iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The 2026 ECNS Annual Meeting @magrochester.bsky.social kicks off today; be sure to catch flash talks by our grad students, @abigailbossa.bsky.social and @skylardewitt.bsky.social this afternoon! #URochesterResearch #Neuroskyence @urneuroscience.bsky.social Schedule and registration: bit.ly/4y8GkxI

Flyer for the 2026 ECNS Annual Meeting with white and yellow text on a dark blue sky background with image of the front entrance of the Memorial Art Gallery building and trees, reading: EEG & Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS) Annual Meeting 2026, September 22-24, 2026, at the Memorial Art Gallery, Hosted by The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Scan QR Code Below or Click Here to Register"; logos at the bottom for University of Rochester Medicine, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience and ECNS, Electroencephaolography and Clinical Neuroscience Society.

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Last week, PhD Candidate @abigailbossa.bsky.social attended the NIH Translational Research Scholars Event at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences! Congratulations, Abby! #neuroskyence #science #URochesterResearch #NIH #NCATS @ur-ctsi.bsky.social @urochestersmd.bsky.social

A group of smiling people, including Abigail Bossa, PhD Candidate and ZVR Lab member, stand and kneel as they pose for a group photo in an office space with a sign in the background reading NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Over 52,000 comments have already been submitted to stop the OMB's proposed rule, and there's still time to submit before comments close tonight. #standupforscience

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

This summer, we're excited to have two NEUROCITY summer scholars from @cuny.edu join @zvrlab.bsky.social for a 9-week research intensive program exploring #neuroskyence! Welcome to #URochesterResearch @urochestersmd.bsky.social Elaine and Joel! 🧠 🧵1/2

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Today, May 21, is Global #Accessibility Awareness Day! To increase my own awareness, and learn more about how to make digital content, including content about our own #URochesterResearch, more accessible, I'm attending a free training today. Link to join in this thread. 🌎🧑‍💻 accessibility.day 🧵1/2

accessibility.day

GAAD

Thursday, May 15, 2025, help us celebrate the 14th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)! The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, ...

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Interested in participating in a #URochesterResearch study @urochester.bsky.social? Click the link below to visit the newly redesigned Health Research and Clinical Trials Website from @ur-ctsi.bsky.social! ⤵️ www.urmc.rochester.edu/clinical-res...

urmc.rochester.edu

Health Research and Clinical Trials | URochester Medicine

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Meet the ZVR Lab team: Saishruthi Donthula, Undergrad RA: “I’m interested in how we can translate neuroscience research into clinical applications to better understand and treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. Fun fact: I like pizza crust more than the actual pizza!” 🧠 🍕 #URochesterResearch

Photo of Saishruthi Donthula (Sai), a woman with long dark hair wearing a white lab coat and holding VR goggles, standing in front of the ZVR Lab sign and smiling.

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Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience @urneuroscience.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Save the date! Looking forward to our NEUROYES speaker, this Thursday 👇 Christian Cazares, PhD, of University of California San Diego Talk title: Cross-scale electrophysiological biomarkers of cortical dysfunction and behavior in Rett syndrome Learn more about NEUROYES: buff.ly/louTYM1

Christian Cazares, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Cognitive Science
University of California San Diego
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 10:00-11:00 AM
3-6408- K-307 Auditorium (In-person only)
Cross-scale electrophysiological biomarkers of cortical dysfunction and behavior in Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder mostly caused by mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene and characterized by developmental regression in speech and motor skills, yet no reliable biomarkers capture symptom heterogeneity across scales from neurobiology to behavior. Progress has been limited in part by fragmentation across model systems and recording modalities, where findings from patient EEG and animal electrophysiology are interpreted within separate frameworks. My research addresses this by organizing across scales around a shared analytical measure: the aperiodic exponent, a physics-based feature of neural activity that can be derived from the power spectra of any electrophysiological recording, from scalp EEG to intracranial probes. I will present converging evidence establishing the aperiodic exponent as a translational biomarker of cortical dysfunction in Rett syndrome. By applying spectral parameterization to patient scalp EEG, I show that the aperiodic exponent is reduced in Rett syndrome and negatively associated with visual reception and clinical severity. Intracranial recordings in female MECP2 heterozygous mice reveal that this signature is recapitulated across cortical layers in visual cortex. These animals also exhibit impaired visual acuity, reduced contrast sensitivity, and postural and gait abnormalities. Ongoing immunohistochemistry and single-nucleus RNA sequencing will connect these electrophysiological and behavioral phenotypes to cell-type-specific molecular disruptions. By treating the same measure as a translational bridge across patients and experimental models, these findings use cross-species convergence to lay the groundwork for transforming subjective

