Jibran Khokhar
@drjkhokhar.bsky.social
Associate Professor, CRC in Translational Neuropsychopharmacology Western University Open-Source Behavioural Tools
Committed to knowing better and doing better!
Committed to knowing better and doing better!
Pinned
Jibran Khokhar
@drjkhokhar.bsky.social
· Nov 22
Cannabis and the Developing Brain: Vaping, Edibles and Genetics | Jibran Khokhar
YouTube video by Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives
www.youtube.com
Happy to share my talk for the @hbhlmcgill.bsky.social Brain Canada The Amazing Brain 2024 event titled: Cannabis and the Developing Brain: Vaping, Edibles and Genetics www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgxb...
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Chronic nicotine reduces nigral dopaminergic activity and remodels pedunculopontine cholinergic subpopulations https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.12.705607v1
February 14, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Chronic nicotine reduces nigral dopaminergic activity and remodels pedunculopontine cholinergic subpopulations https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.12.705607v1
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Cortex-Wide Cellular Imaging in Freely Locomoting Mice Using Cortex Camera Array Microscope (CortexCAM) https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.11.705445v1
February 14, 2026 at 10:18 AM
Cortex-Wide Cellular Imaging in Freely Locomoting Mice Using Cortex Camera Array Microscope (CortexCAM) https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.11.705445v1
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
The chief of NIAMS, Lindsey Criswell, has told her staff that her 5-year leadership appointment had not been renewed, meaning 16 out of 27 NIH institutes and centers will be operating without a permanent director. https://scim.ag/4cr5wHI
Another NIH institute loses its director
Health department declines to renew Lindsey Criswell, head of arthritis institute, to another 5-year term
scim.ag
February 13, 2026 at 10:32 PM
The chief of NIAMS, Lindsey Criswell, has told her staff that her 5-year leadership appointment had not been renewed, meaning 16 out of 27 NIH institutes and centers will be operating without a permanent director. https://scim.ag/4cr5wHI
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
The 2025-2026 BME TT Faculty jobs list has 123 positions. #FacultySearch #BME #BMEJobsList
Add a job: forms.gle/bwEzwHAEehBj...
Jobs list: ericaprattlab.com/bme_jobs_list/
Add a job: forms.gle/bwEzwHAEehBj...
Jobs list: ericaprattlab.com/bme_jobs_list/
February 13, 2026 at 4:33 PM
The 2025-2026 BME TT Faculty jobs list has 123 positions. #FacultySearch #BME #BMEJobsList
Add a job: forms.gle/bwEzwHAEehBj...
Jobs list: ericaprattlab.com/bme_jobs_list/
Add a job: forms.gle/bwEzwHAEehBj...
Jobs list: ericaprattlab.com/bme_jobs_list/
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
CIHR funding rate: 13.6%.
Early 2000s: 30%+.
Canada’s new $1.7B Impact+ program recruits talent — but without increased Tri-Council base funding, we risk further strain on an already stretched system.
We’re calling for $1B over 5 years.
Support here: tinyurl.com/33c5av46
Early 2000s: 30%+.
Canada’s new $1.7B Impact+ program recruits talent — but without increased Tri-Council base funding, we risk further strain on an already stretched system.
We’re calling for $1B over 5 years.
Support here: tinyurl.com/33c5av46
February 13, 2026 at 6:55 PM
CIHR funding rate: 13.6%.
Early 2000s: 30%+.
Canada’s new $1.7B Impact+ program recruits talent — but without increased Tri-Council base funding, we risk further strain on an already stretched system.
We’re calling for $1B over 5 years.
Support here: tinyurl.com/33c5av46
Early 2000s: 30%+.
Canada’s new $1.7B Impact+ program recruits talent — but without increased Tri-Council base funding, we risk further strain on an already stretched system.
We’re calling for $1B over 5 years.
Support here: tinyurl.com/33c5av46
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Nice work from my long time collaborator and pal Andrew Holmes' lab, led by the amazing Olena Bukalo.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Astrocytes enable amygdala neural representations supporting memory - Nature
Astrocytes in the basolateral amygdala dynamically track fear state and support fear memory retrieval and extinction.
www.nature.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Nice work from my long time collaborator and pal Andrew Holmes' lab, led by the amazing Olena Bukalo.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
NIH moves to decrease administrative burden. Riiiiight. drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2026/02/13/n...
NIH moves to decrease administrative burden. Riiiiight.
A recent notice (NOT-OD-26-040) informs us that the NIH will no longer require advanced permission from Institutes or Centers for conference grants. Although the NOT reaffirms to us that “NIH…
drugmonkey.wordpress.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:52 PM
NIH moves to decrease administrative burden. Riiiiight. drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2026/02/13/n...
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
🗃️ Tyler Austin Harper’s insane Andrew Mellon Foundation hit piece, which of course @theatlantic.com was happy to print, has rightfully pissed off everyone in the Humanities.
As someone who works in higher education funding, here is a 🧵 on why this article is even more infuriating than you think.
As someone who works in higher education funding, here is a 🧵 on why this article is even more infuriating than you think.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has become the country’s preeminent funder of humanities research, Tyler Austin Harper writes. Is it saving American arts and letters—or killing them?
What Is the Mellon Foundation Doing to Higher Education?
Its role as the country’s preeminent funder of humanities research has granted the foundation—and its president—enormous influence over American arts and letters.
bit.ly
February 13, 2026 at 7:24 PM
🗃️ Tyler Austin Harper’s insane Andrew Mellon Foundation hit piece, which of course @theatlantic.com was happy to print, has rightfully pissed off everyone in the Humanities.
As someone who works in higher education funding, here is a 🧵 on why this article is even more infuriating than you think.
As someone who works in higher education funding, here is a 🧵 on why this article is even more infuriating than you think.
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
NSF Update
Funding curve overall. A little bit of progress in the past week, but only a little bit.
Now by Directorate...
1/11
Funding curve overall. A little bit of progress in the past week, but only a little bit.
Now by Directorate...
1/11
February 13, 2026 at 9:22 PM
NSF Update
Funding curve overall. A little bit of progress in the past week, but only a little bit.
Now by Directorate...
1/11
Funding curve overall. A little bit of progress in the past week, but only a little bit.
Now by Directorate...
1/11
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Nice article on how alcohol impacts your body. I spoke to author about alcohol and brain.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/w...
What Alcohol Does to the Body
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Nice article on how alcohol impacts your body. I spoke to author about alcohol and brain.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/w...
CIHR should do this too!
Many journals are now either asking reviewers to tick this box or are explicitly outlining this in their reviewer guidelines.
February 13, 2026 at 12:55 PM
CIHR should do this too!
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Many journals are now either asking reviewers to tick this box or are explicitly outlining this in their reviewer guidelines.
February 13, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Many journals are now either asking reviewers to tick this box or are explicitly outlining this in their reviewer guidelines.
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
"Racist people are firing and laying off Black women at three times the rate of other women."
😬Yikes! It sounds bad when you say it like that!
"Black women are losing jobs at 3 times the rate."
Much better! Makes it sound like the Black women just need to be more careful or better at their jobs!
😬Yikes! It sounds bad when you say it like that!
"Black women are losing jobs at 3 times the rate."
Much better! Makes it sound like the Black women just need to be more careful or better at their jobs!
Black Women Are Losing Jobs At Three Times The Rate Of Other Women | Essence
New labor data shows Black women accounted for a disproportionate share of job losses across 2025, especially in federal, education, and care-sector roles.
www.essence.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:01 PM
"Racist people are firing and laying off Black women at three times the rate of other women."
😬Yikes! It sounds bad when you say it like that!
"Black women are losing jobs at 3 times the rate."
Much better! Makes it sound like the Black women just need to be more careful or better at their jobs!
😬Yikes! It sounds bad when you say it like that!
"Black women are losing jobs at 3 times the rate."
Much better! Makes it sound like the Black women just need to be more careful or better at their jobs!
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Sigh … Science win; scicomm fail. (To start, prefrontal cortex is in the front not back of the brain ….). Unis *must* lead truth telling - great that NYU has trainees like @andrewbahle.bsky.social to help with that (follow Andrew!)
Wow AI is so amazing we should use it for all our scientific diagrams
February 13, 2026 at 1:26 AM
Sigh … Science win; scicomm fail. (To start, prefrontal cortex is in the front not back of the brain ….). Unis *must* lead truth telling - great that NYU has trainees like @andrewbahle.bsky.social to help with that (follow Andrew!)
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
I'm particularly impressed that when Ford reduced/froze tuition fees, he decided that the policy corollary was "let's cut student aid"
Now that tuition fees are going up again, the policy corollary is "let's cut student aid!"
Nothing if not consistent.
Now that tuition fees are going up again, the policy corollary is "let's cut student aid!"
Nothing if not consistent.
Everyone needs to calm down on the ON annoucnement. There are some devils in the details that need to be taken into account.
Like, by my very back of the envelope count, at least a quarter of this is being paid for by cuts to student aid.
Like, by my very back of the envelope count, at least a quarter of this is being paid for by cuts to student aid.
February 12, 2026 at 4:42 PM
I'm particularly impressed that when Ford reduced/froze tuition fees, he decided that the policy corollary was "let's cut student aid"
Now that tuition fees are going up again, the policy corollary is "let's cut student aid!"
Nothing if not consistent.
Now that tuition fees are going up again, the policy corollary is "let's cut student aid!"
Nothing if not consistent.
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Everyone needs to calm down on the ON annoucnement. There are some devils in the details that need to be taken into account.
Like, by my very back of the envelope count, at least a quarter of this is being paid for by cuts to student aid.
Like, by my very back of the envelope count, at least a quarter of this is being paid for by cuts to student aid.
February 12, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Everyone needs to calm down on the ON annoucnement. There are some devils in the details that need to be taken into account.
Like, by my very back of the envelope count, at least a quarter of this is being paid for by cuts to student aid.
Like, by my very back of the envelope count, at least a quarter of this is being paid for by cuts to student aid.
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Ok, below is data for 2023-24 (the last year for which I have data). ON handed out $1.3B in grants, $239M in loans. But the cost of a loan is about 25 cents on dollar. So actual cost to government of student loan is $1.3B = ($239M * 0.25) or $1.36B in total.
February 12, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Ok, below is data for 2023-24 (the last year for which I have data). ON handed out $1.3B in grants, $239M in loans. But the cost of a loan is about 25 cents on dollar. So actual cost to government of student loan is $1.3B = ($239M * 0.25) or $1.36B in total.
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Did you know girls are twice as likely to develop certain mental illnesses as of puberty? This drives the research of Nafissa Ismail, a professor at @uottawa.ca and advocate for women's health, who studies how stress during adolescence may increase vulnerability. Learn more: bit.ly/3OtmcEs #IDWGS
February 12, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Did you know girls are twice as likely to develop certain mental illnesses as of puberty? This drives the research of Nafissa Ismail, a professor at @uottawa.ca and advocate for women's health, who studies how stress during adolescence may increase vulnerability. Learn more: bit.ly/3OtmcEs #IDWGS
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Congrats to @pact-lab.bsky.social postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social on her recent paper looking at the impact of elevated anandamide via FAAH inhibition on brain function in patients with PTSD
What does it do?
Well....not much 😬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
What does it do?
Well....not much 😬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Functional neuroimaging of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial - Translational Psychiatry
Translational Psychiatry - Functional neuroimaging of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial
www.nature.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Congrats to @pact-lab.bsky.social postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social on her recent paper looking at the impact of elevated anandamide via FAAH inhibition on brain function in patients with PTSD
What does it do?
Well....not much 😬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
What does it do?
Well....not much 😬
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Brainhack Western is coming! This fun event March 27-29 includes talks, collaboration, workshops and more. For more details or to register visit: brainhackwestern.github.io
February 12, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Brainhack Western is coming! This fun event March 27-29 includes talks, collaboration, workshops and more. For more details or to register visit: brainhackwestern.github.io
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Code. Create. Collaborate. 🧠💡 #TRIDENT is proud to support Brainhack Western 2026, an incredible open science, community-driven neuroscience event! Registration link below🔗👇. #Brainhack #OpenScience #Neuroscience #NFRF brainhackwestern.github.io @westernu.ca @schulichmeddent.bsky.social
Brainhack Western is coming! This fun event March 27-29 includes talks, collaboration, workshops and more. For more details or to register visit: brainhackwestern.github.io
February 12, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Code. Create. Collaborate. 🧠💡 #TRIDENT is proud to support Brainhack Western 2026, an incredible open science, community-driven neuroscience event! Registration link below🔗👇. #Brainhack #OpenScience #Neuroscience #NFRF brainhackwestern.github.io @westernu.ca @schulichmeddent.bsky.social
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Really nice work from the Holmes lab looking at amygdala astrocytes in fear memory and extinction!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Astrocytes enable amygdala neural representations supporting memory - Nature
Astrocytes in the basolateral amygdala dynamically track fear state and support fear memory retrieval and extinction.
www.nature.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Really nice work from the Holmes lab looking at amygdala astrocytes in fear memory and extinction!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This is awesome! Congrats!
February 12, 2026 at 5:33 PM
This is awesome! Congrats!
Reposted by Jibran Khokhar
Excited to share our study in Neuron led by
@travisgoode.bsky.social, a K99 PDF (interviewing for Faculty) and Sahay lab team with collaborators at BROAD, Hopkins, and UW Seattle, defining a neural circuit that links prior experience with feeding behavior. Open Access: sahaylab.com/publications
@travisgoode.bsky.social, a K99 PDF (interviewing for Faculty) and Sahay lab team with collaborators at BROAD, Hopkins, and UW Seattle, defining a neural circuit that links prior experience with feeding behavior. Open Access: sahaylab.com/publications
February 12, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Excited to share our study in Neuron led by
@travisgoode.bsky.social, a K99 PDF (interviewing for Faculty) and Sahay lab team with collaborators at BROAD, Hopkins, and UW Seattle, defining a neural circuit that links prior experience with feeding behavior. Open Access: sahaylab.com/publications
@travisgoode.bsky.social, a K99 PDF (interviewing for Faculty) and Sahay lab team with collaborators at BROAD, Hopkins, and UW Seattle, defining a neural circuit that links prior experience with feeding behavior. Open Access: sahaylab.com/publications