Ben Saunders
@bensaunders.bsky.social
Neuroscientist and gardener
Lab site- saunderslab.com
Lab site- saunderslab.com
Pinned
Superior colliculus projections drive dopamine neuron activity and movement but not value
To navigate dynamic environments, animals must rapidly integrate sensory information and respond appropriately to gather rewards and avoid threats. It is well established that dopamine (DA) neurons in...
www.jneurosci.org
Check out our latest, online now at @sfnjournals.bsky.social www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Want a party that actually fights back? Run for office. We’ll help you. runforwhat.net
Run for Something
Find offices you can run for
runforwhat.net
November 10, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Want a party that actually fights back? Run for office. We’ll help you. runforwhat.net
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Spent 8 months organizing a massive Brain Day outreach event 🧠✨
We had ~240 faculty & trainee volunteers develop cool neuroscience activities about their research 🔬🧬 Over 300 community members joined us to play games, win prizes, learn, and see themselves as scientists 👩🏾🔬🧫
We had ~240 faculty & trainee volunteers develop cool neuroscience activities about their research 🔬🧬 Over 300 community members joined us to play games, win prizes, learn, and see themselves as scientists 👩🏾🔬🧫
November 9, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Spent 8 months organizing a massive Brain Day outreach event 🧠✨
We had ~240 faculty & trainee volunteers develop cool neuroscience activities about their research 🔬🧬 Over 300 community members joined us to play games, win prizes, learn, and see themselves as scientists 👩🏾🔬🧫
We had ~240 faculty & trainee volunteers develop cool neuroscience activities about their research 🔬🧬 Over 300 community members joined us to play games, win prizes, learn, and see themselves as scientists 👩🏾🔬🧫
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Have been obsessed with Mamdani’s graphic design and now you can have it for yourself!!
The Mamdani political sign generator is kinda fun https://homes.luddy.indiana.edu/ccshan/for/for.html
November 8, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Have been obsessed with Mamdani’s graphic design and now you can have it for yourself!!
Reposted by Ben Saunders
How do VTA DA neurons sculpt downstream representations to reinforce actions? VERY excited about our new preprint (by Alex Pan Vazquez & @czimmerman.bsky.social )
VTA dopamine neuron activity produces spatially organized value representations https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.04.685995v1
November 7, 2025 at 8:46 PM
How do VTA DA neurons sculpt downstream representations to reinforce actions? VERY excited about our new preprint (by Alex Pan Vazquez & @czimmerman.bsky.social )
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Sigh. NIH normally sends several hundred scientists to the SFN annual meeting to learn, exchange info, come up with new ideas, and advance science. (The exchange of ideas is the very core of the scientific enterprise.)
This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.
This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.
Enjoy a broad range of lectures and network with experts in the field at #SfN25! 🧠
Gain valuable insights and tools to enhance your research and career.
Browse through to lectures and build your itinerary in the 2025 Neuroscience Meeting Planner
🔗 vist.ly/4de72
#neurosky #neuroskyence
Gain valuable insights and tools to enhance your research and career.
Browse through to lectures and build your itinerary in the 2025 Neuroscience Meeting Planner
🔗 vist.ly/4de72
#neurosky #neuroskyence
November 7, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Sigh. NIH normally sends several hundred scientists to the SFN annual meeting to learn, exchange info, come up with new ideas, and advance science. (The exchange of ideas is the very core of the scientific enterprise.)
This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.
This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
8 high level positions at NIH posted including 6 institute director positions (NIMH, NIGMS, NICHD, NIDCR, NHGRI, NLM).
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
hr.nih.gov
November 7, 2025 at 10:20 PM
8 high level positions at NIH posted including 6 institute director positions (NIMH, NIGMS, NICHD, NIDCR, NHGRI, NLM).
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Apparently the postings are up for several NIH director positions. Deadlines between 11/14 and 11/21. hr.nih.gov/careers/care...
hr.nih.gov
November 7, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Apparently the postings are up for several NIH director positions. Deadlines between 11/14 and 11/21. hr.nih.gov/careers/care...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Trump goes to court to starve kids should be a headline everywhere today
Trump administration seeks emergency stay of court's order to fund SNAP
Trump administration seeks emergency stay of court's order to fund SNAP
U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell Jr. ordered the Trump administration to pay full SNAP benefits by Friday.
