Congrats to UMass Chan Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute director and Department of Neurobiology professor Andrew Tapper!

UMass Chan Medical School@umasschan.bsky.social · last wk.

The UMass Board of Trustees approved new endowed chairs at UMass Chan today, bringing the total number up to 86. See who will be invested on Sept. 17: https://direc.to/pUgS #faculty #giving @uofmass.bsky.social @umassmedicine.bsky.social @umassdiabetes.bsky.social @capessuicideprev.bsky.social

Scientists at UMass Chan and the Marine Biological Laboratory have found that the four core genes that control circadian rhythms in animals also help a tiny crustacean time tides: https://direc.to/pRm2 The research was published today in @currentbiology.bsky.social. @mblscience.bsky.social

Thanks for visiting @nanopharmnc.bsky.social! We are buzzing from your seminar!

Zoe McElligott@nanopharmnc.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Had a “winderful” time yesterday visiting @dgordonwinder.bsky.social and trainnees at @umasschan.bsky.social! Left with my spirits raised and interesting ideas to ponder. Also left with an addition to my honey collection. @superkash.bsky.social I restrained myself to one jar

Congratulations @cmedwards.bsky.social! Very excited for you.

Caitlyn Edwards@cmedwards.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I am honored to share that I have been awarded a 2026 BBRF Young Investigator Grant!! Thank you to @bbrfoundation.bsky.social and my mentors and colleagues for their support. Very excited about this project!

With funds from the UMass Amherst Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, UMass Chan and @umassamherst.bsky.social colleagues are developing #AI capable of identifying neuron types from images so scientists can study whole-brain activity: https://direc.to/o_c4 @manningcics.bsky.social

UMass Chan scientist receives award to develop AI capable of identifying neuron types

AI project at UMass Chan strives to identify different neuron types from 3D images and video

direc.to

MD/PhD student Melanie Barbini has received a predoctoral fellowship award from the NIH that could have implications for multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s patients. Read about why she credits mentors Dorothy Schafer, PhD, and Chancellor David McManus: https://direc.to/oBqo #StudentSpotlight

Fellowship award highlights Melanie Barbini’s mastery in research, clinical studies

Barbini credits her success to her co-mentors, Chancellor David McManus and Dorothy Schafer.

direc.to

Danielle did great work on this project!

Danielle Adank, PhD@femmeinstem.bsky.social · 3mo ago

New paper alert 📝🥳🧠: Your motor cortex isn't just moving your body… it's quietly telling your brain how to feel about it. We found a circuit in which physical struggle under stress translates into a brake on negative affect. 🧵 @dgordonwinder.bsky.social @mariedoyle.bsky.social

Congrats Sam and colleagues!

Sam Centanni@samcentanni.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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!

A student in the lab mentioned they have a committee meeting this week and I said “Oh ya. Me too.” Feel free to log into my defense on Wednesday to see all the work I have been doing the last few years!

Really impressive work. Congrats to all!

UMass Chan Medical School@umasschan.bsky.social · 11mo ago

A study by Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, and Travis E. Faust, PhD, in Cell explains how cell types in the brain communicate in response to changes in sensory input to remodel synapses: direc.to/nJHH Alzheimer’s and ALS patients have synaptic damage. @travisfaust.bsky.social @cp-cell.bsky.social

Thrilled to share our new paper @cp-cell.bsky.social: “Microglia–astrocyte crosstalk regulates synapse remodeling via Wnt signaling.” This work demonstrates the necessity of glia–glia communication and coordination during synapse remodeling. 🔗 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... Faust et al., Cell 2025

IFYKYK New England Addiction Neuroscience Conference Attendees! Impeccable LLM rendering of NEAN registrant locations. NEAN25 was great, look forward to seeing what's next!

Such an awesome day, and so fun to see @karlakaun.bsky.social's brainchild become a reality!

Karla Kaun@karlakaun.bsky.social · last yr.

And that's a wrap! I had a ton of fun at the inaugural New England Addiction Neuroscience Research Conference Friday and am looking forward to seeing everyone next year, if not sooner! newenglandaddictionconsortium.wordpress.com/annual-confe...

Congrats Samara!

Congrats Tara!

UMass Chan Medical School@umasschan.bsky.social · last yr.

