Marlene Cohen
@marlenecohen.bsky.social
Neuroscientist at U Chicago
Pinned
Behavioural and neuronal insights into multisensory combination of unpracticed cues.
Effective decision-making requires integrating multiple information sources, weighted by their reliability and context. While classic studies show near-optimal cue combination with well-learned signal...
www.biorxiv.org
New preprint from the lab! 🎉
Postdoc Keon Allen led this study exploring how subjects combine sources of sensory information, including unfamiliar & cross-modal cues, and what that can tell us about decision-making, neural mechanisms, and neurodiversity.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵🧪1/
Postdoc Keon Allen led this study exploring how subjects combine sources of sensory information, including unfamiliar & cross-modal cues, and what that can tell us about decision-making, neural mechanisms, and neurodiversity.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵🧪1/
We have two SfN presentations this morning, featuring star grad student 1st authors Grace DiRisio and Sylvia Durian. Cheng Xue is an author on both & not only is he an incredible scientist, he's also an incredible advertiser/communicator; check out his cartoons! x.com/_chengxue/st...
Cheng Xue on X: "#SfN25 How does the primate brain instantly recognize images? Humans can easily remember thousands of images after a single viewing. @GraceDiRisio @marlenecohen and I set out to find the core mechanisms in the visual cortex for this fast, high-capacity coding. https://t.co/hdrmmbvphf" / X
#SfN25 How does the primate brain instantly recognize images? Humans can easily remember thousands of images after a single viewing. @GraceDiRisio @marlenecohen and I set out to find the core mechanisms in the visual cortex for this fast, high-capacity coding. https://t.co/hdrmmbvphf
x.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:13 PM
We have two SfN presentations this morning, featuring star grad student 1st authors Grace DiRisio and Sylvia Durian. Cheng Xue is an author on both & not only is he an incredible scientist, he's also an incredible advertiser/communicator; check out his cartoons! x.com/_chengxue/st...
New preprint from the lab! 🎉
Postdoc Keon Allen led this study exploring how subjects combine sources of sensory information, including unfamiliar & cross-modal cues, and what that can tell us about decision-making, neural mechanisms, and neurodiversity.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵🧪1/
Postdoc Keon Allen led this study exploring how subjects combine sources of sensory information, including unfamiliar & cross-modal cues, and what that can tell us about decision-making, neural mechanisms, and neurodiversity.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵🧪1/
Behavioural and neuronal insights into multisensory combination of unpracticed cues.
Effective decision-making requires integrating multiple information sources, weighted by their reliability and context. While classic studies show near-optimal cue combination with well-learned signal...
www.biorxiv.org
October 30, 2025 at 10:35 PM
New preprint from the lab! 🎉
Postdoc Keon Allen led this study exploring how subjects combine sources of sensory information, including unfamiliar & cross-modal cues, and what that can tell us about decision-making, neural mechanisms, and neurodiversity.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵🧪1/
Postdoc Keon Allen led this study exploring how subjects combine sources of sensory information, including unfamiliar & cross-modal cues, and what that can tell us about decision-making, neural mechanisms, and neurodiversity.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵🧪1/
New preprint! How can you remember an image you saw once, even after seeing thousands of them? We find a role for humble mid-level visual cortex in high-capacity, one-shot learning. doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.22.677855 🧵🧪1/
Neuronal signatures of successful one-shot memory in mid-level visual cortex
High-capacity, one-shot visual recognition memory challenges theories of learning and neural coding because it requires rapid, robust, and durable representations. Most studies have focused on the hip...
doi.org
September 23, 2025 at 3:09 PM
New preprint! How can you remember an image you saw once, even after seeing thousands of them? We find a role for humble mid-level visual cortex in high-capacity, one-shot learning. doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.22.677855 🧵🧪1/
One of the joys of being a scientist is the ability to think about a problem for a long time. Our new preprint solves a mystery that has been bugging me since I was a graduate student (which was, ahem, a while ago). 🧪🧠🧵1/
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Guided by Noise: Correlated Variability Channels Task-Relevant Information in Sensory Neurons
Shared trial-to-trial variability across sensory neurons is reliably reduced when perceptual performance improves, yet this variability is low-dimensional, so it could be ignored by an optimal readout...
www.biorxiv.org
August 15, 2025 at 3:38 PM
One of the joys of being a scientist is the ability to think about a problem for a long time. Our new preprint solves a mystery that has been bugging me since I was a graduate student (which was, ahem, a while ago). 🧪🧠🧵1/
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Marlene Cohen
Cutting $20 billion to NIH over 25 years may save $500 billion on paper, but it’d end up costing $8.2 trillion in lost human health.
But NIH isn't the only thing being cut. The budget also slashes all NSF-funded science by 73 percent. NASA faces “the biggest single-year cut to NASA in history."
But NIH isn't the only thing being cut. The budget also slashes all NSF-funded science by 73 percent. NASA faces “the biggest single-year cut to NASA in history."
Donald Trump’s proposed budget would gut American science
It would slash cancer research, drug trials, space exploration, and so much more.
www.motherjones.com
May 31, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Cutting $20 billion to NIH over 25 years may save $500 billion on paper, but it’d end up costing $8.2 trillion in lost human health.
But NIH isn't the only thing being cut. The budget also slashes all NSF-funded science by 73 percent. NASA faces “the biggest single-year cut to NASA in history."
But NIH isn't the only thing being cut. The budget also slashes all NSF-funded science by 73 percent. NASA faces “the biggest single-year cut to NASA in history."
