Chen Ran
@chenran.bsky.social
Neuroscientist. Assistant Professor at Scripps Research. https://www.ran-lab.org
Please RT: We're hiring! Computational postdoc for foundation model and sequence-structure-function studies of intrinsic disordered proteins through a consortium and unique large datasets. Ideal candidates have led ML/AI projects in protein design/analysis.
Happy Monday! Come learn how jellyfish swim. In a review led by fluid dynamics maestro Alex Hoover, we outline how neuromechanical modeling will help us understand how modulation of neural activity allows jellyfish to jet and pirouette through fluids www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
thrilled to share our latest work from the lab, led by the amazing @fernandezpenac.bsky.social (now a PI at @unmc.bsky.social!) where we found a new role for a tiny group of adrenergic neurons in RVLM, the C1 cells. www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
Thrilled to share the latest pre-print from the lab – TLDR: we identified the (near) full ascending spinal projection neuron repertoire that gives rise to central itch/touch/pain/temperature sensation as well as sex specific neuron types in the mouse spinal cord. Thread below (1/n):
Deep Cellular and Spatial Profiling of the Mouse Spinal Cord Reveals Sex-Specific Neuron Types and the Ascending Projection Neuron Repertoire
The spinal cord gives rise to central somatosensation and orchestrates autonomic and motor control. How its cellular diversity achieves functions across sex, longitudinal axis and links the spinal cor...
biorxiv.org
POINTseq, now out in Neuron after peer review. Read it. There are barcodes, viruses, and dopamine. Congrats to @hyopilkim.bsky.social on leading our lab's first published paper!
Neuron@cp-neuron.bsky.social · 2mo ago
Excited to share a new preprint, led by @yasmeen-hamed.bsky.social! It describes a mechanism and potential therapeutic avenue for treating the aging bladder! Thanks to the amazing collab from the Beyder lab, as well as @valeriavasquez.bsky.social, Lichtarge labs! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Our work on cAMP-dependent mechanisms in area postrema that mediate Semaglutide-induced weight loss in mice is out in final form. I learned a lot from this study and the effort of the team, especially Claire Gao who led the work, was inspiring. I hope it can stimulate new directions. rdcu.be/fj8Eu
Semaglutide drives weight loss through cAMP-dependent mechanisms in GLP1R-expressing hindbrain neurons
Nature Metabolism - Semaglutide-induced weight loss is shown to depend on Gs-coupled signalling in GLP1R-expressing hindbrain neurons, with a critical role for cAMP in mediating neuronal activation...
rdcu.be
Excited to see our paper describing a stereotyped receptor map for smell (led by @davidhbrann.bsky.social ) out in the world! See below for short thread with open access link to paper www.nytimes.com/2026/04/29/s...
Scientists Unveil ‘Long Lost’ Map for Smell
nytimes.com
Just got the news that Vanessa Ruta, Steve Liberles, and Uli Mueller are all elected to be members of the National Academy of Sciences @nasonline.org. All 3 are incredibly well-deserved. Congrats to all the new members! 🎉
Delighted to share our discoveries about one of the brain's neurotransmitter systems: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... Together with colleagues at the @alleninstitute.org, we have learned a lot about a tiny cluster of neurons in the brainstem locus coeruleus (LC) that releases norepinephrine (NE). 1
biorxiv.org
GIP receptor agonism suppresses inflammation-induced aversion and food intake via distinct circuits
GIP receptor agonism suppresses inflammation-induced aversion and food intake via distinct circuits
Province et al. show that parabrachial CGRP neurons mediate aversion due to interleukin-1β (IL-1β) administration. Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) agonism blocks aversion and CGRP activation caused by IL-1β while potentiating its anorectic effect. Dorsal vagal complex GIPR mediates anorexia due to GIPR agonism but may be dispensable for anti-aversion.
dlvr.it
Form follows function, or function dictates form? 📢Preprint: we build Perturb-CLEAR, in vivo screen of neuroanatomy! Disease perturbations produce selective morphology-RNA changes that RNA impact alone cannot predict. Was led by the invincible grad student Boli Wu! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Excited to share our latest work with @antihebbiann.bsky.social, revealing a top-down mechanism regulating the fragmentation of feeding, led by Tianbo Qi. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Special to see this paper out from my former lab: >10 years in the making. Lots of striking results! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Deconstruction of a spino-brain–spinal cord circuit that drives chronic pain - Nature
In mice, a circuit between the spinal cord and various regions of the brain, centring on spinal-cord-projecting neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla, has a key role in driving chronic pain.
