Reposted by Jianxun RenJiayi Zhu @jiayizhu.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Congratulations to my teacher Jianxun Ren, runner-up of the Science & PINS Neuromodulation Prize with his new Science article! 🏆 His research pioneers shifting brain stimulation from deep nuclei to the brain surface for Parkinson’s treatment. 🎉 052
Reposted by Jianxun Ren Wei Zhang @weizhangvvv.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Huge congratulations! 🎉 This is a remarkable and visionary contribution to the field of neuromodulation. It is a great honor and privilege to have been part of this exciting journey. 031
Reposted by Jianxun RenJianxun Ren @jianxunren.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Honored to be named the runner-up for the Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation, with my essay now published by @science.org science.org/doi/10.1126/... The essay lays out how mapping the brain's functional circuits lets us move neuromodulation from deep toward the brain surface. 15212
Jianxun Ren @jianxunren.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Honored to be named the runner-up for the Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation, with my essay now published by @science.org science.org/doi/10.1126/... The essay lays out how mapping the brain's functional circuits lets us move neuromodulation from deep toward the brain surface. 15212
Reposted by Jianxun RenMary Elizabeth Sutherland @meharpist.bsky.social · 19/06/2026How does the brain build sentences? A recent @nature.com paper combined wide-scale recordings of single neurons with natural language processing models and found that there are specific neurons that only care if a word is a noun, or if a phrase is ending 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comMapping the neuronal building blocks of human language with language models - NatureWide-scale recordings reveal neurons in the human brain that encode fundamental components of language such as the grammatical relationships between words, their parts of speech and the... 0195
Reposted by Jianxun RenDr. Nico Dosenbach & co. @dosenbachlab.bsky.social · 19/06/2026$$$ is more strongly associated with the brain than IQ: science.org/doi/10.1126/... @smarek0502 @smerconish 194
Reposted by Jianxun RenNico Dosenbach @ndosenbach.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Someone asked for stats comparing the two panels, which made me realize they hadn't paid attention to the axis labels. So I replotted the data with a tweaked logic. If the model predicts the variable it was trained on better left upper triangle, if it predicts the other better right lower. 💥💥💥 Boom! 3307
Reposted by Jianxun RenNico Dosenbach @ndosenbach.bsky.social · 14/06/2026We've known that socioeconomics (SES) matters for the 🧠. New & 🤯 is that SES drowns out all other brain associations, incl. IQ. If you train an algorithm to predict IQ from brain data, it's still way better at predicting SES. Science Mag: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... @smarek0502.bsky.social 👀🧵👇 6229100
Reposted by Jianxun RenThomas Yeo @bttyeo.bsky.social · 13/06/2026Openly shared implementation of TMS targeting is still rare, so we are pleased to make ours freely available for research use: github.com/ThomasYeoLab... Let us know if you have any issue running it!github.comGitHub - ThomasYeoLab/Kong2026_TMSTree: Tree-based MS-HBM TMS targeting algorithmTree-based MS-HBM TMS targeting algorithm. Contribute to ThomasYeoLab/Kong2026_TMSTree development by creating an account on GitHub. 0169
Reposted by Jianxun RenMichael Okun @michaelokun.bsky.social · 13/06/2026Childhood brain development may be shaped more by neighborhood opportunity than IQ. Marek, Dosenbach and colleagues describe in a new paper in Science how socioeconomic factors may be the strongest predictors of brain organization in childhood, even exceeding measures such as IQ and psychopathology. 0142
Reposted by Jianxun RenScott Marek @smarek0502.bsky.social · 12/06/2026Thanks @ariellekeller.bsky.social ! And yes, please check out the amazing perspective by @lucindasisk.bsky.social and @ted-satterthwaite.bsky.social! 0126
Reposted by Jianxun RenClaire Cameron @clairehcameron.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Is zip code everything? A new study involving U.S. children found it influences brain function and structure—specifically, kids in lower socioeconomic opportunity areas had sleep deprived and stressed brains. New on @sciam.bsky.social www.scientificamerican.com/article/chil...scientificamerican.comChildren's zip codes change their brainsChildren living in areas with low socioeconomic opportunities have more tired and stressed brains, a new study finds 22711
