Jimmy Dooley
@jimmycdooley.bsky.social
Purdue Assistant Professor seeing how infant movements teach our brains about our bodies. At home, I'm ~1.5 years into an 18+ year developmental experiment named Elaina.
Views are my own (but think what it says about society that I have to say that...)
Views are my own (but think what it says about society that I have to say that...)
Pinned
Jimmy Dooley
@jimmycdooley.bsky.social
· May 30
In late January, I said we were "still exploring" a cool thing we found in RN.
Well, we're back, and we've got movement kinematics (thanks to @deeplabcut.bsky.social)!
(You can find all the details in our updated bioRxiv paper, linked below)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Well, we're back, and we've got movement kinematics (thanks to @deeplabcut.bsky.social)!
(You can find all the details in our updated bioRxiv paper, linked below)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
They did more than compare these two species - they crossed them!
Super super cool sounding paper that must've been an unimaginable amount of work
Super super cool sounding paper that must've been an unimaginable amount of work
🧠🌟🐭 Excited to share some of my postdoc work on the evolution of dexterity!
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
October 22, 2025 at 9:08 PM
They did more than compare these two species - they crossed them!
Super super cool sounding paper that must've been an unimaginable amount of work
Super super cool sounding paper that must've been an unimaginable amount of work
What an amazingly cool project!
📈🧠 We're looking for brains! 🧠📈
Postdoc + PhD positions are available to help pioneer fetal MEG with optically pumped magnetometers, measuring prenatal responses to sound and light to understand how we start making sense of the world even before we're born. 🐣
Please get in touch to hear more!
Postdoc + PhD positions are available to help pioneer fetal MEG with optically pumped magnetometers, measuring prenatal responses to sound and light to understand how we start making sense of the world even before we're born. 🐣
Please get in touch to hear more!
October 8, 2025 at 11:13 PM
What an amazingly cool project!
I think the fact that this post is resonating so strongly says something very important about present-day academia.
Just had a DM convo with Mike about it - we've both had people tell us "your postdoc is your best stage in academia" - an idea we agree with (but wish wasn't the case...)
Just had a DM convo with Mike about it - we've both had people tell us "your postdoc is your best stage in academia" - an idea we agree with (but wish wasn't the case...)
Michael X Cohen on why he left academia/neuroscience.
mikexcohen.substack.com/p/why-i-left...
mikexcohen.substack.com/p/why-i-left...
Why I left academia and neuroscience
Don't worry, this isn't yet another story of rage-quitting.
mikexcohen.substack.com
October 6, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I think the fact that this post is resonating so strongly says something very important about present-day academia.
Just had a DM convo with Mike about it - we've both had people tell us "your postdoc is your best stage in academia" - an idea we agree with (but wish wasn't the case...)
Just had a DM convo with Mike about it - we've both had people tell us "your postdoc is your best stage in academia" - an idea we agree with (but wish wasn't the case...)
An argument always worth repeating.
@marksblumberg.bsky.social
I read this entire thread in your voice.
@marksblumberg.bsky.social
I read this entire thread in your voice.
This is an awe-inspiring and fascinating study that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. However, the overall framing in terms of "innate versus learned” is unnecessary. The innate versus acquired dichotomy is outdated and has been for a long time. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Learned use of an innate sound-meaning association in birds - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Over 20 species of geographically and phylogenetically diverse bird species produce convergent whining vocalizations towards their respective brood parasites. Model presentation and playback experiments across multiple continents suggest that these learned calls provoke an innate response even among allopatric species.
www.nature.com
October 4, 2025 at 2:11 AM
An argument always worth repeating.
@marksblumberg.bsky.social
I read this entire thread in your voice.
@marksblumberg.bsky.social
I read this entire thread in your voice.
Reposted by Jimmy Dooley
If you are funded by NIMH and only received 85% of your budget this year (like we did), check era commons to see if you have a new award notice. We just got the remaining 15% today.
September 23, 2025 at 2:55 PM
If you are funded by NIMH and only received 85% of your budget this year (like we did), check era commons to see if you have a new award notice. We just got the remaining 15% today.
Two years of (non-federal!) funding for the lab! Should be able to fund science and (nearly) all salaries in that time. I guess people weren't lying - you need at least 10 rejections before the funding gods give you a win.
August 9, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Two years of (non-federal!) funding for the lab! Should be able to fund science and (nearly) all salaries in that time. I guess people weren't lying - you need at least 10 rejections before the funding gods give you a win.
Look what just moved to the top of our labs summer journal club reading list.
Can't wait to take a look! So far, gorgeous visuals!
Can't wait to take a look! So far, gorgeous visuals!
