Jesper Sjöström
@pjsjostrom.bsky.social
Full Professor in Neuroscience, McGill University
Director, Centre for Research in Neuroscience (CRN)
Acting Leader, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) program at the RI-MUHC
Director, Centre for Research in Neuroscience (CRN)
Acting Leader, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) program at the RI-MUHC
We still have a few spots available for Monday's re-launch symposium of the SFN Montreal Chapter!
🧪 We are reviving the SFN Montreal Chapter with a meeting on 27 Oct at MUHC's Glen site! $25 for lunch, meeting, and membership! Speakers: Mihaela Iordanova, Sonia Lupien, Michael Meaney, & Karim Jerbi. Networking at Weinstein & Gavino's afterwards! Spread the word! www.eventbrite.ca/e/symposium-...
Symposium du chapitre montréalais - Society for Neuroscience
SfN Montréal: lunch + membership included! Trainees, scientists & staff welcome. Venez apprendre, connecter et recharger!
www.eventbrite.ca
October 24, 2025 at 2:49 PM
We still have a few spots available for Monday's re-launch symposium of the SFN Montreal Chapter!
A great evening at Maison Alcan for the Montreal General Hospital Foundation’s Soirée Impact & Innovation! ✨
October 24, 2025 at 2:47 PM
A great evening at Maison Alcan for the Montreal General Hospital Foundation’s Soirée Impact & Innovation! ✨
🧪 We are reviving the SFN Montreal Chapter with a meeting on 27 Oct at MUHC's Glen site! $25 for lunch, meeting, and membership! Speakers: Mihaela Iordanova, Sonia Lupien, Michael Meaney, & Karim Jerbi. Networking at Weinstein & Gavino's afterwards! Spread the word! www.eventbrite.ca/e/symposium-...
Symposium du chapitre montréalais - Society for Neuroscience
SfN Montréal: lunch + membership included! Trainees, scientists & staff welcome. Venez apprendre, connecter et recharger!
www.eventbrite.ca
September 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM
🧪 We are reviving the SFN Montreal Chapter with a meeting on 27 Oct at MUHC's Glen site! $25 for lunch, meeting, and membership! Speakers: Mihaela Iordanova, Sonia Lupien, Michael Meaney, & Karim Jerbi. Networking at Weinstein & Gavino's afterwards! Spread the word! www.eventbrite.ca/e/symposium-...
🧪 ~8 months ago, we launched the Research Topic "The Diversity of the Plasticitome", see below! We now have 2 publication fee discounts for this RT, available on a first-come, first-served basis! Current submission deadline is Oct 31, although extensions are possible. @frontiersmedia.bsky.social
We recently launched a new Frontiers Research Topic called "The Diversity of the Plasticitome", please check it out! By 'we', I mean myself, Christina Chou, Hyungju Park, Serena Dudek, and Clive Bramham. www.frontiersin.org/research-top...
Frontiers | The diversity of the plasticitome
The plasticity of synaptic connections is critical to the functioning of local circuits as it is thought to underlie information processing and storage in th...
www.frontiersin.org
September 22, 2025 at 2:36 AM
🧪 ~8 months ago, we launched the Research Topic "The Diversity of the Plasticitome", see below! We now have 2 publication fee discounts for this RT, available on a first-come, first-served basis! Current submission deadline is Oct 31, although extensions are possible. @frontiersmedia.bsky.social
🧪 We got the privilege to write a Preview on the beautiful work of Morabito, Zerlaut, Rebola and colleagues that was recently published in Neuron. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Branch logic: Dendritic computations diversify inhibition
Long known for different circuit roles, parvalbumin and somatostatin interneurons are shown by Morabito et al.,1 in this issue of Neuron, to differ in…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 21, 2025 at 4:59 PM
🧪 We got the privilege to write a Preview on the beautiful work of Morabito, Zerlaut, Rebola and colleagues that was recently published in Neuron. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Yeah no kidding.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Research posts on Bluesky are more original — and get better engagement
Bluesky posts about science garner more likes and reposts than similar ones on X.
www.nature.com
September 11, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Yeah no kidding.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Jesper Sjöström
The recording of our recent webinar, "Synapse by synapse: High-speed cortical connectomics using optomapping" by Christina Chou, PhD, moderated by @pjsjostrom.bsky.social and Shawniya Alageswaran, is now available!
You can access it at: bio-protocol.org/webinar/deta...
#Webinar #LifeSciences
You can access it at: bio-protocol.org/webinar/deta...
