Ben Saunders
@bensaunders.bsky.social
Neuroscientist and gardener
Lab site- saunderslab.com
Lab site- saunderslab.com
This coming week at #SfN25 come visit us at the Minnesota Graduate Program in Neuroscience booth at the grad fair! For applicants this cycle, note that the deadline is soon - Nov 20th. Also everyone check out the presentations at the meeting by UMN folks - shorturl.at/jNRxQ
November 13, 2025 at 6:15 PM
This coming week at #SfN25 come visit us at the Minnesota Graduate Program in Neuroscience booth at the grad fair! For applicants this cycle, note that the deadline is soon - Nov 20th. Also everyone check out the presentations at the meeting by UMN folks - shorturl.at/jNRxQ
Northern lights the past two nights
November 13, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Northern lights the past two nights
#SfN25 attendees - make sure to head to the posters when you get to the meeting on Saturday afternoon (V7-V11: Gretchen, Megan, Margaret, Louisa, Bella) and Sunday morning (KK17: Micaela) to hear about our work. We're printing the posters now and they look rad.
November 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM
#SfN25 attendees - make sure to head to the posters when you get to the meeting on Saturday afternoon (V7-V11: Gretchen, Megan, Margaret, Louisa, Bella) and Sunday morning (KK17: Micaela) to hear about our work. We're printing the posters now and they look rad.
If you're heading to #SfN25 in a couple weeks, pop in early to the posters on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning to see a bunch of cool unpublished work from the lab.
October 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
If you're heading to #SfN25 in a couple weeks, pop in early to the posters on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning to see a bunch of cool unpublished work from the lab.
One of my tomatillo plants went off this year - 5 feet tall and around 150 tomatillos. Look at the amazing root system it grew.
October 26, 2025 at 11:39 PM
One of my tomatillo plants went off this year - 5 feet tall and around 150 tomatillos. Look at the amazing root system it grew.
Martin is fall maxing
October 18, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Martin is fall maxing
ATTN neuroscience PhD prospectives! University of Minnesota Graduate Program in Neuroscience www.neuroscience.umn.edu is hosting a virtual open house event on Oct 30th, register here: forms.gle/wz7e3UVdsyNi...
Also say hi at upcoming grad fairs. Learn about the program & meet students & faculty!
Also say hi at upcoming grad fairs. Learn about the program & meet students & faculty!
October 14, 2025 at 3:35 PM
ATTN neuroscience PhD prospectives! University of Minnesota Graduate Program in Neuroscience www.neuroscience.umn.edu is hosting a virtual open house event on Oct 30th, register here: forms.gle/wz7e3UVdsyNi...
Also say hi at upcoming grad fairs. Learn about the program & meet students & faculty!
Also say hi at upcoming grad fairs. Learn about the program & meet students & faculty!
Reposting this information for our neuroscience graduate program virtual open house events with a fixed QR code - you can also register directly at this link - forms.gle/zJDcZBteMtsD...
September 24, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposting this information for our neuroscience graduate program virtual open house events with a fixed QR code - you can also register directly at this link - forms.gle/zJDcZBteMtsD...
5 pounds of tomatillos and other bounty after a hot September
September 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
5 pounds of tomatillos and other bounty after a hot September
For those interested in a neuroscience PhD - the University of Minnesota Graduate Program in Neuroscience www.neuroscience.umn.edu is hosting virtual open house events coming up on Oct 6th and Oct 30th. Learn about the program and meet students and faculty! Register here: forms.gle/kANEp4Fmd3ut...
September 18, 2025 at 12:31 PM
For those interested in a neuroscience PhD - the University of Minnesota Graduate Program in Neuroscience www.neuroscience.umn.edu is hosting virtual open house events coming up on Oct 6th and Oct 30th. Learn about the program and meet students and faculty! Register here: forms.gle/kANEp4Fmd3ut...
Some potatoes I grew - learning that they need a TON of sun for a good yield
September 6, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Some potatoes I grew - learning that they need a TON of sun for a good yield
This is a functional signal - brief inhibition of VTA GABA neurons disrupts ongoing reward seeking in the face of cost
August 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM
This is a functional signal - brief inhibition of VTA GABA neurons disrupts ongoing reward seeking in the face of cost
VTA GABA, but not dopamine neurons encode shifts in motivational state under conflict. Both the initiation (cued or self initiated) and the termination of reward seeking events.
August 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM
VTA GABA, but not dopamine neurons encode shifts in motivational state under conflict. Both the initiation (cued or self initiated) and the termination of reward seeking events.
Tons of sick new data in here. VTA GABA neurons differentially signal errors in reward vs threat expectation.
August 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Tons of sick new data in here. VTA GABA neurons differentially signal errors in reward vs threat expectation.
Garden ratatouille
August 11, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Garden ratatouille
Total blast at the Amygdala GRC in Barcelona this week. Huge thanks to @katewassum.bsky.social @anna-beyeler.bsky.social @joserodroma.bsky.social for organizing a great meeting. Megan also crushed it with a talk at the GRS and was picked for a full GRC talk. Grateful to have this community.
July 19, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Total blast at the Amygdala GRC in Barcelona this week. Huge thanks to @katewassum.bsky.social @anna-beyeler.bsky.social @joserodroma.bsky.social for organizing a great meeting. Megan also crushed it with a talk at the GRS and was picked for a full GRC talk. Grateful to have this community.
Back home from a very fun week at the amygdala GRC to see my fully grown children
July 19, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Back home from a very fun week at the amygdala GRC to see my fully grown children
Weekend garden updates
June 7, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Weekend garden updates
Bandcamp Friday haul. Ambient, dream wave, hardcore, punk, and more @bandcamp.com
May 2, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Bandcamp Friday haul. Ambient, dream wave, hardcore, punk, and more @bandcamp.com
Proud to be with my lab and a huge crew from the UMN neuroscience community today at #Standupforscience
March 7, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Proud to be with my lab and a huge crew from the UMN neuroscience community today at #Standupforscience
Fiercely inspiring words from @therealdrdukes.bsky.social at the St Paul #standupforscience2025
March 7, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Fiercely inspiring words from @therealdrdukes.bsky.social at the St Paul #standupforscience2025
#standupforscience2025 at the St Paul Capitol with my lab and many others this afternoon
March 7, 2025 at 9:24 PM
#standupforscience2025 at the St Paul Capitol with my lab and many others this afternoon
This weekend I made a quick stop at #wcbr2025 to talk about some of the lab’s work. Thanks to @melissajsharpe.bsky.social and Kate Wassum for organizing a great panel. Science is done by people and I am ever grateful to be surrounded by an amazing team and colleagues.
January 27, 2025 at 10:48 PM
This weekend I made a quick stop at #wcbr2025 to talk about some of the lab’s work. Thanks to @melissajsharpe.bsky.social and Kate Wassum for organizing a great panel. Science is done by people and I am ever grateful to be surrounded by an amazing team and colleagues.
New paper proofs peak - despite it all I am sucker for a nicely formatted article - excited to share the final version of this long in the works project soon
January 13, 2025 at 10:27 PM
New paper proofs peak - despite it all I am sucker for a nicely formatted article - excited to share the final version of this long in the works project soon