dlvr.it
November 7, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Trump goes to court to starve kids should be a headline everywhere today
Reposted by Ben Saunders
disappointed that @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social is implicitly endorsing the use of LLMs to replace scientific thought
@richardsever.bsky.social this is a short-sighted move and a net negative for science
@richardsever.bsky.social this is a short-sighted move and a net negative for science
IT'S HAPPENING! 💥 I'm psyched to launch the collaboration between @qedscience.bsky.social & @openrxiv.bsky.social @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social! Preprint + q.e.d = your science is out there, and anyone can appreciate it. Let's care about making discoveries, and not on “getting published” (1/3) 👇
November 7, 2025 at 9:06 AM
disappointed that @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social is implicitly endorsing the use of LLMs to replace scientific thought
@richardsever.bsky.social this is a short-sighted move and a net negative for science
@richardsever.bsky.social this is a short-sighted move and a net negative for science
Reposted by Ben Saunders
As a neuroscientist, I’d suggest there is a profound disconnect between what *some* computer scientists think is representative of “intelligence”, cognitive ability, or descriptions of consciousness from some in AI work.
LLMs are not how neural systems process information, nor how brains function.
LLMs are not how neural systems process information, nor how brains function.
November 6, 2025 at 5:19 PM
As a neuroscientist, I’d suggest there is a profound disconnect between what *some* computer scientists think is representative of “intelligence”, cognitive ability, or descriptions of consciousness from some in AI work.
LLMs are not how neural systems process information, nor how brains function.
LLMs are not how neural systems process information, nor how brains function.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
lol
November 6, 2025 at 4:47 AM
lol
Reposted by Ben Saunders
the senate appropriations bill explicitly limits MYF while the congressional budget doesn't. Making sure the language in the senate appropriations bill ends up in the final budget seems like an clear goal tp push our representatives on
November 5, 2025 at 9:29 PM
the senate appropriations bill explicitly limits MYF while the congressional budget doesn't. Making sure the language in the senate appropriations bill ends up in the final budget seems like an clear goal tp push our representatives on
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Warning. ⚠️ If you are writing an NSF GRFP, new this year, you need official transcripts to apply. Beware. They will not review applications without official transcripts. ‼️
November 4, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Warning. ⚠️ If you are writing an NSF GRFP, new this year, you need official transcripts to apply. Beware. They will not review applications without official transcripts. ‼️
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Reminder, do not only work on #NIHGrant study section reviews with the online forms. Keep a document with your critiques. Cancelled meetings are removed from IAR view and potentially are unrecoverably scrubbed.
Is anyone a fan of the new online reviews for NIH study section?
I just spent 1hr writing a review online & then the website crashed. It did not autosave anything, I lost all of that work!!!
I just spent 1hr writing a review online & then the website crashed. It did not autosave anything, I lost all of that work!!!
a monkey is sitting at a table typing on a laptop computer .
ALT: a monkey is sitting at a table typing on a laptop computer .
media.tenor.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reminder, do not only work on #NIHGrant study section reviews with the online forms. Keep a document with your critiques. Cancelled meetings are removed from IAR view and potentially are unrecoverably scrubbed.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Aid cuts are devastating health services in Africa
The sudden dismantling of USAID has led to more death and disease
www.economist.com/middle-east-...
The sudden dismantling of USAID has led to more death and disease
www.economist.com/middle-east-...
Aid cuts are devastating health services in Africa
The sudden dismantling of USAID has led to more death and disease
www.economist.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Aid cuts are devastating health services in Africa
The sudden dismantling of USAID has led to more death and disease
www.economist.com/middle-east-...
The sudden dismantling of USAID has led to more death and disease
www.economist.com/middle-east-...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
🚨BREAKING: The Department of Homeland Security quietly formalized sweeping changes to a federal immigration database, turning it into a national “voter verification” tool that appears to sidestep federal privacy protections and will make it easier to remove large numbers of voters from the rolls.
In Late, Obscure Notice, DHS Turbocharges Trump’s Voter Purge Database, Evading Privacy Protections
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:32 PM
🚨BREAKING: The Department of Homeland Security quietly formalized sweeping changes to a federal immigration database, turning it into a national “voter verification” tool that appears to sidestep federal privacy protections and will make it easier to remove large numbers of voters from the rolls.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Nothing like a good cry over my morning coffee as Wei heads out 💔. The US is crazy to not do everything possible to keep and treasure people like her. I know she will do wonderful things where ever she lands - this is our loss
After 13 years in the US, I’ve made the difficult decision to leave. Having packed up everything and rethought about priorities, rather painstakingly, while I’m sad to leave the life I’ve made here, I’m also relieved that I won’t have to plan my life around immigration policies anymore.
October 31, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Nothing like a good cry over my morning coffee as Wei heads out 💔. The US is crazy to not do everything possible to keep and treasure people like her. I know she will do wonderful things where ever she lands - this is our loss
ATTN: Two faculty positions are available in my department (neuroscience) at the University of Minnesota. This is a general search with no topic focus. November 20th application deadline.
