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Peter Kirk

@peterakirk.bsky.social
817 followers 717 following 59 posts

Neuroscientist & Psychologist at the NIH | Anxiety & Mood Disorders, Naturalistic Neuroimaging, Subjective Experience, Physiology, Development | Disclaimer: all views/posts are my own.

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Reposted by Peter Kirk
Sam Gilbert @samgilbert.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Just published - what happens in the brain when people offload memories into external reminders? Using fMRI decoding, we found that the corresponding neural trace fades until it becomes statistically absent. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵...
nature.com
Cognitive offloading weakens the neural representation of to-be-remembered information - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Cognitive offloading weakens the neural representation of to-be-remembered information
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Paul Taylor @afni-pt.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Next AFNI Bootcamp: Oct 20-22, 2026! Classes cover: FMRI visualization, full subject-level processing, alignment, regression modeling, and quality control. Registration is free & open to both NIH and non-NIH researchers. Registration+details: afni.nimh.nih.gov/bootcamp Please share widely.
afni.nimh.nih.gov
AFNI Bootcamp: October 20th - 22nd, 2026 | afni.nimh.nih.gov
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Biological Psychiatry @biologicalpsych.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
In our latest episode of The Biological Psychiatry Podcast, we sit down with Dr. @sidchop.bsky.social from @orygen.org.au and the @unimelb.edu.au to discuss his latest work distinguishing the effects of psychotic illness and antipsychotic medication on the brain.
thebiologicalpsychiatrypodcast.riverside.com
Differential Effects of Psychotic Illness and Antipsychotics on the Brain
In this episode of The Biological Psychiatry Podcast, Dr. Elvisha Dhamala sits down with Dr. Sidhant Chopra from Orygen and the University of Melbourne to discuss his recent paper published in Biologi...
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Hugo Fleming @hugofleming.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
New paper alert! 📣📣 In this work, we investigated the origins of somatic symptoms – a common and debilitating feature of anxiety and depression. 'Anxiety is associated with the persistence of conditioned somatic sensations over time'
osf.io
OSF
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Leah Banellis @leahbanellis.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Sensing your body (‘Interoception’) is everywhere in theories of mental health. But when we tested how well hundreds of people sensed their heart and lungs, the link to symptoms was almost nowhere to be found. 💣 🚨New @natmentalhealth.nature.com paper 🚨🎉 asks why 🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s44...
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Excellent read!
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Sidhant Chopra @sidchop.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
🧠 New work showing prominent and widespread 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰 pre-synaptic terminal reductions in people with schizophrenia.🧠 nature.com/articles/s41... Strongest effects in left hemisphere, but synaptic loss didn't track with MRI grey matter alterations, but did align with..👇1/4
nature.com
Widespread synaptic density loss in schizophrenia follows molecular and network architecture - Molecular Psychiatry
Molecular Psychiatry - Widespread synaptic density loss in schizophrenia follows molecular and network architecture
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Ole Goltermann @olegolt.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
A recent paper by Epp et al. in NN claimed that ~40% of reported BOLD findings could be misinterpreted. In our reanalysis, we identified several statistical issues that, in our view, undermine these conclusions. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... 👇 1/11
biorxiv.org
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Leah Banellis @leahbanellis.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
🎉 Excited to share our publication in PNAS! 🎉 What happens when our stream of consciousness turns towards the body? Our fMRI study of 536 individuals finds that 'body-wandering' is associated with patterns of brain connectivity, physiology, affect, and mental health: www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
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Caroline Nettekoven @carobellum.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
🧠 Resting-state fMRI is often treated as the gold standard for studying the brain’s intrinsic organization. But is it actually the best way to estimate functional architecture? We tested this directly. 🧵1/8
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
...If you're open to manual annotations, Emo-Codes can help for a variety of features (emocodes.org/about/) and we review some techniques here (subsection "Capturing subjective experiences during movies" of doi.org/10.1093/cerc...). Happy to have a more in-depth chat over email/call! 3/3
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
...if there's continuous spoken language, you could use NLP (doi.org/10.3758/s134...). Emotion I would recommend using manual annotations, though automated algorithms exist (doi.org/10.1109/FG47... )... 2/3
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Hard to answer properly in Bluesky limits, but: low level features are the easiest and you can use something like Pliers in Python. Py-Feat can also be used for faces. Tools for semantic content and emotion will depend heavily on the nature of the clip (e.g., language, faces, live/animated)... 1/3
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Thank you! 😊
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Thank you!!! 😊
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Huge shout-out to co-authors (incl. @purnimaqamar.bsky.social), very much a team effort. Big thanks to @csavasegal.bsky.social @esfinn.bsky.social and colleagues, whose prior work (i.e., doi.org/10.1093/cerc...) inspired this study.
