Maria Geffen
@geffenlab.bsky.social
Brain scientist who studies how we hear and form memories of sounds 🧠 🧬🔬🧪; prof at Penn. Loves🧘♀️🚴♀️✈️🥐🧶📷⛷️🏔️. Mom to 👦👧👦🐈🐈. Lab: hosting.med.UPenn.edu/hearing
Pinned
Maria Geffen
@geffenlab.bsky.social
· Apr 24
Celebrating two PhD defenses this week: Congrats, Dr. Ding and Dr. Collina! You both did a terrific job and I feel very grateful for the privilege of serving as your mentor!
Reposted by Maria Geffen
In Cambridge in the 1970s, my dad, Colin Blakemore, worked and lectured on sensitive periods of sensory development. In my Cambridge undergrad lectures on this topic, I show a clip from one of his TV shows, which describes sensitive periods for sound categorisation, and features Prof Janet Werker:
February 1, 2026 at 2:09 PM
In Cambridge in the 1970s, my dad, Colin Blakemore, worked and lectured on sensitive periods of sensory development. In my Cambridge undergrad lectures on this topic, I show a clip from one of his TV shows, which describes sensitive periods for sound categorisation, and features Prof Janet Werker:
A special year for the Cajal Course in Computational Neuroscience: the BRAIN Prize winners Haim Sompolinsky and Larry Abbott will join us as keynote speakers. And we will bring you the same great roster of instructors as every year. Applications are now open! cajal-training.org/on-site/comp...
The Brain Prize Course - Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience - CAJAL
[…]
cajal-training.org
January 31, 2026 at 9:20 PM
A special year for the Cajal Course in Computational Neuroscience: the BRAIN Prize winners Haim Sompolinsky and Larry Abbott will join us as keynote speakers. And we will bring you the same great roster of instructors as every year. Applications are now open! cajal-training.org/on-site/comp...
Question re new biosketch format on sciEnv: under the previous nih biosketch format, we could list 5 references under personal statement and then additional 4 references per contribution to science (up to 25 references total). It seems that now it’s down to 10 references total. Is that right?
January 16, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Question re new biosketch format on sciEnv: under the previous nih biosketch format, we could list 5 references under personal statement and then additional 4 references per contribution to science (up to 25 references total). It seems that now it’s down to 10 references total. Is that right?
Reposted by Maria Geffen
While I’m a big fan of new technologies that help us study human biology…there’s still no replacement for animal research! See my article in Gen News. www.genengnews.com/topics/trans...
Why We Still Need Animal Research in a World of AI and Organoids
The portrayal of uncaring scientists without any thought for the animals being used in their research is far from the truth.
www.genengnews.com
July 12, 2025 at 2:56 AM
While I’m a big fan of new technologies that help us study human biology…there’s still no replacement for animal research! See my article in Gen News. www.genengnews.com/topics/trans...
Reposted by Maria Geffen
#NIH colleagues fight for true #HHS leadership. Health has no political affiliation. Sign the #BethesdaDeclaration if you agree.
Joyous dissent at @nihvigils.bsky.social today! Great to see support from local Rockville council member, Zola Shaw!
June 14, 2025 at 6:52 PM
#NIH colleagues fight for true #HHS leadership. Health has no political affiliation. Sign the #BethesdaDeclaration if you agree.
Reposted by Maria Geffen
NEW: Democracy is alive in Philly!
Amazing scenes in Philadelphia as thousands hit the streets for the anti-Trump protest.
#NoKings #50501Movement
Amazing scenes in Philadelphia as thousands hit the streets for the anti-Trump protest.
#NoKings #50501Movement
June 14, 2025 at 5:42 PM
NEW: Democracy is alive in Philly!
Amazing scenes in Philadelphia as thousands hit the streets for the anti-Trump protest.
#NoKings #50501Movement
Amazing scenes in Philadelphia as thousands hit the streets for the anti-Trump protest.
#NoKings #50501Movement
A great deal of hope in these uncertain times for the autism community— Jeffrey Lurie and family announced a large gift to create the Penn-CHOP Lurie Autism Research Institute to support cross-disciplinary and collaborative research. Let’s go do it! www.inquirer.com/health/upenn...
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and family donate $50 million to CHOP and Penn for autism institute
The purpose of the new Lurie Autism Institute is to expand research already being done at CHOP and Penn, form a global hub for research, and attract more scientists to the field.
www.inquirer.com
June 10, 2025 at 11:04 PM
A great deal of hope in these uncertain times for the autism community— Jeffrey Lurie and family announced a large gift to create the Penn-CHOP Lurie Autism Research Institute to support cross-disciplinary and collaborative research. Let’s go do it! www.inquirer.com/health/upenn...
Reposted by Maria Geffen
Thank you @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social for standing up. We all appreciate you and your colleagues for your courage!
Today, my NIH colleagues and I did something scary but really important. We spoke up about egregious harms we are seeing happen to research participants and public health through thoughtless and politicized policies at NIH. 🧵1/3
apnews.com/article/nih-...
apnews.com/article/nih-...
June 10, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Thank you @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social for standing up. We all appreciate you and your colleagues for your courage!
Reposted by Maria Geffen
Today, my NIH colleagues and I did something scary but really important. We spoke up about egregious harms we are seeing happen to research participants and public health through thoughtless and politicized policies at NIH. 🧵1/3
apnews.com/article/nih-...
apnews.com/article/nih-...
June 10, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Today, my NIH colleagues and I did something scary but really important. We spoke up about egregious harms we are seeing happen to research participants and public health through thoughtless and politicized policies at NIH. 🧵1/3
apnews.com/article/nih-...
apnews.com/article/nih-...
Reposted by Maria Geffen
"We are speaking on behalf of hundreds of NIH staff who are standing up together to say: WE DISSENT.
I am so scared about doing this but I am trying to be brave for my kids because it's only gonna get harder to speak up."
Thank you to Dr. Jenna Norton and NIH scientists for your courage!
I am so scared about doing this but I am trying to be brave for my kids because it's only gonna get harder to speak up."
Thank you to Dr. Jenna Norton and NIH scientists for your courage!
June 9, 2025 at 5:25 PM
"We are speaking on behalf of hundreds of NIH staff who are standing up together to say: WE DISSENT.
I am so scared about doing this but I am trying to be brave for my kids because it's only gonna get harder to speak up."
Thank you to Dr. Jenna Norton and NIH scientists for your courage!
I am so scared about doing this but I am trying to be brave for my kids because it's only gonna get harder to speak up."
Thank you to Dr. Jenna Norton and NIH scientists for your courage!
Reposted by Maria Geffen
If you weren't angry enough already, here are the rates of non-competitive renewals through May.
4008 Non-competitive renewals were due to be funded in May.
The total funded was 99!
Some is due to terminations, but most is due to slow grant making due to DOGE review and other impediments.
1/2
4008 Non-competitive renewals were due to be funded in May.
The total funded was 99!
Some is due to terminations, but most is due to slow grant making due to DOGE review and other impediments.
1/2
June 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM
If you weren't angry enough already, here are the rates of non-competitive renewals through May.
4008 Non-competitive renewals were due to be funded in May.
The total funded was 99!
Some is due to terminations, but most is due to slow grant making due to DOGE review and other impediments.
1/2
4008 Non-competitive renewals were due to be funded in May.
The total funded was 99!
Some is due to terminations, but most is due to slow grant making due to DOGE review and other impediments.
1/2
Sign on to support the NIH staff in their demand to restore funding and infrastructure for life-saving research!
June 9, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Sign on to support the NIH staff in their demand to restore funding and infrastructure for life-saving research!
Reposted by Maria Geffen
Also—I direct the science communication nonprofit @your.neighborhoodscientist.org ! Check us out at neighborhoodscientist.org 😊
Your Neighborhood Scientist
cultivating community-based conversations around science, science policy, and scientists
neighborhoodscientist.org
May 22, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Also—I direct the science communication nonprofit @your.neighborhoodscientist.org ! Check us out at neighborhoodscientist.org 😊
Huge thanks to all my colleagues for your generous contributions! The Eagles Autism Challenge 5K was a blast! It was amazing to end the run at the stadium. And it’s not too late to donate to the foundation that does so much for autism research and accommodations through the link below!
May 17, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Huge thanks to all my colleagues for your generous contributions! The Eagles Autism Challenge 5K was a blast! It was amazing to end the run at the stadium. And it’s not too late to donate to the foundation that does so much for autism research and accommodations through the link below!
So sad to hear this @hhmi.org program that supports talented young scientists is cancelled, especially after the application deadline. Audrey came up with a really exciting project and worked so hard on her application!
Heartbroken to hear that the @hhmi.org Hanna Grey fellowship competition is being cancelled this year. I poured so much work and creativity into this app and am very grateful for everyone who helped me revise. It is such a difficult time to be a young scientist.
May 16, 2025 at 6:19 PM
So sad to hear this @hhmi.org program that supports talented young scientists is cancelled, especially after the application deadline. Audrey came up with a really exciting project and worked so hard on her application!
Thanks for another fabulous EARS season. As we're preparing for next year's edition, we are soliciting feedback and suggestions. Please fill out this survey with your suggestions by 5/20/25: forms.gle/R64F9V3Wz7uf...
May 13, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Thanks for another fabulous EARS season. As we're preparing for next year's edition, we are soliciting feedback and suggestions. Please fill out this survey with your suggestions by 5/20/25: forms.gle/R64F9V3Wz7uf...
Tune it at 1 pm ET today!
EARS seminar tomorrow, Tuesday, May 13 1 pm ET:
Maria Chait (the Ear Institute, UCL)
@mariachait.bsky.social
“Inferring Instantaneous Auditory Attention from Ocular Dynamics”
pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/96672201477.
Maria Chait (the Ear Institute, UCL)
@mariachait.bsky.social
“Inferring Instantaneous Auditory Attention from Ocular Dynamics”
pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/96672201477.
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.
pennmedicine.zoom.us
May 13, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Tune it at 1 pm ET today!
EARS seminar tomorrow, Tuesday, May 13 1 pm ET:
Maria Chait (the Ear Institute, UCL)
@mariachait.bsky.social
“Inferring Instantaneous Auditory Attention from Ocular Dynamics”
pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/96672201477.
Maria Chait (the Ear Institute, UCL)
@mariachait.bsky.social
“Inferring Instantaneous Auditory Attention from Ocular Dynamics”
pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/96672201477.
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.
pennmedicine.zoom.us
May 12, 2025 at 2:51 PM
EARS seminar tomorrow, Tuesday, May 13 1 pm ET:
Maria Chait (the Ear Institute, UCL)
@mariachait.bsky.social
“Inferring Instantaneous Auditory Attention from Ocular Dynamics”
pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/96672201477.
Maria Chait (the Ear Institute, UCL)
@mariachait.bsky.social
“Inferring Instantaneous Auditory Attention from Ocular Dynamics”
pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/96672201477.
Reposted by Maria Geffen
Everybody has that one VIP friend who boosts you up by dragging all your other buddies down.
May 2, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Everybody has that one VIP friend who boosts you up by dragging all your other buddies down.
Reposted by Maria Geffen
Excited to share my PhD paper is out! We studied how motion vision is processed beyond the optic lobes to help flies walk straight. It has been a wonderful collaboration with @michaelreiser.bsky.social, @dddavi.bsky.social and many others not in bluesky!
Paper + digest here: bsky.app/profile/cham...
Paper + digest here: bsky.app/profile/cham...
🪰How does a fruit fly walk or fly in a perfectly straight line — even at high speed? It’s not just sharp vision. A sophisticated neural computation is at work.
🧠New study led by @champalimaudf.bsky.social Eugenia Chiappe.
📖 www.fchampalimaud.org/news/researc...
Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧠New study led by @champalimaudf.bsky.social Eugenia Chiappe.
📖 www.fchampalimaud.org/news/researc...
Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
May 2, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Excited to share my PhD paper is out! We studied how motion vision is processed beyond the optic lobes to help flies walk straight. It has been a wonderful collaboration with @michaelreiser.bsky.social, @dddavi.bsky.social and many others not in bluesky!
Paper + digest here: bsky.app/profile/cham...
Paper + digest here: bsky.app/profile/cham...
Reposted by Maria Geffen
Congratulations to Adrienne Fairhall, Prof. of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Adjunct Prof. of Applied Mathematics, and Adjunct Prof. of Physics, who has just been elected to the National Academy of Sciences! 🍾 🎉
April 30, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Congratulations to Adrienne Fairhall, Prof. of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Adjunct Prof. of Applied Mathematics, and Adjunct Prof. of Physics, who has just been elected to the National Academy of Sciences! 🍾 🎉
Please support me in the 5K to benefit the Philadelphia Eagles Autism Foundation and help me reach my goal! The Eagles Foundation supports neuroscience research and sets up wonderful initiatives around Philly to help children like my son.
fundraisers.eaglesautismfoundation.org/maria-geffen
fundraisers.eaglesautismfoundation.org/maria-geffen
April 30, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Please support me in the 5K to benefit the Philadelphia Eagles Autism Foundation and help me reach my goal! The Eagles Foundation supports neuroscience research and sets up wonderful initiatives around Philly to help children like my son.
fundraisers.eaglesautismfoundation.org/maria-geffen
fundraisers.eaglesautismfoundation.org/maria-geffen
Reposted by Maria Geffen
Censoring mis/disinformation research is just the beginning. All scientific research in the US is under threat. Now is the time for scientists in all fields to act. Some small steps each of us can take:
April 26, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Censoring mis/disinformation research is just the beginning. All scientific research in the US is under threat. Now is the time for scientists in all fields to act. Some small steps each of us can take: