Patrick Piantadosi
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ppiantad.bsky.social
Patrick Piantadosi
@ppiantad.bsky.social
behavioral neuroscientist @ NIAAA | climber & lover of sport | he / him |

not @PiantadosiSean (but close)
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
Thrilled to share our new preprint highlighting distinct neurocomputational mechanisms underlying how reward and punishment determine adaptive cognitive control - a massive fMRI study and collaborative team effort with the @shenhavlab.bsky.social 🧠

Link here:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Neurocomputational mechanisms underlying the distinct motivational influences of reward and punishment on cognitive control
Human motivation is fundamentally shaped by one's expectations of the reward they could earn for good performance or the punishment they would avoid for poor performance. However, the extent to which ...
www.biorxiv.org
October 20, 2025 at 6:42 PM
for anyone interested in the amygdala and risky decision-making, check out our new preprint: biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

amygdala neurons track reward-seeking actions, and punishment risk dramatically alters this function. lots of other (BLA-accumbens!) data included.
Risk reshapes amygdala representation of choice
Modifying behavior in response to changing environmental conditions is a crucial adaptive function. This capacity is exemplified when animals curtail pursuit of a valued outcome that risks being punis...
biorxiv.org
October 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
1. Media coverage of a new paper by @ryantomm.bsky.social w @brandonforys.com, @dr-stan.bsky.social et al. Building on Stan’s rodent work, Ryan found that > depression levels were associated w reduced capacity to learn to actively button-press to avoid a nasty sound www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Depression Curbs Ability to Actively Avoid Unpleasant Events
Depression in young patients is linked to difficulty in taking action to avoid something unpleasant, while the ability to withdraw and not act remains intact.
www.medscape.com
September 12, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
This is absolutely revolutionary.
Synthetic Serum Markers Enable Noninvasive Monitoring of Gene Expression in Primate Brains https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.01.657212v1
June 2, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
Please comment. The Administration is trying to turn the NIH IC Directors and program staff roles into political appointees that serve at the whim of the President. Imagine if each change in administration brought sweeping changes in professional NIH staff across your favorite ICs.
May 23, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen is demanding a meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele over the detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and says he’ll go to El Salvador himself if the Marylander isn’t returned.
April 14, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
At least four neuroscientists received termination letters this week dismissing them from NIH advisory boards. “This is unusual and unprecedented,” says @thebalelab.bsky.social, one of the terminated board members.

By @callimcflurry.bsky.social @avaskham.bsky.social

#neuroskyence

bit.ly/4hM0Xa3
Acting NIH director dismisses four neuroscientists from advisory boards
The letters they received this week did not include a reason for their termination.
www.thetransmitter.org
March 25, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
I maxed out my credit card, emptied my savings account, and took out a loan to move from Alabama to Bethesda, MD. I don’t even qualify for unemployment since I’ve only worked at NIH for a month. I will be financially and medically devastated.

Seeking suggestions for anywhere that’s hiring!!
Today, along with 2,000 other NIH employees, I had to clear out my office 😭

It was truly the honor of my life to work with such incredibly passionate people focused on improving human health. I’ve never experienced a more positive culture where *everyone* cared about their job and serving others.
February 14, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
To all those saying "shouldn't we root out government inefficiency? What's wrong with DOGE?" a quick background on Constitutional law and why the WAY it is being violated exposes the true motives of the criminals:
February 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
Just in case you thought that removing DEI criteria would mean that everyone is competing equally: NIH is removing grad students from underrepresented backgrounds from the applicant pool altogether. Their applications will not be considered. Other students, not from these backgrounds, will be.
February 6, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
Colombian President Gustavo Petro's full post ordering an increase of import tariffs on U.S. goods, says he doesn't really like traveling to the U.S. because it's “a bit boring” and invokes the ancestors
January 26, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Reposted by Patrick Piantadosi
My paper is out!! 🎉

"Opponent control of reinforcement by striatal dopamine and serotonin", @Nature

Here, we show that dopamine and serotonin signals form a gas-brake system for reward in the mammalian brain

THREAD ⬇️

1/n
November 25, 2024 at 4:31 PM