Evan Gordon
@gordonneuro.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Radiology at Washington University in St. Louis. Neuroscientist studying human brain organization with fMRI, functional connectivity, and DTI.
https://sites.wustl.edu/evangordon/
https://sites.wustl.edu/evangordon/
Reposted by Evan Gordon
This is the genius of the Portland protests - they make the claims of lawlessness look not just wrong, but comical
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
October 9, 2025 at 10:54 PM
This is the genius of the Portland protests - they make the claims of lawlessness look not just wrong, but comical
Reposted by Evan Gordon
Is resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), cortical thickness (CT), or cortical volume more effective at capturing sex and gender differences in the brains of preadolescents?
Check out our new article (doi.org/10.1016/j.dc...) now out in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
Check out our new article (doi.org/10.1016/j.dc...) now out in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
October 7, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Is resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), cortical thickness (CT), or cortical volume more effective at capturing sex and gender differences in the brains of preadolescents?
Check out our new article (doi.org/10.1016/j.dc...) now out in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
Check out our new article (doi.org/10.1016/j.dc...) now out in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
Reposted by Evan Gordon
Let's continue to build solidarity by peacefully opposing our tyrant-in-chief at No Kings Day 2.0 on October 18. There are currently over 2,000 events planned nationwide. More details here: https://www.nokings.org
October 1, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Let's continue to build solidarity by peacefully opposing our tyrant-in-chief at No Kings Day 2.0 on October 18. There are currently over 2,000 events planned nationwide. More details here: https://www.nokings.org
Reposted by Evan Gordon
Ever wondered if your interesting brain-behavior correlation was over- or under-estimated due to head motion, but were afraid to ask? We’ve created a motion impact score for detecting spurious brain-behavior associations, now available in Nature Communications!
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
September 30, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Ever wondered if your interesting brain-behavior correlation was over- or under-estimated due to head motion, but were afraid to ask? We’ve created a motion impact score for detecting spurious brain-behavior associations, now available in Nature Communications!
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
Reposted by Evan Gordon
It took me 2 minutes to write about how this proposed rule would eliminate all foreign PhD students, who are a critical part of US science and technology, and drive US innovation and economic growth
Comment period ends on Monday for a proposed rule change that would terminate student visas after 4 years. It also puts limits on exchange visitors and reps of foreign media, and shortens the length of time at the end of the visa from 60 days to 30 days.
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media
Unlike most nonimmigrant classifications, which are admitted for a fixed time period, aliens in the F (academic student), J (exchange visitor), and most I (representatives of foreign information media...
www.federalregister.gov
September 27, 2025 at 1:05 PM
It took me 2 minutes to write about how this proposed rule would eliminate all foreign PhD students, who are a critical part of US science and technology, and drive US innovation and economic growth
Reposted by Evan Gordon
It is really disheartening to see the men who are in charge of science and healthcare in the United States stand before us all and spew misinformation about autism.
To claim that genetic background isn’t the overwhelming contributor to autism is egregious.
To claim that genetic background isn’t the overwhelming contributor to autism is egregious.
September 22, 2025 at 9:14 PM
It is really disheartening to see the men who are in charge of science and healthcare in the United States stand before us all and spew misinformation about autism.
To claim that genetic background isn’t the overwhelming contributor to autism is egregious.
To claim that genetic background isn’t the overwhelming contributor to autism is egregious.
Reposted by Evan Gordon
The FDA is taking their reviews of new drugs behind closed doors, with Director Marty Makary replacing vetted and publicly transparent deliberations with "panels of handpicked scientists who support his views."
This is a miscarriage of science, and a betrayal of public trust in service of MAHA.
This is a miscarriage of science, and a betrayal of public trust in service of MAHA.
Under Trump, FDA seeks to abandon expert reviews of new drugs
Advisory committee meetings help FDA scientists make decisions and increase public understanding of drug regulation, and abandoning them doesn't make sense, former officials said.
www.cbsnews.com
September 12, 2025 at 2:48 PM
The FDA is taking their reviews of new drugs behind closed doors, with Director Marty Makary replacing vetted and publicly transparent deliberations with "panels of handpicked scientists who support his views."
This is a miscarriage of science, and a betrayal of public trust in service of MAHA.
This is a miscarriage of science, and a betrayal of public trust in service of MAHA.
