Jonathan A. Michaels
@jonathanamichaels.bsky.social
How do we move? I study brains and machines at York University (Assistant Professor). Full-time human.
Neural Control & Computation Lab
www.ncclab.ca
Neural Control & Computation Lab
www.ncclab.ca
Pinned
Sensory expectations shape neural population dynamics in motor circuits
Nature - Experiments with human volunteers and macaques show that expectations produced by probabilistic cueing of future sensory inputs shape motor circuit dynamics in order to increase the...
www.nature.com
Thrilled that our paper is out today in Nature!
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
And the corollary to 'why should I read something nobody bothered to write?' – is – 'why should I write something no one will bother to read?'
This raises what I like to call the "AI test for tasks".
If many people use AI to do task X, then that tells you that task X is actually just a brainless administrative exercise.
Any such task should probably be eliminated, and if that's not an option, modified to make automation even easier.
If many people use AI to do task X, then that tells you that task X is actually just a brainless administrative exercise.
Any such task should probably be eliminated, and if that's not an option, modified to make automation even easier.
There was never any point to having reference letters. That's why we've all started using AI to do this nonesense task.
References should only be used for short-listed candidates for important positions/awards, and ideally, be done via a call to get the most honest opinion possible.
References should only be used for short-listed candidates for important positions/awards, and ideally, be done via a call to get the most honest opinion possible.
November 14, 2025 at 7:43 PM
And the corollary to 'why should I read something nobody bothered to write?' – is – 'why should I write something no one will bother to read?'
Reposted by Jonathan A. Michaels
0/7 Excited to 📢 that our (@mkashefi.bsky.social @diedrichsenjorn.bsky.social @andpru.bsky.social) new preprint on sequence preparation and its effect on reaction time is now up: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Please get in touch if there is anything you'd like to discuss! Brief summary 🧵👇
Please get in touch if there is anything you'd like to discuss! Brief summary 🧵👇
Sequence preparation is not always associated with a reaction time cost
The extent to which a sequence of movements is prepared before initiating the first movement is a longstanding question in motor neuroscience. The observation that reaction time (RT) increases for lon...
www.biorxiv.org
November 13, 2025 at 11:49 PM
0/7 Excited to 📢 that our (@mkashefi.bsky.social @diedrichsenjorn.bsky.social @andpru.bsky.social) new preprint on sequence preparation and its effect on reaction time is now up: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Please get in touch if there is anything you'd like to discuss! Brief summary 🧵👇
Please get in touch if there is anything you'd like to discuss! Brief summary 🧵👇
It was my pleasure to attend @mkashefi.bsky.social’s PhD defense last week. A wonderful scientist with a bright future 🤩
November 10, 2025 at 3:49 PM
It was my pleasure to attend @mkashefi.bsky.social’s PhD defense last week. A wonderful scientist with a bright future 🤩
Reposted by Jonathan A. Michaels
Research in primate brains has been essential for the development of brain-computer interfaces and artificial neural networks. New funding and policy changes put future such advances at risk, write Cory Miller, @movshon.bsky.social and Doris Tsao.
#neuroskyence
bit.ly/47MXYLH
#neuroskyence
bit.ly/47MXYLH
Without monkeys, neuroscience has no future
Research in primate brains has been essential for the development of BCIs, ANNs. New funding and policy changes put future such advances at risk.
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Research in primate brains has been essential for the development of brain-computer interfaces and artificial neural networks. New funding and policy changes put future such advances at risk, write Cory Miller, @movshon.bsky.social and Doris Tsao.
#neuroskyence
bit.ly/47MXYLH
#neuroskyence
bit.ly/47MXYLH
Best time of year.
November 8, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Best time of year.
“…every design choice expresses a vision of humanity.”
I wanna invite Pope Leo to my Intro to Science and Technology Studies class
November 8, 2025 at 3:59 PM
“…every design choice expresses a vision of humanity.”
Reposted by Jonathan A. Michaels
If I see one more stupid Rosalind Franklin take I'm going to lose my mind. Thank god for @matthewcobb.bsky.social and @nccomfort.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:21 AM
If I see one more stupid Rosalind Franklin take I'm going to lose my mind. Thank god for @matthewcobb.bsky.social and @nccomfort.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Jonathan A. Michaels
A tad late (announcements coming) but very happy to share the latest developments in my previous preprint!
Previously, we show that neural representations for control of movement are largely distinct following supervised or reinforcement learning. The latter most closely matches NHP recordings.
Previously, we show that neural representations for control of movement are largely distinct following supervised or reinforcement learning. The latter most closely matches NHP recordings.
Here’s our latest work at @glajoie.bsky.social and @mattperich.bsky.social ‘s labs! Excited to see this out.
We used a combination of neural recordings & modelling to show that RL yields neural dynamics closer to biology, with useful continual learning properties.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We used a combination of neural recordings & modelling to show that RL yields neural dynamics closer to biology, with useful continual learning properties.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Brain-like neural dynamics for behavioral control develop through reinforcement learning
During development, neural circuits are shaped continuously as we learn to control our bodies. The ultimate goal of this process is to produce neural dynamics that enable the rich repertoire of behavi...
www.biorxiv.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:10 AM
A tad late (announcements coming) but very happy to share the latest developments in my previous preprint!
Previously, we show that neural representations for control of movement are largely distinct following supervised or reinforcement learning. The latter most closely matches NHP recordings.
Previously, we show that neural representations for control of movement are largely distinct following supervised or reinforcement learning. The latter most closely matches NHP recordings.
I’m With Her ❤️
November 6, 2025 at 3:57 AM
I’m With Her ❤️
3 grants submitted 🤪. Onward!
November 6, 2025 at 3:42 AM
3 grants submitted 🤪. Onward!
I can't get over this one. Spending $1b on bringing 'top talent' to Canada... Canada has excellent researchers already, and they need more funding not more colleagues
It’s hard not to feel insulted by the Canadian federal budget’s implication that researchers currently working in Canada aren’t good enough, so they’ll spend a bunch of taxpayer money to bring in “top talent” from elsewhere.
November 5, 2025 at 1:02 PM
I can't get over this one. Spending $1b on bringing 'top talent' to Canada... Canada has excellent researchers already, and they need more funding not more colleagues
Brooklyn ✊
November 5, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Brooklyn ✊
"There’s also a dedicated $925-million artificial intelligence (AI) fund, which Carney has identified as a priority."
Here we go... How about funding basic research instead of speculative technology?
Here we go... How about funding basic research instead of speculative technology?
November 4, 2025 at 10:20 PM
"There’s also a dedicated $925-million artificial intelligence (AI) fund, which Carney has identified as a priority."
Here we go... How about funding basic research instead of speculative technology?
Here we go... How about funding basic research instead of speculative technology?
Reposted by Jonathan A. Michaels
On this beautiful morning in Astoria, I cast my ballot for our city and our future.
I hope you will too.
I hope you will too.
November 4, 2025 at 3:26 PM
On this beautiful morning in Astoria, I cast my ballot for our city and our future.
I hope you will too.
I hope you will too.
Reposted by Jonathan A. Michaels
🚨Job alert🚨
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
3 Postdoctoral Research Fellows
Champalimaud Foundation (Fundação D. Anna de Sommer Champalimaud e Dr.
euraxess.ec.europa.eu
November 4, 2025 at 5:11 PM
🚨Job alert🚨
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
The lab has up to *3 postdoc openings* for comp systems neuroscientists interested in describing and manipulating neural population dynamics mediating behaviour
This is part of a collaborative ARIA grant "4D precision control of cortical dynamics"
euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/383909
Fall on campus 🍁🍂
November 4, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Fall on campus 🍁🍂
Here is a news story from York University about our new Nature paper
www.yorku.ca/news/2025/10...
www.yorku.ca/news/2025/10...
October 29, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Here is a news story from York University about our new Nature paper
www.yorku.ca/news/2025/10...
www.yorku.ca/news/2025/10...
Thrilled that our paper is out today in Nature!
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
Sensory expectations shape neural population dynamics in motor circuits
Nature - Experiments with human volunteers and macaques show that expectations produced by probabilistic cueing of future sensory inputs shape motor circuit dynamics in order to increase the...
www.nature.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Thrilled that our paper is out today in Nature!
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
www.nature.com/articles/s4...
Back home ❤️
October 25, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Back home ❤️
When the metric fails, create a more complicated metric?
My first thought was that Google took a page directly from the @drugmonkey.bsky.social blog post from awhile back on the h-index gamification.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Google Scholar tool gives extra credit to first and last authors
Researchers welcome the initiative, but say it doesn’t go far enough to capture the nuance of researcher productivity and impact.
www.nature.com
October 25, 2025 at 7:27 PM
When the metric fails, create a more complicated metric?
Pittsburgh ❤️
October 23, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Pittsburgh ❤️
Bach is life, and there’s no one in the world who can express that better than Chris Thile.
October 16, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Bach is life, and there’s no one in the world who can express that better than Chris Thile.
Reposted by Jonathan A. Michaels
A thought-provoking piece in Nature Neuroscience by many neuroscience colleagues: "Science must break its silence to rebuild public trust". Lots to think about here.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 14, 2025 at 8:51 PM
A thought-provoking piece in Nature Neuroscience by many neuroscience colleagues: "Science must break its silence to rebuild public trust". Lots to think about here.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Celebrating the long weekend by burning off 4 pumpkin spice lattes
October 12, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Celebrating the long weekend by burning off 4 pumpkin spice lattes