doi.org
Individual differences in neural event segmentation of continuous experiences
Abstract. Event segmentation is a spontaneous part of perception, important for processing continuous information and organizing it into memory. Although n
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Our analyses revealed tripartite associations between anxiety symptoms, participants descriptions of the movie, and brain activity in insula, default mode, and dorsal attention regions. These findings underscore the utility of movie paradigms in research on subjective emotional experiences. 2/2
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Patients with and without anxiety watched an anxiety-inducing movie during fMRI. Afterward, they provided open descriptions of the movies. Their responses underwent natural language processing to quantity semantic content. 1/2
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Our latest work on the neurobiology of subjective emotional experience in anxiety is out now in SCAN 🧠 Brief summary below 👇 doi.org/10.1093/scan...
doi.org
Linking subjective experience of anxiety to brain function using natural language processing
Abstract. Research on anxiety focuses on clinically relevant behaviours and neurophysiological responses, particularly emphasizing recruitment of amygdala,
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Purnima Qamar @purnimaqamar.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Excited to share our new paper in Scientific Reports. Pre-scanning state anxiety was associated with reduced rs-FC in the DMN in a trait-anxious community sample, underscoring how children’s MRI scanning experiences may be associated with rs-FC. Grateful for mentorship from @UCRiverside and @NIH.
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Purnima Qamar @purnimaqamar.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Children’s state anxiety before MRI scanning and resting state functional connectivity in large scale brain networks - Scientific Reports
Introduction Most resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) research does not consider the participant’s subjective state during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Heightened anxiety before an MRI ...
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Tamara Vanderwal @vanderlab.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Controversial? Classic? What if rest is not best? 🤔 Congrats to @halleeshearer.bsky.social for this thoughtful commentary, and thanks to @ninetlab.bsky.social for the 🎬 movie x rTMS 🧲 collaboration. doi.org/10.1162/IMAG...
doi.org
Considering brain state for individualized functional connectivity-based rTMS
Abstract. Recent endeavors to optimize the efficacy of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) treatment have focused on locating individualized stimulation targets using functional connec...
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Reposted by Peter Kirk
Paul Taylor @afni-pt.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Want to learn about FMRI visualization, processing and group analysis? Join us for the next AFNI Bootcamp (Jan. 27-29, 2026) for a fun few days of theory and interactive practicals. Details+registration for this virtual course: afni.nimh.nih.gov/bootcamp
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Alexander Huth @alexanderhuth.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
This paper had a pretty shocking headline result (40% of voxels!), so I dug into it, and I think it is wrong. Essentially: they compare two noisy measures and find that about 40% of voxels have different sign between the two. I think this is just noise!
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Outside my expertise, but I'm interested to know the SNR of the CMR02 measurement. Looks highly variable, even more so than BOLD.
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Our latest study led by @purnimaqamar.bsky.social on avoidance in pediatric anxiety is out now in Mental Health Science 🎉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Assessing Behavioral Threat Avoidance in Pediatric Anxiety With Naturalistic Games
Behavioral avoidance exacerbates anxiety symptoms. Capturing and identifying maladaptive avoidance patterns holds clinical utility. However, effective assessment tools which provide unique informatio...
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Sarah Garfinkel @sarahgarf.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
** Recruiting a postdoc ** We are looking for a postdoc to work on emotion, mental health, and interoception, based in London at @ucl.ac.uk in my lab (Clinical and Affective Neuroscience). Part of a large Wellcome Grant (co-led with the brilliant @camillanord.bsky.social)
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Hallee Shearer @halleeshearer.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Excited to share our manuscript about BrainEffeX, a tool for exploring fMRI effect sizes. Includes why we made it, how to use it + contribute, and how we made it. @sneuroble.bsky.social @psychonetrics.bsky.social @alexkfischbach.bsky.social @nichols.bsky.social @dscheinost.bsky.social & MINDS Lab
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
This may be relevant? www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Autonomic physiological coupling of the global fMRI signal - Nature Neuroscience
The brain and body are necessarily connected. Here the authors show that brain blood flow and electrical activity are coupled with systemic physiological changes in the body.
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Reposted by Peter Kirk
Gang Chen @gangchen6.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Data only shows associations. Turning those into claims about mechanism or causation? That requires a Rosetta Stone of prior knowledge + theory. Resting-state fMRI is purely observational; correlation is its currency. From this, plenty of "theoretical toys" about brain function can be built...
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
This is amazing work Sarah, super interesting!
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Sarah Katharina Buehler @sarahkathbuehler.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
Excited to share this new preprint on the Predictive Modelling of Depression Treatment Response using Individual Symptoms and Latent Factors with @clairegillan.bsky.social fresh up on @medrxivpreprint.bsky.social www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
medrxiv.org
Predictive Modelling of Depression Treatment Response using Individual Symptoms and Latent Factors
Machine learning models have increasingly been used to identify predictors of treatment response in depression, and it is hoped that they may eventually help with clinical decision making. However, th...