#Webinar #LifeSciences
July 2, 2025 at 10:55 AM
The recording of our recent webinar, "Synapse by synapse: High-speed cortical connectomics using optomapping" by Christina Chou, PhD, moderated by @pjsjostrom.bsky.social and Shawniya Alageswaran, is now available!
You can access it at: bio-protocol.org/webinar/deta...
#Webinar #LifeSciences
You can access it at: bio-protocol.org/webinar/deta...
#Webinar #LifeSciences
My former PhD student Christina Chou will give a webinar about high-throughput 2p optogenetic mapping tomorrow Thursday at 11:30 am ET, check it out! 🧪
Have you registered yet?
Bio-protocol's next webinar, "Synapse by synapse: High-speed cortical connectomics using optomapping", is just 1 day away!
🗓 Date: June 26, 2025
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM EST
🔗 Register now: s.bio-protocol.org/11981c6992b8...
#Webinar #LifeSciences #neuroscience
Bio-protocol's next webinar, "Synapse by synapse: High-speed cortical connectomics using optomapping", is just 1 day away!
🗓 Date: June 26, 2025
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM EST
🔗 Register now: s.bio-protocol.org/11981c6992b8...
#Webinar #LifeSciences #neuroscience
June 25, 2025 at 11:42 AM
My former PhD student Christina Chou will give a webinar about high-throughput 2p optogenetic mapping tomorrow Thursday at 11:30 am ET, check it out! 🧪
Reposted by Jesper Sjöström
The Institute celebrates 7 BRaIN trainees who received major research awards—from CIHR, FRQS, FRQNT & more. Their work advances brain science & training excellence. 👏
🔗 Read more: rimuhc.ca/en/-/celebra...
@cusm-muhc.bsky.social
🔗 Read more: rimuhc.ca/en/-/celebra...
@cusm-muhc.bsky.social
June 19, 2025 at 6:37 PM
The Institute celebrates 7 BRaIN trainees who received major research awards—from CIHR, FRQS, FRQNT & more. Their work advances brain science & training excellence. 👏
🔗 Read more: rimuhc.ca/en/-/celebra...
@cusm-muhc.bsky.social
🔗 Read more: rimuhc.ca/en/-/celebra...
@cusm-muhc.bsky.social
🧪 We recently published our first micro-publication! This paper highlights the pitfalls of using extracellular stimulation to recruit synapses in neocortical circuits, as it lacks specificity. www.micropublication.org/journals/bio...
June 19, 2025 at 6:04 PM
🧪 We recently published our first micro-publication! This paper highlights the pitfalls of using extracellular stimulation to recruit synapses in neocortical circuits, as it lacks specificity. www.micropublication.org/journals/bio...
🧪 On June 26th, my former PhD student Christina Chou will give a webinar explaining how to do high-throughput 2-photon optogenetic microcircuit mapping!
📢 Bio-protocol Webinars present: Synapse by synapse: High-speed cortical connectomics using optomapping
🔗 Register now!
Join us on:
🗓 Date: June 26, 2025
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM EST
Speaker: Christina Chou, PhD
Moderator: Jesper Sjöström @pjsjostrom.bsky.social
#Webinar #LifeSciences
🔗 Register now!
Join us on:
🗓 Date: June 26, 2025
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM EST
Speaker: Christina Chou, PhD
Moderator: Jesper Sjöström @pjsjostrom.bsky.social
#Webinar #LifeSciences
June 5, 2025 at 9:54 PM
🧪 On June 26th, my former PhD student Christina Chou will give a webinar explaining how to do high-throughput 2-photon optogenetic microcircuit mapping!
A very nice Insight article in eLife by Ikuko Smith on our forthcoming eLife paper on non-ionotropic presynaptic NMDA receptor signalling in spike-timing-dependent long-term depression. elifesciences.org/articles/107...
Synaptic Plasticity: A new mode of action for unconventional NMDA receptors
Presynaptic NMDA receptors can shape timing-dependent long-term depression in a way that departs from their classic postsynaptic role.
elifesciences.org
May 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM
A very nice Insight article in eLife by Ikuko Smith on our forthcoming eLife paper on non-ionotropic presynaptic NMDA receptor signalling in spike-timing-dependent long-term depression. elifesciences.org/articles/107...
Reposted by Jesper Sjöström
Multiple recent studies, including 3 impressive natural experiments, consistently show a link between Shingles vaccines and reduced dementia. This week a nationwide S Korea study added a reduction of cardiovascular events
My summary Table. More here on dementia erictopol.substack.com/p/the-shingl...
My summary Table. More here on dementia erictopol.substack.com/p/the-shingl...
May 11, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Multiple recent studies, including 3 impressive natural experiments, consistently show a link between Shingles vaccines and reduced dementia. This week a nationwide S Korea study added a reduction of cardiovascular events
My summary Table. More here on dementia erictopol.substack.com/p/the-shingl...
My summary Table. More here on dementia erictopol.substack.com/p/the-shingl...
🧪 Congrats to the editors of the new Handbook of Electrophysiology, @scimemia.bsky.social, @nwanaverbecq.bsky.social, & @ianduguid.bsky.social, as well as my past postdocs @hovywong.bsky.social (now PI at CUHK) and Aurore Thomazeau (now PI at IPMC-CNRS France) to their two chapters in this book!
May 9, 2025 at 2:44 PM
🧪 Congrats to the editors of the new Handbook of Electrophysiology, @scimemia.bsky.social, @nwanaverbecq.bsky.social, & @ianduguid.bsky.social, as well as my past postdocs @hovywong.bsky.social (now PI at CUHK) and Aurore Thomazeau (now PI at IPMC-CNRS France) to their two chapters in this book!
Here is the LinkedIn job ad for our new postdoctoral position. www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/42...
April 24, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Here is the LinkedIn job ad for our new postdoctoral position. www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/42...
🧪 We extended the deadline for our Research Topic "The Diversity of the Plasticitome" to 30 Oct 2025. This RT explores how plasticity varies with synapse and cell type. Check it out & let us know if you want to contribute! www.frontiersin.org/research-top...
Frontiers | The diversity of the plasticitome
The plasticity of synaptic connections is critical to the functioning of local circuits as it is thought to underlie information processing and storage in th...
www.frontiersin.org
April 19, 2025 at 5:19 PM
🧪 We extended the deadline for our Research Topic "The Diversity of the Plasticitome" to 30 Oct 2025. This RT explores how plasticity varies with synapse and cell type. Check it out & let us know if you want to contribute! www.frontiersin.org/research-top...
Reposted by Jesper Sjöström
Our new paper is out in Science.
What is the synaptic plasticity rule in the brain, we asked. It turns out there are multiple, even within individual neurons.
Congrats Jake!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
What is the synaptic plasticity rule in the brain, we asked. It turns out there are multiple, even within individual neurons.
Congrats Jake!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Distinct synaptic plasticity rules operate across dendritic compartments in vivo during learning
Synaptic plasticity underlies learning by modifying specific synaptic inputs to reshape neural activity and behavior. However, the rules governing which synapses will undergo different forms of plasti...
www.science.org
April 17, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Our new paper is out in Science.
What is the synaptic plasticity rule in the brain, we asked. It turns out there are multiple, even within individual neurons.
Congrats Jake!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
What is the synaptic plasticity rule in the brain, we asked. It turns out there are multiple, even within individual neurons.
Congrats Jake!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧪 The Sjöström Lab in Montreal is looking for a postdoc! We study cortical circuits, synaptic plasticity, and NMDAR signalling using custom 2-photon microscopy and optogenetics. We seek candidates with strong patch-clamp and/or 2-photon imaging expertise, and a relevant publication track record.
April 14, 2025 at 3:49 AM
🧪 The Sjöström Lab in Montreal is looking for a postdoc! We study cortical circuits, synaptic plasticity, and NMDAR signalling using custom 2-photon microscopy and optogenetics. We seek candidates with strong patch-clamp and/or 2-photon imaging expertise, and a relevant publication track record.
As a rule, cells that fire together wire together, but some synapses disobey this rule, notably hippocampal basket cells, BCs, have anti-Hebbian plasticity. We wondered if this was true in neocortex as well, and it turns out it is, suggesting a general principle! 🧪
February 17, 2025 at 8:11 PM
As a rule, cells that fire together wire together, but some synapses disobey this rule, notably hippocampal basket cells, BCs, have anti-Hebbian plasticity. We wondered if this was true in neocortex as well, and it turns out it is, suggesting a general principle! 🧪
In our most recent paper, now out in Nature Protocols, we provide a detailed recipe for how to do microsurgery of axons, one at a time, using a 2-photon Ti:Sa laser! With this approach you can elucidate the axonal mechanisms that regulate neurotransmitter release!
