Draw on the experiences of SfN chapters from around the world to develop programs, partner with local organizations, and procure funding. Local chapters share how they support the field through outreach and advocacy events, and provide valuable professional development opportunities for their members.

Twitter is the most interactive and real-time social forum at academic conferences. Whether you are attending a conference or following it from afar, Twitter offers you a chance to share session feedback, engage in science banter, job hunt, connect with colleagues, and see quick updates. To participate in the neuroscience Twitter-verse at Neuroscience 2015, get started with these tips.

Understanding all the parts of a neuronal circuit will ultimately help explain how the circuit — and the brain—gives rise to behavior. To investigate how a circuit functions, different types of neurons spread across the brain need to be monitored simultaneously, and the contribution of each neuron determined. This requires hardware capable of recording many individual neurons, methods to separate spikes, and a way to identify different neuronal types.

Twitter is the most interactive and real-time social forum at academic conferences. Whether you are attending a conference or following it from afar, Twitter offers you a chance to share session feedback, engage in science banter, job hunt, connect with colleagues, and see quick updates. To participate in the neuroscience Twitter-verse at Neuroscience 2015, get started with these tips.

Fellowship and other funding opportunities come in many forms, and from many sources. Here are resources to ensure you find the funding that fits your academic level and program.

The formation and precise positioning of axons and dendrites are crucial for the development of neural circuits. Although juxtracrine signaling via cell-cell contact is known to influence these processes, the specific structures and mechanisms regulating neuronal process positioning within the central nervous system (CNS) remain to be fully identified. Our study investigates motoneuron 24 (MN24) in the Drosophila embryonic CNS, which is characterized by a complex yet stereotyped axon projection pattern, known as ‘axonal routing.’ In this motoneuron, the primary dendritic branches project laterally toward the midline, specifically emerging at the sites where axons turn. We observed that Scp2-positive neurons contribute to the lateral fascicle structure in the ventral nerve cord (VNC) near MN24 dendrites. Notably, the knockout of the Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule ( Dscam1 ) results in the loss of dendrites and disruption of proper axonal routing in MN24, while not affecting the formation of the fascic...

The rat dorsomedial (DMS) and dorsolateral striatum (DLS), equivalent to caudate nucleus and putamen in primates, are required for goal-directed and habit behaviour, respectively. However, it is still unclear whether and how this functional dichotomy emerges in the course of learning. In this study we investigated this issue by recording DMS and DLS single neuron activity in rats performing a continuous spatial alternation task, from the acquisition to optimized performance. We first applied a classical analytical approach to identify task-related activity based on the modifications of single neuron firing rate in relation to specific task events or maze trajectories. We then used an innovative approach based on Hawkes process to reconstruct a directed connectivity graph of simultaneously recorded neurons, that was used to decode animal behavior. This approach enabled us to better unravel the role of DMS and DLS neural networks across learning stages. We showed that DMS and DLS display different task-relat...

Animals, humans included, navigate their environments guided by sensory cues, responding adaptively to potential dangers and rewards. Avoidance behaviors serve as adaptive strategies in the face of signaled threats, but the neural mechanisms orchestrating these behaviors remain elusive. Current circuit models of avoidance behaviors indicate that the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in the ventral striatum plays a key role in signaled avoidance behaviors, but the nature of this engagement is unclear. Evolving perspectives propose the NAc as a pivotal hub for action selection, integrating cognitive and affective information to heighten the efficiency of both appetitive and aversive motivated behaviors. To unravel the engagement of the NAc during active and passive avoidance, we used calcium imaging fiber photometry to examine NAc GABAergic neuron activity in freely moving mice performing avoidance behaviors. We then probed the functional significance of NAc neurons using optogenetics, and genetically targeted or elec...

Steve Roberds, chief scientific officer of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, talks about how his PhD training shaped his work as a scientific adviser to a nonprofit organization.

Are you interested in a career in science policy and curious about different paths to explore? Discover tips on ways you can pursue a science policy careers and the types of skills you may need.