1/N
How do neural dynamics in motor cortex interact with those in subcortical networks to flexibly control movement? I’m beyond thrilled to share our work on this problem, led by Eric Kirk @eric-kirk.bsky.social with help from Kangjia Cai!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
How do neural dynamics in motor cortex interact with those in subcortical networks to flexibly control movement? I’m beyond thrilled to share our work on this problem, led by Eric Kirk @eric-kirk.bsky.social with help from Kangjia Cai!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
June 23, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Look what just moved to the top of our labs summer journal club reading list.
Can't wait to take a look! So far, gorgeous visuals!
Can't wait to take a look! So far, gorgeous visuals!
An editorial from the lab was published today about a recent paper published in the journal Sleep that characterizes the development of PGO waves. It's short, so if you have ~5 minutes, go ahead and click through. Still, a quick summary in the 🧵 that follows.
academic.oup.com/sleep/articl...
academic.oup.com/sleep/articl...
Building the dream: uncovering the development of REM sleep’s features
Imagine a factory that builds cars. Raw materials come in one end, the individual components are progressively assembled, and complete cars come out the ot
academic.oup.com
June 13, 2025 at 4:50 PM
An editorial from the lab was published today about a recent paper published in the journal Sleep that characterizes the development of PGO waves. It's short, so if you have ~5 minutes, go ahead and click through. Still, a quick summary in the 🧵 that follows.
academic.oup.com/sleep/articl...
academic.oup.com/sleep/articl...
Sky's are likely turning colors tonight. If you're in the Midwest, you should have cloudless sky's tonight - take a look at 10-11pm. And even if you can't see anything, point your phone to the northern skies, just in case
Aurora alert! It’s possible the aurora boralis may be visible tonight as far south as Alabama. Start looking tonight after dark around 10 pm
(I’ve attached both the NOAA and University of Alaska maps, the former is always very conservative with view lines)
www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/...
(I’ve attached both the NOAA and University of Alaska maps, the former is always very conservative with view lines)
www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/...
June 1, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Sky's are likely turning colors tonight. If you're in the Midwest, you should have cloudless sky's tonight - take a look at 10-11pm. And even if you can't see anything, point your phone to the northern skies, just in case
There's a very decent case to be made for no AI overviews for medical searches.
Someone is going to search for this and panic...
Someone is going to search for this and panic...
May 31, 2025 at 1:14 PM
There's a very decent case to be made for no AI overviews for medical searches.
Someone is going to search for this and panic...
Someone is going to search for this and panic...
If you rely on Federal funding, read this. And read it again next week, when it's updated to reflect today's budget requests
I urge everyone to read Unbreaking’s new page on everything the govt is doing to destroy & diminish medical research funding.
It’s the best thing I’ve read on this topic: @lizneeley.bsky.social & co have such done an incredible job.
unbreaking.org/issues/medic...
It’s the best thing I’ve read on this topic: @lizneeley.bsky.social & co have such done an incredible job.
unbreaking.org/issues/medic...
Medical Research Funding — Unbreaking
How the administration is breaking the government, and what that means for all of us.
unbreaking.org
May 31, 2025 at 1:37 AM
If you rely on Federal funding, read this. And read it again next week, when it's updated to reflect today's budget requests
In late January, I said we were "still exploring" a cool thing we found in RN.
Well, we're back, and we've got movement kinematics (thanks to @deeplabcut.bsky.social)!
(You can find all the details in our updated bioRxiv paper, linked below)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Well, we're back, and we've got movement kinematics (thanks to @deeplabcut.bsky.social)!
(You can find all the details in our updated bioRxiv paper, linked below)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
May 30, 2025 at 8:31 PM
In late January, I said we were "still exploring" a cool thing we found in RN.
Well, we're back, and we've got movement kinematics (thanks to @deeplabcut.bsky.social)!
(You can find all the details in our updated bioRxiv paper, linked below)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Well, we're back, and we've got movement kinematics (thanks to @deeplabcut.bsky.social)!
(You can find all the details in our updated bioRxiv paper, linked below)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Another paper showing that circuits are never as straightforward as we'd assume...
From the abstract:
"The data suggest Purkinje cell spike activity changes cannot accurately predict nuclei cell changes"
If it can't be straightforward, at least it's endlessly fascinating.
From the abstract:
"The data suggest Purkinje cell spike activity changes cannot accurately predict nuclei cell changes"
If it can't be straightforward, at least it's endlessly fascinating.
Purkinje cells form inhibitory connections on cerebellar nuclei cells. So, when Purkinje cells fire abnormally, as in disease states, we should see the inverse in nuclei cells, right?
