhexin Brian Xu! Read more about their projects at brain.harvard.edu/grants/grant....

brain.harvard.edu

Grant - Harvard Brain Science Initiative

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Chelsey Derderian-LeBlang and Rosalind Segal share new research revealing that satellite glia play a major role in sensory neuron development and degeneration. The insights gained improve scientists’ ability to study sensory disorders using in vitro models. brain.harvard.edu/hbi_news/fro...

brain.harvard.edu

From Stem Cells to Mature Sensory Nerves: The Satellite Glia Effect

iPSC-derived sensory neurons provide an accessible platform for scientists to study sensory biology and disease; however, these cells are similar to embryonic neurons. Chelsey Derderian-LeBlang and Ro...

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Beauty in Darkness Shon Koren (Lab of Michael Greenberg, Harvard Medical School) Winning submission in the 2025 #HBIBeautyOftheBrain image contest. Visit brain.harvard.edu/beauty-of-th... to learn more. Click image for description.

In darkness our eyes may fail us, but our brain cells still glimmer in response to things we cannot see. This image snapshots the activity and connections between cells in the visual cortex, the brain area responsible for processing vision, even when we are in complete darkness.

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Sensory Network Beneath the Skin Jingyu Peng (Lab of Ya-Chieh Hsu, Harvard University) Winning submission in the 2025 #HBIBeautyOftheBrain image contest. Visit brain.harvard.edu/beauty-of-th... to learn more. Click image for description.

This image was captured as part of our research into understanding nerve–stem cell interactions in the skin. Shown here is the intricate network of sensory neurons (blue) that innervate the skin epidermis and hair follicles (white), enabling us to perceive touch, temperature, and pain—crucial functions for adapting to a constantly changing environment.

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Harvard Brain Science Initiative @harvardbrainsci.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Spinal Projection Neurons in Larval Japanese Rice Fish Jackson Roberts (Lab of Florian Engert, Harvard University) Winning submission in the 2025 #HBIBeautyOftheBrain image contest. Visit brain.harvard.edu/beauty-of-th... to learn more. Click image for description.

This image shows neurons in the brain of a larval Japanese Rice Fish that transmit motor commands to the spinal cord. This was achieved by embedding a crystal of dye into the spinal cord and allowing the axons to carry dye to the brain. Color represents z-depth.

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Reposted by Harvard Brain Science Initiative

Society for Neuroscience @sfn.org · 21/01/2026

The Neuroscience Scholars Program application is now open! Connect with mentors, access professional development resources, and build relationships that will support your research career. Applications close Wednesday, February 11. 🔗 vist.ly/4nntf #neurosky #neuroskyence #academicchatter

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