Jesper Sjöström
@pjsjostrom.bsky.social
Full Professor in Neuroscience, McGill University Director, Centre for Research in Neuroscience (CRN) Leader, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) program at the RI-MUHC
At #FENS2026? Come see my PhD student Sabine Rannio’s poster Tuesday morning! Distinct pre- and postsynaptic NMDAR pools govern different forms of cortical plasticity. 📍PS01-07AM-021, 09:30–13:00 I’ll be around too, so come say hi! Next, off to Tuscany for the Synaptic Transmission GRC.
🧪🧠 1/ The call for symposia for the @ibroorg.bsky.social World Congress 2027 is now open! The meeting will take place in Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦, 13–16 September 2027.
🧪 1/ Our review “The 3-Body Problem: How Astrocytes May Govern Plasticity” is now out in The Neuroscientist. We explore the idea that astrocytes help determine when & where synaptic plasticity is permitted, reframing the credit assignment problem in biological circuits. doi.org/10.1177/1073...
The 3-Body Problem: How Astrocytes May Govern Plasticity - Airi Watanabe, Connie Guo, P. Jesper Sjöström, 2026
Learning and memory were long thought to be the domains of neurons and neural networks, but recent work across brain systems has established that astrocytes pla...
doi.org
Absolutely delighted and incredibly proud to see my better half, Alanna Watt, appointed Dean of the Faculty of Science at McGill!!! 🎉 Also a very meaningful milestone: she is the first woman to serve as Dean of Science at McGill. A big moment for the Faculty, and a very exciting one for McGill ❤️
McGill Science@mcgillscience.bsky.social · 3mo agoIt is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Professor Alanna Watt, of the Department of Biology, as Dean of the Faculty of Science at McGill University. Her five-year renewable term will begin on May 1. Read the full announcement ➡️ mcgill.ca/x/5AH
🧪 1/ New preprint from the lab: L5 pyramidal cell tLTD requires astrocyte Ca2+ and CB1 signaling www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... We revisit a classic STDP result in visual cortex
biorxiv.org
🧪🧠 New preprint: helping resolve a decades-long debate in synaptic plasticity NMDA receptors are central to Hebbian learning. Yet for >30 years, the existence and function of presynaptic NMDA receptors have remained controversial. 📄 doi.org/10.64898/202... 1/6
doi.org
🧪 Excellent review unpacking where Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity converge, and where they diverge. A clear framework for reconciling synaptic stability with learning-related change. Delighted to see this in the 'Diversity of the Plasticitome' research topic.
Stephen Glasgow@sdglasgow.bsky.social · 6mo agoHappy to share new review from Harshit in the lab with Kira from Tim Kennedy's lab in Montreal on shared and divergent mechanisms in Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity. We hope it will be helpful to the community - was a lot of fun to write! www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....
🧪 This is a great IBRO opportunity for early-career researchers in global mental health neuroscience. #NCAMH offers real capacity building, collaboration, and proposal support. Check out the info webinar. #EarlyCareerResearchers #MentalHealthResearch #GlobalNeuroscience
International Brain Research Organization@ibroorg.bsky.social · 6mo agoPlanning to apply for #NCAMH 2026? Join this Informational Webinar to get tips, learn about the program & explore the Collaboration Hub 🔗 https://ibro.org/event/ncamh-3-0-informational-webinar/ Already have a question? Drop it in the comments or send us a message #MentalHealth Wellcome Trust
🧪🧵 Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards — now open 🇨🇦 A new federal program to attract outstanding PhD students and postdocs currently outside Canada (including Canadians abroad).
