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Misha Zilberter

@mzilberter.bsky.social
1.1K followers 663 following 139 posts

Neuroscientist at Gladstone Institutes / UCSF: electrophysiology, network hyperexcitability, APOE4, and glucose hypometabolism in Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. ORCID: 0000-0001-7164-8312

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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
Jonathan Eisen @phylogenomics.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
CA prop 38 is a scam - vote NO. For example see: This CA proposition will send $4 billion to a single nonprofit. Who’s behind it? calmatters.org/politics/ele...
calmatters.org
Is this proposition a $4 billion giveaway to a billionaire’s LA research center?
Proposition 38 will award $4 billion to one unnamed research center. Under the very specific criteria, only one center seemingly qualifies.
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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
Casey Meili @caseymeili.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
🎉 Excited to share my latest work out now in @epilepsiajournal.bsky.social! doi.org/10.1002/epi.... We asked whether the ketogenic diet (KD), a well-established therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy, is also effective against infection-driven seizures. 🧵⬇️
doi.org
Ketogenic diet fails to mitigate seizures and neuroinflammatory responses in a mouse model of virus‐induced epilepsy
Objective The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate intervention widely used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy, thought to reduce seizures through a combination of metabolic, neuronal, ...
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Elanur Yilmaz @elanuryilmaz.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
🚨New paper alert🚨 In our newly published study, we found that APOE-ε4–driven fibronectin accumulation disrupts blood–brain barrier function and astrocyte–endothelial communication in Alzheimer’s disease. www.nature.com/articles/s43...
nature.com
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Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The superposition of these two studies — both incredible — reflect a snapshot of "one big thing" systems neuroscience has yet to resolve. In mice: 1. Task-related signals are everywhere. 2. Absent large swaths of "everywhere," suprisingly sophisticated learning & behavior remains.
Post by Enny van Beest, "Brainwide representation of navigation"Post by Jieyu Zheng, "How fast can mice learn complex mazes?"
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Reese Richardson @reeserichardson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
A massive update: At least ~15 companies~ are selling scientists antibodies using faked validation data. We've documented 18,000+ manipulated images on 17,000+ products sold by leading laboratory suppliers including Thermo Fisher, Abcam, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Millipore Sigma and Bio-Techne. 1/🧵
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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
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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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
Emily A. Aery Jones @emilyaeryjones.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Our lab is re-opening the search for a postdoc! The candidate we chose this round unfortunately had to withdraw (2-body problem). If you or someone you know is looking for a postdoc in ephys + spatial navigation + neurodegeneration, come check us out: aeryjoneslab.github.io
aeryjoneslab.github.io
Welcome to the Aery Jones Lab!
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Summary in one image:
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Being in London for the England World Cup game is an AAIC bonus and definitely promises to be an experience… all the pubs are absolutely jammed and standing room only three hours before kickoff
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
In London for #AAIC26. Looking forward to seeing old friends, meeting new people, and talking science. Say hi if you’re here!
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
The uproar that followed forced them to acknowledge their mistake — not in their selection criteria mind you, but in disclosing their methods to the applicants. Wouldn’t be too surprised they still use this metric behind the scenes.
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Back in the day, Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) vetted Assistant Professor applicants by the sum total of IFs (sigma IF) across all their publications regardless of authorship position. A cutoff was used to filter applicants for the second round -- rejection emails stated this explicitly.
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@LaBonneLaB @labonnelab.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Some rare good news: the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Subcommittee met this morning and approved a bill that strongly supports NIH. The subcommittee rejected the proposed cuts and recommended funding levels 1.35% above its FY26 recommendation.
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
New review from Huang lab laying out a temporal, cell-type-specific model of how #APOE4 drives #Alzheimer's. ↑ neuronal APOE4 (preclinical) → SST interneuron loss + hyperexcitability + hypometabolism → glial overactivation (prodromal) → neurodegeneration + dementia. Affects ~2/3 of all AD patients.
doi.org
Redirecting
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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
Michael Higley @mhigley.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
You know GABA as an inhibitor, but that’s not all! We found that tonic GABAergic signaling, mediated by SST-interneurons and alpha5-type receptors, paradoxically facilitates dendritic calcium signals! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
SST interneurons facilitate dendritic calcium signaling via tonic activation of α5-GABA receptors
Brain activity is highly regulated by GABAergic activity, which can suppress neuronal excitability and synaptic integration. Tonic GABAergic conductan…
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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
The Buck Institute for Research on Aging @buckinstitute.org · 11/05/2026
Longevity-linked #APOE2 helps neurons repair DNA and resist #aging - the protein can also protect #APOE4 neurons. The effect might be transferable, not just genetic. It’s a new therapeutic direction for #Alzheimers www.buckinstitute.org/news/longevi...
buckinstitute.org
Longevity-linked APOE2 gene variant helps neurons repair DNA and resist aging
Research from the Buck Institute reveals that the protective APOE2 variant, already associated with exceptional longevity and reduced Alzheimer's risk, keeps human brain cells genomically stable and r...
