iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Thanks, Ben! We are proud of this one :)

010

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This work would not be possible without the generous support of the NIH/NIDCD and Brain Research Foundation.

010

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...

54612

Reposted by Natale R. Sciolino, PhD

Andrew Hardaway @andrewhardaway.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

In a time where high single digit %iles are not getting funded, being told your grant was scored somewhere 1-25%ile is almost meaningless. I work my ass off submitting every grant. Other PIs work their asses off to review them. I want my score and my %ile. No good justification imo for not doing it.

1186

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Want to hear Connecticut-area scientists share their work before the movies? Check out @scienceonscreen at the @ctsciencecenter, presented by @RealArtWays. I’ll be speaking on 8/15 about “Fear as the Ultimate Teacher” before Point Break. More info: www.realartways.org/event/scienc...

030

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Happy to share that our lab’s research is featured in UConnToday! 🧠👅 Thanks to NIDCD, the Sciolino Lab, and our broader neuroscience community for their support. Read more: today.uconn.edu/2026/07/how-...

today.uconn.edu

How Brain Chemistry Changes What We Taste - UConn Today

NIH R01 grant awarded to assistant professor Natale Sciolino to explore the neuroscience of taste

060

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Looking for a postdoc? The @sciolinolab.bsky.social at UConn is hiring! We investigate how neuromodulatory systems interact with central taste processing regions to regulate behavior using in vivo recordings, optogenetics & mouse behavior. Apply: jobs.hr.uconn.edu/en-us/job/49...

11412

Reposted by Natale R. Sciolino, PhD

Andrew Hardaway @andrewhardaway.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

The final version of our paper examining how the CeA gates exogenous GLP-1 signals is now online: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Thanks to the funders (NIDDK and Whitehall) and all the lab members that made this happen.

sciencedirect.com

The central amygdala gates exogenous glucagon-like peptide 1 signals

Nuclei within the limbic system like the central amygdala (CeA) play a critical role in mediating fear, motivation, reward, and appetitive behavior. A…

0265

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Summer lab lunch to celebrate the start of our new NIH R01. Grateful for a great team and excited for the work ahead. 🔬

041

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

6/ Huge thanks to Will Fan and Paula To for driving this work, and to our collaborators, colleagues, and funding sources for their support.

000

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

5/ Together, these findings show that LC activity can reorganize cortical sensory geometry in a pattern-dependent manner. Here, we move beyond single-neuron changes to define how neuromodulation transforms population codes for behaviorally meaningful sensory features.

100

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

4/ Phasic LC activation enhanced palatability-related coding and expanded the dynamic range of taste representations along a palatability-relevant axis. It also transformed coding of sucrose–salt mixture ratio and sucrose concentration through axis stretching and rotation.

110

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

3/ Using miniscope calcium imaging in gustatory cortex with optogenetic LC activation in awake mice, we found that phasic LC activation bidirectionally modulated GC neurons. But the major effect was not simply more or less activity—it transformed population coding.

100

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

2/ Taste is a powerful model because tastants carry behavioral value: sucrose is highly palatable, quinine is aversive, and other tastants fall between. This let us test how LC-norepinephrine signaling shapes cortical representations of sensory value.

120

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

1/ New preprint from our lab: “Locus coeruleus activation transforms cortical taste representations” We asked how a major neuromodulatory system reshapes cortical taste coding toward behaviorally meaningful features. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

biorxiv.org

3105

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Yay, congratulations Alex and Matt!!! Huge accomplishment.

010

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Deeply grateful to the incredible trainees, collaborators, and mentors who helped make this possible — and to NIH / NIDCD for supporting this work. Excited for the science ahead.

010

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Happy to share that my lab received an NIH R01 award focused on studying how norepinephrine from the locus coeruleus shapes cortical taste coding, using imaging, optogenetics, fiber photometry, & behavior. Excited to explore how neuromodulatory dynamics shape hedonic regulation & decision-making.

8541

Reposted by Natale R. Sciolino, PhD

turrigiano.bsky.social @turrigiano.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Amazing job opportunity at Brandeis - we are looking for a new manager of our Light Microscopy Facility! Cool instruments, a great community to work with, lots of opportunities for growth - please circulate! brandeis.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Jobs/j...

brandeis.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com

Light Microscopy Facility Manager

The main purpose of this job is to bring cutting-edge light microscopy research approaches to Brandeis researchers and oversee the day-to-day operations of the Brandeis light microscopy facility. The ...

02729

Reposted by Natale R. Sciolino, PhD

Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) @achems.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Don't miss out! Join us for the next Career Networking Seminar on March 11th from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET. Sign up now: achems.org/web/semin...

012

Reposted by Natale R. Sciolino, PhD

Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) @achems.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

🎉Congratulations #AChemS2026 Career Award Winners! Don't miss their award presentations tonight at 7:30 PM.

054

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Proud of Malak Nechnach, former Sciolino lab undergrad, now heading to MIT for a postbac. Also, check out her cool lab swag!!! today.uconn.edu/2026/04/meet...

010

Reposted by Natale R. Sciolino, PhD

Scott Rich, Ph.D. @richcompneuro.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

It’s published… the first manuscript from the Rich Lab is officially typeset and published!!! What an absolutely surreal moment… that I’m going to try my best to enjoy while awaiting the results of a study section from last week 😅😅😅 journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...

1192

Reposted by Natale R. Sciolino, PhD

Ben Saunders @bensaunders.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Check out our latest research drop! We show BLA dopamine signaling encodes the emotional weight of sensory transitions, but not the associative strength or value of stimuli. These signals dynamically rescale when the learning context changes: "this matters most!" www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

biorxiv.org

36425

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

It was great to see the Hardaway lab’s exciting data on GLP1 in the central amygdala. We enjoyed your visit.

010

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

🎉 Congrats to Chris Engborg, former grad student, on his Neuroscience cover art! 🧠 Coronal brainstem sections show noradrenergic C1/A1 neurons in medulla labeled for CB1 receptor mRNA (magenta) & TH protein (green). Science makes beautiful art! #Neuroscience #CoverArt

050

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

6/ This context-dependent modulation hints at a more sophisticated role for CB1 signaling in emotional regulation. It may help explain why cannabinoid-based therapies show variable effects across individuals and conditions.

110

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

5/ Our findings? The absence of CB1 receptors in these neurons did not uniformly increase or decrease stress responses. Instead, the effects varied depending on the context—suggesting a nuanced, situation-specific role.

110

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

4/ Using conditional knockout models, we selectively deleted CB1 receptors from NE/EPI neurons. This allowed us to isolate their contribution to stress-related behaviors without affecting CB1 signaling elsewhere.

100

Natale R. Sciolino, PhD @sciolinolab.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

3/ We found CB1R transcript is widely found in NE and EPI neurons of C1/A1 and C2/A2, with sparse LC expression.

100