iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

How does early scientific discovery become real hope for patients? The 1st UCLA Neurology newsletter is here, illuminating @dgsomucla.bsky.social discoveries that can change lives. ✨ Read about researchers developing therapies for #Alzheimers, studying #Parkinsons disease, & more! t.co/ABSlAls3Uv

Picture of four lighthouses decreasing in size and increasing in brightness of the light shining.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

It’s heartbreaking to watch former NFL players struggle w/ memory loss, mood changes, & #CTE. New review from Drs. Giza & Prins at @dgsomucla.bsky.social traces how far the science has come. A real step toward better care. Read more: www.neurologic.theclinics.com/article/S073... #TBI #braininjury

An infographic mapping the biological and pathophysiological phases of traumatic brain injury (TBI) across time, from acute to chronic stages, influenced by the Bio-Psycho-Socio-Ecological (BPSE) prism of protective and risk factors leading to three primary outcomes: recovery/normal aging, persisting symptoms, or neurodegeneration.

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Feeling this heat wave? 🌞 Your brain is working hard to keep your body temperature in check & new work from the Correa lab at @dgsomucla.bsky.social shows how precisely tuned that system really is. Learn how specific hypothalamic neurons control core body temperature: t.co/Sbc0Y1qIra #hormones

A photomicrograph panel displays fluorescence immunostaining across twelve brain section panels arranged in a 3×4 grid, showcasing hypothalamic nuclei at different rostral-to-caudal coordinates:
* Top Row (Bregma 0.26 mm): Four panels showing coronal brain sections labeled with AVPV (anteroventral periventricular nucleus) and 3V (third ventricle), displaying cell nuclei stained blue (DAPI) and target protein/gene signal stained red (labeled ERα in the bottom left corner of the first panel). Dashed white lines outline the anatomical boundaries of the AVPV adjacent to the third ventricle.
* Middle Row (Bregma 0.14 mm): Four panels showing coronal sections labeled with MPO (medial preoptic area), MPN (medial preoptic nucleus), and 3V, with dashed white boundaries highlighting the MPN and MPO regions against blue nuclear staining and varying levels of red signal across conditions.
* Bottom Row: Four panels depicting coronal sections labeled with VMHvl (ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, ventrolateral part), ARH (arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus), and 3V, with dashed lines outlining the VMHvl and ARH regions adjacent to the base of the third ventricle.

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Proud to spotlight Patricia Nano, from @dgsomucla.bsky.social's Bhaduri Lab, explaining how brain organoids (3D mini brains) reveal new insight into human brain development & tumor formation; exactly the kind of multidisciplinary approach that closes the gap between basic research & therapeutics.

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Can electricity change how human brain cells work together? New study co-led by Genevieve Konopka at @dgsomucla.bsky.social used living brain tissue obtained during neurosurgery & found stimulation strengthened coordinated activity among groups of neurons. Read more: t.co/X2qjHw9WOY #neuroscience

Diagram and microelectrode array setup showing how living human brain tissue is studied. On the left, a schematic illustrates the human temporal cortex highlighted in green, followed by images of a resected temporal cortex tissue specimen placed in a dish. On the right, close-up photographs display the tissue mounted on a high-density microelectrode array chip measuring 4 mm by 2 mm for electrical stimulation and recording.

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Nature vs nurture, reframed. A new paper shows handedness preference is innate, but the skill gap between hands comes almost entirely from practice. Elbow writing wiped out the dominant advantage entirely. Small genetic bias, huge behavioral effect from experience. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Two photos showing a subject writing with their hand vs. with a pen taped to their elbow. Another panel showing the letters that were generated in each condition, broken down by dominant vs non-dominant hand.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

@dgsomucla.bsky.social researchers w/ @intlbrainlab.bsky.social built massive, open neuro datasets w/ brain-wide Neuropixels recordings from hundreds of mice making perceptual decisions. New paper adds novel angle to that dataset: recordings from aged mice. Read more: t.co/0nMohonqou #Neuroscience

