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Kurt Fraser

@kurtfraser.bsky.social
2.6K followers 653 following 1.4K posts

Brain scientist, tall human, dog owner in the twin cities

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Reposted by Kurt Fraser
Ben Saunders @bensaunders.bsky.social · 7h
For those interested in a neuroscience PhD - the University of Minnesota Graduate Program in Neuroscience www.neuroscience.umn.edu is hosting a virtual open house event on Oct. 26th. Learn about the program and meet students and faculty! Register here: forms.gle/CXRLvz2EGPwG...
Flyer for the graduate program in neuroscience at the university of minnesota, to announce a virtual open house event on October 26th. Register at https://forms.gle/CXRLvz2EGPwGSL7J7
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Phil Corlett @philcorlett.bsky.social · 12h
New from Sarah Fan and our predictive coding team: prediction errors are bottom up in people with delusions (and top-down in psychics): osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io
OSF
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bioRxiv Neuroscience @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Chronic semaglutide treatment attenuates cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking and cocaine-induced stereotypy in male and female rats www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Alicia Izquierdo @aliciaizquierdo.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
📣 Assistant Professor of Teaching in Neuroscience at UCLA! ☀️ 🧠 Apply before Nov 9th recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF11315
recruit.apo.ucla.edu
Assistant Professor of Teaching in Neuroscience in the UCLA Department of Psychology and Undergraduate Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program
University of California, Los Angeles is hiring. Apply now!
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Rachel Donka @racheldonka.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
🚨New paper alert: Excited to share our journey to contrast how multiple dopamine sensors respond to acute morphine treatment. We first compared changes in dopamine transients in rats prepared with VTA DA GCaMP6f, NAcLS dLight1.3b or GRABDA2h 1/5
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Zoe McElligott @nanopharmnc.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Our new investigation examining how #SBI-553 a biased modulator of NTSR1 alters motivated feeding and NST potentiation of inhibitory transmission in the extended amygdala is now online! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
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Mark Baxter 🏳️‍🌈🧂 @markgbaxter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
If you work with international personnel, you may want to comment on this proposed rule change that would put visa holders out of status immediately (instead of after a 60 day grace period) when their employment ends keepthe60days.com
keepthe60days.com
Keep the 60 Days: H-1B, E-3, L-1, O-1 & TN grace period
DHS proposes ending the 60-day grace period after a layoff for H-1B, E-3, L-1, O-1 and TN visa holders. Comment on USCIS-2026-0364 before November 10, 2026.
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Better Things Are Possible @internethippo.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
What's hard about public policy is weighing the trade offs. For example, something sucks really bad and everyone hates it, but on the other hand several evil trillionaires think it's good. What are you supposed to do in that situation
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Margo Le @margole.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
New preprint! 🧠🐭🔬 Reward-predictive cues can bias action selection, but can they also influence the *rules* we use to complete a sequence of actions? sPRInT through this thread to find out! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Reward Memories Bias Instrumental Rule Selection via the Orbitofrontal-to-Secondary Motor cortex Pathway
Reward-predictive cues can influence decision-making and promote the pursuit of specific outcomes. This influence is classically studied using specific Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (sPIT), in wh...
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JP @jpbrammer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
sometimes I get bored and cancel myself on Threads by saying whatever the fuck
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Pop Crave @popcrave.com · 20/09/2026
15 years ago today, Carly Rae Jepsen released “Call Me Maybe.”
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Keith Trujillo @neurochicano.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
For those who didn’t know Dr. London, here’s a tribute highlighting her impact on the field: www.semel.ucla.edu/in-memoriam-...
semel.ucla.edu
In Memoriam: Edythe D. London, PhD - Semel Institute
Message from Drs. Helena Hansen, Michael Gitlin, Christopher S. Colwell, Ziva D. Cooper, Dara Ghahremani, Catherine Cahill, Christopher J. Evans, and Gina Poe It is with profound sadness that we annou...
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Alicia Izquierdo @aliciaizquierdo.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Dr. Eydie London was a force for good, a dear colleague, and a pioneering neuroscientist. She leaves an indelible mark in our hearts and minds. @jdavidjentsch.bsky.social started a collection to establish an ✨ACNP Travel Award✨ in her honor. Please consider donating via Venmo @ elondontravelaward
Smiling people against a beautiful downtown LA night skyline.