Reposted by Jianxun RenThe Transmitter @thetransmitter.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Brain scans can predict a child's socioeconomic status better than they can predict the child’s IQ. #neuroskyence By @natmesanash.bsky.social www.thetransmitter.org/brain-imagin...thetransmitter.orgIQ’s link to brain structure, function in children may be a mirageA child’s socioeconomic status, screen time and amount of sleep all show stronger associations with measures of brain structure and function, according to an imaging study of nearly 12,000… 02814
Reposted by Jianxun RenScience Magazine @science.org · 11/06/2026A new Science study suggests variables linked to socioeconomic status—increased stress and reduced sleep—have strong relationships to brain structure and function in children. Brain differences observed are unrelated to genetic ancestry and may not be permanent. scim.ag/4opL5PF 16128
Reposted by Jianxun RenDeanna Greene @deannajgreene.bsky.social · 12/06/2026Remarkable stability in functional brain networks over time! 0113
Reposted by Jianxun RenNPR @npr.org · 11/06/2026A study of more than 2,300 9- to 10-year-olds found that socioeconomic factors explained most differences in the preteens' brain development. n.pr/4xoA70On.prSocioeconomic factors are becoming 'biologically embedded' in children's brainsA study of more than 2,300 9- to 10-year-olds found that socioeconomic factors explained most differences in the preteens' brain development. 1122475
Reposted by Jianxun RenScott Marek @smarek0502.bsky.social · 11/06/2026What matters most for childhood brain organization? We analyzed 649 variables. The answer: Socioeconomics (SES); with brain patterns pointing at sleep & stress as drivers. Even brain-IQ associations were better explained by SES. In Science today: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 6319169
Reposted by Jianxun RenJianxun Ren @jianxunren.bsky.social · 28/05/2026🧠 I'm so happy to share our personalized circuit-guided neuromodulation targeting platform UNITE, led by @weizhangvvv.bsky.social, is out in Nature Protocols @natureportfolio.nature.com ! 📄 Protocol: nature.com/articles/s41... 🔬 Nature: nature.com/articles/s41... 1185
Reposted by Jianxun RenNature Protocols @natprot.nature.com · 28/05/2026New Article! A generic, rapid and robust platform for personalized functional circuit-guided neuromodulation targetingdlvr.itA generic, rapid and robust platform for personalized functional circuit-guided neuromodulation targetingNature Protocols, Published online: 27 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41596-026-01371-9This Protocol is for the identification of functional neural networks measured using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging using an automated algorithm that can localize personalized targets for neuromodulation. 041
Jianxun Ren @jianxunren.bsky.social · 28/05/2026🧠 I'm so happy to share our personalized circuit-guided neuromodulation targeting platform UNITE, led by @weizhangvvv.bsky.social, is out in Nature Protocols @natureportfolio.nature.com ! 📄 Protocol: nature.com/articles/s41... 🔬 Nature: nature.com/articles/s41... 1185
Reposted by Jianxun RenNico Dosenbach @ndosenbach.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Shohei Ohtani is the Dave Holtzman of baseball. So it’s the greatest possible honor to be the inaugural David M. & Tracy S. Holtzman Professor of Neurology. Only Dave himself deserves that honor … but that would’ve been weird. 1113
Reposted by Jianxun RenWashU Medicine Neurology @washuneurology.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Nico Dosenbach, MD, PhD, was installed as the inaugural David M. and Tracy S. Holtzman Professor of Neurology at WashU Medicine. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in precision neuroimaging. bit.ly/4tqBglq 1172
Reposted by Jianxun Renweigangcui.bsky.social @weigangcui.bsky.social · 22/05/2026Lesion network mapping (LNM) links symptoms to brain circuits, but isolating symptom-specific effects remains challenging. We introduce robust LNM, a unified framework to reveal reliable, symptom-specific networks. biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.18.725812v2 5103
Reposted by Jianxun RenRoselyne Chauvin @roselynechauvin.bsky.social · 23/04/2026This is going to be my conversation starter at #ohbm2026 @ohbmofficial.bsky.social 193
Reposted by Jianxun RenNico Dosenbach @ndosenbach.bsky.social · 23/04/2026Function & cytoarchitecture don't overlap ... they're orthogonal. Prefrontal cortex is plastered with chains of functional patches previously mostly known from face processing. Why multi-modal parcellations are wrong ... and other insights hidden by group-averaging of fMRI data. great explainer👇🏻 26619