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Why can't we remember things from infancy? New from @ladenardo.bsky.social @dgsomucla.bsky.social lab: brain region called retrosplenial cortex physically matures on same timeline memories shift from fleeting to permanent. Great insight on how architecture of #memory itself develops: t.co/m4Rsx1vsVV

A 2x3 grid of fluorescence microscopy images comparing retrocortical / retrosplenial cortex (RSP) neuronal labeling across three developmental stages (Infant, Juvenile, Adult) under two behavioral conditions: CFC (Contextual Fear Conditioning, top row) and NS (Non-Shocked control, bottom row). Cell nuclei are stained in blue (DAPI), with active neuronal ensembles labeled in magenta/pink (TRAP, Fos) marked by dashed white circles.

Summary of the Image Content:
* Columns (Age Groups): Displays the progression of retrosplenial cortex maturation from Infant to Juvenile and Adult.
* Rows (Conditions):
* CFC (Top): Shows context-dependent fear conditioning memory-evoked cellular activation.
* NS (Bottom): Shows baseline/non-shocked control activation.
* Markers: Fluorescent staining highlights TRAP (tdTomato), Fos expression, and DAPI nuclear counterstain, demonstrating an increase in specific, learning-evoked ensemble reactivation as animals mature.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Congrats to Linda Liau @dgsomucla.bsky.social Neurosurgery Chair on receiving the 2026 UCLA Younes Nazarian Medical Humanitarian Prize. She transformed how glioblastoma is treated, pioneering awake brain surgeries, making inoperable tumors operable, & developed 1st personalized brain cancer vaccine.

Linda Liao smiling while sitting in a lab wearing a white lab coat with a blue scrubs top.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Meet Jade Fachin, a graduate student studying sensory neurons in @dgsomucla.bsky.social @daboussi.bsky.social lab. Federal funding freezes hit her research directly, creating both financial & intellectual constraints on the work she loves. Hear her reflections in a new #UCLA podcast: t.co/7RYHRGMay5

Jade Fachin smiling while standing in a lab at UCLA, wearing a white lab coat and blue safety gloves.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The brain is not 1-size-fits-all. Rhonda Voskuhl at @dgsomucla has spent decades studying how biological sex shapes vulnerability to MS & neurodegeneration. The same disease progresses very differently in men & women. bri.ucla.edu/people/rhonda-voskuhl/

bri.ucla.edu

Rhonda Voskuhl, M.D. – UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI)

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

How are neuroscientists at @dgsomucla.bsky.social using AI to advance research, and what human oversight is still critical? Listen in on insights from our Chair @annechurchland.bsky.social! #UCLA #Neuroscience #AI #ArtificialIntelligence

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

The developing brain isn't just a biological puzzle; it's a metabolic one. New paper from Aparna Bhaduri's lab at @dgsomucla.bsky.social creates 1st metabolic atlas of early human cortex, revealing glucose metabolism plays direct role in shaping which cell types the brain produces: t.co/VcIW6QaWet

These are images of cortical organoids stained for SOX2, CTIP2, and DAPI (columns) at weeks 5, 8, 10, 12, and 15 (rows). Ratio of SOX2 or CTIP2 to DAPI+ cells. Data are from 3 stem cell lines (KOLF, circles; UCLA6, squares; UCLA1, triangles), 13–40 technical replicates are used for each time point, w/ unique regions of organoids across all three stem cell lines. Adjacent time points compared only.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Theoretical & computational neuroscience is a fast-emerging strength at @dgsomucla.bsky.social. We're proud of our #UCLA neuroscience PhD students here attending the prestigious @mblscience.bsky.social Methods in Computational Neuroscience course taught by @annechurchland.bsky.social. #Neuroscience

Students sitting at a table with laptops open while listening to Anne Churchland presenting a screen showing the impact of cognitive states.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

A new award from the @simonsfoundation.org recognizes research from @dgsomucla.bsky.social's João Couto. His ultra-high-throughput approach for measuring neural activity has the potential to tackle unanswered questions in #autism research. Learn more: www.simonsfoundation.org/2026/07/31/a... #UCLA

João Cuoto smiling with his arms crossed while wearing a gray shirt, standing in front of a brick and cement arch outside of Royce Hall at UCLA.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

What helps a memory stick? New UCLA-affiliated preprint found front & back of the hippocampus show different patterns of brain & gene activity during successful memory formation. Image shows 2 regions, suggesting different parts of hippocampus may support memory in different ways. t.co/rhIfO0AJMH

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Why can quizzing yourself help more than just rereading? In a now-classic #UCLA study, people tried to answer questions before seeing the correct answers. Even when their first guesses were wrong, they remembered more later than people who only read the material. t.co/9p8jqYRkDr #backtoschool

Bar graph comparing test scores between a "Read-only" group and a "Test" group across four experiment conditions (Three, Four, Five, Six), showing that the Test group consistently scored higher in performance.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

How does an experience become a lasting memory? #UCLA researchers reviewed how brain regions work together as memories form. This image highlights the hippocampus & retrosplenial cortex (2 areas involved in learning) & the connections between their brain cells. Read more: doi.org/10.1002/hipo...

$A line graph labeled "A" showing total sleep time ($t_{sleep}$) in hours per day plotted against age on a log scale. The graph displays a sharp, non-linear decline in sleep duration from infancy to early childhood, which plateaus around age 2–3 into adolescence and adulthood.$

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

#Sleep is not time away from learning, but part of the process. UCLA-affiliated researchers, including #UCLA BRI leader Gina Poe, found that sleep helps the brain reorganize connections early in development and supports repair & cleanup later. Read more: science.org/doi/10.1126/... #Learning

$A scatter plot graph labeled "B" showing the relationship between Age (top x-axis) and $\ln(t_R/t_S)$ (y-axis). A linear regression line with a strong negative slope illustrates a steep decrease in the ratio during early development ($y = -0.60x - 1.22$, $R^2 = 0$

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

#BackToSchool: The emotions you experience while learning shape what you remember & how. New #UCLA @davidclewett.bsky.social study finds negative emotional experiences act as dividers in memory w/ implications for learning under stress & understanding #PTSD. t.co/JxoIPrZuP3 #Memory #Neuroscience

Diagram illustrating an experimental study design on memory and emotion, divided into Encoding and Retrieval phases. The Encoding phase shows a timeline of neutral images interrupted by a negative emotional image, where participants either view or reappraise the image and rate its likeability. The Retrieval phase tests participants on event order ("Which came first?") and temporal distance ("How far apart?") between pairs of items.

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Today's PhD students are the first to train alongside powerful AI; real opportunities & challenges for scientific publishing. This Science piece addresses both. We are committed to training @dgsomucla.bsky.social students to navigate this w rigor & integrity. science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aek5570

science.org

AI in scientific publishing: Slower, worse, and more expensive

There’s a saying in the management world, popularized by NASA administrator Daniel Goldin in the 1990s, that the goal of technological improvements is to make products faster, better, and cheaper. Alt...

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Meet the UCLA Neuroscience Theory Club, a student-led group dedicated to one of the most exciting emerging strengths at @dgsomucla.bsky.social: theoretical & computational approaches to understanding the brain. These students are building that culture from the ground up, on their own initiative. 🧠

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Congrats to Mika Holtz & Syon Mansur, @dgsomucla.bsky.social PhD students who earned NSF Graduate Research Fellowships this year, a highly competitive award in science. But awards like this are rare & most brilliant students depend on PI grants & the philanthropic support that supports our program.

Split image of UCLA neuroscience PhD students Mika Holtz (left) and Syon Mansur (right) smiling outdoors in front of flowering trees and bushes.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

At @dgsomucla.bsky.social undergrads don't just take classes; they do real science. Elena Kong is studying how the brain develops in Down syndrome, work that could point toward new therapeutic targets & improve quality of life. This is what hands-on scientific training looks like. 🧠 #DownSyndrome

Elena Kong standing in front of her poster about understanding the role of inhibitory interneurons in brain development, including in Down syndrome.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Meet the newest generation of UCLA neuroscientists. Last year's incoming PhD trainees are now joining labs & beginning research that will define the next chapter of brain science. They arrived full of curiosity & ambition during trying times & we are proud to have them at @dgsomucla.bsky.social!