Reposted by Evan Gordon
Is precision functional brain imaging in babies possible? YES! We show this in not one but two new preprints out of WashU and @umn-midb.bsky.social! 1️⃣: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 2️⃣: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🐣👶🧠
🐣👶🧠
August 29, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Is precision functional brain imaging in babies possible? YES! We show this in not one but two new preprints out of WashU and @umn-midb.bsky.social! 1️⃣: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 2️⃣: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🐣👶🧠
🐣👶🧠
Reposted by Evan Gordon
NIMH Data Archive is now also imposing NIST/ISO requirements (like NBDC). Not sure how many labs actually have the resources to meet these requirements. Is the golden era of open brain imaging data basically over?
August 28, 2025 at 1:01 AM
NIMH Data Archive is now also imposing NIST/ISO requirements (like NBDC). Not sure how many labs actually have the resources to meet these requirements. Is the golden era of open brain imaging data basically over?
Reposted by Evan Gordon
Great write up of our @nature.com study by @claudia-lopez.bsky.social
When powering fMRI studies, sample size is king, but scan duration can also be a powerful tool, improving phenotypic prediction and cost-efficiency, a new analysis shows
By @claudia-lopez.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/fmri/longer-...
By @claudia-lopez.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/fmri/longer-...
Longer fMRI brain scans boost reliability—but only to a point
Around 30 minutes of imaging per person seems to be the “sweet spot” for linking functional connectivity differences to traits in an accurate and cost-effective way.
www.thetransmitter.org
August 21, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Great write up of our @nature.com study by @claudia-lopez.bsky.social
Reposted by Evan Gordon
Now out in @natneuro.nature.com
What happens to the brain’s body map when a body-part is removed?
Scanning patients before and up to 5 yrs after arm amputation, we discovered the brain’s body map is strikingly preserved despite amputation
www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02037-7
🧵1/18
What happens to the brain’s body map when a body-part is removed?
Scanning patients before and up to 5 yrs after arm amputation, we discovered the brain’s body map is strikingly preserved despite amputation
www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02037-7
🧵1/18
August 21, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Now out in @natneuro.nature.com
What happens to the brain’s body map when a body-part is removed?
Scanning patients before and up to 5 yrs after arm amputation, we discovered the brain’s body map is strikingly preserved despite amputation
www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02037-7
🧵1/18
What happens to the brain’s body map when a body-part is removed?
Scanning patients before and up to 5 yrs after arm amputation, we discovered the brain’s body map is strikingly preserved despite amputation
www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02037-7
🧵1/18
Reposted by Evan Gordon
"Simple" tools in the same loop as the experiment along with thoughtful, common sense approaches (like focusing on individuals instead of consortia). That's really powerful. That's how you translate. And there aren't a lot of groups that do all of experiment and tools and theory well.
7/
7/
August 11, 2025 at 7:19 PM
"Simple" tools in the same loop as the experiment along with thoughtful, common sense approaches (like focusing on individuals instead of consortia). That's really powerful. That's how you translate. And there aren't a lot of groups that do all of experiment and tools and theory well.
7/
7/
Reposted by Evan Gordon
Be honest. You've written the same thing a dozen times.
But in my defense, I felt like I did my part -- wrote about a tool. Made some observation. Now let other people figure out how to apply it. Fin [at least my contribution].
That's such a copout! How do we get away with saying these things? 3/
But in my defense, I felt like I did my part -- wrote about a tool. Made some observation. Now let other people figure out how to apply it. Fin [at least my contribution].
That's such a copout! How do we get away with saying these things? 3/
August 11, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Be honest. You've written the same thing a dozen times.
But in my defense, I felt like I did my part -- wrote about a tool. Made some observation. Now let other people figure out how to apply it. Fin [at least my contribution].
That's such a copout! How do we get away with saying these things? 3/
But in my defense, I felt like I did my part -- wrote about a tool. Made some observation. Now let other people figure out how to apply it. Fin [at least my contribution].
That's such a copout! How do we get away with saying these things? 3/
Reposted by Evan Gordon
But every one of those papers has the same throwaway statement somewhere.
It goes sort of like this: "in principle, this tool could be used in future studies for biomarkers or for helping better understand [your favorite disorder]."
Those statements are trite and essentially meaningless. 2/
It goes sort of like this: "in principle, this tool could be used in future studies for biomarkers or for helping better understand [your favorite disorder]."
Those statements are trite and essentially meaningless. 2/
August 11, 2025 at 7:19 PM
But every one of those papers has the same throwaway statement somewhere.
It goes sort of like this: "in principle, this tool could be used in future studies for biomarkers or for helping better understand [your favorite disorder]."
Those statements are trite and essentially meaningless. 2/
It goes sort of like this: "in principle, this tool could be used in future studies for biomarkers or for helping better understand [your favorite disorder]."
Those statements are trite and essentially meaningless. 2/
Reposted by Evan Gordon
I've been thinking a lot about the preprint in terms of my own career. I grew up academically in computational labs. My papers were abstract early on and they only got more abstract as I progressed. The model was: find a new exciting mathematical tool. Apply it to brain imaging data. Write it up. 1/
I still get chills
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
August 11, 2025 at 7:19 PM
I've been thinking a lot about the preprint in terms of my own career. I grew up academically in computational labs. My papers were abstract early on and they only got more abstract as I progressed. The model was: find a new exciting mathematical tool. Apply it to brain imaging data. Write it up. 1/
A truly spectacular demonstration of the medical potential of precision mapping an individual patient's brain. I am so excited to be part of this work!
I still get chills
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
August 13, 2025 at 6:29 PM
A truly spectacular demonstration of the medical potential of precision mapping an individual patient's brain. I am so excited to be part of this work!
Reposted by Evan Gordon
Precision Functional Mapping (PFM). 8 yrs ago some told us it wasn't interesting. Now it's helping cure depression as part of PACE (Personalized Adaptive Cortical Electro-stimulation), ... commercialized by @turingmedical.bsky.social.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
www.cell.com/neuron/comme...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
www.cell.com/neuron/comme...
August 12, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Precision Functional Mapping (PFM). 8 yrs ago some told us it wasn't interesting. Now it's helping cure depression as part of PACE (Personalized Adaptive Cortical Electro-stimulation), ... commercialized by @turingmedical.bsky.social.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
www.cell.com/neuron/comme...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
www.cell.com/neuron/comme...
Reposted by Evan Gordon
This is the #Neurosurgeon who perfected the process to integrate seamlessly into typical workflows. Driving the work in both depression and pain… #AllHandsOnDeck 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
This is the future. The reality of biological #psychiatry. We listen to the patient, create a personalized map of their brain, use algorithms to disrupt stuck networks, and adapt the stimulation over time while continuing our quest to understand those networks.
Now with PFM, prior cortical stim work by @ziad-nahas.bsky.social for depression could be patient specific.
We developed the end-to-end minimally invasive PACE used by @drdaviddarrow.bsky.social to place electrodes directly on Mike's salience, default, fronto-parietal, and action mode networks.
We developed the end-to-end minimally invasive PACE used by @drdaviddarrow.bsky.social to place electrodes directly on Mike's salience, default, fronto-parietal, and action mode networks.
August 10, 2025 at 10:04 PM
This is the #Neurosurgeon who perfected the process to integrate seamlessly into typical workflows. Driving the work in both depression and pain… #AllHandsOnDeck 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
Reposted by Evan Gordon
This is the future. The reality of biological #psychiatry. We listen to the patient, create a personalized map of their brain, use algorithms to disrupt stuck networks, and adapt the stimulation over time while continuing our quest to understand those networks.
Now with PFM, prior cortical stim work by @ziad-nahas.bsky.social for depression could be patient specific.
We developed the end-to-end minimally invasive PACE used by @drdaviddarrow.bsky.social to place electrodes directly on Mike's salience, default, fronto-parietal, and action mode networks.
We developed the end-to-end minimally invasive PACE used by @drdaviddarrow.bsky.social to place electrodes directly on Mike's salience, default, fronto-parietal, and action mode networks.
August 10, 2025 at 10:00 PM
This is the future. The reality of biological #psychiatry. We listen to the patient, create a personalized map of their brain, use algorithms to disrupt stuck networks, and adapt the stimulation over time while continuing our quest to understand those networks.
Reposted by Evan Gordon
From 30+ years of suffering to sustained relief thanks to personalized brain maps + adaptive stimulation
PACE – an approach for a personalized brain pacemaker
Insights on how decades of basic science in fMRI and cognitive science can lead to real breakthroughs in medicine
PACE – an approach for a personalized brain pacemaker
Insights on how decades of basic science in fMRI and cognitive science can lead to real breakthroughs in medicine
August 10, 2025 at 6:23 PM
From 30+ years of suffering to sustained relief thanks to personalized brain maps + adaptive stimulation
PACE – an approach for a personalized brain pacemaker
Insights on how decades of basic science in fMRI and cognitive science can lead to real breakthroughs in medicine
PACE – an approach for a personalized brain pacemaker
Insights on how decades of basic science in fMRI and cognitive science can lead to real breakthroughs in medicine
Reposted by Evan Gordon
I still get chills
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
August 10, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I still get chills
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Meet Mike
*30+ years severe depression
*first hospitalized @ 13y
*20 meds
*3 rounds of ECT
*2 near-fatal suicide attempts
Mike felt joy for the first time in decades after we turned on his new brain pacemaker or PACE
see videos, read paper, follow thread
doi.org/10.31234/osf...
Reposted by Evan Gordon
The language 🧠 areas are selective for language relative to many forms of reasoning (arithmetic, social, semantic, etc.).
@hopekean.bsky.social has now shown that even formal logical reasoning—the domain that is perhaps the closest to language—neither engages nor requires the language system!
@hopekean.bsky.social has now shown that even formal logical reasoning—the domain that is perhaps the closest to language—neither engages nor requires the language system!
Is the Language of Thought == Language? A Thread 🧵
New Preprint (link: tinyurl.com/LangLOT) with @alexanderfung.bsky.social, Paris Jaggers, Jason Chen, Josh Rule, Yael Benn, @joshtenenbaum.bsky.social, @spiantado.bsky.social, Rosemary Varley, @evfedorenko.bsky.social
1/8
New Preprint (link: tinyurl.com/LangLOT) with @alexanderfung.bsky.social, Paris Jaggers, Jason Chen, Josh Rule, Yael Benn, @joshtenenbaum.bsky.social, @spiantado.bsky.social, Rosemary Varley, @evfedorenko.bsky.social
1/8
Evidence from Formal Logical Reasoning Reveals that the Language of Thought is not Natural Language
Humans are endowed with a powerful capacity for both inductive and deductive logical thought: we easily form generalizations based on a few examples and draw conclusions from known premises. Humans al...
tinyurl.com
August 3, 2025 at 10:56 PM
The language 🧠 areas are selective for language relative to many forms of reasoning (arithmetic, social, semantic, etc.).
@hopekean.bsky.social has now shown that even formal logical reasoning—the domain that is perhaps the closest to language—neither engages nor requires the language system!
@hopekean.bsky.social has now shown that even formal logical reasoning—the domain that is perhaps the closest to language—neither engages nor requires the language system!
Reposted by Evan Gordon
1
To predict the behaviour of a primate, would you rather base your guess on a closely related species or one with a similar brain shape? We looked at brains & behaviours of 70 species, you’ll be surprised!
🧵Thread on our new preprint with @r3rt0.bsky.social , doi.org/10.1101/2025...
To predict the behaviour of a primate, would you rather base your guess on a closely related species or one with a similar brain shape? We looked at brains & behaviours of 70 species, you’ll be surprised!
🧵Thread on our new preprint with @r3rt0.bsky.social , doi.org/10.1101/2025...
July 27, 2025 at 5:26 PM
1
To predict the behaviour of a primate, would you rather base your guess on a closely related species or one with a similar brain shape? We looked at brains & behaviours of 70 species, you’ll be surprised!
🧵Thread on our new preprint with @r3rt0.bsky.social , doi.org/10.1101/2025...
To predict the behaviour of a primate, would you rather base your guess on a closely related species or one with a similar brain shape? We looked at brains & behaviours of 70 species, you’ll be surprised!
🧵Thread on our new preprint with @r3rt0.bsky.social , doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Evan Gordon
1/11 Very excited to say that our preprint, Precision functional mapping reveals less inter-individual variability in the child vs. adult human brain, is up on biorxiv!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Precision functional mapping reveals less inter-individual variability in the child vs. adult human brain
Human brain organization shares a common underlying structure, though recent studies have shown that features of this organization also differ significantly across individual adults. Understanding the...
www.biorxiv.org
July 28, 2025 at 9:54 PM
1/11 Very excited to say that our preprint, Precision functional mapping reveals less inter-individual variability in the child vs. adult human brain, is up on biorxiv!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...