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Agreed! I'm often excited about cool, emerging fMRI methods which promise a lot. I've preregistered their use with high hopes and things fall flat. Post-hoc, the old methods turn out more sensitive. Obviously there are lots of factors, but it's made me quite hesitant without repeated validation.
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Alec Jamieson @alecjamieson.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Our latest work is now out in @natmentalhealth.nature.com! We examined the role of the basal forebrain and its influence on intrinsic brain networks in depressive and anxiety disorders. 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s44... @psychunimelb.bsky.social, @mbciu.bsky.social, #UnimelbMDHS
nature.com
Altered basal forebrain regulation of intrinsic brain networks in depressive and anxiety disorders - Nature Mental Health
Using 7T resting-state functional MRI data, the authors investigate the effective connectivity of basal forebrain areas in a transdiagnostic sample of patients with anxiety and depression and healthy ...
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Avram Holmes @avramholmes.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
The @cahbir.bsky.social and @rutgersbhi.bsky.social are hiring! Multiple open area and open rank faculty jobs, wonderful colleagues, amazing resources, and one of the largest communities of brain science research groups on the planet. Please apply and share widely. jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/209...
jobs.rutgers.edu
Human Neuroimaging Faculty Positions in Rutgers Brain Health Institute
The Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR), a component of the Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) on the Busch campus in Piscataway, NJ, is recruiting for two open rank (Assistant...
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Imaging Neuroscience @imagingneurosci.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Launched in 2023, Imaging Neuroscience is now firmly established, with full indexing (PubMed, etc.) and 700 papers to date. We're very happy to announce that we are able to reduce the APC to $1400. Huge thanks to all authors, reviewers, editorial team+board, and MIT Press.
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
We had two preprints approved in August (these were submitted in May & July). However, since approval, the web pages are no longer available (e.g., osf.io/byu7f_v1). Is this expected?
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
Kind of relevant www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
The entire brain, more or less, is at work: ‘Language regions’ are artefacts of averaging
Models of the neurobiology of language suggest that a small number of anatomically fixed brain regions are responsible for language functioning. This derives from centuries of aphasia studies and deca...
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
Could be worse: my citation count went down by 2 the other day. Didn't realize that was possible -_-
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Loïc Labache @loiclabache.cpesr.fr · 03/07/2025
Excited to share that our work is now published in Imaging Neuroscience! 🧠🥳 We show how aging reshapes the brain’s language and memory networks, revealing striking shifts in hemispheric specialization across the lifespan. Check it out @imagingneurosci.bsky.social
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
A great week of meetings and presenting in Melbourne, including a visit to @orygen.org.au hosted by @sidchop.bsky.social & Lianne Schmaal. Now off to Brisbane for #OHBM2025. I'll be presenting Tuesday and Wednesday, 9am in the Great Hall both days :)
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Social anxiety may be related to physical avoidance of aversive stimuli in an interactive game. Our latest study, led by @purnimaqamar.bsky.social. osf.io/preprints/ps...
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Check our latest work ‘Linking Subjective Experience of Anxiety to Brain Function using Natural Language Processing’. Our analyses link movie-evoked brain activity and subsequent interview recordings in a pediatric sample with and without anxiety disorders (doi.org/10.31234/osf...).
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Check our latest work ‘Linking Subjective Experience of Anxiety to Brain Function using Natural Language Processing’. Our analyses link movie-evoked brain activity and subsequent interview recordings in a pediatric sample with and without anxiety disorders (doi.org/10.31234/osf...).
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Would advise against wrist-worn wearables for heart rate, they're VERY prone to noise. Ideally ECG, but even finger pulseox would be superior. Done this stuff a lot with movies and am happy to chat more.
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Loïc Labache @loiclabache.cpesr.fr · 12/04/2025
🚨 New #preprint: The molecular and cellular underpinnings of human brain lateralization 🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025... 🧠 We identify an acetylcholine-norepinephrine axis underlying functional lateralization, along with mitochondrial and cellular correlates. 🧵1/9👇 #neuroskyence
doi.org
The molecular and cellular underpinnings of human brain lateralization
Hemispheric specialization is a fundamental characteristic of human brain organization, where most individuals exhibit left-hemisphere dominance for language and right-hemisphere dominance for visuosp...
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Avram Holmes @avramholmes.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
"To make a meaningful contribution to #neuroscience, #fMRI must break out of its silo." My latest attempt to convince you of the importance of multi-scale approaches for the study of the human brain.
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
This looks awesome! The OSF link doesn't seem to be working at the moment though.
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Leah Banellis @leahbanellis.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Is interoceptive sensing unified across internal organs? 🫀🫁 Our high-powered psychophysical study (N=241) suggests not. Bayesian evidence indicates interoceptive processes are largely modality-specific—challenging the idea of a unitary interoceptive sense. 🔗 Read here: osf.io/preprints/ps...
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Peter Kirk @peterakirk.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
My impression is that this is especially problematic in the psychological therapy world, both public and private spheres. Many new therapies are just rebranded CBT but require a $15k training fee to be licensed.
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