Alex Kwan
@alexkwan.bsky.social
Professor at Cornell BME. Studying the neurobiology of psychiatric #drugs including #ketamine and #psychedelics.
https://alexkwanlab.org
https://alexkwanlab.org
Pinned
Alex Kwan
@alexkwan.bsky.social
· Dec 5
We used rabies virus 👾 to map how #psilocybin modifies long-range circuits 🧠, revealing network-specific reorganization that we didn’t expect.
The full study is now online at Cell. @cp-cell.bsky.social
Paper 👉 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Thread for a synopsis 👉
bsky.app/profile/alex...
The full study is now online at Cell. @cp-cell.bsky.social
Paper 👉 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Thread for a synopsis 👉
bsky.app/profile/alex...
Reposted by Alex Kwan
What is the computational role of dendritic excitations? Byung Hun Lee and team mapped voltage dynamics throughout the dendritic trees of CA1 pyramidal neurons in mice navigating in virtual reality. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
January 4, 2026 at 6:17 AM
What is the computational role of dendritic excitations? Byung Hun Lee and team mapped voltage dynamics throughout the dendritic trees of CA1 pyramidal neurons in mice navigating in virtual reality. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Number of BME faculty job opening is noticeably down this year.
We just had this question at a faculty meeting and @pratted.bsky.social has the visualization for the answer.
We just had this question at a faculty meeting and @pratted.bsky.social has the visualization for the answer.
December 22, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Number of BME faculty job opening is noticeably down this year.
We just had this question at a faculty meeting and @pratted.bsky.social has the visualization for the answer.
We just had this question at a faculty meeting and @pratted.bsky.social has the visualization for the answer.
Great write-up on the current state of mouse behavioral tests for #psychedelics by @callimcflurry.bsky.social
Can't wait to see those new assays to be developed and validated further.
Can't wait to see those new assays to be developed and validated further.
Neuroscientists are working to solve a behavior problem in preclinical psychedelics research: Instead of identifying a simple test yielding a universal result, they are designing more nuanced tasks that better reflect human behavior.
By @callimcflurry.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
bit.ly/4jc24lW
By @callimcflurry.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
bit.ly/4jc24lW
Psychedelics research in rodents has a behavior problem
Simple behavioral assays—originally validated as drug-screening tools—fall short in studies that aim to unpack the psychedelic mechanism of action, so some behavioral neuroscientists are developing…
www.thetransmitter.org
December 19, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Great write-up on the current state of mouse behavioral tests for #psychedelics by @callimcflurry.bsky.social
Can't wait to see those new assays to be developed and validated further.
Can't wait to see those new assays to be developed and validated further.
Reposted by Alex Kwan
Survivorship Bias Sugar Cookies for the Human Genetics Department Holiday Baking Extravaganza
December 18, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Survivorship Bias Sugar Cookies for the Human Genetics Department Holiday Baking Extravaganza
“Basic neuroscience hasn’t produced new drugs.” 💊
Not true - zuranolone (PPD), suzetrigine (pain), gepants (migraine), and more... were born out of a long arc of studies in the lab.
I wrote a Perspective on why this matters. @thetransmitter.bsky.social
www.thetransmitter.org/drug-develop...
Not true - zuranolone (PPD), suzetrigine (pain), gepants (migraine), and more... were born out of a long arc of studies in the lab.
I wrote a Perspective on why this matters. @thetransmitter.bsky.social
www.thetransmitter.org/drug-develop...
How basic neuroscience has paved the path to new drugs
A growing list of medications—such as zuranolone for postpartum depression, suzetrigine for pain, and the gepants class of migraine medicines—exist because of insights from basic research.
www.thetransmitter.org
December 15, 2025 at 3:15 PM
“Basic neuroscience hasn’t produced new drugs.” 💊
Not true - zuranolone (PPD), suzetrigine (pain), gepants (migraine), and more... were born out of a long arc of studies in the lab.
I wrote a Perspective on why this matters. @thetransmitter.bsky.social
www.thetransmitter.org/drug-develop...
Not true - zuranolone (PPD), suzetrigine (pain), gepants (migraine), and more... were born out of a long arc of studies in the lab.
I wrote a Perspective on why this matters. @thetransmitter.bsky.social
www.thetransmitter.org/drug-develop...