Left to right: Alicia Izquierdo, Ben Santos-Jentsch, Lara Ray, Eydie London, and David Jentsch.
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Kurt Fraser @kurtfraser.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Bonjour hi montreal
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Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Our paper has been accepted at Cell Reports (@cp-cellreports.bsky.social). Huge thanks to Will Fan, who spearheaded this work, and to Paula To for her contributions. See the graphical abstract below, and thread for the story behind the figures: doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
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Jeremiah Cohen @jeremiahycohen.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Happy to share the version of record of our locus coeruleus paper here: www.nature.com/articles/s41... Prior thread on some of our discoveries in this study: bsky.app/profile/jere...
nature.com
Topographic structure and function of locus coeruleus noradrenaline neurons - Nature
Dorsal and ventral noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus form topographic subpopulations whose projection patterns and activity encode choice switching, reward-prediction errors and disregard o...
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Stephanie Staszko @sstaszko.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
New preprint alert! 🚨 🧠 My postdoctoral work in Al Kaye’s lab has focused on understanding how animals navigate and learn from threats in their environment. To study this, I developed a virtual visual cliff height threat task, inspired by Boone et al. 2021. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
An adaptive noradrenergic-prefrontal circuit for innate avoidance of heights
Innate preferences determine how animals interact with the environment, but how experience refines the neural processes underlying those intrinsic motivations is not well understood. Here we develop a...
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bioRxiv Neuroscience @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Pavlovian conditioned approach with different reward magnitudes reveals opposing effects of acute and chronic semaglutide treatment www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Alicia Izquierdo @aliciaizquierdo.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Updated lab website with the amazing people I get to work with and some exciting projects underway izquierdolab.com
izquierdolab.com
Izquierdo Lab — Alicia Izquierdo, UCLA Department of Psychology
The Izquierdo Lab at UCLA studies the brain mechanisms of flexible reward learning and value-based decision making, with a focus on frontocortical circuits.
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Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
when you work at the BPAF but you’re beginning to realize there’s not going to be a successful IPO
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences @pnas.org · 11/09/2026
The 2026 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award honors Michael J. Fox for advancing Parkinson’s research through his foundation. Randy Schekman reflects on his impact in a PNAS Perspective: ow.ly/TLef50ZMCu5 #LaskerLaureate Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation
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Sabine Krabbe @sabinekrabbe.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Amygdala dopamine is often studied in response to external rewards or threats. But what happens during self-initiated exploration? Our new preprint suggests a broader role: a state-dependent salience signal linking exploration and associative learning. 👉 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Basolateral amygdala dopamine signals behavioural salience across exploration and learning
Animals must balance exploration with threat avoidance, yet how neuromodulatory signals shape information-seeking states remains unclear. Using fibre photometry recordings in the basolateral amygdala ...
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Melissa Herman @melissaherman.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
So excited to share our latest lab pub led by superstar grad student Sarah Mott. Interested in social competition/dominance? Check out this new work that explores hierarchy in BOTH females and males with bonus sharing/cooperation and featuring the Lateral Habenula🧠 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Complex social dominance behavior using a novel platform test is associated with lateral habenula activation in male and female mice - Neuropsychopharmacology
Neuropsychopharmacology - Complex social dominance behavior using a novel platform test is associated with lateral habenula activation in male and female mice
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Kurt Fraser @kurtfraser.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Summer break is just starting right? We have all summer still right?
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Ron Keiflin @ronkeiflin.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
New lab preprint! OFC—>M2 in rule selection. Project led by the amazing @margole.bsky.social
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bioRxiv Neuroscience @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Reward Memories Bias Instrumental Rule Selection via the Orbitofrontal-to-Secondary Motor cortex Pathway www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Kenneth Amaya, PhD @kenam15.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Attention all central amygdala aficionados and habit learning lovers: Sharing the latest work from my time at Dartmouth where we examined CeA activity during habit formation, now out at JNeuro www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
jneurosci.org
Habit learning shapes activity dynamics in the central nucleus of the amygdala
A habit develops as a motivated behavior that is strengthened by extended experience and feedback. While the performance component of a habit is relatively well studied, being linked to action-related...