Well - it may not be so straightforward: tinyurl.com/PCtoNC
@fralinbiomed.bsky.social @vtneuroscience.bsky.social
Well - it may not be so straightforward: tinyurl.com/PCtoNC
@fralinbiomed.bsky.social @vtneuroscience.bsky.social
Purkinje Cell spike patterns do not correlate with nuclei cell spike patterns in mouse models for cerebellar disease
Cerebellar dysfunction causes various movement disorders, including ataxia, dystonia, and tremor. Previous work demonstrated that spike patterns in cerebellar nuclei neurons were distinct between diff...
tinyurl.com
May 22, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Another paper showing that circuits are never as straightforward as we'd assume...
From the abstract:
"The data suggest Purkinje cell spike activity changes cannot accurately predict nuclei cell changes"
If it can't be straightforward, at least it's endlessly fascinating.
From the abstract:
"The data suggest Purkinje cell spike activity changes cannot accurately predict nuclei cell changes"
If it can't be straightforward, at least it's endlessly fascinating.
I think i saw someone else post this same idea a little while ago...
Dear neuroscientists,
The brain cannot generate information about the world de novo, it's impossible.
All the brain can do is:
1. Selectively remove info that is irrelevant.
2. Re-emit info previously absorbed via evolution or memory.
Our brain never "creates" information. Never.
🧠📈 🧪
The brain cannot generate information about the world de novo, it's impossible.
All the brain can do is:
1. Selectively remove info that is irrelevant.
2. Re-emit info previously absorbed via evolution or memory.
Our brain never "creates" information. Never.
🧠📈 🧪
May 16, 2025 at 12:15 AM
I think i saw someone else post this same idea a little while ago...
Reposted by Jimmy Dooley
A huge majority of Americans (77%) oppose the cuts to medical research that the current administration has made.
(Source: Wash. Post/ABC/Ipsos poll)
(Source: Wash. Post/ABC/Ipsos poll)
April 28, 2025 at 8:48 PM
A huge majority of Americans (77%) oppose the cuts to medical research that the current administration has made.
(Source: Wash. Post/ABC/Ipsos poll)
(Source: Wash. Post/ABC/Ipsos poll)
If we get a few more papers like this, saying "we pay too much attention to cortex" is going to stop being a hot take...
Neurons just keep mixing their selectivity.
Whisking and locomotion are jointly represented in superior colliculus neurons
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
#neuroscience
Whisking and locomotion are jointly represented in superior colliculus neurons
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
#neuroscience
Whisking and locomotion are jointly represented in superior colliculus neurons
To navigate the world, the brain needs to have internal models of self-motion, for example of whisker movement in mice. This study shows how neurons in the midbrain superior colliculus encode internal...
journals.plos.org
April 10, 2025 at 4:58 PM
If we get a few more papers like this, saying "we pay too much attention to cortex" is going to stop being a hot take...
I think this is an important message (and an underappreciated one).
It's hard to do, but ignoring the framing (that this is a reduction in spending) ignores the larger point that all of the "savings" are being offset by other increases.
It's hard to do, but ignoring the framing (that this is a reduction in spending) ignores the larger point that all of the "savings" are being offset by other increases.
Is DOGE cutting the size of the federal government? No. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpNg...
DOGE Is Not Cutting Government Spending
YouTube video by vlogbrothers
www.youtube.com
April 8, 2025 at 5:51 PM
I think this is an important message (and an underappreciated one).
It's hard to do, but ignoring the framing (that this is a reduction in spending) ignores the larger point that all of the "savings" are being offset by other increases.
It's hard to do, but ignoring the framing (that this is a reduction in spending) ignores the larger point that all of the "savings" are being offset by other increases.
I just finished @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social's book "Everything is Tuberculosis". It's excellent.
As a scientist, it's easy to think that once we have a cure, the hard work is done. But this book gives a tragic counter example of why that isn't true.
As he writes: Today, the cause of TB is us.
As a scientist, it's easy to think that once we have a cure, the hard work is done. But this book gives a tragic counter example of why that isn't true.
As he writes: Today, the cause of TB is us.
March 31, 2025 at 1:11 AM
I just finished @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social's book "Everything is Tuberculosis". It's excellent.
As a scientist, it's easy to think that once we have a cure, the hard work is done. But this book gives a tragic counter example of why that isn't true.
As he writes: Today, the cause of TB is us.
As a scientist, it's easy to think that once we have a cure, the hard work is done. But this book gives a tragic counter example of why that isn't true.
As he writes: Today, the cause of TB is us.
In my systems neuroscience class the week after next, we're going to discuss receptive fields and neural coding. Does anyone know of a basic (and ideally math-light) overview on rate codes, time codes, etc?
February 24, 2025 at 12:43 AM
In my systems neuroscience class the week after next, we're going to discuss receptive fields and neural coding. Does anyone know of a basic (and ideally math-light) overview on rate codes, time codes, etc?
Love that this paper made the developmental connection!
Subcortical motor structures can do more than we give them credit for.
Subcortical motor structures can do more than we give them credit for.
(1/11) Today I preprinted a lot of work from my postdoc with @dudman.bsky.social, which started with a question of how the nervous system balances flexibility with efficiency of learning. The thread below gives some background....
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Cortical control of innate behavior from subcortical demonstration
Motor control in mammals is traditionally viewed as a hierarchy of descending spinal-targeting pathways, with frontal cortex at the top. Many redundant muscle patterns can solve a given task, and this...
www.biorxiv.org
February 17, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Love that this paper made the developmental connection!
Subcortical motor structures can do more than we give them credit for.
Subcortical motor structures can do more than we give them credit for.
First paper out of my lab is on bioRxiv! First, a super clickbait-y description.
We stuck an electrode in a rat pup’s primary motor cortex and recorded lots of spikes. You’ll never guess what happened next…
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We stuck an electrode in a rat pup’s primary motor cortex and recorded lots of spikes. You’ll never guess what happened next…
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Subcortically generated movements activate motor cortex during sleep and wake in rats through postnatal day 24
During early postnatal development, cortical motor control emerges from complex interactions between cortical and subcortical circuits. In primary motor cortex (M1), we know that this process depends ...
www.biorxiv.org
February 3, 2025 at 8:22 PM
First paper out of my lab is on bioRxiv! First, a super clickbait-y description.
We stuck an electrode in a rat pup’s primary motor cortex and recorded lots of spikes. You’ll never guess what happened next…
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We stuck an electrode in a rat pup’s primary motor cortex and recorded lots of spikes. You’ll never guess what happened next…
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
If you study sensorimotor neuroscience there's still a chance to get on this starterpack!
Since this is getting busier, here's the #sensorimotor starter pack again go.bsky.app/U4oyFgw
There's still room to add more people, so ask to be added if not on the list
There's still room to add more people, so ask to be added if not on the list
January 30, 2025 at 1:02 PM
If you study sensorimotor neuroscience there's still a chance to get on this starterpack!
That moment when someone else beats you to posting about your own paper...
Proper runthrough to come, but for now:
At 24 days old, M1 neurons should be JUUUST about ready to put the M in motor cortex. So how do they compare to a more mature motor nuclei in brainstem?
Click the link to find out!
Proper runthrough to come, but for now:
At 24 days old, M1 neurons should be JUUUST about ready to put the M in motor cortex. So how do they compare to a more mature motor nuclei in brainstem?
Click the link to find out!
Here's a fun paper that examines the emergence of responses in rat motor cortex (M1); not only do they accompany movement, but they also correlate with spontaneous twitches rats make in their sleep. Lots more within:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Subcortically generated movements activate motor cortex during sleep and wake in rats through postnatal day 24
During early postnatal development, cortical motor control emerges from complex interactions between cortical and subcortical circuits. In primary motor cortex (M1), we know that this process depends ...
www.biorxiv.org
January 27, 2025 at 1:36 AM
That moment when someone else beats you to posting about your own paper...
Proper runthrough to come, but for now:
At 24 days old, M1 neurons should be JUUUST about ready to put the M in motor cortex. So how do they compare to a more mature motor nuclei in brainstem?
Click the link to find out!
Proper runthrough to come, but for now:
At 24 days old, M1 neurons should be JUUUST about ready to put the M in motor cortex. So how do they compare to a more mature motor nuclei in brainstem?
Click the link to find out!
The Developmental Systems Neuroscience starter pack is up to 30 people! If you missed the original post, that's what @meikeesther.bsky.social and I are calling developmental neuroscientists who use systems neuroscience methods
I thought now's a good time to post it again. Want to be added? DM me!
I thought now's a good time to post it again. Want to be added? DM me!
We’re calling this subfield (sub-subfield?) “Developmental Systems Neuroscience” and have put together a starter pack of some labs on Bluesky that we cited in the article.
Of course, this list is still incomplete, so if want to be added, send Meike or me a DM.
bsky.app/starter-pack...
Of course, this list is still incomplete, so if want to be added, send Meike or me a DM.
bsky.app/starter-pack...
January 11, 2025 at 9:34 PM
The Developmental Systems Neuroscience starter pack is up to 30 people! If you missed the original post, that's what @meikeesther.bsky.social and I are calling developmental neuroscientists who use systems neuroscience methods
I thought now's a good time to post it again. Want to be added? DM me!
I thought now's a good time to post it again. Want to be added? DM me!
Wikipedia rabbitholes are worth it for those moments when the objective, neutral, wikipedia tone breaks down...
January 8, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Wikipedia rabbitholes are worth it for those moments when the objective, neutral, wikipedia tone breaks down...