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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
Forbes @forbes.com · 06/05/2026
California Bill Would Create A $23 Billion Fund For University Research
forbes.com
California Bill Would Create A $23 Billion Fund For University Research
A California bill would give voters the chance to vote on whether the state should create a $23 billion bond that would be used to award grants to university researchers.
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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
Emily A. Aery Jones @emilyaeryjones.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
The Aery Jones lab is recruiting another postdoc! If you're interested in neural mechanisms of spatial memory, high-density recordings, cool tasks (like cricket hunting), and/or aging and Alzheimer's, come check us out: aeryjoneslab.github.io. Please pass along to your friends :D
aeryjoneslab.github.io
Aery Jones Lab
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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
Melissa Cooper, PhD @melcooperphd.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Astrocytes do so much more than any of us thought - they even communicate among specific brain regions across hemispheres! The journey to this paper spanned nearly a decade, but I'm most excited to see what everyone else does with the tools we've built. There's so much for all of us to explore!
nature.com
Astrocytes connect specific brain regions through plastic networks - Nature
Communication between distant brain regions is mediated by plastic networks of gap junction-coupled astrocytes.
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Congrats, can’t wait to read it!
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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 12/04/2026
A study in Nature Aging shows that the strongest Alzheimer’s Disease risk gene, APOE4, can make certain brain cells in young mice hyperactive, which can predict later memory decline. The study also implicates Nell2 protein as a contributor to APOE4-driven dysfunction. #Alzsky 🧬🧪
go.nature.com
Neuronal APOE4-induced early hippocampal network hyperexcitability in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis - Nature Aging
Young, cognitively normal APOE4 mice display hippocampal network hyperactivity that predicts later memory decline. This phenotype is driven by neuronal APOE4 expression, which causes hyperexcitability of hippocampal neurons and can be reversed by targeting Nell2.
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Indeed!
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
I know that store, been many times when visiting! And their plombir (пломбир)
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Greg Folkers @gregfolkers.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
STAT: Trump administration drops court fight to cap NIH payments for research overhead costs by Megan Molteni @statnews.com @mmolteni.bsky.social bit.ly/4tVncB5
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
media.tenor.com
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Reposted by Misha Zilberter
bioRxivpreprint @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Single-Nuclei Transcriptomic Characterization of APOE4-Associated Alzheimer's Disease www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
True team effort. Huge credit to stellar postdocs Dennis Tabuena and Sung-Soo Jang, who led this work, Yadong Huang and his lab as close collaborators — and a special shout-out to @emilyaeryjones.bsky.social for key in vivo recordings. This work was supported by NIH/NIA. Fin.
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie is giving a thank you sign .
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Working model: neuronal APOE4 drives cell type–specific transcriptomic changes (incl. NELL2), leading to neuronal atrophy and hyperexcitability, resulting in network hyperactivity. With aging, this promotes interneuron loss and inhibitory deficits, ultimately resulting in cognitive decline. 15/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
This is supported by prior work from the Huang lab showing that suppressing network hyperexcitability in E4-KI mice with a 6-week pentobarbital treatment at 9 months protects DG interneurons and prevents later cognitive deficits at 16 months. 14/15 www.jneurosci.org/content/36/7...
jneurosci.org
Enhancing GABA Signaling during Middle Adulthood Prevents Age-Dependent GABAergic Interneuron Decline and Learning and Memory Deficits in ApoE4 Mice
Apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) is the major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. We previously reported that female apoE4 knock-...