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Kurt Fraser @kurtfraser.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
4 years of Levi!
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Jean-Paul Noel @jpnoel.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
First Noel Lab Pre-print! If you are into "peri-personal space" and feel like we need more single cell recordings, this one is for you! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
An egocentric map prioritizing peri-personal space in the mouse rostro-lateral visual area
All physical interactions between an organism and its environment occur within the space immediately adjacent to and surrounding its body, its peripersonal space (PPS). This space has been extensively...
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Ashley Kopec @ashleykopec.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Hey folks! If you haven’t seen this, take a look and consider submitting comments. RFIs help shape the resulting policies, so if you are in favor or opposed, it is valuable to speak up. Would also ask your PO what they think, as they would be most impacted by this… grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov
NOT-OD-26-088: Request for Information (RFI) on Proposed Changes to Reporting Outcomes from NIH Peer Review
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Request for Information (RFI) on Proposed Changes to Reporting Outcomes from NIH Peer Review NOT-OD-26-088. NIH
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Kurt Fraser @kurtfraser.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
If you wanna drop a fast 15 pounds I really recommend getting a gum graft
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Michael Totty @mictott.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Incredibly proud to share our newest work where we developed a multiscale spatial transcriptomic atlas of the human amygdala using three complementary technologies! 1/12 🧵 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Multiscale spatial transcriptomics resolves the cellular and molecular architecture of the human amygdala
The amygdala is a central hub for emotional learning that is dysregulated across numerous psychiatric disorders, yet its molecular architecture in humans remains poorly defined. We here present a spat...
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christine liu / two photon art @christineliu.art · 27/08/2026
Are you a neuroscientist that also makes art? I wanna get to know you and spotlight your art at this session at #SfN26! Show me your art, whether it’s related to your science or not! 🧠🧪
The Artist in the Neuroscience Lab
Chair: Michele Banks
Artologica
Panelists: Michele Banks; Geinene Carson;
Kimberly Fiock, PhD; Christine Liu, PhD
Date & Time: Sunday, November 15, 1:30-3 p.m.
Location: WCC Room 152
Theme: Theme K - History, Education, and Society
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Alexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
the year is 2027. gas costs $83 and lettuce is at war with us. however every location on every map now says AMERICA
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Dr. Becca @docbecca.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
My behavioral neuroscience lab at Northeastern is looking to recruit two new research techs! Job description and link to apply is here: northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/...
northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Laboratory Technician - The Shansky Lab
About the Opportunity Job Summary The Shansky Lab is seeking a full-time technician to conduct National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded behavioral neuroscience research. The position includes lab ma...
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ContempraInn 🌹 @contemprainn.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The time Dolly Parton and Kermit jammed to Sly and the Family Stone’s Everyday People Love to Dolly ❤️
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Rolling Stone @rollingstone.com · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton's family asked that, in lieu of flowers, fans make a donation to the singer's Imagination Library. Here's what the charity does ⬇️ www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
rollingstone.com
Turning Pages: Inside Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Core team of 15 staff and thousands of volunteers and partners help the country-music philanthropist deliver books to kids around the world.
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Dan Jagger @auditorynerves.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
New study says as many as 97.7% of #NFL players who died between 2016 & 2021 could have had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease related to repeated blows to the head. 🧪🧠🏈 www.bbc.co.uk/sport/americ...
bbc.co.uk
NFL: At least one in four dead players had brain disease, says study
A new study says at least one in four ex-NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had a degenerative brain disease but the true figure could be much higher.
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christine liu / two photon art @christineliu.art · 25/08/2026
We are doing a super mega pin clearance sale to make room (and funds) to create new stuff for SfN! Help us out by snagging some pin blind boxes, basically 70% off full price! Twophotonart.com
twophotonart.com
Two Photon Art
From fun science enamel pins and patches to colorful zines explaining scientific concepts, we like to explore a multitude of science communication avenues and make them worth coveting!