Reposted by Jianxun RenEvan Gordon @gordonneuro.bsky.social · 22/04/2026I always assumed that brain function had to line up with cytoarchitectonics. It turns out I was wrong. Human cortex, especially PFC, is tiled by chains of functional patches that subdivide and interlink architectonic areas into parallel processing streams. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... 14234122
Reposted by Jianxun RenNature @nature.com · 16/03/2026The brain–computer interface is the first in the world to be available for wider use outside of clinical trials go.nature.com/472hzbdgo.nature.comChina approves brain chip to treat paralysis — a world firstChip allows people with paralysis to control a soft robotic hand. 03713
Reposted by Jianxun RenJianxun Ren @jianxunren.bsky.social · 14/03/2026Thrilled to announce our new paper in @natneuro.nature.com! We managed the impossible: precision functional mapping during #DBS, with 11.7h fMRI/patient. Selective DBS-induced deactivations in the SCAN, building on our recent @nature.com paper. nature.com/articles/s41... @ndosenbach.bsky.social 13617
Reposted by Jianxun RenRoselyne Chauvin @roselynechauvin.bsky.social · 13/03/2026The 6x US memory champion – Nelson Dellis – can memorize a deck of cards in 40 seconds and knows the first 10K digits of pi. To figure out how, he let us peak inside his brain. Here is what we learned in our precision brain mapping study www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... youtube.com/shorts/MryMq...youtube.comhow does his brain do it ? #neuroscience #memory #sport Nelson Dellis 6x US memory championYouTube video by Roselyne Chauvin 58432
Reposted by Jianxun RenNico Dosenbach @ndosenbach.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Most of what's known about human memory stems from H.M., who had his hippocampus removed bilaterally. So we studied memory champion Nelson Dellis with precision brain mapping. Everyone's memory for numbers is crap ... 10 digits. He's memorized 10,000, by turning it into a skill, more like juggling 1329
Jianxun Ren @jianxunren.bsky.social · 14/03/2026Thrilled to announce our new paper in @natneuro.nature.com! We managed the impossible: precision functional mapping during #DBS, with 11.7h fMRI/patient. Selective DBS-induced deactivations in the SCAN, building on our recent @nature.com paper. nature.com/articles/s41... @ndosenbach.bsky.social 13617
Reposted by Jianxun RenWaggoner Lab @labwaggoner.bsky.social · 26/02/2026Parkinson’s disease as a somato-cognitive action network disorder @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41... www.nature.com/articles/s41... 033
Reposted by Jianxun RenJianxun Ren @jianxunren.bsky.social · 05/02/2026It’s time to rethink Parkinson’s disease. Our work reframes PD as a disorder of the somato-cognitive action network (SCAN), and shows that normalizing SCAN connectivity represents a shared mechanism across diverse effective therapies. rdcu.be/e2n4t @ndosenbach.bsky.social @gordonneuro.bsky.social 23119
Reposted by Jianxun RenJingnan Du @jingnandu.bsky.social · 12/02/2026I am thrilled to share that I’ll be joining the University of Notre Dame (@notredame.bsky.social) as an Assistant Professor of Psychology this July!☘️🧠 Please reach out if you're interested in joining my lab! More details to follow soon. 64713
Reposted by Jianxun Rencjl2007.bsky.social @cjl2007.bsky.social · 12/02/2026🚨 New preprint: Objective Quality Assessment for Precision fMRI Precision functional mapping (PFM) enables individual-level brain network studies — but demands more, and better, data. We introduce an objective framework to determine when a dataset truly supports interpretable, replicable PFM. 13517
Reposted by Jianxun RenJianxun Ren @jianxunren.bsky.social · 05/02/2026Non-invasive brain surface stimulation targeting personalized SCAN alleviated symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease. See the videos below.(www.nature.com/articles/s41...) 21617
Reposted by Jianxun RenCharlotte Reese Marshall @tomrhysmarshall.bsky.social · 05/02/2026Really cool attempt to link together multiple neuromodulation methods (DBS, TMS, TUS) to understand the neural basis of Parkinson's disease. 066
Reposted by Jianxun RenNature @nature.com · 06/02/2026Parkinson’s disease has the fastest-growing prevalence of any neurodegenerative disorder worldwide go.nature.com/4r0xZskgo.nature.comImmune cells from the gut drive development of Parkinson’s disease in the brainIn ‘body-first’ Parkinson’s disease, misfolded proteins propagate from the gut’s nervous system to the brain. Immune-cell activity seems to play a key part in this spread. 03917
Reposted by Jianxun RenJon Douglas @atranscendedman.bsky.social · 06/02/2026Washington University researchers scanned 863 patients and found that Parkinson’s is not just a motor disorder. It stems from hyperactivity in the brain’s somato-cognitive action network, and treatments work best when they calm this network. www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comParkinson’s disease as a somato-cognitive action network disorder - NatureThe substantia nigra and all Parkinson’s disease deep-brain stimulation targets are selectively connected to the somato-cognitive action network rather than to effector-specific motor regions. 196
Reposted by Jianxun RenNasia Metoki @nasiametoki.bsky.social · 06/02/2026Fantastic work showint how SCAN is related to Parkinson’s disease. Much promise for the future of battling the disease! www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comParkinson’s disease as a somato-cognitive action network disorder - NatureThe substantia nigra and all Parkinson’s disease deep-brain stimulation targets are selectively connected to the somato-cognitive action network rather than to effector-specific motor regions. 054
Reposted by Jianxun RenRoselyne Chauvin @roselynechauvin.bsky.social · 06/02/2026Such a fascinating paper! Less than 3 years after the discovery of the new motor network (SCAN) interleaved between effector motor regions, SCAN is proving highly relevant for Parkinson’s! It offers potential to improve treatment and reduce symptoms non-invasively. 0136
Reposted by Jianxun RenSkatingfool @michaelbruceschaub.bsky.social · 06/02/2026Good news for Parkinson's sufferers. These researchers should review recent papers on Essential Tremor. ET researchers have identified the back of the brain as the ET problem area, the same area identified as part of the Parkinson's problem. Potential for beneficial cooperation. (I have ET.)nature.comParkinson’s disease as a somato-cognitive action network disorder - NatureThe substantia nigra and all Parkinson’s disease deep-brain stimulation targets are selectively connected to the somato-cognitive action network rather than to effector-specific motor regions. 045
Reposted by Jianxun RenMary Elizabeth Sutherland @meharpist.bsky.social · 30/01/2026Happy Friday! For those of you who didn't see the excellent @nature.com paper showing that scientists who use AI tools produce more research but on a narrower range of topics, consider listening to the podcast: www.nature.com/articles/d41...nature.comAI can turbocharge scientists’ careers — but limit their scopeHear the biggest stories from the world of science | 14 January 2026 143
Reposted by Jianxun RenDonna Dierker @donnadierker.bsky.social · 06/02/2026This is a nice animation illustrating the key points in the Parkinson's SCAN paper about which I posted previously. 035
Reposted by Jianxun RenMax Korbmacher @maxkorbmacher.bsky.social · 09/02/2026Ren, J., Zhang, W., Dahmani, L. et al. Parkinson’s disease as a somato-cognitive action network disorder. Nature (2026). doi.org/10.1038/s415...doi.orgParkinson’s disease as a somato-cognitive action network disorder - NatureThe substantia nigra and all Parkinson’s disease deep-brain stimulation targets are selectively connected to the somato-cognitive action network rather than to effector-specific motor regions. 055
Reposted by Jianxun RenWashU Medicine Neurology @washuneurology.bsky.social · 09/02/2026A social club — started by Nico Dosenbach, MD, PhD and a colleague — dubbed the "Midnight Scan Club," leveraged low-cost nighttime fMRI scans to provide unique insights into individual brain function. Read all about the history of precision self-scanning: bit.ly/4qeuLjR 095
Reposted by Jianxun RenThe Science of Parkinson's @scienceofpd.bsky.social · 05/02/2026Researchers propose that the somato-cognitive action network (SCAN) "hyperconnectivity is central to PD pathophysiology & its alleviation is a hallmark of successful neuromodulation"; #Parkinsons as a somato-cognitive action network disorder www.nature.com/articles/s41... 293
Reposted by Jianxun RenNasia Metoki @nasiametoki.bsky.social · 10/02/2026Don’t miss out reading about this amazing work linking the SCAN to Parkinson’s disease. What are the best ways we could use this new knowledge?! 054
Reposted by Jianxun RenNPR @npr.org · 10/02/2026Parkinson's disease appears to disrupt a brain network involved in everything from movement to memory. n.pr/4kpKWtvn.prThis complex brain network may explain many of Parkinson's stranger symptomsParkinson's disease appears to disrupt a brain network involved in everything from movement to memory. 422246
Reposted by Jianxun RenJianxun Ren @jianxunren.bsky.social · 10/02/2026In case this important point gets overlooked: along with our Nature paper, we’ve publicly released two large and scarce datasets—PIPD and PIET. IMHO, these are the best open Parkinson's and Tremor datasets available to date. See threads (1/4) 👇 nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comParkinson’s disease as a somato-cognitive action network disorder - NatureThe substantia nigra and all Parkinson’s disease deep-brain stimulation targets are selectively connected to the somato-cognitive action network rather than to effector-specific motor regions. 12115