The Cellular and Synaptic Actions of Dopamine During Behavior https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.05.742858v1

Dopamine dips during unrewarded actions promote punishment-resistant reward seeking https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.01.742224v1

Thrilled to share the latest work from the lab dissecting the neurotransmitter basis of astrocyte calcium responses in the striatum, which reflect cholinergic and dopaminergic neuromodulation and are disrupted in a PD mouse model. Beautiful work from superstar postdoc @scred62.bsky.social and team

Wesley R. Evans@scred62.bsky.social · 4w ago

I am so excited to share with the community my newest pre-printed manuscript w/ my mentor @brainsonmymind.bsky.social investigating striatal astrocytes and neuromodulation in Parkinsonian conditions! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Hey #RSA2026, we have open #postdoc slots on our #NIAAA T32 training grant - apply now!!! medicine.musc.edu/departments/...

NIAAA T32 Training Grant

Trainees are provided with mentorship and direct training, as well as didactic lessons that stress both clinical and basic science aspects of alcohol abuse.

medicine.musc.edu

Come check out our session on astrocytes and alcohol-related behaviors this afternoon 3:10-4:40p in Lone Star B (2nd floor) #RSA2026

Cherish Ardinger, PhD@cherishardinger.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Good morning, fellow @rsaofficial.bsky.social attendees! I am so excited to co-chair our session “Dancing with the stars: emerging roles for astrocytes in alcohol-related behaviors” today with @brainsonmymind.bsky.social 3:10-4:40 pm ⭐️🧠 I hope to see you there for an exciting session! #RSA2026

Excited to share the newest work from the lab, examining the role of dorsal striatum astrocytes and neurons in alcohol stimulation. Huge congrats to superstar postdoc @cherishardinger.bsky.social and the team on this beautiful work! www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

Cherish Ardinger, PhD@cherishardinger.bsky.social · 2mo ago

You’re at the bar having that first drink of the night 🍻 the excited, energized feeling you may have is the “stimulant response” to alcohol - a risk factor for alcohol use disorder. We researched an understudied cell-type’s role in this response #neuroskyence www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

Really excited to finally have this paper published 🎉🎊. A true team effort spanning many years and multiple lab members. Special thanks to former MS student Amanda Salazar for launching the project and current PhD student Tatiyana Adkins for leading the final push. Proud of everyone who contributed!

SfN Journals@sfnjournals.bsky.social · 2mo ago

#JNeurosci: Adkins et al. explored how binge alcohol exposure and protracted abstinence impact the S1-insular circuit in mice, revealing how alcohol can reshape sensory processing to drive alcohol use disorder-related behavior. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1588-25.2026

So I built a small tool that merges Allen CCFv3 with the traditional bregma-relative coordinate system (calibrated with Paxinos & Franklin's Atlas). Click any coronal or sagittal section, and get coordinates instantly. bohanzhao.com/Atlas Hope it saves someone a headache 🐭

Mouse Brain Stereotaxic Coordinate Viewer

Free interactive tool: enter bregma-relative AP/ML/DV coordinates to navigate Allen Mouse Brain Atlas coronal and sagittal sections. Brain regions identified in real time.

bohanzhao.com

Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons Signal Aversion and Drive Avoidance https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.27.728172v1

Spontaneous locus coeruleus bursts coincide withtransient global brain state changes similar to thoseelicited by surprise https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.19.726177v1

We are hiring a postdoc! We study neural activity and movement using holographic optogenetics, imaging, and recordings in awake mice. My first postdoc, Masashi, is starting his own lab, so now we have an opening. Seeking candidates excited about circuits, optics, coding, or ephys. oldenburglab.com

Oldenburg Lab

Decoding the motor system through the use of multiphoton holographic optogenetics.

oldenburglab.com

Very happy to share the work of Ivan Linares +coauthors who carried this whole project from behavioral task development to long term imaging of striatal neurons through learning to analysis of their behavior-related activity and its flexibility over time. Well done all!

bioRxiv Neuroscience@biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Learning shapes neural codes for sensory-motor integration in the tail of the striatum https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.05.722944v1

Do brain circuits really sit in a 'soup' of neuromodulators? Are neurons like soggy bits of bread soaked in signaling factors? Is the whole brain just squelching around in one big pool of warm modulators?

Please share widely. The new (simpler) MIRA R35 for Early Stage Investigators (ESI) NOFO is published. First due date is 10/2/2026. files.simpler.grants.gov/opportunitie...

FINALLY HR has the posting up for a postdoc opening in my lab ! Particularly interested in folks with electrophysiology, photometry, or behavioral experience. www.gwu.jobs/postings/125...

🚨Exiting new preprint from Lerner Lab postdoc AJ Miller-Hansen examining the thalamus as a physiological driver of local, acetylcholine-dependent dopamine release! 🚨 DA-ACh interactions have been 🔥but what’s really going on in vivo? We think we have some answers. #neuroskyence🧪

bioRxiv Neuroscience@biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Thalamus orchestrates local acetylcholine-dependent dopamine release in the learning striatum https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.08.723861v1

Incredibly excited to share the latest published work from the lab: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/.... Using a range of techniques, including closed-loop optogenetics, we show that the ACC modulates pupil linked arousal in real time. Great summary of our findings here: scienceblog.com/your-brain-h...

The anterior cingulate cortex modulates pupil-linked arousal

The anterior cingulate cortex modulates pupil-linked arousal in real time.

science.org

Posting for Vibhu Sahni: Due to unforeseen circumstances the Burke Neurological Institute will have to terminate its research operations 5/22. There are international postdocs on visas who are looking for new homes. Please reach out to Vibhu if you can help

Happy to share with you that we have a new preprint up on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social " Biased signaling at NTSR1 differentially regulates inhibitory synaptic transmission in the extended amygdala and suppressess motivated feeding in mice" www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Stick With Me Liz Lemon (Tina Fey)

Alt: Stick With Me Liz Lemon (Tina Fey)

static.klipy.com

At #SfN? Check out super talented graduate student Esther's poster on how acute alcohol modulates cell specific in vivo cortical activity. You can also congratulate her on recently defending her Masters thesis!!

Currently building a patch ephys rig and agonizing over camera selection. Do any patchers have any advice on what specifications I should be prioritizing? Also, has anyone used the Thorlabs Kiralux sCMOS cameras? 🧪