Newest generation of UCLA neuroscientists standing in three rows on stairs outside of UCLA.

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability & most survivors never fully recover. Tom Carmichael, chair of Neurology at @dgsomucla.bsky.social, has identified a drug that mimics physical rehabilitation by restoring brain rhythms disrupted by #stroke. A pill for stroke recovery. t.co/a646Zo6j5c

A three-panel scientific figure comparing brain structures across three conditions: Sham, Stroke, and Stroke + Rehab. The top row shows high-resolution fluorescence microscopy images of green dendritic spines on neurons, displaying loss of spines after stroke and recovery with rehab. The lower panels present outline diagrams of the mouse brain mapping functional motor and somatosensory cortical areas (labeled cRFA, iRFA, and SS) with highlighted connections.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Did you know different genetic risks for autism may lead to shared changes in the brain? A UCLA-led study examined hundreds of thousands of individual brain cells & found common patterns across specific brain cell types. Read more: t.co/WgNFJZfdi3 #UCLA #autism #neurodevelopment #genetics

A single-cell transcriptomic t-SNE or UMAP scatter plot displaying distinct cell-type clusters mapped in different colors. The plot categorizes major brain cell types, including:
1. OPC (pink/magenta cluster, labeled with sub-clusters OPC1, OPC2, OPC3)
2. Astrocyte (orange/red cluster, labeled ASTRO1, ASTRO2, ASTRO3)
3. Microglia (tan cluster, labeled MG1, MG2, MG3)
4. Endo (olive green cluster, labeled BBB_Endo)
5. BBB (green cluster, including Pericyte and BBB_SM)
6. ODC (purple/magenta cluster, labeled ODC1, ODC2, ODC3)
7. Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons (blue and purple clusters along the bottom, including labels like EXT_4_L56, EXT_9_L6, INT_5_SST, INT_4_VIP_CR, and INT_6_PV).

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

July 22 is #WorldBrainDay. This year's #BrainHealthforAllAges theme couldn't be closer to home. At @dgsomucla.bsky.social we study how brains change over a lifespan, from young animals making flexible decisions to older ones shifting strategies ways we're only beginning to understand t.co/QO0dkfZx3e

This image was made with spectral confocal reflectance (SCoRe) and fluorescence confocal imaging. The image reveals heterogeneous myelin morphologies associated with amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits in 3-month-old 5xFAD male mouse brain. From Hong-wei Dong's lab and published in Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 2026.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Day 1 #BrainHealthWeek. Read how Jonathan Kao is creating life-changing AI-powered brain-computer interfaces at @dgsomucla.bsky.social that help people w/ paralysis fold laundry, open doors & pick up objects w/ only brain signals & a wearable headset t.co/4ZZqqyuwkf #brainhealth #assistivetechnology

A photograph of a laboratory setting demonstrating a non-invasive brain-computer interface system.

In the foreground: A person in a wheelchair is seen from behind, wearing a dark blue EEG fabric cap with multiple white electrodes wired across it to capture brain signals. They are facing a desk setup.

On the desk: A robotic arm with a white finish is positioned in the center near small colored blocks. To the left, a computer monitor shows a visual feed or interface, and to the right, another monitor displays lines of code. A tripod stands behind the desk, and a whiteboard in the background has a list of handwritten rules partially visible, starting with "1. A robot may not injure a human being...".

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Neurobiologist @daboussi.bsky.social at @dgsomucla.bsky.social makes science accessible to everyone. Here she breaks down striking Nature paper showing COVID-19 mRNA vaccines nearly doubled 3-year survival in lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy, doing far more than expected. t.co/GsfdxZaXUC

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

A new study including @dgsomucla.bsky.social's Gal Bitan reports an RNA aptamer that blocks alpha-synuclein from clumping & breaks apart existing aggregates — a key driver of Parkinson's disease. Early-stage research in fruit flies, but that's exactly how it starts. t.co/iAWM1DVGkg #parkinsons

A scientific figure consisting of a line graph and an electron microscopy image.