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Lauren Atlas @laurenatlas.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

NIH is requesting comments on a new draft policy that may require human brain imaging data (and other data) from nih-funded research to only be shared via controlled access, & only with certain countries. I suggest neuroimagers read closely & submit comments by 3/18. osp.od.nih.gov/comment-form...

osp.od.nih.gov

Comment Form: Draft NIH Controlled-Access Data Policy and Proposed Revisions to NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Science Policy (OSP): Request for Information on Draft NIH Controlled-Access Data Policy and Proposed Revisions to NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

🧠📣A University of Rochester #neuroscience discovery was selected for this year’s #STATMadness! I’m excited to see our #URochesterResearch competing with top institutions in the country! @urochester.bsky.social @urochestersmd.bsky.social 🗳️VOTE HERE DAILY to help advance in the bracket: urmc.info/1ra

urmc.info

STAT Madness Application

STAT Madness identifies the top discoveries in biomedicine. Nominations go head to head in a fun March Madness style bracket contest.

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Our favorite PI had a #birthday this week. :) Happy Birthday, @zvr-bsj.bsky.social! We love doing #URochesterResearch with you! 🧠🎂

Picture of Ben Suarez-Jimenez, smiling while wearing a white Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience lab coat and VR goggles. ZVR Lab sign is in the background.

Portrait of Ben Suarez-Jimenez by Charmaine Wheatley. Ben is pictured with brown hair and glasses, wearing a blue shirt and coat and lanyard with ZVR Lab and Safe Space pins. Text in bubble reads: My lab creates video games.

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Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience @urneuroscience.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Why do some people get motion sickness while using a VR headset? #URochesterResearcher find it may be because VR doesn't factor in how the eyes are move while looking at a scene buff.ly/M4xRA2H

woman with short curly hair wears VR headset and leather jacket

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

The 25th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Address @urochester.bsky.social is on January 29, with keynote speaker Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. Registration for this free event (in-person or virtual) closes tomorrow, January 22 ⤵️ events.rochester.edu/event/mlk-ad...

events.rochester.edu

25th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

Got 2 minutes? Click the link to send an email to your Reps and Senators to restore incremental funding and ensure timely grant awards at the NIH: actnow.aamc.org/a/take-actio... (I did this today and it was super easy.) #neuroskyence #research

actnow.aamc.org

AAMC Action | Take Action: Tell Congress to Prioritize NIH-funded research

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

We're excited to welcome Julia Gauberg, MSc, PhD, of @ucsandiego.bsky.social to our NEUROYES speaker series! Dr. Gauberg will present "NFIA links neuromuscular circuit assembly to metabolic resilience in motor neurons." 🗓️Thursday, February 5 at 10am #URochesterResearch @urneuroscience.bsky.social

Flyer for University of Rochester Young Investigator Extramural Seminar Series (NEUROYES) with text reading:
NEURO-YES Visiting Speaker (Hosted by Neuroscience dept)
Julia Gauberg, MSc, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Neurobiology
University of California San Diego
Thursday, February 5, 2026, 10:00-11:00 AM
3-6408- K-307 Auditorium (In-person only)
NFIA links neuromuscular circuit assembly to metabolic resilience in motor neurons

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

2025 was quite the year! We celebrated a publication, graduation, and a thesis competition! Congratulations, @zvrlab.bsky.social, I'm excited to see what 2026 holds for our #URochesterResearch. 🎉📸

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Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience @urneuroscience.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Following her favorite advice- “Do what you enjoy, do what you love.” Dr. Francis joins #URochesterResearch to study transdiagnostic symptoms, like compulsivity, of neurodevelopmental disorders, aiming to impact individuals regardless of their diagnosis @urochestersmd.bsky.social

urmc.rochester.edu

Faculty Q&A: Sunday Francis, PhD

The assistant professor of Neuroscience, researches transdiagnostic symptoms (TMS), like compulsivity, of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). She aims to impact individuals regardless of their diagnos...

