Armin Lak
@laklab.bsky.social
Neuroscientist investigating neuronal bases of reward and learning. Associate Prof at Oxford University. www.laklab.org
Pinned
Armin Lak
@laklab.bsky.social
· Jun 11
Our work, out at Cell, shows that the brain’s dopamine signals teach each individual a unique learning trajectory. Collaborative experiment-theory effort, led by Sam Liebana in the lab. The first experiment my lab started just shy of 6y ago & v excited to see it out: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Out today at Neuron, our experiments show that frontal cortical representation of economic variables is jointly determined by spatial organization and downstream
connectivity of neurons, revealing a structured, multi-scale code for economic variables. www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
connectivity of neurons, revealing a structured, multi-scale code for economic variables. www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
October 16, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Out today at Neuron, our experiments show that frontal cortical representation of economic variables is jointly determined by spatial organization and downstream
connectivity of neurons, revealing a structured, multi-scale code for economic variables. www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
connectivity of neurons, revealing a structured, multi-scale code for economic variables. www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
All-optical experiments are great but @neurorussell.bsky.social found that opsin desensitization due to cross-talk between the imaging laser and the opsin causes major issues. These can be ameleorated with long inter-stimulus intervals & short imaging doses. All here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Desensitization of opsin responses during all-optical interrogation depends on imaging parameters
Significance The combination of two-photon calcium imaging and two-photon optogenetic stimulation, termed all-optical interrogation, provides spatial and temporal precision when recording and manipula...
www.biorxiv.org
October 12, 2025 at 12:27 PM
All-optical experiments are great but @neurorussell.bsky.social found that opsin desensitization due to cross-talk between the imaging laser and the opsin causes major issues. These can be ameleorated with long inter-stimulus intervals & short imaging doses. All here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Armin Lak
Looking for a PhD next year? Want to come and work on the next generation of OPM-MEG/EEG biomarkers in computational psychiatry?
Apply for our MRC iCase studentship with @mkflugge.bsky.social, collabs with @lilweb.bsky.social + industrial placement at P1Vital:
www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/gradua...
Apply for our MRC iCase studentship with @mkflugge.bsky.social, collabs with @lilweb.bsky.social + industrial placement at P1Vital:
www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/gradua...
Development of robust, single-subject markers of predictive inference for computational psychiatry
www.medsci.ox.ac.uk
September 26, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Looking for a PhD next year? Want to come and work on the next generation of OPM-MEG/EEG biomarkers in computational psychiatry?
Apply for our MRC iCase studentship with @mkflugge.bsky.social, collabs with @lilweb.bsky.social + industrial placement at P1Vital:
www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/gradua...
Apply for our MRC iCase studentship with @mkflugge.bsky.social, collabs with @lilweb.bsky.social + industrial placement at P1Vital:
www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/gradua...
Beautiful and clear results showing that temporal difference error calculation is hardwired in the dopamine/striatum mircocircuits: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
from @malcolmgcampbell.bsky.social and @naoshigeuchida.bsky.social
from @malcolmgcampbell.bsky.social and @naoshigeuchida.bsky.social
A hardwired neural circuit for temporal difference learning
The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a major role in learning by acting as a teaching signal to update the brain's predictions about rewards. A leading theory proposes that this process is analogous to...
www.biorxiv.org
September 20, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Beautiful and clear results showing that temporal difference error calculation is hardwired in the dopamine/striatum mircocircuits: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
from @malcolmgcampbell.bsky.social and @naoshigeuchida.bsky.social
from @malcolmgcampbell.bsky.social and @naoshigeuchida.bsky.social
Reposted by Armin Lak
In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today (Aug 18, Thu, 2pm CET), Samuel Liebana will tell us about his paper (www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... [joint work w/ @saxelab.bsky.social & @laklab.bsky.social]. Want to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
www.cell.com
September 18, 2025 at 7:44 AM
In our Learning Club @cmc-lab.bsky.social today (Aug 18, Thu, 2pm CET), Samuel Liebana will tell us about his paper (www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... [joint work w/ @saxelab.bsky.social & @laklab.bsky.social]. Want to attend, send an empty email to virtual-talk-link-request@cmclab.org to get the link!
Concise and informative highlight on our recent paper, thanks to Seung Chan Kim, Sehwan Kim & Sang Ryong Kim. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
September 9, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Concise and informative highlight on our recent paper, thanks to Seung Chan Kim, Sehwan Kim & Sang Ryong Kim. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Armin Lak
Hagai Bergman - whose celebrated work was a critical step in identifying the subthalamic nucleus as a target for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease - & Josh Goldberg, both of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, helping to stop traffic (posted by Josh on X): Stop the war! Bring them home!
August 17, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Hagai Bergman - whose celebrated work was a critical step in identifying the subthalamic nucleus as a target for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease - & Josh Goldberg, both of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, helping to stop traffic (posted by Josh on X): Stop the war! Bring them home!
Reposted by Armin Lak
We are recruiting a new PI at the FIL @imagingneuroucl.bsky.social, Associate or Full Professor. This is an amazing place to do cognitive neuroscience, in the heart of London. If you or someone you know might be interested, please pass it on. #neuroskyence
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
www.ucl.ac.uk
August 8, 2025 at 10:52 AM
We are recruiting a new PI at the FIL @imagingneuroucl.bsky.social, Associate or Full Professor. This is an amazing place to do cognitive neuroscience, in the heart of London. If you or someone you know might be interested, please pass it on. #neuroskyence
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
Reposted by Armin Lak
New preprint + thread 🧵
#Psychedelics induce the formation of new synapses, but where do they connect?
Our rabies tracing study reveals that #psilocybin shifts connectivity across specific cortical networks.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/12
#Psychedelics induce the formation of new synapses, but where do they connect?
Our rabies tracing study reveals that #psilocybin shifts connectivity across specific cortical networks.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/12
August 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
New preprint + thread 🧵
#Psychedelics induce the formation of new synapses, but where do they connect?
Our rabies tracing study reveals that #psilocybin shifts connectivity across specific cortical networks.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/12
#Psychedelics induce the formation of new synapses, but where do they connect?
Our rabies tracing study reveals that #psilocybin shifts connectivity across specific cortical networks.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/12
Reposted by Armin Lak
Can we use what we’ve learned about cognitive maps to understand social cognition, including theory of mind?
If you’re interested in answering this question then this is a fantastic postdoc opportunity with @mkwittmann.bsky.social in collaboration with @summerfieldlab.bsky.social and my lab.
If you’re interested in answering this question then this is a fantastic postdoc opportunity with @mkwittmann.bsky.social in collaboration with @summerfieldlab.bsky.social and my lab.
📢 Job announcement: Two (!) 3-year postdoc jobs in our lab at UCL 📢
🧠💫🔊 We are looking for postdocs interested in the abstract mechanisms underlying social cognition. Modelling, fMRI and non-invasive ultrasound, a new deep-brain stimulation method.
Please RT
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
🧠💫🔊 We are looking for postdocs interested in the abstract mechanisms underlying social cognition. Modelling, fMRI and non-invasive ultrasound, a new deep-brain stimulation method.
Please RT
www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
www.ucl.ac.uk
August 7, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Can we use what we’ve learned about cognitive maps to understand social cognition, including theory of mind?
If you’re interested in answering this question then this is a fantastic postdoc opportunity with @mkwittmann.bsky.social in collaboration with @summerfieldlab.bsky.social and my lab.
If you’re interested in answering this question then this is a fantastic postdoc opportunity with @mkwittmann.bsky.social in collaboration with @summerfieldlab.bsky.social and my lab.
Reposted by Armin Lak
Our paper on foraging is now published in Neuron! Read it here:
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
This project was co-led by Michael Bukwich (not on Bluesky) and me, with major contributions from all co-authors. Huge thanks to the whole team!
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
This project was co-led by Michael Bukwich (not on Bluesky) and me, with major contributions from all co-authors. Huge thanks to the whole team!
Competitive integration of time and reward explains value-sensitive foraging decisions and frontal cortex ramping dynamics
Bukwich and Campbell et al. show that mice integrate elapsed time and reward intake,
scaled by a latent patience variable, to decide when to leave virtual “patches.” Frontal
cortex ramping activity ma...
www.cell.com
August 7, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Our paper on foraging is now published in Neuron! Read it here:
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
This project was co-led by Michael Bukwich (not on Bluesky) and me, with major contributions from all co-authors. Huge thanks to the whole team!
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
This project was co-led by Michael Bukwich (not on Bluesky) and me, with major contributions from all co-authors. Huge thanks to the whole team!
Reposted by Armin Lak
🚨Pre-print alert🚨
We stimulated serotonin with optogenetics while doing large-scale Neuropixel recordings across the mouse brain. We found strong widespread modulation of neural activity, but no effect on the choices of the mouse 🐭
How is this possible? Strap in! (1/9) 👇🧵
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
We stimulated serotonin with optogenetics while doing large-scale Neuropixel recordings across the mouse brain. We found strong widespread modulation of neural activity, but no effect on the choices of the mouse 🐭
How is this possible? Strap in! (1/9) 👇🧵
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Serotonin drives choice-independent reconfiguration of distributed neural activity
Serotonin (5-HT) is a central neuromodulator which is implicated in, amongst other functions, cognitive flexibility. 5-HT is released from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) throughout nearly the entire f...
doi.org
August 5, 2025 at 12:32 PM
🚨Pre-print alert🚨
We stimulated serotonin with optogenetics while doing large-scale Neuropixel recordings across the mouse brain. We found strong widespread modulation of neural activity, but no effect on the choices of the mouse 🐭
How is this possible? Strap in! (1/9) 👇🧵
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
We stimulated serotonin with optogenetics while doing large-scale Neuropixel recordings across the mouse brain. We found strong widespread modulation of neural activity, but no effect on the choices of the mouse 🐭
How is this possible? Strap in! (1/9) 👇🧵
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Armin Lak
We're looking for a research assistant to work in our neuroscience lab at @princetonneuro.bsky.social @hhmi.org where we study learning and decision-making circuitry.
Apply here: research-princeton.icims.com/jobs/21001/r...
Pls share w/ anyone who might be interested!
Apply here: research-princeton.icims.com/jobs/21001/r...
Pls share w/ anyone who might be interested!
August 5, 2025 at 1:26 PM
We're looking for a research assistant to work in our neuroscience lab at @princetonneuro.bsky.social @hhmi.org where we study learning and decision-making circuitry.
Apply here: research-princeton.icims.com/jobs/21001/r...
Pls share w/ anyone who might be interested!
Apply here: research-princeton.icims.com/jobs/21001/r...
Pls share w/ anyone who might be interested!
Reposted by Armin Lak
2 Lecturer (Assistant Prof) positions available @yorkpsychology.bsky.social! Come join our department!
#neuroskyence #cognition #psychscisky #neurojobs
jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...
#neuroskyence #cognition #psychscisky #neurojobs
jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...
Jobs - The University of York
jobs.york.ac.uk
July 21, 2025 at 1:32 PM
2 Lecturer (Assistant Prof) positions available @yorkpsychology.bsky.social! Come join our department!
#neuroskyence #cognition #psychscisky #neurojobs
jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...
#neuroskyence #cognition #psychscisky #neurojobs
jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...
Reposted by Armin Lak
A new study led by @timothysit.bsky.social reveals that different layers of mouse V1 integrate visual and non-visual signals differently.
Activity is dominated by vision (or spontaneous fluctuations) in L2/3 and by movement in L5. This leads to different geometries.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Activity is dominated by vision (or spontaneous fluctuations) in L2/3 and by movement in L5. This leads to different geometries.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
July 18, 2025 at 4:55 PM
A new study led by @timothysit.bsky.social reveals that different layers of mouse V1 integrate visual and non-visual signals differently.
Activity is dominated by vision (or spontaneous fluctuations) in L2/3 and by movement in L5. This leads to different geometries.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Activity is dominated by vision (or spontaneous fluctuations) in L2/3 and by movement in L5. This leads to different geometries.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Armin Lak
Very happy to share our protocols paper for CELLO-seq. This will make single cell long read RNA-seq more accessible and provides analysis guidelines. We hope this helps the #transposon #TEsky community and folks working on #singleCell isoform and allelic #gene expression. doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Long-read RNA sequencing of transposable elements from single cells using CELLO-seq - Nature Protocols
Single-cell long-read RNA sequencing enables the high-fidelity mapping of single-cell expression data from highly sequence-similar transposable elements to unique genomic loci by correcting errors fro...
doi.org
July 16, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Very happy to share our protocols paper for CELLO-seq. This will make single cell long read RNA-seq more accessible and provides analysis guidelines. We hope this helps the #transposon #TEsky community and folks working on #singleCell isoform and allelic #gene expression. doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Reposted by Armin Lak
New work! Learning is assumed to involve synaptic plasticity, but which specific synapses change to enable higher order cognitive functions? We actually find that cognitive flexibility involves potentiation of long-range GABAergic synapses from prefrontal PV neurons: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Synaptic plasticity of prefrontal long-range inhibition regulates cognitive flexibility
While glutamatergic synaptic plasticity is believed to be a fundamental mechanism mediating learning, the behavioral significance of plasticity at cortical GABAergic synapses remains less well underst...
www.biorxiv.org
June 30, 2025 at 5:55 PM
New work! Learning is assumed to involve synaptic plasticity, but which specific synapses change to enable higher order cognitive functions? We actually find that cognitive flexibility involves potentiation of long-range GABAergic synapses from prefrontal PV neurons: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Armin Lak
Assistant Prof/Associate Prof position in Mammalian Neuroscience! 👩🔬👨🔬
My department is hiring! Closing on June 30th.
Please repost widely!
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNK944/a...
My department is hiring! Closing on June 30th.
Please repost widely!
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNK944/a...
Assistant or Associate Professor in Mammalian Neuroscience (110565-0625) at University of Warwick
Start your UK & international job search for academic jobs, research jobs, science jobs and managerial jobs in leading universities and top...
www.jobs.ac.uk
June 16, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Assistant Prof/Associate Prof position in Mammalian Neuroscience! 👩🔬👨🔬
My department is hiring! Closing on June 30th.
Please repost widely!
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNK944/a...
My department is hiring! Closing on June 30th.
Please repost widely!
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNK944/a...
Our work, out at Cell, shows that the brain’s dopamine signals teach each individual a unique learning trajectory. Collaborative experiment-theory effort, led by Sam Liebana in the lab. The first experiment my lab started just shy of 6y ago & v excited to see it out: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
June 11, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Our work, out at Cell, shows that the brain’s dopamine signals teach each individual a unique learning trajectory. Collaborative experiment-theory effort, led by Sam Liebana in the lab. The first experiment my lab started just shy of 6y ago & v excited to see it out: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Two awesome papers on dopamine neuronal computations , congratulations to authors
Two papers out today on RL in the dopaminergic neurons of the midbrain of mice (one from McGill's new PI @paulmasset.bsky.social). Both papers demonstrate heterogeneity in discount factors!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com/articles/s41...
🧠📈 🧪 #NeuroAI
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com/articles/s41...
🧠📈 🧪 #NeuroAI
Multi-timescale reinforcement learning in the brain - Nature
Individual dopaminergic neurons encode future rewards over distinct temporal horizons.
www.nature.com
June 4, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Two awesome papers on dopamine neuronal computations , congratulations to authors
Reposted by Armin Lak
We’re hiring a postdoc with slice patch-clamp expertise to study head direction circuits and plasticity during spatial learning. Ideal for a neurophysiologist excited to combine ex vivo and in vivo approaches. Come join us in beautiful Cambridge! 🐭🧭🧠
📝 Apply by 9 June: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/51282/
📝 Apply by 9 June: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/51282/
May 13, 2025 at 1:00 PM
We’re hiring a postdoc with slice patch-clamp expertise to study head direction circuits and plasticity during spatial learning. Ideal for a neurophysiologist excited to combine ex vivo and in vivo approaches. Come join us in beautiful Cambridge! 🐭🧭🧠
📝 Apply by 9 June: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/51282/
📝 Apply by 9 June: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/51282/
Reposted by Armin Lak
*** Come join us !! We are recruiting !! ***
How does the brain generate beliefs that go beyond direct experience? How do these mechanisms go awry in psychosis?
The Barron lab tinyurl.com/bdf4drjf @MRCBNDU @NDCNOxford are recruiting a new postdoc tinyurl.com/ut4vbwt4 to work in mouse models
How does the brain generate beliefs that go beyond direct experience? How do these mechanisms go awry in psychosis?
The Barron lab tinyurl.com/bdf4drjf @MRCBNDU @NDCNOxford are recruiting a new postdoc tinyurl.com/ut4vbwt4 to work in mouse models
Barron Group | mrcbndu
Our group investigates how cells and circuits in the brain work together to perform computations that support memory. Using a wide range of technical approaches, we investigate how these computations ...
tinyurl.com
May 13, 2025 at 11:01 AM
*** Come join us !! We are recruiting !! ***
How does the brain generate beliefs that go beyond direct experience? How do these mechanisms go awry in psychosis?
The Barron lab tinyurl.com/bdf4drjf @MRCBNDU @NDCNOxford are recruiting a new postdoc tinyurl.com/ut4vbwt4 to work in mouse models
How does the brain generate beliefs that go beyond direct experience? How do these mechanisms go awry in psychosis?
The Barron lab tinyurl.com/bdf4drjf @MRCBNDU @NDCNOxford are recruiting a new postdoc tinyurl.com/ut4vbwt4 to work in mouse models
Reposted by Armin Lak
The Hulme Junior Research Fellowship offers early-career researchers a unique opportunity to advance their careers.
• Lead independent research projects
• Publish in high-impact journals
• Build multidisciplinary collaborations
Deadline: 12 noon, Monday 19 May
www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/work-with-us...
• Lead independent research projects
• Publish in high-impact journals
• Build multidisciplinary collaborations
Deadline: 12 noon, Monday 19 May
www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/work-with-us...
May 13, 2025 at 2:35 PM
The Hulme Junior Research Fellowship offers early-career researchers a unique opportunity to advance their careers.
• Lead independent research projects
• Publish in high-impact journals
• Build multidisciplinary collaborations
Deadline: 12 noon, Monday 19 May
www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/work-with-us...
• Lead independent research projects
• Publish in high-impact journals
• Build multidisciplinary collaborations
Deadline: 12 noon, Monday 19 May
www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/work-with-us...
Reposted by Armin Lak
Our paper is out in Nature.
By examining various inputs to the motor cortex during learning, we found that thalamic inputs learn to activate the cortical neurons encoding the movement being learned.
Tour de force by Assaf in collab with Felix and Marcus. Congrats!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
By examining various inputs to the motor cortex during learning, we found that thalamic inputs learn to activate the cortical neurons encoding the movement being learned.
Tour de force by Assaf in collab with Felix and Marcus. Congrats!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Motor learning refines thalamic influence on motor cortex - Nature
Imaging and optogenetics in mice provide insight into the interplay between the primary motor cortex and the motor thalamus during learning, showing that thalamic inputs have a key role in the executi...
www.nature.com
May 8, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Our paper is out in Nature.
By examining various inputs to the motor cortex during learning, we found that thalamic inputs learn to activate the cortical neurons encoding the movement being learned.
Tour de force by Assaf in collab with Felix and Marcus. Congrats!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
By examining various inputs to the motor cortex during learning, we found that thalamic inputs learn to activate the cortical neurons encoding the movement being learned.
Tour de force by Assaf in collab with Felix and Marcus. Congrats!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Armin Lak
Pleased to share the final published version of @glopez.bsky.social's work in @currentbiology.bsky.social! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
"Region-specific nucleus accumbens dopamine signals encode distinct aspects of avoidance learning"
Congrats, Gaby!!!
"Region-specific nucleus accumbens dopamine signals encode distinct aspects of avoidance learning"
Congrats, Gaby!!!
Region-specific nucleus accumbens dopamine signals encode distinct aspects of avoidance learning
Avoidance learning—learning to avoid bad outcomes—is an essential survival behavior. Dopamine signals are widely observed in response to aversive stim…
www.sciencedirect.com
April 22, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Pleased to share the final published version of @glopez.bsky.social's work in @currentbiology.bsky.social! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
"Region-specific nucleus accumbens dopamine signals encode distinct aspects of avoidance learning"
Congrats, Gaby!!!
"Region-specific nucleus accumbens dopamine signals encode distinct aspects of avoidance learning"
Congrats, Gaby!!!