🧪📣 McGill University is recruiting exceptional researchers through the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program. #McGillResearch #ImpactPlus #AcademicCareers #ResearchLeadership
Delighted to share that I’ve been elected to the IBRO US/Canada Regional Committee. Looking forward to working with colleagues across North America and beyond to support neuroscience training, collaboration, and community-building. #BrainResearch #IBRO #NeuroCommunity #McGill #RIMUHC
International Brain Research Organization@ibroorg.bsky.social · 8mo agoMeet the new members of IBRO’s Regional Committees 👏 who will help shape IBRO’s training & grants programs & represent IBRO in local neuroscience communities 🌎 Thank you to all who participated in the #IBROelections! https://ibro.org/ibro-welcomes-newly-elected-regional-committee-members-for-2026/
We still have a few spots available for Monday's re-launch symposium of the SFN Montreal Chapter!
Jesper Sjöström@pjsjostrom.bsky.social · 10mo ago🧪 We are reviving the SFN Montreal Chapter with a meeting on 27 Oct at MUHC's Glen site! $25 for lunch, meeting, and membership! Speakers: Mihaela Iordanova, Sonia Lupien, Michael Meaney, & Karim Jerbi. Networking at Weinstein & Gavino's afterwards! Spread the word! www.eventbrite.ca/e/symposium-...
A great evening at Maison Alcan for the Montreal General Hospital Foundation’s Soirée Impact & Innovation! ✨
🧪 We are reviving the SFN Montreal Chapter with a meeting on 27 Oct at MUHC's Glen site! $25 for lunch, meeting, and membership! Speakers: Mihaela Iordanova, Sonia Lupien, Michael Meaney, & Karim Jerbi. Networking at Weinstein & Gavino's afterwards! Spread the word! www.eventbrite.ca/e/symposium-...
Symposium du chapitre montréalais - Society for Neuroscience
SfN Montréal: lunch + membership included! Trainees, scientists & staff welcome. Venez apprendre, connecter et recharger!
eventbrite.ca
🧪 ~8 months ago, we launched the Research Topic "The Diversity of the Plasticitome", see below! We now have 2 publication fee discounts for this RT, available on a first-come, first-served basis! Current submission deadline is Oct 31, although extensions are possible. @frontiersmedia.bsky.social
Jesper Sjöström@pjsjostrom.bsky.social · 2y agoWe recently launched a new Frontiers Research Topic called "The Diversity of the Plasticitome", please check it out! By 'we', I mean myself, Christina Chou, Hyungju Park, Serena Dudek, and Clive Bramham. www.frontiersin.org/research-top...
🧪 We got the privilege to write a Preview on the beautiful work of Morabito, Zerlaut, Rebola and colleagues that was recently published in Neuron. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Branch logic: Dendritic computations diversify inhibition
Long known for different circuit roles, parvalbumin and somatostatin interneurons are shown by Morabito et al.,1 in this issue of Neuron, to differ in…
sciencedirect.com
The recording of our recent webinar, "Synapse by synapse: High-speed cortical connectomics using optomapping" by Christina Chou, PhD, moderated by @pjsjostrom.bsky.social and Shawniya Alageswaran, is now available! You can access it at: bio-protocol.org/webinar/deta... #Webinar #LifeSciences
My former PhD student Christina Chou will give a webinar about high-throughput 2p optogenetic mapping tomorrow Thursday at 11:30 am ET, check it out! 🧪
Bio-protocol@bio-protocol.bsky.social · last yr.Have you registered yet? Bio-protocol's next webinar, "Synapse by synapse: High-speed cortical connectomics using optomapping", is just 1 day away! 🗓 Date: June 26, 2025 ⏰ Time: 11:30 AM EST 🔗 Register now: s.bio-protocol.org/11981c6992b8... #Webinar #LifeSciences #neuroscience
The Institute celebrates 7 BRaIN trainees who received major research awards—from CIHR, FRQS, FRQNT & more. Their work advances brain science & training excellence. 👏 🔗 Read more: rimuhc.ca/en/-/celebra... @cusm-muhc.bsky.social
🧪 We recently published our first micro-publication! This paper highlights the pitfalls of using extracellular stimulation to recruit synapses in neocortical circuits, as it lacks specificity. www.micropublication.org/journals/bio...