This new @michellemonje.bsky.social preprint shows that #psilocybin promotes the rapid and persistent growth of... xenografted glioma in mice. 🫠
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Enduring but maladaptive plasticity induced by #psychedelics.
h/t @tylerekins.bsky.social @theborislab.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Enduring but maladaptive plasticity induced by #psychedelics.
h/t @tylerekins.bsky.social @theborislab.bsky.social
December 13, 2025 at 2:04 PM
This new @michellemonje.bsky.social preprint shows that #psilocybin promotes the rapid and persistent growth of... xenografted glioma in mice. 🫠
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Enduring but maladaptive plasticity induced by #psychedelics.
h/t @tylerekins.bsky.social @theborislab.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Enduring but maladaptive plasticity induced by #psychedelics.
h/t @tylerekins.bsky.social @theborislab.bsky.social
A lot of interest in PET imaging of synaptic markers in humans after psychedelics.
This preprint from Knudsen lab may be the first. People treated in therapeutic-like setting had more intense experiences and greater increases in synaptic density than those dosed in MRI scanner. tinyurl.com/36vv6a9v
This preprint from Knudsen lab may be the first. People treated in therapeutic-like setting had more intense experiences and greater increases in synaptic density than those dosed in MRI scanner. tinyurl.com/36vv6a9v
December 9, 2025 at 7:17 PM
A lot of interest in PET imaging of synaptic markers in humans after psychedelics.
This preprint from Knudsen lab may be the first. People treated in therapeutic-like setting had more intense experiences and greater increases in synaptic density than those dosed in MRI scanner. tinyurl.com/36vv6a9v
This preprint from Knudsen lab may be the first. People treated in therapeutic-like setting had more intense experiences and greater increases in synaptic density than those dosed in MRI scanner. tinyurl.com/36vv6a9v
We used rabies virus 👾 to map how #psilocybin modifies long-range circuits 🧠, revealing network-specific reorganization that we didn’t expect.
The full study is now online at Cell. @cp-cell.bsky.social
Paper 👉 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Thread for a synopsis 👉
bsky.app/profile/alex...
The full study is now online at Cell. @cp-cell.bsky.social
Paper 👉 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Thread for a synopsis 👉
bsky.app/profile/alex...
December 5, 2025 at 4:29 PM
We used rabies virus 👾 to map how #psilocybin modifies long-range circuits 🧠, revealing network-specific reorganization that we didn’t expect.
The full study is now online at Cell. @cp-cell.bsky.social
Paper 👉 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Thread for a synopsis 👉
bsky.app/profile/alex...
The full study is now online at Cell. @cp-cell.bsky.social
Paper 👉 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Thread for a synopsis 👉
bsky.app/profile/alex...
We’ve thought a lot about how 💊 drugs act on dendrites of neurons, but what about when it is a 🧬 mutation that affects dendrites?
PhD student Hao Wu studied #Scn2a deficiency in mice. Just out at @pnas.org, her research led to two major findings.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
1/6
PhD student Hao Wu studied #Scn2a deficiency in mice. Just out at @pnas.org, her research led to two major findings.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
1/6
Autism-associated Scn2a haploinsufficiency disrupts in vivo dendritic signaling and impairs flexible decision-making | PNAS
SCN2A is a high-confidence risk gene for autism spectrum disorder. Loss-of-function
mutations in Scn2a reduce dendritic excitability in neocortical...
www.pnas.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM
We’ve thought a lot about how 💊 drugs act on dendrites of neurons, but what about when it is a 🧬 mutation that affects dendrites?
PhD student Hao Wu studied #Scn2a deficiency in mice. Just out at @pnas.org, her research led to two major findings.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
1/6
PhD student Hao Wu studied #Scn2a deficiency in mice. Just out at @pnas.org, her research led to two major findings.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
1/6
Reposted by Alex Kwan
To study how animals understand the physical world (and the rules that govern its dynamics), @jinyao-y.bsky.social trains rats to play fetch with robots 🐀🤖🎾
To learn more, come to our poster Tuesday morning!
[Board W11] Rats learn and use intuitive physics knowledge to solve fetch tasks.
#SfN2025
To learn more, come to our poster Tuesday morning!
[Board W11] Rats learn and use intuitive physics knowledge to solve fetch tasks.
#SfN2025
November 18, 2025 at 1:16 AM
To study how animals understand the physical world (and the rules that govern its dynamics), @jinyao-y.bsky.social trains rats to play fetch with robots 🐀🤖🎾
To learn more, come to our poster Tuesday morning!
[Board W11] Rats learn and use intuitive physics knowledge to solve fetch tasks.
#SfN2025
To learn more, come to our poster Tuesday morning!
[Board W11] Rats learn and use intuitive physics knowledge to solve fetch tasks.
#SfN2025
Reposted by Alex Kwan
Research on brain disorders may slow as young neuroscientists struggle to find jobs and research grants. n.pr/4pgmAna
As funding falters, young brain scientists rethink careers in research
Research on brain disorders may slow as young neuroscientists struggle to find jobs and research grants.
n.pr
November 15, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Research on brain disorders may slow as young neuroscientists struggle to find jobs and research grants. n.pr/4pgmAna
Lab is thrilled to leave frigid NY to go to sunny San Diego for #SfN2025 😂
Mon AM posters:
LBP182 - Psilocybin and layer 1 interneurons
LBP183 - Psilocybin in chronic stress model
LBP184 - Drugs + snRNAseq
Tue PM posters:
LL18 - Psilocybin and pyramidal cell types
MM3 - Drugs + rabies tracing
Mon AM posters:
LBP182 - Psilocybin and layer 1 interneurons
LBP183 - Psilocybin in chronic stress model
LBP184 - Drugs + snRNAseq
Tue PM posters:
LL18 - Psilocybin and pyramidal cell types
MM3 - Drugs + rabies tracing
November 13, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Lab is thrilled to leave frigid NY to go to sunny San Diego for #SfN2025 😂
Mon AM posters:
LBP182 - Psilocybin and layer 1 interneurons
LBP183 - Psilocybin in chronic stress model
LBP184 - Drugs + snRNAseq
Tue PM posters:
LL18 - Psilocybin and pyramidal cell types
MM3 - Drugs + rabies tracing
Mon AM posters:
LBP182 - Psilocybin and layer 1 interneurons
LBP183 - Psilocybin in chronic stress model
LBP184 - Drugs + snRNAseq
Tue PM posters:
LL18 - Psilocybin and pyramidal cell types
MM3 - Drugs + rabies tracing
Reposted by Alex Kwan
Researchers with lived experience of mental illness/SUDs bring vital insight to our field, yet remain underrepresented and face barriers to participation & leadership
This Perspective calls for removing such barriers & proposes reforms to build inclusive environments
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
This Perspective calls for removing such barriers & proposes reforms to build inclusive environments
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Breaking barriers: centering researchers with lived experience in psychiatric neuroscience - NPP—Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience
Researchers who live with serious mental illness or substance use disorders bring unique insight to psychiatric neuroscience, yet they remain underrepresented in the field. This paper calls for recogn...
www.nature.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Researchers with lived experience of mental illness/SUDs bring vital insight to our field, yet remain underrepresented and face barriers to participation & leadership
This Perspective calls for removing such barriers & proposes reforms to build inclusive environments
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
This Perspective calls for removing such barriers & proposes reforms to build inclusive environments
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Beautiful “action potential” stained glass made by @laurenatlas.bsky.social
Picked 🔵 because it reminds me of our #ChR2 optotagging experiments 🤓🧪
Picked 🔵 because it reminds me of our #ChR2 optotagging experiments 🤓🧪
November 6, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Beautiful “action potential” stained glass made by @laurenatlas.bsky.social
Picked 🔵 because it reminds me of our #ChR2 optotagging experiments 🤓🧪
Picked 🔵 because it reminds me of our #ChR2 optotagging experiments 🤓🧪
Incredibly proud of Lingxiao Shao for receiving the prestigious Peter and Patricia Gruber International Research Award this year! 🎉🎉🎉
A true trailblazer who has been driving research on #psychedelic drug action in the brain. 🧠🧪
@sfn.org #SfN2025
A true trailblazer who has been driving research on #psychedelic drug action in the brain. 🧠🧪
@sfn.org #SfN2025
Congratulations to the 2025 SfN award & prize recipients!
Their dedication to advancing the understanding of the brain paves the way for future discoveries.
SfN looks forward to celebrating their achievements at #SfN25.
Learn about the recipients.
🔗 vist.ly/4cni8
#neurosky
Their dedication to advancing the understanding of the brain paves the way for future discoveries.
SfN looks forward to celebrating their achievements at #SfN25.
Learn about the recipients.
🔗 vist.ly/4cni8
#neurosky
November 3, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Incredibly proud of Lingxiao Shao for receiving the prestigious Peter and Patricia Gruber International Research Award this year! 🎉🎉🎉
A true trailblazer who has been driving research on #psychedelic drug action in the brain. 🧠🧪
@sfn.org #SfN2025
A true trailblazer who has been driving research on #psychedelic drug action in the brain. 🧠🧪
@sfn.org #SfN2025
Reposted by Alex Kwan
Many of our big insights into brain function come from trying to mimic it, writes @timothyoleary.bsky.social. This lesson should guide how we organize research programs.
www.thetransmitter.org/systems-neur...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/systems-neur...