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Finally, we examined synaptic function and found progressive loss of inhibitory input in DG of E4-KI mice with aging. This suggests early hyperexcitability is not just a symptom, but a driver: sustained activity likely stresses vulnerable interneurons, leading to their dysfunction and loss. 13/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Although understudied outside development, NELL2 is linked to neuronal growth and homeostasis and is part of a “neuron cellular homeostasis” GO pathway alongside AD genes (APP, PSEN1/2, etc). Nell2 is also elevated in AD brain and CSF and correlates with amyloid burden and cognitive decline. 12/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
We used CRISPRi to reduce Nell2 expression in young E4-KI mice and found that transduced neurons showed normalized size and excitability compared to neighboring cells, identifying Nell2 as a key mediator of APOE4-driven neuronal dysfunction. 11/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
To identify molecular drivers, we analyzed hippocampal snRNA-seq data, filtering for genes matching APOE-, cell type-, and age-dependent e-phys changes. From hundreds of candidates, only a few passed filtering, and just one—Nell2—was upregulated in both CA3 and DG neurons in young E4-KI mice. 10/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
We next asked: what is the source of pathogenic APOE4? Most APOE is astrocyte-derived, but neurons upregulate it under stress. Deleting APOE4 from neurons (fE4/Syn1-Cre) normalized size and excitability; astrocyte deletion (fE4/GFAP-Cre) had no effect—supporting a neuron-intrinsic mechanism. 9/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
With aging, E3-KI neurons “caught up,” becoming smaller and more excitable. This suggests APOE4 may accelerate processes that normally occur with aging, consistent with epidemiological data showing earlier AD onset and higher risk in APOE4 carriers, with convergence to APOE3 at older ages. 8/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Importantly, this was not uniform. Within the same regions, some neurons remained relatively normal, while others were strongly hyperexcitable, forming distinct functional clusters and revealing selective vulnerability to APOE4 rather than a global shift in function. 7/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
We then looked at what drives this at the single-neuron level. Excitatory neurons in CA3 and DG —but not CA1— were smaller and hyperexcitable in young E4-KI mice. Neuronal size strongly correlated with excitability in E4-KI but not E3-KI neurons, directly linking atrophy to hyperexcitability. 6/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
When we followed the same mice into older ages (14–18 mo), E4-KI animals developed learning and memory impairments. Critically, E4-KI mice with the highest CA3/DG IIS rates when young performed the worst later — again consistent with human data. 5/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
We recorded hippocampal activity (CA3, DG, CA1) in young (5–10mo) and aged (12–18mo) mice, focusing on interictal spikes (IIS), a marker of hyperexcitability. E4-KI mice showed increased IIS in CA3 and DG—but not CA1—already at young ages, mirroring hyperactivation seen in human APOE4 carriers.4/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
We used human APOE knock-in mice (E3-KI vs E4-KI), which recapitulate key features of human risk. Even without amyloid or tau pathology, E4-KI mice develop cognitive deficits with aging. Notably, they also exhibit spontaneous seizures early in life. 3/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
APOE4 is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset AD. Even young, cognitively normal APOE4 carriers show hippocampal hyperactivation—and its extent predicts future cognitive decline. What drives this, and how do these early changes lead to later decline? 2/15
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Our paper is now online at @nataging.nature.com! Alzheimer’s disease begins decades before symptoms—but what drives those earliest changes is still not well understood. We set out to understand how APOE4 disrupts neuronal and network function across aging. 🧵: 1/15 www.nature.com/articles/s43...
nature.com
Neuronal APOE4-induced early hippocampal network hyperexcitability in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis - Nature Aging
Young, cognitively normal APOE4 mice display hippocampal network hyperactivity that predicts later memory decline. This phenotype is driven by neuronal APOE4 expression, which causes hyperexcitability...
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John Lukens @lukensjohnr.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Sex-specific APOE4-dependent innate immunity regulates meningeal lymphatics, brain lipids, neuroinflammation, and cognition: @cp-neuron.bsky.social www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
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Vinny Costa @vincentcostaphd.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
“Interrogation of data from cerebral organoids demonstrated that, although broad elements of in vivo development are recapitulated in vitro, many layer-specific transcriptomic programs in neuronal maturation are absent.” Got questions about the brain dynamics, organoids are a dead end. Full stop.
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Anupam Patgiri @apatgiri.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Mitochondrial lactate venting limits oxidative stress www.cell.com/cell-metabol...
cell.com
Mitochondrial lactate venting limits oxidative stress
The main function of mitochondria is to generate ATP by oxidizing pyruvate to CO2. Rauseo et al. show that matrix pyruvate is also converted to lactate, which is released to the cytosol via the MPC to...
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Behind the scenes: postdoc, first author, and star patch-clamper Dennis Tabuena, captured in his native habitat during a press photoshoot.
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
*Dennis Tabuena
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Edvard I Moser @edvardmoser.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
A half-century old question may have its final answer. Using high-resolution #Mini2P microscopes, we find no evidence of local topography in #PlaceCells. Place fields of neighbouring cells are no more similar than those of randomly selected cells. 🧠🗺️ Out now in @pnas.org www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Place cells in CA1 lack topographical organization of firing locations | PNAS
Topography is a well-described and well-known concept for cortical organization in primary sensory and motor cortices of mammalian brains. Similar ...
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Misha Zilberter @mzilberter.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Love the smell of a paper acceptance email in the morning
media.tenor.com
a man with glasses and a mustache is wearing a white shirt and says yes .
ALT: a man with glasses and a mustache is wearing a white shirt and says yes .
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Jungsu Kim @jungsukim77.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Congrats @handekarahan.bsky.social & our team members! A potential new drug target for Alzheimer's disease. Targeting the APOE pathway more effectively. Might also enhance neuroprotective pathways, offering resilience against disease progression. alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Deletion of neuronal Idol ameliorates Alzheimer's disease–related pathologies via APOE receptors
INTRODUCTION Overexpression of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) is known to decrease apolipoprotein E (APOE) levels and alleviate amyloid beta (Aβ) pathology. We hypothesized that inhibit...
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