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bioRxiv Neuroscience @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
The role of serotonin in the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol consumption www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Dena Goldblatt @denagoldblatt.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Bsky hivemind: what are we liking for Xenium cell type classifiers these days? Have tried RCTD, tangram, and label transfer. 50% of the dataset is easy to classify, but wildly different results across classifiers for the other 50%. +1 if anyone’s specifically fought with spinal cord data. Thx!
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Kurt Fraser @kurtfraser.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The Department of Psychology at University of Minnesota seeks an Assistant Professor working on computational approaches related to cognition and/or perception (broadly). This would be in my area of the department and I’m happy to answer any questions. Posting : hr.myu.umn.edu/psc/hrprd/EM...
google.com
Careers
Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Computational Approaches to Perception and/or CognitionDepartment of PsychologyUniversity of Minnesota, College of Liberal ArtsThe Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities announces a search for an outstanding scholar to fill a tenure-track assistant professor position focused on computational approaches to perception and/or cognition. This full-time position in the Department’s Cognitive and Brain Sciences (CAB) Training Program will begin in Fall 2027.Applications are invited from researchers who would extend or complement our historic strengths in combining experimental and computational approaches to perception and cognition. Examples of desired research topics include, but are not limited to, computational approaches in human and/or non-human animal models to study perceptual function and sensory loss, learning, motivation, emotion, and/or higher cognition. While we expect the primary appointment to be in our CAB area, there is  potential for cross-affiliation with other departmental areas.The appointment will be 100%-time over the nine-month academic year (late-August to late-May) and will be made at the rank of tenure-track assistant professor, depending on qualifications and experience and consistent with collegiate and University policy. Salary and start-up packages are competitive. The successful applicant should have and is expected to maintain a strong research program, advise graduate students from a variety of different backgrounds, and teach undergraduate and graduate courses, including core courses within the graduate training program. A strong record of teaching and mentorship is desired. The individual will also be expected to contribute to the service needs of the department, college, university, and profession.A successful candidate's application will demonstrate scholarly distinction, a record of publications, teaching commitment and, if applicable to the research program and the candidate’s career stage, evidence of success in securing and/or pursuing extramural funding.Applicants are invited to review the Workload Principles and Guidelines for Regular Faculty in the College of Liberal Arts, as well as the Standards for Promotion and Tenure in the Department of Psychology.
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Better Things Are Possible @internethippo.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
It's Friday night baby
Sleepy time bear
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I-75 Scientist @flscitriguy.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Here’s the proposed changes to summary statements. 60days to comment.
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Kurt Fraser @kurtfraser.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
So when does summer vacation start
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Kate Wassum @katewassum.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
We’re hiring a research technician!! We’re an inclusive team of behavioral neuroscientists trying to discover the brain circuits of learning, decision making, and habit. More info👇 wassumlab.psych.ucla.edu/join-the-lab/ Job posting: jobs.ucla.edu/jobs/11232
Photo of group of Wassum lab scientists standing in front of a fountain at UCLA.
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Caitlin Orsini @caitanne.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Positions in the lab are still open! Please consider applying to join our team here in Austin! utaustin.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UTstaff/job/...
utaustin.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Social Science/Humanities Research Associate II
Job Posting Title: Social Science/Humanities Research Associate II ---- Hiring Department: Department of Psychology ---- Position Open To: All Applicants ---- Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 ---- FLSA Stat...
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Shelly Flagel @flagel-lab.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Do you work in #addictionresearch? Interested in #machinelearning or #AI to better understand #addiction? Submit a manuscript to #Psychopharmacology Special Issue by Oct. 1. Big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in addiction research | Link share.google/GXfeNBPdZ95x...
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Alicia Izquierdo @aliciaizquierdo.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Very excited to have another paper accepted in Oxford Open Neuroscience’s special collection on the Neurobiology of Associative Learning! This one from the Shansky lab!
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Tom Kash @superkash.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Hi Folks, with @lisataxier.bsky.social moving on to open her own lab at Stony Brook, I am in the market for a new postdoctoral fellow who wants to do slice electrophysiology. We have a number of really exciting projects, translational to basic science, that are ephys focused.
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