Everywhere you go, you continuously build your personal and professional network. In fact, one conversation today could become a career connection down the road. Build trusting, intentional relationships in your day-to-day interactions in order to advance your career now and in the future.

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...

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...

Now that you’re done peer reviewing a manuscript, how can you best communicate your assessment? Follow these guidelines to give concise, constructive feedback to the editors and authors you’re working with.

We all know it can be difficult to communicate seemingly obscure scientific information and techniques with nonscientists. The good news is that, like so many skills, you can learn to do so with practice.

Are you constantly thinking about science with the big picture in mind? Do you thrive in a high-energy environment? Are you committed to staying current with the latest research? Becoming involved in policy and advocacy work is a powerful way to use your scientific expertise to influence change.

It is important for scientists worldwide to advocate for increased science funding. Depending on the cultural context, however, your outreach approach — including how and when you communicate with policymakers — and whether advocacy is even a possibility — will differ. In this webinar, speakers from the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, the International Brain Research Organization, and SfN's Government and Public Affairs Committee will discuss why their advocacy efforts were successful and what you can do to promote science research in your local community.

Mary Kosinski, the clinical director at Nusirt Biopharma Inc., describes how she uses skills developed in the research lab in her career.

Read these common questions and answers to know the important details and processes necessary to manage your NIH award.