Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · 1d

A heartfelt goodbye 👋🏼 to @glopez.bsky.social, OG of the lab. On to her next adventure in medical writing!

Last pic - from Gaby - it's me in my office, in my office 😄

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Anne Carpenter @drannecarpenter.bsky.social · 2d

15 years in the making, we confirmed that mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cell - have an unusual localization in patients who experience psychosis (including schizophrenia and bipolar disorders). You’ll never guess what kind of patient cells we used to make this discovery… 🧵

mitochondria from bipolar patients are closer to the nucleus in these images; control patients' are spread out further

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · 2d

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

Go MIT ✊🏼

M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment

www.nytimes.com

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · 4d

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/c...

Has Your Scientific Work Been Cut? We Want to Hear.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Zoe McElligott @nanopharmnc.bsky.social · 4d

October 9th is the deadline for poster submissions for #WCBR2026 please share! www.winterbrain.org

one more day left for poster submissions to Winter Brain 2026

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · 5d

The program for the 2026 Basal Ganglia GRC is live! 🧠🧪
www.grc.org/basal-gangli...

We are already ~60% full, so apply now to join us! Submit an abstract by end of Oct to be considered for a short talk.

See you in Tuscany!

2026 Basal Ganglia Conference GRC

The 2026 Gordon Research Conference on Basal Ganglia will be held in Lucca (Barga), Lucca Italy. Apply today to reserve your spot.

www.grc.org

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · 10d

Read this and do not pretend not to have known what was happening. My fellow scientist, even if you can still get your next grant, everything will not be fine.

Jessica Pishko @jesspish.bsky.social · 10d

This raid is disgusting, abominable behavior, traumatizing children and families in their homes.
abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...

"They was terrified. The kids was crying. People was screaming. They looked very distraught. I was out there crying when I seen the little girl come around the corner, because they was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other," Watson said. "That's all I kept asking. What is the morality? Where's the human? One of them literally laughed. He was standing right here. He said, 'f*** them kids.'"

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · 15d

Comment now! Cutting off student visas is terrible for US competitiveness in key research areas.

Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 15d

Comment period ends on Monday for a proposed rule change that would terminate student visas after 4 years. It also puts limits on exchange visitors and reps of foreign media, and shortens the length of time at the end of the visa from 60 days to 30 days.

www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media

Unlike most nonimmigrant classifications, which are admitted for a fixed time period, aliens in the F (academic student), J (exchange visitor), and most I (representatives of foreign information media...

www.federalregister.gov

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · 16d

Exciting to see Professor emeritus Bob Graybeard at seminar today

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Jason Williams @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social · 17d

Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Keri Martinowich @martinowk.bsky.social · 18d

In the early years of my PhD I remember being asked if we'd ever treat or cure diseases like HIV or Huntington's. I remember saying maybe, but not knowing if I believed. Seeing research pay off as real impact on human lives is - incredible.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time

One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.

www.bbc.com

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Jeremy Day @daylab.bsky.social · 19d

Excited to share this new work from the lab, in collaboration with @jtuscher.bsky.social & Rob Sorge! Here, we used single cell transcriptional profiling to define molecular adaptations induced by chronic pain and opioid experience, which often occur in conjunction.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · 20d

That NYT essay was really strange... like their best attempt at a Dr. B puff piece but they couldn't quite muster enthusiasm

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Nora Newcombe @noranewcombe.bsky.social · 20d

Contrary to a very odd (rambling and misinformed) op-ed in the NYT today, science is flourishing in the quest to address Alzheimer's. Now, if only there weren't NIH cutbacks and a war with universities.
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

Making real gains in war on Alzheimer’s — Harvard Gazette

Researchers hope new technologies, approaches usher in era of effective treatment for incurable disease amid urgency of ‘silver tsunami’

news.harvard.edu

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Malcolm Campbell @malcolmgcampbell.bsky.social · 23d

🚨Our preprint is online!🚨

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

How do #dopamine neurons perform the key calculations in reinforcement #learning?

Read on to find out more! 🧵

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · 26d

Congrats!!

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Denise J. Cai, Ph.D. @denisejcai.bsky.social · 26d

Had such a great time in Napa Valley at the @onemindorg.bsky.social Summit on the Future of Mental Health Research 🧠

As a past One Mind Rising Star Awardee, it was so inspiring to connect with other awardees and see the incredible research being done by this year’s winners ⭐️

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Adrien Peyrache @apeyrache.bsky.social · Sep 8

Following up: searching for the distribution of estrogen receptors in the brain, I realized the Allen Brain Atlas is male only. How is it possible that something this fundamental is still missing?

Adrien Peyrache @apeyrache.bsky.social · Sep 5

It's 2025, and there's apparently no female mouse atlas.
Please, tell me I'm wrong.

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · Sep 8

🥂

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Sep 4

Harvard wins lawsuit regarding withheld grant funding

[Gift Link]

wapo.st/47tdz4A

Judge rules Trump administration cannot withhold funding from Harvard

The Trump administration illegally withheld federal funding for alleged antisemitism violations, a federal judge in Boston ruled.

wapo.st

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · Sep 3

So glad! @dabrowska-lab.bsky.social thinking of you?

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · Sep 3

Finally finally got the NoA for the 3rd year of my NIMH R01 (5 months late) hallelujah

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Abby Polter @ampolter.bsky.social · Sep 1

One of my former students sent me an update letting me know she got into medical school and included a picture of her white coat ceremony. It made my day! Send your professors updates on what you're doing, it's a real highlight in this job.

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Reposted by Talia Lerner

Carlos Brody @carlosbrody.bsky.social · Aug 29

This rule would have meant I couldn't do my Ph.D. in America.

I did do it in America. Became a professor. 12 thriving U.S. labs are now headed by trainees from my research lab. Like me, they are all working hard to enrich American knowledge and society.

With this self-harming rule, none of that.

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · Aug 29

Trump admin planning to change student visas from lasting for duration of academic program to fixed 4-yr term, and then much harder to renew
Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.

Trump Deals A New Immigration Blow To International Students

Trump officials have proposed a new rule limiting international students to fixed periods of entry, making a U.S. education more precarious.

www.forbes.com

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Talia Lerner @talialerner.bsky.social · Aug 29

A week of connecting with Catecholamines nerds in Maine complete ♥️

Bye everyone and hope to see you at the Basal Ganglia GRC! 😌

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