This workshop provides insight for participants who are approaching a career transition, either as progression in the academic pipeline or from one career path to another. Panelists include scientists at various stages of their careers across academia, industry, government, and science social media. They discuss the paths they have taken and what helped them obtain their positions. Their goal is to highlight the number of different opportunities that neuroscience offers and provide information on how to choose and prepare for these career transitions.

Material below summarizes the article, Feedback Inhibition Shapes Emergent Computational Properties Of Cortical Microcircuit Motifs, published on July 31, 2017, in JNeurosci and authored by Zeno Jonke, Robert Legenstein, Stefan Habenschuss, and Wolfgang Maass.

This is Lesson Five in the Implicit Bias Video Series from BruinX, the research and development unit within the University of California, Los Angeles's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. This video discusses the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and the wealth of data it has generated.

James Geddes, vice dean for research at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, says, “Some of the most rewarding studies I've been involved with have been collaborative projects — either ones where I've approached others to collaborate, or where I've been approached to contribute. Collaborations help you think about new areas of research, expand your horizons, and have fun.” In this interview, Geddes shares the basics of collaborations, from why and how you should set one up to what to do if issues arise.

Basic research is the foundation for all biomedical advances. For policymakers accustomed to the immediate impact of federal investments, the lag between scientific discoveries and medical breakthroughs clouds the long-term value of basic research. This Public Advocacy Forum panel discusses the essential role of basic scientific research to the research continuum.

Functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging is a well-established neuroimaging technology that offers high spatiotemporal resolution and a large field of view. Typical strategies for analysing fUS data comprise either region-based averaging, typically based on reference atlases, or correlation with experimental events. Nevertheless, these methodologies possess several inherent limitations, including a restricted utilisation of the spatial dimension and a pronounced bias influenced by preconceived notions about the recorded activity. In this study, we put forth single-voxel clustering as a third method to address these issues. A comparison was conducted between the three strategies on a typical dataset comprising visually evoked activity in the superior colliculus in awake mice. The application of single-voxel clustering yielded the generation of detailed activity maps, which revealed a consistent layout of activity and a clear separation between haemodynamic responses. This method is best considered as a complemen...

Singular strategies for promoting axon regeneration and motor recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) have been attempted with limited success. For instance, the deletion of RhoA and Pten (an extrinsic and intrinsic modulating factor, respectively) in corticospinal neurons promotes axon sprouting after thoracic SCI, however it is unable to restore motor function. Here, we examine the effects of combining RhoA/Pten deletion in corticospinal neurons with chemogenetic neuronal stimulation on axonal growth and motor recovery after SCI in mice. We find that this combinatorial approach promotes greater axonal growth and synaptic bouton formation in corticospinal neurons within the spinal cord compared to RhoA ; Pten deletion alone. Furthermore, chemogenetic neuronal stimulation of RhoA ; Pten -deleted corticospinal neurons improved forelimb performance in behavioral tasks after SCI compared to RhoA ; Pten deletion alone. These results demonstrate that combination therapies pairing genetic modifications with neur...

Material below summarizes the article, MAP1B Light Chain Modulates Synaptic Transmission via AMPA Receptor Intracellular Trapping, published on September 13, 2017, in JNeurosci and authored by Rocío Palenzuela, Yolanda Gutiérrez, Jonathan E. Draffin, Argentina Lario, Marion Benoist, and José A. Esteban.

Xinnan Wang is an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She led a breakout group at the 2016 Neurobiology of Disease Workshop, From Pediatric Encephalopathy to Alzheimer's: Linking Mitochondria to Neurological Diseases, and presented in the 2017 follow-up webinar, Linking Mitochondria to Neurological Disease. Here, she shares what inspired her to work in the mitochondrial research field, what questions she is trying to answer through her current research, and how she thinks the field can continue to make advances against certain diseases. As told to, and edited by, SfN staff.

The behavioral interactions between adults and newborns are decisive for the fitness and the survival of offsprings across the animal kingdom. In laboratory mice, while virgin females display caregiving behaviors, virgin males are rather neglectful or aggressive towards pups. Despite the importance of these behavioral variations, the underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Brain regions encoding these behaviors may exhibit sex-dependent functional differences at baseline. Additionally, these structures might undergo sex-specific plasticity after adults interact with the offspring. Emerging evidence suggests sex-based differences in input connectivity, genetics and receptor expression of the epithalamic Lateral Habenula (LHb). Moreover, LHb neuronal activity is instrumental for adult-newborn interactions. However, whether LHb neuronal function varies between sexes and/or undergoes adaptations following interactions with pups has not been fully investigated. In this study, we used in vivo an...