On the left: A line graph plotted on axes of "Relative fluorescence" (y-axis, ranging from 0 to 50) and "Incubation (h)" (x-axis, ranging from 0 to 100). A green data point with a horizontal error bar is plotted at approximately $x = 100, y = 50$, with a thin black line connecting it back to a point at $(0,0)$.

On the right: A green-bordered, high-magnification electron micrograph showing a fiber-like structure (indicated by a black arrow) with small round particles bound to it (indicated by two red arrowheads pointing to them).

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Joaquin Fuster is 95 & still at @dgsomucla.bsky.social talking science w/ students. In 1971 he discovered prefrontal neurons stay active during memory delays: the neural basis of working memory. Sharing a campus w/ someone whose work shaped the field is one of the great joys of academic science.

UCLA Professors Anne Churchland, Joaquin Fuster, and Alex Huk are smiling, standing behind trainee Sufia Ahmad and Professor Alicia Izquierdo who are sitting at a wooden table.

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Glioblastoma tumor cells behave like cells from a developing brain, proliferating w/o normal controls. Aparna Bhaduri's lab at @dgsomucla.bsky.social is using what we know about cortical development to understand why & find new therapeutic targets. Neuroscience meets cancer biology. t.co/VLyfqOEpPv

A scientific flow chart and diagram titled "Tumor Periphery," "Hypoxia and Immune Response States," and "Tumor Core," illustrating the microenvironment and cellular transitions of Glioblastoma (GBM).

Tumor Core: Shown on the bottom left as a brain illustration with a highlighted red tumor mass, leading into an "Immune-infiltrated" cellular cluster, as well as "Vascular" and "Neurovascular" cell types.

Hypoxia and Immune Response States: A central circular pathway depicts transitions between "MES progenitor" cells and "MES" cells, alongside dividing cells.

Tumor Periphery: The right side of the diagram details "Neurodevelopmental States," showing progenitor cells (RG and oRG) differentiating into neural lineages including neurons (purple), oligodendrocytes (green), astrocytes (blue), NPCs, and OPCs.

Arrows indicate the dynamic cellular plasticities and cycling between these different states and regions. A citation reads "Martija A, Bhaduri A. 2026. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 49:19-37”

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

We think of elite footballers as physical specimens & they are. But watch the goalkeeper. When a penalty is struck, the ball travels at up to 80mph, giving keeper ~200 milliseconds to process the ball's trajectory, & execute a full-body dive. The brain is the most underrated organ on the pitch.

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Chair @annechurchland.bsky.social tried Claude Science as a skeptic & was genuinely surprised. It found new insight on lab's published neural data — inspired by work on neural geometry — that they hadn't done themselves. Fact-checking still underway, but clever analysis. Her verdict: worth trying.

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UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Parkinson's is the fastest growing neurological disorder & aging alone can't explain it. A @dgsomucla.bsky.social study links air toxics in CA's Central Valley to #parkinsons risk. Nickel, benzene & 1,3-butadiene all show striking associations. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969726006637

$Choropleth map of California's Central Valley focusing on Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties, illustrating workplace exposure levels to Nickel measured in nanograms per cubic meter ($\text{ng/m}^3$). A legend labeled "A. Nickel ($\text{ng/m}^3$)" categorizes exposure into five color-coded ranges from pale beige ($1.56 - 1.86$) to dark red ($2.04 - 2.23$), with Kern and Fresno counties highlighted in the highest concentration tiers.$

UCLA Neuroscience Theme @uclaneurotheme.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Tonight’s fireworks are a full-brain workout: color and motion engage the visual system, booms recruit multisensory circuits, surprise triggers dopamine, and watching together amplifies the experience. Evolution built us to find meaning in sensation. Happy 4th from @UCLA Neuroscience!