#neuroskyence
Neuroscience needs engineers—for more reasons than you think
Adopting an engineering mindset will help the field focus its research priorities.
www.thetransmitter.org
November 3, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Many of our big insights into brain function come from trying to mimic it, writes @timothyoleary.bsky.social. This lesson should guide how we organize research programs.
www.thetransmitter.org/systems-neur...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/systems-neur...
#neuroskyence
Reposted by Alex Kwan
When #FluorescenceFriday falls on Halloween, we break out the spooky data 👻 Here we are looking at the blood vessels of a zebrafish through its eye 🎃
October 31, 2025 at 3:29 PM
When #FluorescenceFriday falls on Halloween, we break out the spooky data 👻 Here we are looking at the blood vessels of a zebrafish through its eye 🎃
My department, Cornell BME, is hiring!
This tenure-track faculty position is a great opportunity to join a vibrant community that values research, teaching, and entrepreneurship.
📝 academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30816
This tenure-track faculty position is a great opportunity to join a vibrant community that values research, teaching, and entrepreneurship.
📝 academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30816
October 28, 2025 at 6:31 PM
My department, Cornell BME, is hiring!
This tenure-track faculty position is a great opportunity to join a vibrant community that values research, teaching, and entrepreneurship.
📝 academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30816
This tenure-track faculty position is a great opportunity to join a vibrant community that values research, teaching, and entrepreneurship.
📝 academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30816
Preparing tomorrow’s visit to @tulanebrain.bsky.social @tulaneu.bsky.social by grabbing a muphuletta 😀 #NewOrleans
October 28, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Preparing tomorrow’s visit to @tulanebrain.bsky.social @tulaneu.bsky.social by grabbing a muphuletta 😀 #NewOrleans
Reposted by Alex Kwan
For #FluorescenceFriday - projection neurons from the mouse prefrontal cortex to the locus coeruleus 🔴 with Fos labeling activated cells 🟢. Image credit to the Circuits team in the Translational Neuroscience Division @lieberinstitute.bsky.social 🧠🔬🧪
October 24, 2025 at 11:45 AM
For #FluorescenceFriday - projection neurons from the mouse prefrontal cortex to the locus coeruleus 🔴 with Fos labeling activated cells 🟢. Image credit to the Circuits team in the Translational Neuroscience Division @lieberinstitute.bsky.social 🧠🔬🧪
Today I found the secret chess♟️spot at Cornell, with an unbeatable lake view
October 23, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Today I found the secret chess♟️spot at Cornell, with an unbeatable lake view
Reposted by Alex Kwan
🚨 New science alert! Our cross-species study, now in Nature Neuroscience, demonstrates psychedelics distort how we should interpret functional brain imaging.
👇🧵
nature.com/articles/s41...
#Neuroscience #Psychedelics #BrainImaging
👇🧵
nature.com/articles/s41...
#Neuroscience #Psychedelics #BrainImaging
Psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonism alters neurovascular coupling and differentially affects neuronal and hemodynamic measures of brain function
Nature Neuroscience - Padawer-Curry et al. show that the hallucinogenic 5-HT2A receptor agonist DOI alters neurovascular coupling in mice, with implications for the interpretation of human fMRI...
nature.com
October 15, 2025 at 8:18 PM
🚨 New science alert! Our cross-species study, now in Nature Neuroscience, demonstrates psychedelics distort how we should interpret functional brain imaging.
👇🧵
nature.com/articles/s41...
#Neuroscience #Psychedelics #BrainImaging
👇🧵
nature.com/articles/s41...
#Neuroscience #Psychedelics #BrainImaging
This one hits close to home. Jim is my office neighbor. Absolutely devastating.
A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.
This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled
A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.
n.pr
October 12, 2025 at 10:19 PM
This one hits close to home. Jim is my office neighbor. Absolutely devastating.
Reposted by Alex Kwan
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Finally out!!
Finally out!!
Psychedelic compounds directly excite 5-HT2A layer V medial prefrontal cortex neurons through 5-HT2A Gq activation - Translational Psychiatry
Translational Psychiatry - Psychedelic compounds directly excite 5-HT2A layer V medial prefrontal cortex neurons through 5-HT2A Gq activation
www.nature.com
October 7, 2025 at 9:14 PM
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Finally out!!
Finally out!!