Tara Delorme, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Ryan Logan, PhD, is one of 14 researchers from Quebec working in the U.S. to be honored by the Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé: direc.to/n1KM #opiod #addiction #communautéFRQ @fondsrechercheqc.bsky.social @wickedneuro.bsky.social

Coming up in just a few weeks! @karlakaun.bsky.social and colleagues have great things in store. Prizes available for trainee presentations. Spots are still available, so please consider attending! Looking forward to chatting about growing and connecting addiction neuroscience in the area.

@dgordonwinder.bsky.social · last yr.

Calling local addiction neuroscientists! I'm excited to be involved in @karlakaun.bsky.social's great brain child, this year's New England Addiction Neuroscience Conference, to be held on the Brown campus August 15th. Hope to see you there! See attached flyer for details and registration.

Calling local addiction neuroscientists! I'm excited to be involved in @karlakaun.bsky.social's great brain child, this year's New England Addiction Neuroscience Conference, to be held on the Brown campus August 15th. Hope to see you there! See attached flyer for details and registration.

Congrats to @mariedoyle.bsky.social for winning #RSA2025 Gordis preclinical postdoc award! She is a great scientist and person doing exciting work.

Subgroups of anxiety and depression trajectories during early abstinence in alcohol use disorder onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

I'm a little late to the game, but I'm happy to announce that our paper with my @umasschan.bsky.social colleagues in the Travis Thomson lab has now been published in @plosbiology.org! Thanks to all involved on this fun collaboration!

PLOS Biology@plosbiology.org · 2y ago

#Transposons are parasitic genetic elements that act as raw material for evolution of new functions. @briankelch.bsky.social &co show that the capsid of the #virus-derived retrotransposon Copia mediates synaptic plasticity at the #Drosophila neuromuscular junction 🧪 @plosbiology.org plos.io/3X71IDa

The lightsheet is finally here! #fluorescencefriday #newpi

I chatted with a program director at NIH for a half hour just now It's clear that the people who make American science happen are doing everything they can to keep making it happen in a very difficult environment They deserve our respect and gratitude

Special shout out this AM to NIH 🧪 grant mgmt specialists, POs, and SROs during this chaotic time - THANK YOU for caring for our grants and uploading scores/summary statements despite the unprecedented challenges you may be facing. You are science warriors and we APPRECIATE & SUPPORT YOU 🫶

Agreed! POs/SROs/GMSs all do critically important work in support of biomedical research! They deserve to know scientists understand their importance in generating an effective scientific research community.

Tom Kash@superkash.bsky.social · 2y ago

January 29 is now PO / SRO appreciation day in my book.

If you are at Winter Brain, stop by my poster tomorrow! Especially if you are interested learning about a motor pathway that might help us understand how exercise influences affective states! #wcbr2025

Hello Bluesky! 👋 Excited to join this community. Interested in what the lab is working on? Instead of spending an hour perfecting/overthinking my first post, here's something even better: our lab's very first preprint! Just uploaded to @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A stress-activated mid-insula to BNST pathway regulates susceptibility to abstinence-induced negative affect in female mice

Stress is central to many neuropsychiatric conditions, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Stress influences the initiation and continued use of alcohol, the progression to AUD, and relapse. Identif...

biorxiv.org

Great work by @nickpetersen.bsky.social and colleagues. Was a fun collaboration that we are looking forward to continuing!

Nick Petersen@nickpetersen.bsky.social · 2y ago

I’m pumped to share that our new paper in Biological Psychiatry is out! We dissected a novel astrocyte-neuron interaction in the ventral periaqueductal gray (vPAG) that maintains wakefulness involving norepinephrine and dopamine neurons🧵: www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S000...

The 2026 Alcohol and the Nervous System GRC will be held Feb 22-27 at the Four Points Sheraton/Holiday Inn Express in Ventura, California. The GRS will be Feb 21-22. Please share! #AlcoholGRC2026 #AlcoholGRS2026

Very exciting opportunity!

Tom Kash@superkash.bsky.social · 2y ago

Exciting UNC Job News: We’re seeking up to four researchers for tenure-track assistant professor positions to build a new cross-disciplinary team that will advance substance use disorder (SUD) treatment from the bench to the bedside.

My lab is recruiting at the postdoc and graduate student levels in the Department of Neurobiology at UMass Chan in wonderful new facilities. Come join us!