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Reposted by Mohith M. Varma (Mo)

Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Now up at @oecs-bot.bsky.social ! Looking to wrap your head around concepts & terms (and debates) in emotion & mood research (“affective science”)? Here’s a go to. oecs.mit.edu/pub/bhn7j5s7...

Emotions, Moods, and Affective States
by Nicole C. Rust
Published on
Jul 16, 2026
Emotions, Moods, and Affective States

Contents
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The phenomena that comprise emotions, moods, and affective states are united by their valence—their pleasantness or unpleasantness—such as the pleasure of seeing a baby laugh or the aversion to smelling feces. Beyond this broadly accepted defining characteristic, the researchers who study them have a multitude of ideas about how to best define their constructs, what shapes them, and the most promising path toward understanding them scientifically. For instance, many researchers agree that emotions should be distinguished from moods, but not all agree on the criteria that differentiate them. Similarly, some restrict the terms emotion and mood to instances in which subjective

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Happy to contribute my reflections on some of the cutting edge research presented in a symposium #CNS2026 on the topic of mapping our emotional experiences in the brain. It was fun working on this blog post with @lisampmunoz.bsky.social ☺️

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Reposted by Mohith M. Varma (Mo)

Cambridge Neuroscience @camneuro.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

🔔Two weeks to go! Register now for our annual Seminar CNS2026 showcasing the breadth of interdisciplinary work that we do in Cambridge! 🧠This meeting is open to neuroscientists of every discipline and every stage of their careers, both from Cambridge and beyond! 📨Share & register: lnkd.in/dWEvgCzW

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

It was a real pleasure working with @lisampmunoz.bsky.social over four days of science, laughs, new friendships, and catching up with old ones! Hope to see you again in Boston or perhaps sooner in Cambridge!

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Kicking off the symposium on how emotion shapes our memory @danipalombo.bsky.social and her PhD student Chantelle Cocquyt by asking: does a reminder cue affect how you recall an emotional event differently if it comes before vs after it? Turns out this research reveals order matters! #CNS2026

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Day 4: the final day of #CNS2026~ Join us this morning for the final poster session, 8-10 AM. One last chance to see lots of great posters and lively chats~ all the ingredients you need to start a chilly day in Vancouver with that dopamine spike! Coffee and breakfast available ☕️

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Reposted by Mohith M. Varma (Mo)

Cognitive Neuroscience Society @cogneuronews.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Congratulations @monicarosenb.bsky.social on your Young Investigator Award! Join us now for her #CNS2026 award talk, about neural signatures of sustained attention, with intro by @hartleylabnyu.bsky.social

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

After a super hectic Day 2 #CNS2026, I kept Day 3 intentionally lighter~ fewer talks and more catching up! Lovely lunch with some current members from my former lab @HKU And a super memorable dinner with Jarrod Lewis-Peacock & Co. (@cjerinic.bsky.social) at a cozy family run restaurant (link 👇)

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Reposted by Mohith M. Varma (Mo)

Caleb Jerinic-Brodeur @cjerinic.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

I’ve been having a great time at @cogneuronews.bsky.social !! If you’ll be around for the final day of the meeting, come say hi during the last poster session (8-10am, Poster F34)! I’ll be sharing some new work on how dynamic memory control helps regulate intrusive thoughts!

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Kicking off the Day 3 morning symposium on recent advances in naturalistic paradigms in neuroscience: Dominic Bach @bachlab.bsky.social presenting an immersive VR setup to study threat related behaviours like escape, avoidance, dynamic updating of goals. So cool and more on poster E96!! #CNS2026

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

#CNS2026 Day 2 reflection: Brain = 🔋, Social battery = 🪫 Fantastic posters ✅ Passionate science chats ✅ Great talks ✅ Food+Friends ✅ And ending the day on an inspiring high: @theamygdaloid.bsky.social proving you can start in Business Administration… and still become a neuroscience legend! 👇

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Lovely catching up with @leemtllab.bsky.social and his group from @utoronto.ca over fantastic noodles! I’m honestly blown away by the quality and range of Asian food in Vancouver! Day 2 lunch spot recommendation: maps.app.goo.gl/ogoYtqSYLAPh... (18 min walk from conference venue) #CNS2026

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Second symposium of the day, and one I’ve been most excited about: how our brains track emotions! Kicking things off, Kevin LaBar shows how machine learning can decode discrete emotions from fMRI data while people watch movie clips! #CNS2026 🧵👇

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

At Invited Symposium 2 on precision mapping of prefrontal cortex (PFC), @moatazassem.bsky.social shares striking evidence of functionally distinct multiple-demand patches in PFC track category-selective images of objects vs faces vs letters vs other types of visual stimuli! #CNS2026

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Grateful to everyone who stopped by my poster! So nice seeing both new and familiar faces ☺️ It was a joy to share the very first study from my PhD research on affective blunting! Thanks for the great questions, feedback and encouragement~ it made the poster session so fun and enriching! #CNS2026

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

I know it’s early morning on a SUNDAY… and yes, some of us are still recovering from last night’s epic welcome reception 😅 But if you happen to be well caffeinated, wander over to today’s first poster session 8-10 AM! There are many amazing posters… and one I’m particularly fond of (B19) 👀

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Proof that good food + great conversations fuel good science #CNS2026 with @fredbergmann.bsky.social, Maxi Becker and Leonardo Pettini

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Fantastic start to #CNS2026 at DataBlitz! Lots of cool findings already! One highlight for me: how differently people recall positive collective memories vs. personal memories, reflecting distinct functions of collectivistic vs individually experienced memory. Great talk: @signysheldon.bsky.social

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Mohith M. Varma (Mo) @mohithvarma.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Excited to be heading to #CNS2026 in Vancouver this weekend! Come say hi if you’re around as I will be presenting some very promising results from the first completed study of my PhD work into affective blunting conducted @mrccbu.bsky.social ☺️ Poster Session B, March 8, 8-10 AM (Poster No. B19)

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Reposted by Mohith M. Varma (Mo)

Michael C. Anderson @memorycontrol.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

How does the brain stop thoughts? Find out in my article in @natrevneuro.nature.com with Subbu Subbulakshmi & Maite Crespo-Garcia www.nature.com/articles/s41... that integrates 25 yrs of psychology and neuroscience on this vital function.@mrccbu.bsky.social sky.social #neuroskyence #neuroscience

nature.com

Brain mechanisms underlying the inhibitory control of thought - Nature Reviews Neuroscience

The capacity to prevent unwanted thoughts is important for cognitive function and mental health. Anderson et al. describe insights into the neural mechanisms of the inhibitory control of thought that ...

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