Alex Shackman
@ajshackman.bsky.social
Laboratory for Affective & Translational Neuroscience, University of Maryland | shackmanlab.org | affective neuroscience | "pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.”
Reposted by Alex Shackman
A huge district court victory for the University of California.
District courts find facts. This one found "overwhelming evidence" that the Trump administration has pervasively violated the First Amendment in its efforts to coerce and intimidate the University of California.
News story here—
District courts find facts. This one found "overwhelming evidence" that the Trump administration has pervasively violated the First Amendment in its efforts to coerce and intimidate the University of California.
News story here—
‘Unlawful coercion’: Trump can’t withhold funds or demand payment from UC, federal judge rules
A federal judge ruled Donald Trump cannot demand that UCLA pay a $1.2 billion settlement that would have restricted academic freedoms.
calmatters.org
November 15, 2025 at 1:41 AM
A huge district court victory for the University of California.
District courts find facts. This one found "overwhelming evidence" that the Trump administration has pervasively violated the First Amendment in its efforts to coerce and intimidate the University of California.
News story here—
District courts find facts. This one found "overwhelming evidence" that the Trump administration has pervasively violated the First Amendment in its efforts to coerce and intimidate the University of California.
News story here—
After setting it down for a long spell, used a transcontinental flight to read most of How Not to Study a Disease. It's still fabulous. It slso warns against the temptation to prematurely adopt proxy biomarkers, a la fail-fast. Remember the Gramma Scrabble line in Fig 2
November 15, 2025 at 1:51 AM
After setting it down for a long spell, used a transcontinental flight to read most of How Not to Study a Disease. It's still fabulous. It slso warns against the temptation to prematurely adopt proxy biomarkers, a la fail-fast. Remember the Gramma Scrabble line in Fig 2
Goodman, F. R., Jorgensen, S. L., & Silva, G. (2025). The promise of studying social anxiety in the social world: A guide to using experience-sampling methods. Translational Issues in Psychological Science. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/tps0...
APA PsycNet
doi.org
November 14, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Goodman, F. R., Jorgensen, S. L., & Silva, G. (2025). The promise of studying social anxiety in the social world: A guide to using experience-sampling methods. Translational Issues in Psychological Science. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/tps0...
Ditto
the internet has decided that em-dashes are a hallmark of llm writing, which is *extremely* annoying to me, as someone who uses em-dashes all the time.
dear internet please consider the possibility that LLMs use em-dashes a lot because they're, like, good
dear internet please consider the possibility that LLMs use em-dashes a lot because they're, like, good
November 14, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Ditto
Note the typo. Should read 70% ND. Historically, it was 50% triage.
Another new policy from the geniuses in NIH leadership.
Apparently, ~70% of grant applications for most mechanisms will not be "triaged", i.e. not discussed at study section.
This is an increase from the ~50% level that has been in place for many years.
I don't know the rationale for this
1/13
Apparently, ~70% of grant applications for most mechanisms will not be "triaged", i.e. not discussed at study section.
This is an increase from the ~50% level that has been in place for many years.
I don't know the rationale for this
1/13
a man with a beard is looking at the camera with the words priorities written on the bottom
ALT: a man with a beard is looking at the camera with the words priorities written on the bottom
media.tenor.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Note the typo. Should read 70% ND. Historically, it was 50% triage.
Whittaker, F., DeFalco, A., Goldblum, R. S., Curtin, J. J., & Bradford, D. E. (2025). Alcohol’s effects on decision making and cognitive processing in a reward uncertainty task. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/adb0...
APA PsycNet
doi.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Whittaker, F., DeFalco, A., Goldblum, R. S., Curtin, J. J., & Bradford, D. E. (2025). Alcohol’s effects on decision making and cognitive processing in a reward uncertainty task. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/adb0...
Reposted by Alex Shackman
Former UVA president Jim Ryan, who resigned over the summer due to pressure from the Trump Administration, just shared this 12-page letter with the Faculty Senate, detailing his experience with the Board of Visitors and DOJ.
It's a surreal--and troubling--read.
drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
It's a surreal--and troubling--read.
drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
November 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Former UVA president Jim Ryan, who resigned over the summer due to pressure from the Trump Administration, just shared this 12-page letter with the Faculty Senate, detailing his experience with the Board of Visitors and DOJ.
It's a surreal--and troubling--read.
drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
It's a surreal--and troubling--read.
drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
Reposted by Alex Shackman
They’re all just looting the treasury now
November 14, 2025 at 6:07 PM
They’re all just looting the treasury now
Chmielewski, M., Jimenez, A., & Gum, M. A. (2025). Do internship to employment pipelines exist? Implications for graduate training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/tep0...
APA PsycNet
doi.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Chmielewski, M., Jimenez, A., & Gum, M. A. (2025). Do internship to employment pipelines exist? Implications for graduate training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/tep0...
#WM #STM #LabJournalClub - I keep posting this paper, but it really is magnificent, and a great anchor for a lab journal club. #DespoLab meets #ShackLab
November 14, 2025 at 3:09 PM
#WM #STM #LabJournalClub - I keep posting this paper, but it really is magnificent, and a great anchor for a lab journal club. #DespoLab meets #ShackLab
Reposted by Alex Shackman
I can further confirm that @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social is experiencing retaliation by “Free speech” Jay and the Trump administration.
@standupforscience.bsky.social stands with her and will continue to support public servants who speak out against the harms of this administration.
@standupforscience.bsky.social stands with her and will continue to support public servants who speak out against the harms of this administration.
NIH program officer @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social has been placed on admin leave, sources say.
Norton has been outspoken about the Trump administration's dismantling of science, and she signed the Bethesda Declaration.
