Dave Blake
@blakestah.bsky.social
Med School Professor. Brain Physiology researcher. Biomedical Engineer. Biomedical device work. I stimulate mammalian brains to improve cognition. OMHIWDMB.
I tend to frame AI's utility in my experience using it in coding, and in driving my car which uses OpenPilot.
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This piece really nails how I have been feeling in the last couple of weeks. fortune.com/2026/02/11/s...
Something big is happening in AI — and most people will be blindsided | Fortune
It’s not like a light switch... more like the moment you realize the water has been rising around you and is now at your chest.
fortune.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:45 PM
I tend to frame AI's utility in my experience using it in coding, and in driving my car which uses OpenPilot.
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Former colleagues helped with a study that used brain fitness in older subjects, and tracked conversion to AD later.
The risk reduction for one fitness game was 25% with 23 hours logged playing.
#brainhq
www.nbcnews.com/health/aging...
The risk reduction for one fitness game was 25% with 23 hours logged playing.
#brainhq
www.nbcnews.com/health/aging...
Brain train game may help protect against dementia for up to 20 years
Adults who played a specific type of cognitive speed training were found to have a dramatically lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s, new research finds.
www.nbcnews.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Former colleagues helped with a study that used brain fitness in older subjects, and tracked conversion to AD later.
The risk reduction for one fitness game was 25% with 23 hours logged playing.
#brainhq
www.nbcnews.com/health/aging...
The risk reduction for one fitness game was 25% with 23 hours logged playing.
#brainhq
www.nbcnews.com/health/aging...
RFK Jr cannot possibly do more damage with his MAHA agenda that that which he has already done….
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
Kennedy Makes Unfounded Claim That Keto Diet Can ‘Cure’ Schizophrenia
www.nytimes.com
February 8, 2026 at 1:47 PM
RFK Jr cannot possibly do more damage with his MAHA agenda that that which he has already done….
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
Reposted by Dave Blake
@jeremymberg.bsky.social @standupforscience.bsky.social @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social @drugmonkey.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
NIH looks to turn primate research center into a sanctuary
The health research agency is offering the Oregon National Primate Research Center federal money to stop testing on primates.
www.politico.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:25 AM
There is an OHSU board meeting on the 9th at which this will be discussed.
The National Institutes of Health have approached OHSU to discuss transitioning its primate research center into a sanctuary.
Feds seek talks to transition primate research center in Oregon into sanctuary
The president of OHSU and chair of the board say they want to enter into talks with the NIH about turning the Oregon National Primate Research Center into a sanctuary.
www.opb.org
February 5, 2026 at 10:12 AM
There is an OHSU board meeting on the 9th at which this will be discussed.
House passed the budget bill.
NIH will re-open tomorrow with a budget until 9/30.
NIH will re-open tomorrow with a budget until 9/30.
February 3, 2026 at 7:51 PM
House passed the budget bill.
NIH will re-open tomorrow with a budget until 9/30.
NIH will re-open tomorrow with a budget until 9/30.
Reposted by Dave Blake
Copy and paste this link to see ad: "https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/312675"
February 2, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Copy and paste this link to see ad: "https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/312675"
NIH is in a shutdown. The Senate passed a bill that is reasonably good for NIH funding (except that multiyear funding is limited to FY25 levels rather than FY24), but the Senate bound a new 2 week CR for DHS to the funding bill. That forces the House top pass it or start over.
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February 2, 2026 at 2:58 PM
NIH is in a shutdown. The Senate passed a bill that is reasonably good for NIH funding (except that multiyear funding is limited to FY25 levels rather than FY24), but the Senate bound a new 2 week CR for DHS to the funding bill. That forces the House top pass it or start over.
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Saying the quiet part out loud.
Grad students are striking, or about to, in multiple universities.
They mostly want more money and less time required working.
But they are creating a very poor economic disincentive.
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Grad students are striking, or about to, in multiple universities.
They mostly want more money and less time required working.
But they are creating a very poor economic disincentive.
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January 30, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Saying the quiet part out loud.
Grad students are striking, or about to, in multiple universities.
They mostly want more money and less time required working.
But they are creating a very poor economic disincentive.
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Grad students are striking, or about to, in multiple universities.
They mostly want more money and less time required working.
But they are creating a very poor economic disincentive.
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Choosing to train with someone like Seth would be a VERY good career move.
"Choose your training environment carefully. Lab culture and institutional culture will significantly impact your happiness and success, so choose carefully." - OneNeuro Profile: Seth Blackshaw, PhD @sethblackshaw.bsky.social www.oneneurojhu.org/2026/01/29/o...
January 30, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Choosing to train with someone like Seth would be a VERY good career move.
It is reported that Democrats and Republicans struck a deal. Budget for everything except DHS passes as in the House.
DHS gets a short CR once the House returns to pass it.
DHS gets a short CR once the House returns to pass it.
In the Senate, 7 Republicans voted against cloture on the budget bill. Cloture failed 45-55.
Talks are underway to split the bill - DHS and everything else. Pass everything else. Pass a continuing resolution on DHS (which includes ICE) to keep it open.
Full year DHS bill would be later.
Talks are underway to split the bill - DHS and everything else. Pass everything else. Pass a continuing resolution on DHS (which includes ICE) to keep it open.
Full year DHS bill would be later.
January 29, 2026 at 10:54 PM
It is reported that Democrats and Republicans struck a deal. Budget for everything except DHS passes as in the House.
DHS gets a short CR once the House returns to pass it.
DHS gets a short CR once the House returns to pass it.
In the Senate, 7 Republicans voted against cloture on the budget bill. Cloture failed 45-55.
Talks are underway to split the bill - DHS and everything else. Pass everything else. Pass a continuing resolution on DHS (which includes ICE) to keep it open.
Full year DHS bill would be later.
Talks are underway to split the bill - DHS and everything else. Pass everything else. Pass a continuing resolution on DHS (which includes ICE) to keep it open.
Full year DHS bill would be later.
January 29, 2026 at 7:56 PM
In the Senate, 7 Republicans voted against cloture on the budget bill. Cloture failed 45-55.
Talks are underway to split the bill - DHS and everything else. Pass everything else. Pass a continuing resolution on DHS (which includes ICE) to keep it open.
Full year DHS bill would be later.
Talks are underway to split the bill - DHS and everything else. Pass everything else. Pass a continuing resolution on DHS (which includes ICE) to keep it open.
Full year DHS bill would be later.
Translational neuromodulation panels at Winter Brain were great fun. Ferrera did not join for dinner, but the other 7 speakers did. And a few other good people.
January 28, 2026 at 5:28 AM
Translational neuromodulation panels at Winter Brain were great fun. Ferrera did not join for dinner, but the other 7 speakers did. And a few other good people.
Reposted by Dave Blake
Aging macaques bridge the translational gap in perivascular space biology https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.14.699534v1
January 15, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Aging macaques bridge the translational gap in perivascular space biology https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.14.699534v1
Vervet monkeys loose in St Louis. Their owners/origin are unknown currently.
www.cbsnews.com/news/monkeys...
www.cbsnews.com/news/monkeys...
Monkeys are roaming the streets of St. Louis and fake images are complicating efforts to find them
People have reported capturing the monkeys, even posting fake pictures online to bolster the claim. But the monkeys remain at large.
www.cbsnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Vervet monkeys loose in St Louis. Their owners/origin are unknown currently.
www.cbsnews.com/news/monkeys...
www.cbsnews.com/news/monkeys...
He is without a doubt on the list of my top five favorite scientists in Canada.
Congratulations to Dr. Etienne de Villers-Sidani, whose study on memory and aging published last year in JMIR Serious Games has been named the most impactful for older adults by Nifty 50+.
tr.ee/fS2KFeIV4r
tr.ee/fS2KFeIV4r
January 6, 2026 at 6:31 PM
He is without a doubt on the list of my top five favorite scientists in Canada.
The Senate put forth a minibus appropriations bill yesterday, but it did not include Labor/HHS which means the NIH budget is still not lined up for a vote. And HHS figures to be problematic with ACA subsidies under debate.
January 6, 2026 at 12:33 PM
The Senate put forth a minibus appropriations bill yesterday, but it did not include Labor/HHS which means the NIH budget is still not lined up for a vote. And HHS figures to be problematic with ACA subsidies under debate.
Reposted by Dave Blake
We are leading two panels/symposia on Jan 27th at Winter Brain with a focus on translational neuromodulation that impacts the brain, with most of the work in NHP models. We would love to see you there and expand the scope of our conference panels on this topic in the future.
December 22, 2025 at 3:54 PM
We are leading two panels/symposia on Jan 27th at Winter Brain with a focus on translational neuromodulation that impacts the brain, with most of the work in NHP models. We would love to see you there and expand the scope of our conference panels on this topic in the future.
Reposted by Dave Blake
Portrait: David Schoppik @schoppik.com in Times Square
bryanwjones.com/2025/11/port...
#Scientist #BalanceScientist
bryanwjones.com/2025/11/port...
#Scientist #BalanceScientist
December 31, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Portrait: David Schoppik @schoppik.com in Times Square
bryanwjones.com/2025/11/port...
#Scientist #BalanceScientist
bryanwjones.com/2025/11/port...
#Scientist #BalanceScientist
Reposted by Dave Blake
Our new article in Nature Communications, led by Kevin Cheng here at WITNe. Neurotech Reports was kind enough to call this "a solution towards a holy grail of bioelectronic medicine: small fiber selective vagus nerve stimulation."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Application of kilohertz-frequency block to mitigate off-target motor effects of vagus nerve stimulation in swine - Nature Communications
Off-target activation of nerve fibers is an ongoing problem in bioelectronic medicines such as vagus nerve stimulation. Here, the authors show that high-frequency stimulation can selectively block ner...
www.nature.com
December 31, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Our new article in Nature Communications, led by Kevin Cheng here at WITNe. Neurotech Reports was kind enough to call this "a solution towards a holy grail of bioelectronic medicine: small fiber selective vagus nerve stimulation."
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We are leading two panels/symposia on Jan 27th at Winter Brain with a focus on translational neuromodulation that impacts the brain, with most of the work in NHP models. We would love to see you there and expand the scope of our conference panels on this topic in the future.
December 22, 2025 at 3:54 PM
We are leading two panels/symposia on Jan 27th at Winter Brain with a focus on translational neuromodulation that impacts the brain, with most of the work in NHP models. We would love to see you there and expand the scope of our conference panels on this topic in the future.
Reposted by Dave Blake
What is the status of DBS for epilepsy?
Find out in our new review/metaanalysis spearheaded by @laurenahart.bsky.social & Garance Meyer in JNNP: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40666371/
A 🧵 — please RT for reach! 🙏
Find out in our new review/metaanalysis spearheaded by @laurenahart.bsky.social & Garance Meyer in JNNP: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40666371/
A 🧵 — please RT for reach! 🙏
December 19, 2025 at 10:19 PM
What is the status of DBS for epilepsy?
Find out in our new review/metaanalysis spearheaded by @laurenahart.bsky.social & Garance Meyer in JNNP: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40666371/
A 🧵 — please RT for reach! 🙏
Find out in our new review/metaanalysis spearheaded by @laurenahart.bsky.social & Garance Meyer in JNNP: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40666371/
A 🧵 — please RT for reach! 🙏
"NeuroXess has completed 54 human BCI implantations since its establishment four years ago"
NeuroXess achieves milestone with China’s first battery-integrated brain chip implant www.yicaiglobal.com/news/neuroxe...
NeuroXess Achieves Milestone With China’s First Battery-Integrated Brain Chip Implant
www.yicaiglobal.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:08 PM
"NeuroXess has completed 54 human BCI implantations since its establishment four years ago"
Reposted by Dave Blake
#20Years20Stories Collection
1️⃣9️⃣ Defining moments with @megancarey.bsky.social
Megan Carey’s story tells us about big dreams and big ideas that came true.
📝 Full story: www.fchampalimaud.org/news/intangi...
🔗 Collection: www.fchampalimaud.org/20-years-20-...
1️⃣9️⃣ Defining moments with @megancarey.bsky.social
Megan Carey’s story tells us about big dreams and big ideas that came true.
📝 Full story: www.fchampalimaud.org/news/intangi...
🔗 Collection: www.fchampalimaud.org/20-years-20-...
December 18, 2025 at 11:43 AM
#20Years20Stories Collection
1️⃣9️⃣ Defining moments with @megancarey.bsky.social
Megan Carey’s story tells us about big dreams and big ideas that came true.
📝 Full story: www.fchampalimaud.org/news/intangi...
🔗 Collection: www.fchampalimaud.org/20-years-20-...
1️⃣9️⃣ Defining moments with @megancarey.bsky.social
Megan Carey’s story tells us about big dreams and big ideas that came true.
📝 Full story: www.fchampalimaud.org/news/intangi...
🔗 Collection: www.fchampalimaud.org/20-years-20-...