Apply here: hr.umn.edu/jobs/Find-Job
Assistant Prof job code: 364920
Associate/Full Prof job code: 364921
Apply here: hr.umn.edu/jobs/Find-Job
Assistant Prof job code: 364920
Associate/Full Prof job code: 364921
October 30, 2025 at 3:59 PM
ATTN: Two faculty positions are available in my department (neuroscience) at the University of Minnesota. This is a general search with no topic focus. November 20th application deadline.
Apply here: hr.umn.edu/jobs/Find-Job
Assistant Prof job code: 364920
Associate/Full Prof job code: 364921
Apply here: hr.umn.edu/jobs/Find-Job
Assistant Prof job code: 364920
Associate/Full Prof job code: 364921
If you're heading to #SfN25 in a couple weeks, pop in early to the posters on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning to see a bunch of cool unpublished work from the lab.
October 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
If you're heading to #SfN25 in a couple weeks, pop in early to the posters on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning to see a bunch of cool unpublished work from the lab.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Stoked to see our study out in final form! Big kudos to @jonathanamichaels.bsky.social for driving this along for the past 5 years.
Thrilled that our paper is out today in Nature!
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
Sensory expectations shape neural population dynamics in motor circuits
Nature - Experiments with human volunteers and macaques show that expectations produced by probabilistic cueing of future sensory inputs shape motor circuit dynamics in order to increase the...
www.nature.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Stoked to see our study out in final form! Big kudos to @jonathanamichaels.bsky.social for driving this along for the past 5 years.
Reposted by Ben Saunders
We are hiring for a PhD-level Staff Scientist to join our teams in the Translational Neuroscience Division @lieberinstitute.bsky.social. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of human 🧠 neuroanatomy and molecular neuroscience
recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/j...
recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/j...
Lieber Institute For Brain Development - Staff Scientist I, Translational Neuroscience
A little about us:The Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD) was established in 2010 to plot a new course in biomedical research that would change the lives of individuals affected with develop...
recruiting.paylocity.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:03 PM
We are hiring for a PhD-level Staff Scientist to join our teams in the Translational Neuroscience Division @lieberinstitute.bsky.social. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of human 🧠 neuroanatomy and molecular neuroscience
recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/j...
recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/j...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
direct relief is legit, and because they work in the region already, they can scale up more easily. please donate if you can
October 28, 2025 at 1:48 PM
direct relief is legit, and because they work in the region already, they can scale up more easily. please donate if you can
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Excited to share that my co–first author paper has been accepted in @nature.com 🎉
We show that small molecules binding at the GPCR-transducer interface can predictably switch G protein selectivity - paving the way for structure-guided, pathway-selective drug design.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We show that small molecules binding at the GPCR-transducer interface can predictably switch G protein selectivity - paving the way for structure-guided, pathway-selective drug design.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Designing allosteric modulators to change GPCR G protein subtype selectivity - Nature
Studies of the G-protein-coupled receptor NTSR1 show that the G protein selectivity of this receptor can be modified by small molecules, enabling the design of drugs that work by switching receptor su...
www.nature.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Excited to share that my co–first author paper has been accepted in @nature.com 🎉
We show that small molecules binding at the GPCR-transducer interface can predictably switch G protein selectivity - paving the way for structure-guided, pathway-selective drug design.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We show that small molecules binding at the GPCR-transducer interface can predictably switch G protein selectivity - paving the way for structure-guided, pathway-selective drug design.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ben Saunders
Now online @nature.com!
Want to change the consequences of receptor activation?
Small molecules binding the GPCR-transducer interface change G protein subtype preference in predictable ways, enabling rational drug design 💥
So many new possibilities! 🧪🧠🟦
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧵👇
Want to change the consequences of receptor activation?
Small molecules binding the GPCR-transducer interface change G protein subtype preference in predictable ways, enabling rational drug design 💥
So many new possibilities! 🧪🧠🟦
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧵👇
Designing allosteric modulators to change GPCR G protein subtype selectivity - Nature
Studies of the G-protein-coupled receptor NTSR1 show that the G protein selectivity of this receptor can be modified by small molecules, enabling the design of drugs that work by switching receptor su...
www.nature.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Now online @nature.com!
Want to change the consequences of receptor activation?
Small molecules binding the GPCR-transducer interface change G protein subtype preference in predictable ways, enabling rational drug design 💥
So many new possibilities! 🧪🧠🟦
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧵👇
Want to change the consequences of receptor activation?
Small molecules binding the GPCR-transducer interface change G protein subtype preference in predictable ways, enabling rational drug design 💥
So many new possibilities! 🧪🧠🟦
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧵👇