Katharina Schmack
@kathaschmack.bsky.social
Psychiatrist | Neuroscientist | Founding Member of the Psychosis Collective @TheCrick @UCLPsychiatry
Genius workspace, then and now.
(Neither my desk nor my desktop look like this. Draw your own conclusions 😅)
(Neither my desk nor my desktop look like this. Draw your own conclusions 😅)
November 12, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Genius workspace, then and now.
(Neither my desk nor my desktop look like this. Draw your own conclusions 😅)
(Neither my desk nor my desktop look like this. Draw your own conclusions 😅)
“She [Rosalind Franklin] would have thought of herself simply as a scientist whose achievements should have been judged on their own terms, not as a ‘woman scientist’ striking a blow for the rights of women.”
#notAWomanScientist
(1/n)
#notAWomanScientist
(1/n)
'She certainly felt insulted when she found that the main dining room at King's, where scientists would meet for discussions over lunch or coffee, was open only to men; this un-Parisian attitude was hard to take even if not unusual in English colleges at the time.'
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
November 9, 2025 at 1:09 PM
“She [Rosalind Franklin] would have thought of herself simply as a scientist whose achievements should have been judged on their own terms, not as a ‘woman scientist’ striking a blow for the rights of women.”
#notAWomanScientist
(1/n)
#notAWomanScientist
(1/n)
He: You spent money on an AIR PURIFIER?
Me: [erupting into a 15-minute talk on air pollution in cancer and dementia, confidently citing studies I once skimmed]
He: You really should be in sales.
Me: That's half my job, using vague recollections of science to convince people to fund more science.
Me: [erupting into a 15-minute talk on air pollution in cancer and dementia, confidently citing studies I once skimmed]
He: You really should be in sales.
Me: That's half my job, using vague recollections of science to convince people to fund more science.
November 8, 2025 at 9:32 PM
He: You spent money on an AIR PURIFIER?
Me: [erupting into a 15-minute talk on air pollution in cancer and dementia, confidently citing studies I once skimmed]
He: You really should be in sales.
Me: That's half my job, using vague recollections of science to convince people to fund more science.
Me: [erupting into a 15-minute talk on air pollution in cancer and dementia, confidently citing studies I once skimmed]
He: You really should be in sales.
Me: That's half my job, using vague recollections of science to convince people to fund more science.
Reposted by Katharina Schmack
Apply to become a CSHL-Simons Fellow in Neuroscience!
Run your own lab, pursue bold ideas, join a highly collaborative community!
All areas including experimental or computational neuro, including NeuroAI & systems
PhD required; ≤~1 yr postdoc
www.cshl.edu/about-us/car...
Run your own lab, pursue bold ideas, join a highly collaborative community!
All areas including experimental or computational neuro, including NeuroAI & systems
PhD required; ≤~1 yr postdoc
www.cshl.edu/about-us/car...
Fellows Positions | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
CSHL Simons Fellow in NEUROSCIENCE Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is seeking to fill a Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Fellow position in the area of NEUROSCIENCE (experimental and/or computationa...
www.cshl.edu
October 24, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Apply to become a CSHL-Simons Fellow in Neuroscience!
Run your own lab, pursue bold ideas, join a highly collaborative community!
All areas including experimental or computational neuro, including NeuroAI & systems
PhD required; ≤~1 yr postdoc
www.cshl.edu/about-us/car...
Run your own lab, pursue bold ideas, join a highly collaborative community!
All areas including experimental or computational neuro, including NeuroAI & systems
PhD required; ≤~1 yr postdoc
www.cshl.edu/about-us/car...
1/7 I could be Katharina Rubi. So, why am I still Katharina Schmack-(suppressed giggles)-can-you-spell-that for me?
Here’s a story about a dopamine-degrading enzyme that fell out of fashion. 🧵
Here’s a story about a dopamine-degrading enzyme that fell out of fashion. 🧵
November 5, 2025 at 11:16 PM
1/7 I could be Katharina Rubi. So, why am I still Katharina Schmack-(suppressed giggles)-can-you-spell-that for me?
Here’s a story about a dopamine-degrading enzyme that fell out of fashion. 🧵
Here’s a story about a dopamine-degrading enzyme that fell out of fashion. 🧵
Cycling through London and something tells me many wishes will come true 🪔
November 4, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Cycling through London and something tells me many wishes will come true 🪔
Yes, I’m of a certain age, but would it kill the supermarket self-checkout worker to at least hesitate for a second before pressing “visibly over 25”?
#foreverYoung
#foreverYoung
October 31, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Yes, I’m of a certain age, but would it kill the supermarket self-checkout worker to at least hesitate for a second before pressing “visibly over 25”?
#foreverYoung
#foreverYoung
Everything I say in this video is true! Join us to start your lab at the Crick – Europe’s largest indoor playground for scientists 👩🔬👨🔬!
Crick group leaders work across disciplines, supported by core funding and mentoring to build ambitious, curiosity-driven research.
Apply now to join us ➡️ www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
Apply now to join us ➡️ www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
October 27, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Everything I say in this video is true! Join us to start your lab at the Crick – Europe’s largest indoor playground for scientists 👩🔬👨🔬!
Reposted by Katharina Schmack
Good point! Let’s revive the tradition: if you recently read an interesting paper (doesn’t matter which field) please share!! #FridayPaperClub
October 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Good point! Let’s revive the tradition: if you recently read an interesting paper (doesn’t matter which field) please share!! #FridayPaperClub
Scenes from our lab Slack channel:
“Ugh… that’s disappointing.”
“Wait, let me check.”
“Hold on, something’s funny…”
“WHAT?!”
“Ohhh… that’s actually interesting.”
“Back to the analysis we go…”
“No way… THE EXPERIMENT WORKED!”
I love this team! The rollercoaster of science never gets old! 😍🔬
“Ugh… that’s disappointing.”
“Wait, let me check.”
“Hold on, something’s funny…”
“WHAT?!”
“Ohhh… that’s actually interesting.”
“Back to the analysis we go…”
“No way… THE EXPERIMENT WORKED!”
I love this team! The rollercoaster of science never gets old! 😍🔬
two elderly women are riding a roller coaster together and one is covering her face .
Alt: two elderly women are riding a roller coaster together and one is covering her face .
media.tenor.com
October 18, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Scenes from our lab Slack channel:
“Ugh… that’s disappointing.”
“Wait, let me check.”
“Hold on, something’s funny…”
“WHAT?!”
“Ohhh… that’s actually interesting.”
“Back to the analysis we go…”
“No way… THE EXPERIMENT WORKED!”
I love this team! The rollercoaster of science never gets old! 😍🔬
“Ugh… that’s disappointing.”
“Wait, let me check.”
“Hold on, something’s funny…”
“WHAT?!”
“Ohhh… that’s actually interesting.”
“Back to the analysis we go…”
“No way… THE EXPERIMENT WORKED!”
I love this team! The rollercoaster of science never gets old! 😍🔬
Reposted by Katharina Schmack
Don't miss this if you are going to #SfN2025 and interested in cross-species psychedelic neuroscience research
Looking forward to hearing the talks and the discussions, and excited about presenting some of the lab's unpublished data and how we are thinking about future research
Looking forward to hearing the talks and the discussions, and excited about presenting some of the lab's unpublished data and how we are thinking about future research
Excited to speak in San Diego on Nov 14 at this SfN Sattelite!
If you're curious about cross-species approaches to #psychedelics, #hallucinations and #consciousness, join us! 🐀👤🧠
Limited spots, register here:
hopkinspsychedelic.org/sfn2025
If you're curious about cross-species approaches to #psychedelics, #hallucinations and #consciousness, join us! 🐀👤🧠
Limited spots, register here:
hopkinspsychedelic.org/sfn2025
October 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Don't miss this if you are going to #SfN2025 and interested in cross-species psychedelic neuroscience research
Looking forward to hearing the talks and the discussions, and excited about presenting some of the lab's unpublished data and how we are thinking about future research
Looking forward to hearing the talks and the discussions, and excited about presenting some of the lab's unpublished data and how we are thinking about future research
Psychosis is fascinating - and its impact can be devastating. Excited to share what we are doing in our lab @crick.ac.uk to change that 🧠🧪🥼
Drop by if you are curious! Free talk, everybody is welcome 👇
Drop by if you are curious! Free talk, everybody is welcome 👇
What is psychosis, and how can we uncover new ways to treat it by understanding it’s biological roots?
Book now for our free public talk by @kathaschmack.bsky.social, who leads the Neural Circuits and Immunity in Psychosis Lab here at the Crick.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crick-cras...
Book now for our free public talk by @kathaschmack.bsky.social, who leads the Neural Circuits and Immunity in Psychosis Lab here at the Crick.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crick-cras...
Crick Crash Course: Psychosis
Our series of morning lectures sharing science from across the Crick in a simple and accessible way continues.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
October 16, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Psychosis is fascinating - and its impact can be devastating. Excited to share what we are doing in our lab @crick.ac.uk to change that 🧠🧪🥼
Drop by if you are curious! Free talk, everybody is welcome 👇
Drop by if you are curious! Free talk, everybody is welcome 👇
Reposted by Katharina Schmack
During these uncertain times, I’m very happy to see that my institution, @scripps.edu has an open tenure-track Assistant Professor position. Any field in Chemistry or Biology is welcome. I’d especially love to see fellow neuroscientists apply. Please repost!
apply.interfolio.com/174756
apply.interfolio.com/174756
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:35 PM
During these uncertain times, I’m very happy to see that my institution, @scripps.edu has an open tenure-track Assistant Professor position. Any field in Chemistry or Biology is welcome. I’d especially love to see fellow neuroscientists apply. Please repost!
apply.interfolio.com/174756
apply.interfolio.com/174756
Dear Student,
It has been wonderful to see you grow from a lab novice into a thoughtful experimentalist. The results you have generated rob me of sleep because I am so excited thinking about the potential that lies in them. Science can be exhilarating! (1/4)
It has been wonderful to see you grow from a lab novice into a thoughtful experimentalist. The results you have generated rob me of sleep because I am so excited thinking about the potential that lies in them. Science can be exhilarating! (1/4)
October 9, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Dear Student,
It has been wonderful to see you grow from a lab novice into a thoughtful experimentalist. The results you have generated rob me of sleep because I am so excited thinking about the potential that lies in them. Science can be exhilarating! (1/4)
It has been wonderful to see you grow from a lab novice into a thoughtful experimentalist. The results you have generated rob me of sleep because I am so excited thinking about the potential that lies in them. Science can be exhilarating! (1/4)
📢 Join us at the Crick to start your lab!
💸 Generous core funding to give your ideas wings
🔬 Outstanding facilities to realise your nerdiest dreams
🙌 Supportive colleagues who lift you and your science up
Happy to answer questions! Please repost!
💸 Generous core funding to give your ideas wings
🔬 Outstanding facilities to realise your nerdiest dreams
🙌 Supportive colleagues who lift you and your science up
Happy to answer questions! Please repost!
We're now recruiting early career group leaders at the Crick to lead ambitious research programmes and explore bold scientific questions.
Hear our Director, Edith Heard, explain why the Crick is a unique place for curiosity-driven research.
Apply now ➡️ www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
Hear our Director, Edith Heard, explain why the Crick is a unique place for curiosity-driven research.
Apply now ➡️ www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
October 9, 2025 at 2:57 PM
📢 Join us at the Crick to start your lab!
💸 Generous core funding to give your ideas wings
🔬 Outstanding facilities to realise your nerdiest dreams
🙌 Supportive colleagues who lift you and your science up
Happy to answer questions! Please repost!
💸 Generous core funding to give your ideas wings
🔬 Outstanding facilities to realise your nerdiest dreams
🙌 Supportive colleagues who lift you and your science up
Happy to answer questions! Please repost!
Reposted by Katharina Schmack
Attending #SfN2025 in San Diego☀️? Don’t miss the Dorris Neuroscience Center Symposium at @scripps.edu, happening right before the meeting. A great lineup of speakers to kick off your SfN week. Plan your trip accordingly and register for free here:
www.eventbrite.com/e/dorris-neu...
Please amplify!
www.eventbrite.com/e/dorris-neu...
Please amplify!
October 7, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Attending #SfN2025 in San Diego☀️? Don’t miss the Dorris Neuroscience Center Symposium at @scripps.edu, happening right before the meeting. A great lineup of speakers to kick off your SfN week. Plan your trip accordingly and register for free here:
www.eventbrite.com/e/dorris-neu...
Please amplify!
www.eventbrite.com/e/dorris-neu...
Please amplify!
Reposted by Katharina Schmack
Fascinating thread about the identification of one of the first genes with a clear role in human speech and language! Extra credit for those who dig in to find out why its called a "forkhead domain" 🧪
Twenty-four years ago today, our paper “A forkhead-domain gene is mutated in a severe speech and language disorder” was published: www.nature.com/articles/350....
A personal thread about the ups & downs of the journey we took to get to that point....1/n
🗣️🧬🧪
A personal thread about the ups & downs of the journey we took to get to that point....1/n
🗣️🧬🧪
October 5, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Fascinating thread about the identification of one of the first genes with a clear role in human speech and language! Extra credit for those who dig in to find out why its called a "forkhead domain" 🧪
Excited to speak in San Diego on Nov 14 at this SfN Sattelite!
