Dr Jen Ryan
@drjenryan.bsky.social
Cognitive Neuroscientist. Excited to talk about memory, eyetracking, leadership, sports, Peloton, and 90s R&B. Views are my own.
www.drjenryan.com
www.drjenryan.com
Reposted by Dr Jen Ryan
Aligning eye tracking and free recall time series, we found that increased saccades predict episodic (vs. non-episodic) by 0.5 s.
Just out in @cognitionjournal.bsky.social, led by Ryan Barker with the inimitable @drjenryan.bsky.social.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Just out in @cognitionjournal.bsky.social, led by Ryan Barker with the inimitable @drjenryan.bsky.social.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 24, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Aligning eye tracking and free recall time series, we found that increased saccades predict episodic (vs. non-episodic) by 0.5 s.
Just out in @cognitionjournal.bsky.social, led by Ryan Barker with the inimitable @drjenryan.bsky.social.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Just out in @cognitionjournal.bsky.social, led by Ryan Barker with the inimitable @drjenryan.bsky.social.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Dr Jen Ryan
Memory might depend on when you look, not just what you see
Happy to share a new preprint from my postdoctoral work with Jed Meltzer, @drjenryan.bsky.social, and @rosannaolsen.bsky.social
Paper: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Happy to share a new preprint from my postdoctoral work with Jed Meltzer, @drjenryan.bsky.social, and @rosannaolsen.bsky.social
Paper: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Phase-locking saccades to posterior alpha oscillations improves the neural representation of visual objects during memory formation
Visual memory formation begins with the intake and neural processing of discrete samples provided by gaze fixations and saccades. Past research has highlighted a functional relationship between the ti...
doi.org
October 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Memory might depend on when you look, not just what you see
Happy to share a new preprint from my postdoctoral work with Jed Meltzer, @drjenryan.bsky.social, and @rosannaolsen.bsky.social
Paper: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Happy to share a new preprint from my postdoctoral work with Jed Meltzer, @drjenryan.bsky.social, and @rosannaolsen.bsky.social
Paper: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Huge gratitude to @jordwynn.bsky.social and Anisha Khosla who led the research and to @shen4brains.bsky.social who ate lunch with me 10 years ago at a conference where we first dreamt up this line of work. 🤩
5/5
5/5
October 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Huge gratitude to @jordwynn.bsky.social and Anisha Khosla who led the research and to @shen4brains.bsky.social who ate lunch with me 10 years ago at a conference where we first dreamt up this line of work. 🤩
5/5
5/5
What does this mean? Two things.
1. When the hippocampus starts to become dysfunctional, this creates real-time changes in the the operations of other systems.
2. Tracking eye movements may be key for early detection of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and other dementias.
4/5
1. When the hippocampus starts to become dysfunctional, this creates real-time changes in the the operations of other systems.
2. Tracking eye movements may be key for early detection of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and other dementias.
4/5
October 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
What does this mean? Two things.
1. When the hippocampus starts to become dysfunctional, this creates real-time changes in the the operations of other systems.
2. Tracking eye movements may be key for early detection of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and other dementias.
4/5
1. When the hippocampus starts to become dysfunctional, this creates real-time changes in the the operations of other systems.
2. Tracking eye movements may be key for early detection of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and other dementias.
4/5
With increasing hippocampal compromise, the information that is built up over time from eye movements becomes less distinct, leading to increasingly impoverished memories that likely become confusable with one another.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
3/5
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
3/5
Decoding memory function through naturalistic gaze patterns | PNAS
Eye movements are closely linked to encoding and retrieval processes, with changes
in viewing behavior reflecting age- and pathology-related memory...
www.pnas.org
October 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
With increasing hippocampal compromise, the information that is built up over time from eye movements becomes less distinct, leading to increasingly impoverished memories that likely become confusable with one another.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
3/5
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
3/5
People with memory problems have altered patterns of eye movements, even when they're looking at something new and we're not asking them to remember anything.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
This change in how the eyes move has consequences.
2/5
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
This change in how the eyes move has consequences.
2/5
Changes in Naturalistic Viewing in Healthy Aging and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment
Visual exploration—where the eyes move and when—is guided by prior experiences. Memory-guided viewing behavior is altered in healthy aging and is further disrupted in amnestic mild cognitive impairme...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
People with memory problems have altered patterns of eye movements, even when they're looking at something new and we're not asking them to remember anything.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
This change in how the eyes move has consequences.
2/5
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
This change in how the eyes move has consequences.
2/5
Memory problems will change how you see the world...literally 👀
Across two new papers, we examined the eye movement patterns of younger adults, older adults, individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and amnesic cases.
1/5
Across two new papers, we examined the eye movement patterns of younger adults, older adults, individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and amnesic cases.
1/5
October 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Memory problems will change how you see the world...literally 👀
Across two new papers, we examined the eye movement patterns of younger adults, older adults, individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and amnesic cases.
1/5
Across two new papers, we examined the eye movement patterns of younger adults, older adults, individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and amnesic cases.
1/5
This job is HARD. So this article is incredibly validating that maybe there’s something to what we’re doing here. And if it sparks new ideas that generates success for others, then it’s definitely been worth it. Really appreciate you @mariamaly.bsky.social and everyone who has supported us ❤️ 3/3
July 29, 2025 at 2:39 PM
This job is HARD. So this article is incredibly validating that maybe there’s something to what we’re doing here. And if it sparks new ideas that generates success for others, then it’s definitely been worth it. Really appreciate you @mariamaly.bsky.social and everyone who has supported us ❤️ 3/3
Lots of challenges over the years getting people to consider that maybe there’s something more than attention that drives eye movements. My favorite grant on this topic never got funded (one reviewer hated it and wouldn’t budge); but we found ways to get some of the work done anyway.
2/n
2/n
July 29, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Lots of challenges over the years getting people to consider that maybe there’s something more than attention that drives eye movements. My favorite grant on this topic never got funded (one reviewer hated it and wouldn’t budge); but we found ways to get some of the work done anyway.
2/n
2/n
Well this brought tears to my eyes 😭 thank you so much @mariamaly.bsky.social ❤️ funny thing is, we had a really hard time getting this published. Rejected from other journals. Reviewers who said “everyone knows the hippocampus does conscious/explicit memory, so the data must be wrong”….1/n
I was given the opportunity to write a brief highlight of a paper that is important to the field & personally meaningful, and I chose to write about @drjenryan.bsky.social's elegant work linking the hippocampus to eye movement markers of relational memory. Read more about it here! 👇🏼
rdcu.be/eyaXA
rdcu.be/eyaXA
Eye movements provide insight into amnesia
Nature Reviews Neuroscience - In this Journal Club, Mariam Aly discusses a 2000 study that attempted to settle the debate about whether implicit memories are lost or retained in amnesia.
rdcu.be
July 29, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Well this brought tears to my eyes 😭 thank you so much @mariamaly.bsky.social ❤️ funny thing is, we had a really hard time getting this published. Rejected from other journals. Reviewers who said “everyone knows the hippocampus does conscious/explicit memory, so the data must be wrong”….1/n
Oh my goodness! 🥹❤️ This is quite the honour, thank you so much! I spent so many years wondering if I was just going to survive in this field. It’s really validating to know that someone amazing like you found inspiration in it. 😭
July 29, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Oh my goodness! 🥹❤️ This is quite the honour, thank you so much! I spent so many years wondering if I was just going to survive in this field. It’s really validating to know that someone amazing like you found inspiration in it. 😭
Congratulations!! So well-deserved!! 🎉
July 1, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Congratulations!! So well-deserved!! 🎉
Reposted by Dr Jen Ryan
Pete Buttigieg explains why basic science research matters.
Source: Flagrant Podcast
@petebuttigieg.bsky.social
Source: Flagrant Podcast
@petebuttigieg.bsky.social
April 23, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Pete Buttigieg explains why basic science research matters.
Source: Flagrant Podcast
@petebuttigieg.bsky.social
Source: Flagrant Podcast
@petebuttigieg.bsky.social
I’m so sorry, Anna. I would also add to the great advice from others to call or write your representatives and senators. Maybe an op-ed in local papers or radios to explain how these terminations impact local economies as well as the overall science.
April 24, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I’m so sorry, Anna. I would also add to the great advice from others to call or write your representatives and senators. Maybe an op-ed in local papers or radios to explain how these terminations impact local economies as well as the overall science.
One messy sentence at a time ☺️
April 2, 2025 at 4:11 PM
One messy sentence at a time ☺️
Does writing suck for you? How do you make it better? Personally, I make my practice more enjoyable by writing in the morning with coffee and lo-fi music and, if I’m feeling particularly bougie, a fave candle burning. 🕯️ 3/3
April 2, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Does writing suck for you? How do you make it better? Personally, I make my practice more enjoyable by writing in the morning with coffee and lo-fi music and, if I’m feeling particularly bougie, a fave candle burning. 🕯️ 3/3
This week, @shen4brains.bsky.social and I discuss one of the reasons why writing is so hard: because it’s personal and because it requires empathy for your reader. 2/3
drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...
drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...
Writing is personal — DR JEN RYAN
Photo by Nik on Unsplash .
drjenryan.com
April 2, 2025 at 1:53 PM
This week, @shen4brains.bsky.social and I discuss one of the reasons why writing is so hard: because it’s personal and because it requires empathy for your reader. 2/3
drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...
drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...
Writing sucks. It sucks so much for everyone at every stage that I wrote a blog post about it, and I discuss some strategies to make it more enjoyable. 1/3
drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...
drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...
Writing sucks for everyone — DR JEN RYAN
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash .
drjenryan.com
April 2, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Writing sucks. It sucks so much for everyone at every stage that I wrote a blog post about it, and I discuss some strategies to make it more enjoyable. 1/3
drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...
drjenryan.com/the-keys-blo...
I appreciate your voice in this 🙏 we are quite alarmed up here and taking this very seriously.
March 19, 2025 at 12:17 PM
I appreciate your voice in this 🙏 we are quite alarmed up here and taking this very seriously.
“…justify military ops in Mexico/Canada.” This is reprehensible. Stay on your representatives, everyone. Tagging mine in here; reminding you that these are allies AND you have constituents- like me- living in these countries: @duckworth.senate.gov @budzinski.house.gov @durbin.senate.gov
SCOOP—Trump plans to issue an executive order designating fentanyl as a "Weapon of Mass Destruction," per copy of EO reviewed by me. Source at State speculates purpose is to designate cartels as terrorist orgs/justify military ops in Mexico/Canada.
Context/full text of draft only on The Handbasket:
Context/full text of draft only on The Handbasket:
Trump to declare fentanyl “Weapon of Mass Destruction," per draft EO
A copy of the draft was obtained and reviewed by The Handbasket.
www.thehandbasket.co
March 18, 2025 at 9:20 PM
“…justify military ops in Mexico/Canada.” This is reprehensible. Stay on your representatives, everyone. Tagging mine in here; reminding you that these are allies AND you have constituents- like me- living in these countries: @duckworth.senate.gov @budzinski.house.gov @durbin.senate.gov
Ahh thanks should have tagged Cognitive Neuroscience Society @cogneuronews.bsky.social in the original post.
March 17, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Ahh thanks should have tagged Cognitive Neuroscience Society @cogneuronews.bsky.social in the original post.
It is so disheartening that it has come to this. For those who are still going to the US, particularly for CNS in Boston, please make sure you have a plan. Share your flight itinerary with someone, and check in with them when you get through arrivals. Other tips?? Please share 👇
With a heavy heart, I've decided to suspend all academic travel to the USA for me and my lab. Given the escalation of tensions and uncertainties, it seems to be the wisest move. To our US colleagues, please be certain that we will continue to do what we can to support you. Science is global.
March 17, 2025 at 1:59 PM
It is so disheartening that it has come to this. For those who are still going to the US, particularly for CNS in Boston, please make sure you have a plan. Share your flight itinerary with someone, and check in with them when you get through arrivals. Other tips?? Please share 👇
“…hope is the consequence of action, rather than its cause.”
Inspiring vision, message, and playbook that I think we, as scientists, can adopt as well to counteract the cruel cuts being made to science and education in the US.
Inspiring vision, message, and playbook that I think we, as scientists, can adopt as well to counteract the cruel cuts being made to science and education in the US.
I care deeply about who Michigan will elect as Governor and send to the U.S. Senate next year, but I have decided against competing in either race.
I wrote more here about my decision and how I view the work required of us all in this moment:
I wrote more here about my decision and how I view the work required of us all in this moment:
I'm Not Running in 2026, But I Am Getting to Work
We all have work to do in delivering a better kind of politics for America.
substack.com
March 13, 2025 at 3:59 PM
“…hope is the consequence of action, rather than its cause.”
Inspiring vision, message, and playbook that I think we, as scientists, can adopt as well to counteract the cruel cuts being made to science and education in the US.
Inspiring vision, message, and playbook that I think we, as scientists, can adopt as well to counteract the cruel cuts being made to science and education in the US.
Frustrating. 😣 I also heard that DOGE folks have been wandering around NASA HQ trying to sort out who everyone is and what they do, including whether they are a contractor or a direct employee. I can’t even imagine the stress everyone at NASA must be feeling 🥺
March 5, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Frustrating. 😣 I also heard that DOGE folks have been wandering around NASA HQ trying to sort out who everyone is and what they do, including whether they are a contractor or a direct employee. I can’t even imagine the stress everyone at NASA must be feeling 🥺
Awful and terrifying. At least it’s completely clear (not like it wasn’t before) that they’re not interested in preserving democracy anywhere.
February 28, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Awful and terrifying. At least it’s completely clear (not like it wasn’t before) that they’re not interested in preserving democracy anywhere.