Alex Keyes, PhD
@neuropharmnerd.bsky.social
neuro nerd. aspiring artist. UIowa PhD - Pharmacology. Interested in neuro-immune interactions in the spinal cord. my opinions are my own. they/them
Pinned
feels like there's a whole lot of people who are more committed to never doing anything wrong than actually doing something right
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
The latest work from our PRECISION Human Pain Center project is now up on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social led by Katherin Gabriel and @oliviadavis.bsky.social with a huge contribution from @allanhpool.bsky.social's lab and, of course, the Southwest Transplant Alliance: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A molecular map of the human spinal dorsal and ventral horn defines arrangement of neuronal types and glial sex differences
The spinal cord is the gateway for sensory information from the body as it ascends to the brain, as well as a major motor output center of the nervous system. It is also a key location for sensory-mot...
www.biorxiv.org
November 1, 2025 at 12:10 PM
The latest work from our PRECISION Human Pain Center project is now up on @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social led by Katherin Gabriel and @oliviadavis.bsky.social with a huge contribution from @allanhpool.bsky.social's lab and, of course, the Southwest Transplant Alliance: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
hey that's the paper i'm co-first on! it was a fun project to work on and there's nice example videos in the supplemental
This study by Yaroslav E. Andrianov et al. finds that activation of TRPA1 and TRPM3 triggers Ca2+ waves in central terminals of sensory #neurons and facilitates #synaptic activity in the spinal dorsal horn ⚙️ 🧠
📜 Read the #Research: physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/...
📜 Read the #Research: physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/...
November 1, 2025 at 12:19 PM
hey that's the paper i'm co-first on! it was a fun project to work on and there's nice example videos in the supplemental
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
After 13 years in the US, I’ve made the difficult decision to leave. Having packed up everything and rethought about priorities, rather painstakingly, while I’m sad to leave the life I’ve made here, I’m also relieved that I won’t have to plan my life around immigration policies anymore.
October 31, 2025 at 4:08 AM
After 13 years in the US, I’ve made the difficult decision to leave. Having packed up everything and rethought about priorities, rather painstakingly, while I’m sad to leave the life I’ve made here, I’m also relieved that I won’t have to plan my life around immigration policies anymore.
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
June 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
This. This. This. Food banks generally have buying power and partnerships where your money actually buys more food and feeds more people if they’re the ones doing the purchasing.
please give money and not food, it takes a not insignificant amount of time to sort and stock donations and money goes very far. also make sure you donate to a place that treats people with dignity and respect and allows access to anyone
as we reach the SNAP cliff just a gentle reminder to do-gooders that the most efficient use of resources is to contribute to organizations that are already established. unless nothing exists in your area (and it likely does whether you know it) now is probably not the time to stand something up
October 27, 2025 at 1:41 AM
This. This. This. Food banks generally have buying power and partnerships where your money actually buys more food and feeds more people if they’re the ones doing the purchasing.
upped my donation to the local food banks & i encourage anyone who can donate to do so.
Americans brace for food stamps to run out: ‘the greatest hunger catastrophe since the Great Depression’
Americans brace for food stamps to run out: ‘the greatest hunger catastrophe since the Great Depression’
Nearly 42 million people in danger as federal government shutdown continues and Snap funding to end 1 November
www.theguardian.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:55 AM
upped my donation to the local food banks & i encourage anyone who can donate to do so.
i really want to see high-quality photos of Mikhail Shaidorov's exhibition outfit - that embroidery work looks gorgeous!!
October 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM
i really want to see high-quality photos of Mikhail Shaidorov's exhibition outfit - that embroidery work looks gorgeous!!
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
Sharing a figure from our recent paper showing excitatory synapses in the human spinal dorsal horn. I’ll never get over the awe of seeing these tiny dots, which underly such an important part of the human experience!
@tedpricethepainguy.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
@tedpricethepainguy.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
October 23, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Sharing a figure from our recent paper showing excitatory synapses in the human spinal dorsal horn. I’ll never get over the awe of seeing these tiny dots, which underly such an important part of the human experience!
@tedpricethepainguy.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
@tedpricethepainguy.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
i got pushed by docs into thinking my chronic migraines were just headaches from stress for five years - they were actually the primary manifestation of a tumor in my head. it took me a full year and half of fighting for myself to actually get the treatment i needed. it instantly cured me.
And so I anchored — I anchored on the first diagnosis I received. Even though that diagnosis was wrong. I'm sharing this experience not for sympathy or attention, but in the hope that it may be a useful cautionary tale. Do not make my mistake.
www.patreon.com/posts/141683...
www.patreon.com/posts/141683...
Don't Make The Same Mistake I Did - 🚫⚓️ | Matthew Cortland
Get more from Matthew Cortland on Patreon
www.patreon.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:27 PM
i got pushed by docs into thinking my chronic migraines were just headaches from stress for five years - they were actually the primary manifestation of a tumor in my head. it took me a full year and half of fighting for myself to actually get the treatment i needed. it instantly cured me.
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
I’m not ready for the Grand Prix
a black cat with visible panic written on it
ALT: a black cat with visible panic written on it
media.tenor.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:28 AM
I’m not ready for the Grand Prix
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
Finally out: our recent work with Nick Betley is a view into how the brain reshapes its behavior in the face of competing survival needs- and also a potential angle on treatment targets for enduring pain.
A brief rundown...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A brief rundown...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A parabrachial hub for need-state control of enduring pain - Nature
Activity in a set of parabranchial neurons in the mouse brain is increased during chronic pain, predicts coping behaviour, and can be modulated by circuits activated by survival threats.
www.nature.com
October 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Finally out: our recent work with Nick Betley is a view into how the brain reshapes its behavior in the face of competing survival needs- and also a potential angle on treatment targets for enduring pain.
A brief rundown...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A brief rundown...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
love to have a representative that refuses to do her job! or be accountable to her constituents!
she won that seat originally by 6 votes. she held it last election by less than 1000. bold to be acting like this with those numbers.
she won that seat originally by 6 votes. she held it last election by less than 1000. bold to be acting like this with those numbers.
#IA01 Miller-Meeks says she will hold a town hall "when hell freezes over."
www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/p...
A swing-district Iowa Republican says she’ll hold town halls ‘when hell freezes over’ | CNN Politics
Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks told Johnson County Republicans in an August meeting that she’ll hold town hall meetings “when hell freezes over.”
www.cnn.com
October 7, 2025 at 1:54 PM
love to have a representative that refuses to do her job! or be accountable to her constituents!
she won that seat originally by 6 votes. she held it last election by less than 1000. bold to be acting like this with those numbers.
she won that seat originally by 6 votes. she held it last election by less than 1000. bold to be acting like this with those numbers.
i'll be really curious to see what happens with my age cohort (at least, those of us who got chickenpox vaccines and never got chickenpox in the first place)
i'm among the oldest of people vaccinated against chickenpox, at least in the u.s.
i'm among the oldest of people vaccinated against chickenpox, at least in the u.s.
A new Nature Medicine study analyzing health records from >100 million people in the US offers compelling evidence that reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ,the same virus that causes chickenpox and shingles may contribute to dementia risk.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Varicella-zoster virus reactivation and the risk of dementia - Nature Medicine
Large-scale longitudinal health records reveal consistent association of varicella-zoster virus reactivation with dementia.
www.nature.com
October 6, 2025 at 7:23 PM
i'll be really curious to see what happens with my age cohort (at least, those of us who got chickenpox vaccines and never got chickenpox in the first place)
i'm among the oldest of people vaccinated against chickenpox, at least in the u.s.
i'm among the oldest of people vaccinated against chickenpox, at least in the u.s.
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
A new preprint out from the Levy lab, adding knowledge to the exciting world of brain border macrophages and neuroimmunology.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Meningeal macrophages exhibit diverse calcium signaling at steady-state and in response to aberrant cortical hyperexcitability in awake mice
The meninges, which envelop and protect the brain, host a large number of resident macrophages that play a crucial role in regulating homeostasis and neuroinflammation. Intracellular Ca2+ signaling me...
www.biorxiv.org
October 4, 2025 at 9:51 PM
A new preprint out from the Levy lab, adding knowledge to the exciting world of brain border macrophages and neuroimmunology.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
There have been two hosts in the history of Reading Rainbow. The Legend of Literacy, LeVar Burton! And... me, Mychal Threets, a librarian 🥹🤯
I am a reader, a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow made us believe and see we belong in books, we belong everywhere ✨
youtu.be/e7es7qdWVnU
I am a reader, a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow made us believe and see we belong in books, we belong everywhere ✨
youtu.be/e7es7qdWVnU
October 1, 2025 at 5:51 PM
There have been two hosts in the history of Reading Rainbow. The Legend of Literacy, LeVar Burton! And... me, Mychal Threets, a librarian 🥹🤯
I am a reader, a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow made us believe and see we belong in books, we belong everywhere ✨
youtu.be/e7es7qdWVnU
I am a reader, a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow made us believe and see we belong in books, we belong everywhere ✨
youtu.be/e7es7qdWVnU
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
quick while the government is shut down let’s all switch to metric
October 1, 2025 at 4:11 AM
quick while the government is shut down let’s all switch to metric
okay not to be really cynical about this but it's not seeming like they accounted for the systemic biases that we already know exist in who gets funded, published, etc
so like. are we measuring actual impact or proportion of white men? if your training data is biased, then your system will be biased
so like. are we measuring actual impact or proportion of white men? if your training data is biased, then your system will be biased
🧪 A new AI tool, Funding the Frontier, integrates massive datasets to trace the societal impact of scientific research. It moves beyond citations to link grants with patents, policies, and clinical trials, even predicting future impact. #MLSky #AcademicSky
Will your study change the world? This AI tool predicts the impact of your research
A tool called Funding the Frontier visualizes all the downstream impacts of funding — and predicts which studies will have the biggest societal impact.
www.nature.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:12 PM
okay not to be really cynical about this but it's not seeming like they accounted for the systemic biases that we already know exist in who gets funded, published, etc
so like. are we measuring actual impact or proportion of white men? if your training data is biased, then your system will be biased
so like. are we measuring actual impact or proportion of white men? if your training data is biased, then your system will be biased
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
Breaking news from Des Moines: ICE has detained Dr. Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Iowa's largest school district.
The Des Moines Public Schools said "We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps."
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/09/26/i...
The Des Moines Public Schools said "We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps."
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/09/26/i...
ICE detains Des Moines Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts
Iowa's largest school district had "no confirmed information" on why ICE detained Dr. Ian Roberts, the superintendent since 2023.
www.bleedingheartland.com
September 26, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Breaking news from Des Moines: ICE has detained Dr. Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Iowa's largest school district.
The Des Moines Public Schools said "We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps."
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/09/26/i...
The Des Moines Public Schools said "We have no confirmed information as to why Dr. Roberts is being detained or the next potential steps."
www.bleedingheartland.com/2025/09/26/i...
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
Fractalkine is a key player in skeletal muscle metabolism and pathophysiology
febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
FEBS Press
CX3CL1 plays a significant role in modulating the skeletal muscle microenvironment that influences properties of both individual fibres and non-muscle cells such as satellite cells, immune cells, and...
febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
September 25, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Fractalkine is a key player in skeletal muscle metabolism and pathophysiology
febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
Dear friends,
As have become a habit, I mark each #autumnequinox by sharing a small poem by Xin Qiji. I also start my translation cycle of Chinese and Japanese poems and prose that mark the twenty-four lunisolar micro-seasons. Translation notes blogged here:
#everynightapoem
As have become a habit, I mark each #autumnequinox by sharing a small poem by Xin Qiji. I also start my translation cycle of Chinese and Japanese poems and prose that mark the twenty-four lunisolar micro-seasons. Translation notes blogged here:
#everynightapoem
September 24, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Dear friends,
As have become a habit, I mark each #autumnequinox by sharing a small poem by Xin Qiji. I also start my translation cycle of Chinese and Japanese poems and prose that mark the twenty-four lunisolar micro-seasons. Translation notes blogged here:
#everynightapoem
As have become a habit, I mark each #autumnequinox by sharing a small poem by Xin Qiji. I also start my translation cycle of Chinese and Japanese poems and prose that mark the twenty-four lunisolar micro-seasons. Translation notes blogged here:
#everynightapoem
Frances Oldham Kelsey would like to have a word
context for those unaware: she is why thalidomide was never approved in the u.s. for morning sickness, she was the FDA pharmacologist who had concerns re lack of safety data
context for those unaware: she is why thalidomide was never approved in the u.s. for morning sickness, she was the FDA pharmacologist who had concerns re lack of safety data
This is bonkers. FDA is going to change leucovorin's label based on a lit review with data on 40 patients w/ cerebral folate deficiency and comparisons to "known natural history."
www.statnews.com/2025/09/22/f...
www.statnews.com/2025/09/22/f...
FDA brings back GSK's leucovorin drug that RFK Jr. touted as autism treatment
The Trump administration is touting leucovorin as a treatment for autism.
www.statnews.com
September 23, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Frances Oldham Kelsey would like to have a word
context for those unaware: she is why thalidomide was never approved in the u.s. for morning sickness, she was the FDA pharmacologist who had concerns re lack of safety data
context for those unaware: she is why thalidomide was never approved in the u.s. for morning sickness, she was the FDA pharmacologist who had concerns re lack of safety data
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
Some people think ChatGPT has a place writing things like news briefs, stuff written to a specific style and tone and, y'know, kinda boring.
So Science did a study.
ChatGPT failed.
Why? It got stuff wrong. "Also, extensive editing for hyperbole was needed." www.science.org/content/blog...
So Science did a study.
ChatGPT failed.
Why? It got stuff wrong. "Also, extensive editing for hyperbole was needed." www.science.org/content/blog...
Can ChatGPT help science writers?
www.science.org
September 22, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Some people think ChatGPT has a place writing things like news briefs, stuff written to a specific style and tone and, y'know, kinda boring.
So Science did a study.
ChatGPT failed.
Why? It got stuff wrong. "Also, extensive editing for hyperbole was needed." www.science.org/content/blog...
So Science did a study.
ChatGPT failed.
Why? It got stuff wrong. "Also, extensive editing for hyperbole was needed." www.science.org/content/blog...
the "will always produce plausible but false outputs" is not unexpected to me and is a reason i have no desire to use these things. if i were to use it for research, i would have to go double check everything it spits out anyway, and that's slower than me just going and sorting thru papers myself
"In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limits."
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
OpenAI admits AI hallucinations are mathematically inevitable, not just engineering flaws
In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limi...
www.computerworld.com
September 21, 2025 at 4:47 PM
the "will always produce plausible but false outputs" is not unexpected to me and is a reason i have no desire to use these things. if i were to use it for research, i would have to go double check everything it spits out anyway, and that's slower than me just going and sorting thru papers myself
Reposted by Alex Keyes, PhD
"In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limits."
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
OpenAI admits AI hallucinations are mathematically inevitable, not just engineering flaws
In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limi...
www.computerworld.com
September 21, 2025 at 12:50 PM
"In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limits."
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...