Amy Orsborn
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neuroamyo.bsky.social
Amy Orsborn
@neuroamyo.bsky.social
Associate Prof at UW. Neural interfaces, motor learning, engineering learning.

Believe it or not, my last name has two R's and zero E's.

She/her
Pinned
Fun to see this place coming a bit more alive! I tried my hand at a starter pack for neural engineering & computationally-leaning (systems) neuroscience. Super not exhaustive, so if you want to be added (or removed), just ping me. I'm still working on finding folks here.

go.bsky.app/Ty3ftme
Inspiring talk and message from Michele Basso @ #SfN2025 on the responsibility and capacity we all have to advocate for science!
November 18, 2025 at 11:26 PM
#SfN2025 we've got 2 posters this morning on new directions studying how humans learn redundant sensorimotor mappings! People are worse at this than you might expect. We're trying to understand why, which will help improve neural interfaces. Come say hi to Brady @ poster T7 & Victoria @ poster SS9
November 18, 2025 at 5:56 PM
More science fueling with a morning run to a panderia! 🥐 #SfN2025
November 18, 2025 at 3:32 PM
It's important to properly fuel for science #SfN2025 🥐
November 16, 2025 at 4:22 PM
#SfN2025 Planning & making a reach involve different brain areas and neural populations, but are coordinated behavioral computations. Check out Ryan's poster tomorrow morning (PSTR076.02, M14) where he uses neuropixel recordings to test hypotheses about how neural populations implement this feat!
November 16, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Folks @ #SfN2025 - wondering what to do on this rainy Saturday evening? I've got the solution for you. Come to hear discussions about how we can help advocate for our science and ourselves, meet new & old friends, & enjoy some snacks at the WINE social. 7pm at Deck 655 tonight.
November 15, 2025 at 10:35 PM
I really came from Seattle to San Diego and get this? Ayfkm? 🤣😭 #sfn2025
November 15, 2025 at 1:16 AM
🚨Another paper alert! 🚨
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Do you perform neural implant procedures? Develop new neural implants? Train people to do neural implants? This paper describes our lab’s approach to make custom ~whole-head simulators that can help in those tasks.
Customizable artificial simulator for developing, planning, and training personnel on neurophysiology and surgical procedures in non-human primates
Neuroscience researchers often surgically implant hardware into model organisms to measure and manipulate neural activity. Designing and optimizing th…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Important coda: lab pre-print dessert celebration! Lead author gets to request a dessert & I bake it.

We enjoyed an apple crumble cake, vanilla ice cream, and apple cider caramel sauce this afternoon to mark Ryan's paper!

PLUS a tiramisu for Lydia's paper, which I'll post about tomorrow 😂
October 20, 2025 at 11:50 PM
🚨Pre-print alert! 🚨https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.17.683171v1

Our new study tackles the question: do all neurons in motor cortices (MC) encode movement & coordinate as we move? Answering this question will be key for effectively targeting motor representations in BCIs.
The spatiotemporal structure of neural activity in motor cortex during reaching
Intracortical brain-computer interfaces (BCI) leverage knowledge about neural representations to translate movement-related neural activity into actions. BCI implants have targeted broad cortical regi...
www.biorxiv.org
October 20, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Had a great visit to the center for Mind, Brain, Computation and Technology @ Stanford yesterday! I was excited to talk about brewing ideas in the lab on neural representations at neuron & population scales. Plus new data mapping motor cortex w/ neuropixels - preprint dropping soon, stay tuned! 🍿
October 14, 2025 at 3:29 PM
One of the most valuable lessons I've gotten from reviewing grants and papers is deeper empathy for the reviewers. So essential.
When you’re editing your draft for the 100th time and thinking “What will the reviewers think of my manuscript?”, remember that they’ll be reading it in this position.
October 8, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Thankful that UW and Washington state continue to support vaccination and make it easy for folks to access them 🙌

Boosted against Flu and COVID 💪
October 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Thankful for the chance to spend time in Berlin around giving a seminar! As an American in These Times, visiting the many moving memorials right around Unity Day really hits differently. So much important history we need to remember and pay close attention to.
October 3, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Running's also awesome for being a tourist! 😍
October 1, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Had a great first day at the Bernstein workshop on control theory uses in neuroscience! I presented some of our work on control theory behavior assays for movement, and approaches to designing BCIs.
September 29, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Seattle (and I) am lucky that all these hills lead to good views 😅. New route meant new hill challenges, but a bonus new vantage point on downtown 😍
September 20, 2025 at 10:29 PM
A rare day when an email task sparks joy:
September 16, 2025 at 6:52 PM
The best advice I saw on learning to love running was to use it as a chance to experience your city like a tourist. I feel spoiled getting to do that in Seattle 😍
September 13, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I think I might be a runner now, not just "someone who runs". At least I am for races like this where fuel stations are stocked with cake and Nutella, and it's all about fun! My first #halfmarathon race in the books. #ibeattheblerch
September 6, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Excited to hear from my community and our representative (Jayapal) about the current state of our government's relationship to supporting academic research, and what we can do to keep the US a leader.

Kudos to the local academic unions for organizing!
August 12, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Reposted by Amy Orsborn
We are on a bullet train to the end of US science, and possibly the country as a whole, when political appointees are reviewing every scientific grant submitted to NIH to determine if The Regime finds the science acceptable.
August 7, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Need data to help talk to your friends and family about the impacts of current US government policies on science? AIMBE @aimbe-official.bsky.social released a great survey that paints a clear picture. The Bioengineering research & training that create new therapies are coming to a grinding halt:
August 6, 2025 at 6:41 PM
New favorites in my"places I've eaten PB&J sandwiches" photo album*

#pnwlife #sorrynotsorry

*Real album of mine.
July 26, 2025 at 6:13 AM
It took me a while to learn that expert Seattle folks take winter vacations, not summer. This is why #pnwlife #sorrynotsorry
July 12, 2025 at 5:54 AM