Our latest paper (@alannawatt.bsky.social & @pjsjostrom.bsky.social) is out in Nature Protocols! (rdcu.be/d9f3v)
When a conversation goes wrong, do we always blame the listener? But then when a brain connection goes wrong, doesn't it seem unfair to always blame the "listener" neuron? (1/3)
When a conversation goes wrong, do we always blame the listener? But then when a brain connection goes wrong, doesn't it seem unfair to always blame the "listener" neuron? (1/3)
February 11, 2025 at 6:29 PM
In our most recent paper, now out in Nature Protocols, we provide a detailed recipe for how to do microsurgery of axons, one at a time, using a 2-photon Ti:Sa laser! With this approach you can elucidate the axonal mechanisms that regulate neurotransmitter release!
Our most recent preprint: Presynaptically located NMDA receptors that signal non-ionotropically via JNK2 contribute to Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity, STDP. This explains the lack of frequency dependence in timing-dependent Long-Term Depression, tLTD. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Neocortical Layer-5 tLTD Relies on Non-Ionotropic Presynaptic NMDA Receptor Signaling
In the textbook view, NMDA receptors (NMDARs) act as coincidence detectors in Hebbian plasticity by fluxing Ca2+ when simultaneously depolarized and glutamate bound. Hebbian coincidence detection requ...
www.biorxiv.org
February 11, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Our most recent preprint: Presynaptically located NMDA receptors that signal non-ionotropically via JNK2 contribute to Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity, STDP. This explains the lack of frequency dependence in timing-dependent Long-Term Depression, tLTD. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Right at the end of this article, I learnt a new word. I hope doesn’t happen, but it does not seem unlikely, because monetization is essential for Bluesky survival. Meanwhile, I’m wholeheartedly enjoying it here! www.science.org/content/arti...
As academic Bluesky grows, researchers find strengths—and shortcomings
Platform fosters collegial interactions among scientists, but potentially limits interactions beyond the academic community
www.science.org
January 8, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Right at the end of this article, I learnt a new word. I hope doesn’t happen, but it does not seem unlikely, because monetization is essential for Bluesky survival. Meanwhile, I’m wholeheartedly enjoying it here! www.science.org/content/arti...
We recently launched a new Frontiers Research Topic called "The Diversity of the Plasticitome", please check it out! By 'we', I mean myself, Christina Chou, Hyungju Park, Serena Dudek, and Clive Bramham. www.frontiersin.org/research-top...
Frontiers | The diversity of the plasticitome
The plasticity of synaptic connections is critical to the functioning of local circuits as it is thought to underlie information processing and storage in th...
www.frontiersin.org
January 6, 2025 at 4:23 AM
We recently launched a new Frontiers Research Topic called "The Diversity of the Plasticitome", please check it out! By 'we', I mean myself, Christina Chou, Hyungju Park, Serena Dudek, and Clive Bramham. www.frontiersin.org/research-top...
Reposted by Jesper Sjöström
Our paper on ketamine’s effect on astrocytes and behavior is out in Neuron by Marc Duque, Alex Chen, Eric Hsu, and colleagues @marcduque.bsky.social @alexbchen.bsky.social @ehsu6.bsky.social, with the Engert, Fishman, & Bergles labs, www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Ketamine induces plasticity in a norepinephrine-astroglial circuit to promote behavioral perseverance
Transient exposure to ketamine can trigger lasting changes in behavior and mood. We found that brief ketamine exposure causes long-term suppression of…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 18, 2024 at 7:22 PM
Our paper on ketamine’s effect on astrocytes and behavior is out in Neuron by Marc Duque, Alex Chen, Eric Hsu, and colleagues @marcduque.bsky.social @alexbchen.bsky.social @ehsu6.bsky.social, with the Engert, Fishman, & Bergles labs, www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I am delighted to highlight our recent publication in The Innovation — @theinnovation.bsky.social — titled “Principles of visual cortex excitatory microcircuit organization”, where we showcase optomapping, ie 2p optogenetic circuit mapping! www.cell.com/the-innovati...
Principles of visual cortex excitatory microcircuit organization
Synapse-specific connectivity and dynamics determine microcircuit function but are challenging to explore with classic paired recordings due to their low throughput. We therefore implemented optomapping, a ∼100-fold faster two-photon optogenetic method. In mouse primary visual cortex (V1), we optomapped 30,454 candidate inputs to reveal 1,790 excitatory inputs to pyramidal, basket, and Martinotti cells. Across these cell types, log-normal distribution of synaptic efficacies emerged as a principle.
www.cell.com
December 19, 2024 at 3:29 AM
I am delighted to highlight our recent publication in The Innovation — @theinnovation.bsky.social — titled “Principles of visual cortex excitatory microcircuit organization”, where we showcase optomapping, ie 2p optogenetic circuit mapping! www.cell.com/the-innovati...