Bhattacharya has said that "science is dead without free speech".
Norton has been outspoken about the Trump administration's dismantling of science, and she signed the Bethesda Declaration.
Bhattacharya has said that "science is dead without free speech".
November 13, 2025 at 11:22 PM
I can further confirm that @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social is experiencing retaliation by “Free speech” Jay and the Trump administration.
@standupforscience.bsky.social stands with her and will continue to support public servants who speak out against the harms of this administration.
@standupforscience.bsky.social stands with her and will continue to support public servants who speak out against the harms of this administration.
This is a such a well-written, densely referenced mini-review on the state of the WM/STM literature. Was your last thought about WM circa the Goldman-Rakic era and want to catch up? This is it. Kudos to ClaySpace! www.sciencedirect.com/science/chap...
Short-term and working memory
Working memory is one of the most important higher-order cognitive abilities, allowing us to hold information that is no longer present “in mind” in p…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:22 PM
This is a such a well-written, densely referenced mini-review on the state of the WM/STM literature. Was your last thought about WM circa the Goldman-Rakic era and want to catch up? This is it. Kudos to ClaySpace! www.sciencedirect.com/science/chap...
Reposted by Alex Shackman
When do interaction/moderation effects stabilize in linear regression?: https://osf.io/35t84
November 12, 2025 at 10:37 PM
When do interaction/moderation effects stabilize in linear regression?: https://osf.io/35t84
Reposted by Alex Shackman
👏👏👏👏👏 Kudos indeed! Our #NIH and #CSR colleagues have been through enormous stressors navigating these ‘unprecedented’ times. We see you! 🥰
Big big thanks
to all the program officers and scientific review officers coming back online and managing to instill positivity and we-can-do-this attitudes in emails out to applicants & reviewers who might have wondered: What will happen to all of this good work?
Answer: let's do this.
to all the program officers and scientific review officers coming back online and managing to instill positivity and we-can-do-this attitudes in emails out to applicants & reviewers who might have wondered: What will happen to all of this good work?
Answer: let's do this.
November 13, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Alex Shackman
The situation is coming from inside the room. Yes, the situation room, that's where it's situated. It's collapsing into itself as we speak sir, we have to get you out of here
November 12, 2025 at 11:44 PM
The situation is coming from inside the room. Yes, the situation room, that's where it's situated. It's collapsing into itself as we speak sir, we have to get you out of here
boo-hiss Elsevier - maybe @mariaironside.bsky.social could email me a copy :)
November 12, 2025 at 7:21 PM
boo-hiss Elsevier - maybe @mariaironside.bsky.social could email me a copy :)
Reposted by Alex Shackman
Excited to share our cross-disorder GWAS analysis of neurological and psychiatric disorders (~1 M cases), now out in @natneuro.nature.com! We show more extensive genetic pleiotropy than previously recognized, supporting a more unified view of these disorders
rdcu.be/ePmwD
rdcu.be/ePmwD
A genome-wide analysis of the shared genetic risk architecture of complex neurological and psychiatric disorders
Nature Neuroscience - Smeland et al. demonstrate greater genetic overlap between neurological and psychiatric disorders than previously recognized, along with diverse neurobiological associations....
rdcu.be
November 12, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Excited to share our cross-disorder GWAS analysis of neurological and psychiatric disorders (~1 M cases), now out in @natneuro.nature.com! We show more extensive genetic pleiotropy than previously recognized, supporting a more unified view of these disorders
rdcu.be/ePmwD
rdcu.be/ePmwD
Reposted by Alex Shackman
New preprint from the lab! We identified Vipr2-expressing BNST neurons as a distinct subpopulation of the oval nucleus that promotes feeding, is activated by food restriction, is non-overlapping with appetite-suppressing PKC delta neurons, and projects to PSTN & PVN hypothalamic feeding centers.
November 11, 2025 at 4:39 PM
New preprint from the lab! We identified Vipr2-expressing BNST neurons as a distinct subpopulation of the oval nucleus that promotes feeding, is activated by food restriction, is non-overlapping with appetite-suppressing PKC delta neurons, and projects to PSTN & PVN hypothalamic feeding centers.
Reposted by Alex Shackman
If your government sends a $40B "gift" to another country while refusing to feed its own children, you need another government. There's nothing wrong with foreign aid (in most cases); but there is something wrong with letting kids and veterans go hungry while sending it.
November 10, 2025 at 4:36 PM
If your government sends a $40B "gift" to another country while refusing to feed its own children, you need another government. There's nothing wrong with foreign aid (in most cases); but there is something wrong with letting kids and veterans go hungry while sending it.
Reposted by Alex Shackman
Ah why not? Here's another Barn Owl picture I have taken. This beauty was flying right towards me.
#birds #birdphotography #photography #wildlifephotography #wildlife
#birds #birdphotography #photography #wildlifephotography #wildlife
November 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Ah why not? Here's another Barn Owl picture I have taken. This beauty was flying right towards me.
#birds #birdphotography #photography #wildlifephotography #wildlife
#birds #birdphotography #photography #wildlifephotography #wildlife
Reposted by Alex Shackman
There will be another 60 vote Friday* on the garbage shutdown deal. If we can convince just one Senator from the 52 republicans and 8 Dems that voted yes to flip, we could still stop this. Please jump on the phone today, call them, and share this widely.
*If all goes by the regular schedule
*If all goes by the regular schedule
November 10, 2025 at 5:22 PM
There will be another 60 vote Friday* on the garbage shutdown deal. If we can convince just one Senator from the 52 republicans and 8 Dems that voted yes to flip, we could still stop this. Please jump on the phone today, call them, and share this widely.
*If all goes by the regular schedule
*If all goes by the regular schedule