nature.com
Excited to share our latest work in @nature.com showing shared neural substrates for parenting and prosocial helping behavior. Full text available here: rdcu.be/e6PnY
Warm congratulations to The Brain Prize winners 2026, Professor David Ginty and Professor Patrik Ernfors, for their pioneering work on how the nervous system detects and processes touch and pain. Karolinska Institutet HHMI #Neuroscience #BrainPrize2026
New paper from the lab led by @ericmulhall.bsky.social addresses how PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 are tuned to different types mechanical forces. From nanometer-scale super-resolution microscopy to in vivo experiments, links single-molecule observations to physiological function. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The molecular basis of force selectivity by PIEZO2
Nature - PIEZO2 is intrinsically more rigid than PIEZO1, and disparate mechanical stimuli paradoxically evoke opposite conformational and gating responses in each channel.
nature.com
PIEZO2—unlike PIEZO1—is tethered to the actin cytoskeleton, enabling sensory neurons to detect localized mechanical forces such as light touch. Findings reported in @nature.com by @ericmulhall.bsky.social from @ardemp.bskyverified.social's lab link nanometer-scale imaging to sensory function.
A new clue to how the body detects physical force
scripps.edu
New work from the lab on how sickness reduces appetite. Turns out, it’s complicated :) We focused on a single inflammatory cytokine, IL-1b, and even that reduces appetite via multiple mechanism. Thanks to Nik Hayes for leading and sticking with this project and to everyone else who contributed!
bioRxiv Neuroscience@biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · 5mo agoIL-1β engages distinct peripheral sensory circuits to suppress feeding across time https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.23.707454v1
Chuffed to see our paper with @geneyeo.bsky.social finally published in @nature.com. www.nature.com/articles/s41... Very grateful to Fede, Susie, and Dave from my lab, and Sammi, Eric, and Pratibha from Gene's lab. What did we find? ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Single-cell and isoform-specific translational profiling of the mouse brain - Nature
Post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA translation was explored using Ribo-STAMP and single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal cell-type-specific and isoform-specific translation patterns across hipp...
nature.com
New lab preprint! Can we study conscious perception of gut sensations in mice to reveal its neuronal basis? Can we train mice to report their gut sensations? Omer Rafael and Stav Shtiglitz in the lab teamed up to discover that…YES! Thread…1/6 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
What if we could see 3D #biodistribution of cancer drugs at the cellular level... throughout an entire model animal? 🧐 A new paper from Li Ye's lab @scripps.edu, Zhengyuan Pang & Verina Leung et al. introduce a technique for doing just that. (1/3) 🧵
Excited to co-host this conference with @marissascavuzzo.bsky.social and Steve Liberles focused on the peripheral nervous system -- No Brainer! Check out the amazing list of speakers and apply for one of the spots for this small, interactive meeting on the beautiful Janelia Campus at HHMI.
Janelia Conferences@janeliaconf.bsky.social · 6mo ago📢 Apply by May 14 to explore peripheral nervous system function across somatic + autonomic + enteric divisions, with a focus on new methods + emerging technologies. 🛏️ Meals & lodging covered; no registration fee Apply ➡️ janelia.news/PNS26 @ardemp.bskyverified.social @marissascavuzzo.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41... beautiful work from Stephen Liberles’ lab on neural mechanisms of sensing blood volume.
Vagal blood volume receptors compensate for haemorrhage and posture change - Nature
A vagal reflex to blood volume changes in the heart involves PIEZO2 and helps to stabilize blood pressure in an upright posture and after blood loss.
nature.com
🧠⚡️💊New @nature.com publication ! Mimicking opioid analgesia in cortical pain circuits We built a brain-behavior framework to decode spontaneous chronic pain in mice—and to biologically mimic morphine with a synthetic opioid gene therapy nature.com/articles/s41... @pennmedicine.bsky.social
Nature@nature.com · 7mo agoResearchers identify the neurons involved in the emotional distress associated with pain go.nature.com/4qIKkB8
Beautiful paper! Somebody should do it in then viscerosensory brainstem.
Ariel Levine@ariellevine.bsky.social · 7mo agoExcited to share @rbrianroome.bsky.social ‘s beautiful paper on development of the dorsal horn of the mouse spinal cord @science.org This is how the anatomical organization and cell types that process pain, touch, body position and more are laid down. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Fellows-to-Faculty awardee Chen Ran maps the senses of internal organs. Receiving this award — which is currently open for apps — has been crucial in enabling his work: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/autism-and-neuroscience-innovators-awardees-share-their-research-at-the-annual-retreat/ #science