🧪 On June 26th, my former PhD student Christina Chou will give a webinar explaining how to do high-throughput 2-photon optogenetic microcircuit mapping!
Bio-protocol@bio-protocol.bsky.social · last yr.📢 Bio-protocol Webinars present: Synapse by synapse: High-speed cortical connectomics using optomapping 🔗 Register now! Join us on: 🗓 Date: June 26, 2025 ⏰ Time: 11:30 AM EST Speaker: Christina Chou, PhD Moderator: Jesper Sjöström @pjsjostrom.bsky.social #Webinar #LifeSciences
A very nice Insight article in eLife by Ikuko Smith on our forthcoming eLife paper on non-ionotropic presynaptic NMDA receptor signalling in spike-timing-dependent long-term depression. elifesciences.org/articles/107...
Synaptic Plasticity: A new mode of action for unconventional NMDA receptors
Presynaptic NMDA receptors can shape timing-dependent long-term depression in a way that departs from their classic postsynaptic role.
elifesciences.org
Multiple recent studies, including 3 impressive natural experiments, consistently show a link between Shingles vaccines and reduced dementia. This week a nationwide S Korea study added a reduction of cardiovascular events My summary Table. More here on dementia erictopol.substack.com/p/the-shingl...
🧪 Congrats to the editors of the new Handbook of Electrophysiology, @scimemia.bsky.social, @nwanaverbecq.bsky.social, & @ianduguid.bsky.social, as well as my past postdocs @hovywong.bsky.social (now PI at CUHK) and Aurore Thomazeau (now PI at IPMC-CNRS France) to their two chapters in this book!
The Handbook of Electrophysiology
worldscientific.com
Annalisa Scimemi@scimemia.bsky.social · last yr.A British @ianduguid.bsky.social, a French @nwanaverbecq.bsky.social and an Italian @scimemia.bsky.social are stranded on a desert island...what do they do? They work on an ephys textbook! www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
Here is the LinkedIn job ad for our new postdoctoral position. www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/42...
Centre universitaire de santé McGill | McGill University Health Centre hiring Postdoctoral Fellow (Research Institute) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada | LinkedIn
Posted 2:10:35 AM. Job DescriptionRESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE MUHCThe Research Institute of the McGill University Health…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.
linkedin.com
Jesper Sjöström@pjsjostrom.bsky.social · last yr.🧪 The Sjöström Lab in Montreal is looking for a postdoc! We study cortical circuits, synaptic plasticity, and NMDAR signalling using custom 2-photon microscopy and optogenetics. We seek candidates with strong patch-clamp and/or 2-photon imaging expertise, and a relevant publication track record.
🧪 We extended the deadline for our Research Topic "The Diversity of the Plasticitome" to 30 Oct 2025. This RT explores how plasticity varies with synapse and cell type. Check it out & let us know if you want to contribute! www.frontiersin.org/research-top...
Frontiers | The diversity of the plasticitome
The plasticity of synaptic connections is critical to the functioning of local circuits as it is thought to underlie information processing and storage in th...
frontiersin.org
Our new paper is out in Science. What is the synaptic plasticity rule in the brain, we asked. It turns out there are multiple, even within individual neurons. Congrats Jake! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Distinct synaptic plasticity rules operate across dendritic compartments in vivo during learning
Synaptic plasticity underlies learning by modifying specific synaptic inputs to reshape neural activity and behavior. However, the rules governing which synapses will undergo different forms of plasti...
science.org
🧪 The Sjöström Lab in Montreal is looking for a postdoc! We study cortical circuits, synaptic plasticity, and NMDAR signalling using custom 2-photon microscopy and optogenetics. We seek candidates with strong patch-clamp and/or 2-photon imaging expertise, and a relevant publication track record.
As a rule, cells that fire together wire together, but some synapses disobey this rule, notably hippocampal basket cells, BCs, have anti-Hebbian plasticity. We wondered if this was true in neocortex as well, and it turns out it is, suggesting a general principle! 🧪