If you're curious about cross-species approaches to #psychedelics, #hallucinations and #consciousness, join us! 🐀👤🧠
Limited spots, register here:
hopkinspsychedelic.org/sfn2025
If you're curious about cross-species approaches to #psychedelics, #hallucinations and #consciousness, join us! 🐀👤🧠
Limited spots, register here:
hopkinspsychedelic.org/sfn2025
October 2, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Excited to speak in San Diego on Nov 14 at this SfN Sattelite!
If you're curious about cross-species approaches to #psychedelics, #hallucinations and #consciousness, join us! 🐀👤🧠
Limited spots, register here:
hopkinspsychedelic.org/sfn2025
If you're curious about cross-species approaches to #psychedelics, #hallucinations and #consciousness, join us! 🐀👤🧠
Limited spots, register here:
hopkinspsychedelic.org/sfn2025
Me and my Gucci bag
October 1, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Me and my Gucci bag
Really enjoyed my weekend read on 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: local recurrence amplifies natural input patterns and suppresses stray activity. This review beautifully argues that sensory cortex itself is a site of memory and prediction. Food for thought on hallucinations!
#neuroskyence #neuroscience
#neuroskyence #neuroscience
The brain is incredibly densely connected. Human cerebral cortex may have as many as *one trillion* connections.
Most of those cortical connections are recurrent, inside each area. What do they do?
New paper from me in Annual Reviews: 🧪 🧠📈 1/
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Most of those cortical connections are recurrent, inside each area. What do they do?
New paper from me in Annual Reviews: 🧪 🧠📈 1/
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Active Filtering: A Predictive Function of Recurrent Circuits of Sensory Cortex | Annual Reviews
Our brains encode many features of the sensory world into memories: We can sing along with songs we have heard before, interpret spoken and written language composed of words we have learned, and reco...
www.annualreviews.org
September 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Really enjoyed my weekend read on 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: local recurrence amplifies natural input patterns and suppresses stray activity. This review beautifully argues that sensory cortex itself is a site of memory and prediction. Food for thought on hallucinations!
#neuroskyence #neuroscience
#neuroskyence #neuroscience
The true peer review signature:
“Overall, this is a great study, but the authors forgot to relate it to previous literature (Reviewer et al. 2008, 2013a, 2013b, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022).” 🙃
#academsky
“Overall, this is a great study, but the authors forgot to relate it to previous literature (Reviewer et al. 2008, 2013a, 2013b, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022).” 🙃
#academsky
Do you ever sign a peer review? I reviewed a paper last night and the journal have the option to sign the review. I almost did but then decided against it. #NeuroSkyence
September 27, 2025 at 1:41 PM
The true peer review signature:
“Overall, this is a great study, but the authors forgot to relate it to previous literature (Reviewer et al. 2008, 2013a, 2013b, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022).” 🙃
#academsky
“Overall, this is a great study, but the authors forgot to relate it to previous literature (Reviewer et al. 2008, 2013a, 2013b, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022).” 🙃
#academsky
This is how I thought the headline would continue:
September 25, 2025 at 9:44 PM
This is how I thought the headline would continue:
Wow, this is amazing! Brought to you by science 🧪🧠🧬✨ #neuroskyence
Huntington’s disease treated successfully for first time in gene therapy trial
Huntington’s disease treated successfully for first time in gene therapy trial
UCL trialled hours-long surgical procedure to treat disease which causes dementia and paralysis
Huntington’s disease, a devastating degenerative illness that runs in families, has been treated successfully for the first time in a breakthrough gene therapy trial.
The disease, caused by a single gene defect, steadily kills brain cells leading to dementia, paralysis and ultimately death. Those with a parent with Huntington’s have a 50% chance of developing the disease, which until now has been incurable. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 24, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Wow, this is amazing! Brought to you by science 🧪🧠🧬✨ #neuroskyence
Great thread that explains why I sometimes dread Q&A after cognitive and systems neuroscience talks. 👇
"You say awareness/perception/imagination. But couldn't it all just be attention/motor preparation/memory?"
#neuroskyence
"You say awareness/perception/imagination. But couldn't it all just be attention/motor preparation/memory?"
#neuroskyence
I once saw a (very interesting) talk about sleep in which the speaker started by saying that we don't really know how to define sleep, and then proceeded to operationalize sleep in flies as basically periods when they are still for a long time. This got me thinking...
September 21, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Great thread that explains why I sometimes dread Q&A after cognitive and systems neuroscience talks. 👇
"You say awareness/perception/imagination. But couldn't it all just be attention/motor preparation/memory?"
#neuroskyence
"You say awareness/perception/imagination. But couldn't it all just be attention/motor preparation/memory?"
#neuroskyence