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

ICYMI: @phildeming.bsky.social presented his🧠research at the first installment of the @urneuroscience.bsky.social #NEUROYES speaker series on December 11 @urochestersmd.bsky.social. Thank you, Dr. Deming! (Next up in February: Dr. Julia Gauberg from @ucsandiego.bsky.social) #URochesterResearch

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

🏆Thrilled to report that PhD student @abigailbossa.bsky.social earned FIRST PLACE in the 3-Minute Thesis Competition! Abby presented "From Brain Scans to Solutions: Understanding How Trauma and the Environment Shapes the Brain". Congratulations, Abby! #URochesterResearch @urochestersmd.bsky.social

Abigail Bossa stands in front of a large projector screen in an auditorium, holding a microphone while delivering her 3-Minute Thesis to the audience. Slide text: "From Brain Scans to Solutions: Understanding How Trauma and the Environment Shapes the Brain, Abigail Bossa, PhD Candidate in Translational Biomedical Science. Background & Importance: Trauma can lead to emotional distress and PTSD; Some people stay mentally healthy and resilient to PTSD symptoms; Others experience behavioral changes and live in a constant state of fear. Research Focus & Methods: Identifying brain changes that protect people from the development of PTSD; labeled illustrations of VR goggles and an MRI machine; Socio-economic factors & the environment. Ultimate Goal & Implications: Biomarker for Resilience; Guide personalized interventions; Trauma prevention strategies & policies.

Abigail Bossa stands in a room in front of a chalkboard, smiling as she holds up her 3-Minute Thesis Competition awards, Sub-Heat Winner and First Place Winner.

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Today at 4pm in 104 Hoyt Auditorium @urochester.bsky.social, our own @abigailbossa.bsky.social competes as a finalist in the 3 Minute Thesis Final Competition! Best of luck Abby! 🌟 Reception & awards ceremony following this FREE event: events.rochester.edu/event/three-...

events.rochester.edu

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Final Competition

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Jacob Simon (says) @jacobsimonsays.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

14-year-old invents emergency origami structure, all manta and devil rays get protections, 100,000 free school lunches in London, turning hopelessness into kind deeds… How are you making the planet better?

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

Today is World Kindness Day. #Kindness is one of our core values in the ZVR Lab. How will you spread kindness today? #WorldKindnessDay #URochesterResearch #neuroskyence

Image of a word cloud in the shape of the letter Z, with the words representing the core values of ZVR Lab, including Kindness, Respect, Accountability, Accessibility, Collaboration, Empathy, Curiosity, Honesty, Academic Integrity, Appreciation, Acknowledgement, Safe Space, Quality over Quantity.

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

🎃Happy Halloween from the @zvrlab.bsky.social FBI (Functional Brain Investigation)! Our investigators are off to identify the elusive psychological & neural signatures of #PTSD and #anxiety disorders. 🧠 #URochesterResearch #neuroimaging #neuroskyence @zvr-bsj.bsky.social @urneuroscience.bsky.social

Five people walk down a hallway, dressed all in black and wearing badges reading FBI (Functional Brain Investigators).

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Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience @urneuroscience.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

Sometimes it only takes 5 minutes to spark a new collaboration – our annual Seeds for Collaboration featured researchers studying intellectual and developmental disabilities, mercury, and rapidly testing many drugs #URochesterResearch @wilmotcancer.bsky.social @urochestersmd.bsky.social

Person presenting to a group in a lecture hall

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Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience @urneuroscience.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

There's still time to register! 👇

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Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience @urneuroscience.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Dr. Steve Goldman has taken his research from birds to people, demonstrating that stimulating natural brain processes may help repair damaged neural networks in Huntington's & other diseases #URochesterResearch 🎧Latest episode of Neuroscience Perspectives w/ @johnfoxe.bsky.social

youtu.be

Can the Brain Be Repaired by Replacing Its Cells?

YouTube video by Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

On September 17, the @urochester.bsky.social School of Medicine and Dentistry celebrated 100 years of #meloria (ever better). Happy #centennial, @urochestersmd.bsky.social! 🎂

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Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience @urneuroscience.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

How does alcohol impact brain cells? Mariah Marrero in the Arefin Lab @urochestersmd.bsky.social uses advanced imaging techniques to study the impact alcohol use disorders have on astrocytes & the brain's communication network #URochesterResearch In a Neuro Minute🧠

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Excellent writing by @lucinauddin.bsky.social on the importance of multinational collaboration in #neuroscience research, and how US mandates are jeopardizing both funding and data access for international partners. 🧵1/2

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

Congratulations to our favorite PI, Ben Suarez-Jimenez, on this new publication! 👏 @zvr-bsj.bsky.social @urneuroscience.bsky.social #neuroskyence #neuroimaging #fear #conditioning

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Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience @urneuroscience.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Some brains may be wired for pain—before it even starts On Neuroscience Perspectives, Dr. @paulgeha.bsky.social discusses groundbreaking research on brain pathways that predict chronic pain risk 🎧 Full episode → bit.ly/4n7nAt9 @johnfoxe.bsky.social @urochestersmd.bsky.social #podcast

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

It's always bittersweet when a lab member says goodbye! 😭 Shreya Bavdekar is off to new adventures at @colorado.edu. Best of luck Shreya, your future is bright! We appreciate you. ❤️🌟 #URochesterResearch @urochestersmd.bsky.social @zvr-bsj.bsky.social @urneuroscience.bsky.social

Image of a large wall mounted computer monitor with text reading "THANK YOU, SHREYA!!! WE'LL MISS YOU!!" and various photos of of Shreya at poster presentations, the UR PREP Symposium and in the ZVR Lab with lab members.

Six ZVR Lab members smile and pose for a photo in the lab with Shreya, including, in the front row, Tanya Garg, Shreya Bavdekar, and Melanie Snell, and in the back row, Skylar DeWitt, Abigail Bossa, and Caitlin Sharp.

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

So happy to see our NEUROCITY Scholars @urneuroscience.bsky.social making the most of their summer at @urochestersmd.bsky.social! 🌞🧠 #URochesterResearch #neuroskyence #science

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Jacob Simon (says) @jacobsimonsays.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

What’s going right in the world: 30 Indigenous communities won against a gold mine, turning plastic into painkillers, Poland moves to renewables, saving earthworms along a posting route… What’s your story?

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Congratulations to the 4! new Mental Health First Aid certified members of our 🧠lab, Skylar DeWitt, Abigail Bossa, Tanya Garg, and Caitlin Sharp! 🎉 #URochesterResearch @skylardewitt.bsky.social @abigailbossa.bsky.social Find more info on this training @urochestersmd.bsky.social: ⤵️ bit.ly/4lG1pZZ

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Congratulations to our favorite PI, @zvr-bsj.bsky.social, et al., on this recent publication in universitypress.cambridge.org, "PTSD subtypes and their underlying neural biomarkers: a systematic review"! #PTSD #research #neuroimaging #neuroskyence 🧠

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Looks like a happy little #neuron to me! Must be all of those connections! #neuroscience #brainthings #science 🧠😉

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ZVR Lab @zvrlab.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Please join us in congratulating Shreya Bavdekar and the 2025 URMC PREP cohort on their outstanding presentations at the PREP Symposium! Next up for Shreya: @colorado.edu! 🎓👏 #URochesterResearch #neuroskyence @zvr-bsj.bsky.social @jackofrogy.bsky.social @urochestersmd.bsky.social 🧵1/3

Six people stand and pose for a photo at the URMC PREP Symposium on June 17, 2025. From left to right, Brook Melon, PREP Program Coordinator, PREP Program Directors Elaine Smolock and Jacques Robert, Caitlin Sharp (Shreya's Bench Mentor), Shreya Bavdekar (holding her program completion certificate), and our favorite PI (and Shreya's Mentor), Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez.

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