Reposted by Marlene Cohen
we're crowd-sourcing a searchable repository of tangible benefits stemming from federally-funded research. Come enjoy the great stories; or send in an idea; or volunteer to join the team.
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
please share and re-share so we get more great stories in there!
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
please share and re-share so we get more great stories in there!
Searchable database of tangible benefits that federally-funded research gave us.
A crowd-sourced site. Health and Well-being. National Security. Prosperity.
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
May 7, 2025 at 11:28 PM
we're crowd-sourcing a searchable repository of tangible benefits stemming from federally-funded research. Come enjoy the great stories; or send in an idea; or volunteer to join the team.
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
please share and re-share so we get more great stories in there!
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
please share and re-share so we get more great stories in there!
Reposted by Marlene Cohen
Calling all science advocates!! Carlos Brody+ are creating a searchable database of tangible science benefits, and they need you.
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
They are asking for suggestions - from brief to lengthy. The database is state-searchable, so all 50 states.
Please spread the word!
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
They are asking for suggestions - from brief to lengthy. The database is state-searchable, so all 50 states.
Please spread the word!
Searchable database of tangible benefits that federally-funded research gave us.
A crowd-sourced site. Health and Well-being. National Security. Prosperity.
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
May 6, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Calling all science advocates!! Carlos Brody+ are creating a searchable database of tangible science benefits, and they need you.
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
They are asking for suggestions - from brief to lengthy. The database is state-searchable, so all 50 states.
Please spread the word!
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
They are asking for suggestions - from brief to lengthy. The database is state-searchable, so all 50 states.
Please spread the word!
Reposted by Marlene Cohen
Announcing - the 3rd annual Midway Meeting of the Memory Minds (Mmmm)! Chicago-area memory neuroscientists, please join us for a day of talks, discussions, and a keynote by none other than @earlkmiller.bsky.social ! Registration is free, but space is limited. forms.office.com/r/rMxqDQ4sZF
February 17, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Announcing - the 3rd annual Midway Meeting of the Memory Minds (Mmmm)! Chicago-area memory neuroscientists, please join us for a day of talks, discussions, and a keynote by none other than @earlkmiller.bsky.social ! Registration is free, but space is limited. forms.office.com/r/rMxqDQ4sZF
Reposted by Marlene Cohen
The NIH’s new imposed standard indirect cost rate threatens life-saving brain & behavior research that benefits millions of Americans. SfN, with other scientific organizations,urge reversal of this policy & implore Congress to protect critical research infrastructure.
Full statement: bit.ly/4jVJnCL
Full statement: bit.ly/4jVJnCL
Statement on the NIH Imposed Standard Indirect Cost Rate
bit.ly
February 11, 2025 at 10:28 PM
The NIH’s new imposed standard indirect cost rate threatens life-saving brain & behavior research that benefits millions of Americans. SfN, with other scientific organizations,urge reversal of this policy & implore Congress to protect critical research infrastructure.
Full statement: bit.ly/4jVJnCL
Full statement: bit.ly/4jVJnCL
Reposted by Marlene Cohen
Federal restrictions & funding freezes threaten vital research and halts scientific progress that benefits all Americans.
Join fellow #NeuroAdvocates in urging Congress to protect congressionally approved funding & ensure uninterrupted support for the scientific workforce.
👇 #NeuroSky
Join fellow #NeuroAdvocates in urging Congress to protect congressionally approved funding & ensure uninterrupted support for the scientific workforce.
👇 #NeuroSky
February 6, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Federal restrictions & funding freezes threaten vital research and halts scientific progress that benefits all Americans.
Join fellow #NeuroAdvocates in urging Congress to protect congressionally approved funding & ensure uninterrupted support for the scientific workforce.
👇 #NeuroSky
Join fellow #NeuroAdvocates in urging Congress to protect congressionally approved funding & ensure uninterrupted support for the scientific workforce.
👇 #NeuroSky
New results for a new year! “Linking neural population formatting to function” describes our modern take on an old question: how can we understand the contribution of a brain area to behavior?
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧠👩🏻🔬🧪🧵
#neuroskyence
1/
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧠👩🏻🔬🧪🧵
#neuroskyence
1/
Linking neural population formatting to function
Animals capable of complex behaviors tend to have more distinct brain areas than simpler organisms, and artificial networks that perform many tasks tend to self-organize into modules (1-3). This sugge...
www.biorxiv.org
January 4, 2025 at 4:25 PM
New results for a new year! “Linking neural population formatting to function” describes our modern take on an old question: how can we understand the contribution of a brain area to behavior?
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧠👩🏻🔬🧪🧵
#neuroskyence
1/
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧠👩🏻🔬🧪🧵
#neuroskyence
1/
Hello! I'm excited for my first post to be a plug for the work of our terrific collaborators, Deying Song and Chengcheng Huang, with Doug Ruff in my lab. Deying created a circuit model of divisive normalization that explains & predicts many experimental results: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Neuronal heterogeneity of normalization strength in a circuit model
The size of a neuron's receptive field increases along the visual hierarchy. Neurons in higher-order visual areas integrate information through a canonical computation called normalization, where neur...
www.biorxiv.org
November 25, 2024 at 8:09 PM
Hello! I'm excited for my first post to be a plug for the work of our terrific collaborators, Deying Song and Chengcheng Huang, with Doug Ruff in my lab. Deying created a circuit model of divisive normalization that explains & predicts many experimental results: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...