Robert Phillips
@rphillips3.bsky.social
Neuroscientist | Postdoc in Martinowich lab at Lieber Institute for Brain Development | PhD with Day Lab at UAB
Pinned
Robert Phillips
@rphillips3.bsky.social
· Nov 26
Hi! With the neuroscience influx to bluesky, I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm a postdoc with @martinowk.bsky.social using cross-species approaches to study cell types and circuitry important for social behaviors that are often dysregulated in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Reposted by Robert Phillips
Our paper using endoscopic in vivo calcium imaging to uncover how neuronal population dynamics in the prelimbic cortex track attention and task engagement during the rodent continuous performance test (rCPT) is now online
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Patterns of neural activity in prelimbic cortex neurons correlate with attentional behavior in the rodent continuous performance test - Translational Psychiatry
Translational Psychiatry - Patterns of neural activity in prelimbic cortex neurons correlate with attentional behavior in the rodent continuous performance test
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Our paper using endoscopic in vivo calcium imaging to uncover how neuronal population dynamics in the prelimbic cortex track attention and task engagement during the rodent continuous performance test (rCPT) is now online
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Robert Phillips
Congratulations to our habenula team! We've learned a lot about working in this tiny brain region. Here we characterize the molecular signatures of human habenula cell types and transcriptomic changes associated with schizophrenia. Stay tuned 👀 for more exciting habenula findings in the near future.
Proud to announce our paper ‘Transcriptomic Analysis of the Human Habenula in Schizophrenia’ from @lieberinstitute.bsky.social is the cover article for the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry! 🧠 #HabenulaLIBD #snRNAseq #Habenula doi.org/10.1176/appi...
Transcriptomic Analysis of the Human Habenula in Schizophrenia | American Journal of Psychiatry
Objective: The objective of this study was to define the molecular neuroanatomy of the human habenula (Hb) and identify transcriptomic differences between brains of individuals with schizophrenia and ...
doi.org
November 5, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Congratulations to our habenula team! We've learned a lot about working in this tiny brain region. Here we characterize the molecular signatures of human habenula cell types and transcriptomic changes associated with schizophrenia. Stay tuned 👀 for more exciting habenula findings in the near future.
Reposted by Robert Phillips
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.
Reposted by Robert Phillips
People who know me know I rarely shill for much, but my experience at UAB as a family member of a patient was amazing. Huge thanks to Neurosurgery and Drs. Kristen Riley, Brad Woodworth, and Harrison Walker (Neurology).
Context here. In August, my mom developed a CSF leak and subsequent pneumocephalus. Her initial ENT and neurosurgeon were unable to identify the leak and were suggesting a full and bilateral craniotomy to go in and fix it. I moved her to UAB and she got the care she needed. She is recovering well.
Flip side, you can also have n = 1 patient like my mom being treated by a highly trained neurosurgeon who was suggesting a highly risky and invasive surgery that is no longer the standard of care and it was only by me (not an MD) challenging the surgeon that she got the procedure she needed.
October 8, 2025 at 1:17 PM
People who know me know I rarely shill for much, but my experience at UAB as a family member of a patient was amazing. Huge thanks to Neurosurgery and Drs. Kristen Riley, Brad Woodworth, and Harrison Walker (Neurology).
Reposted by Robert Phillips
For #FluorescenceFriday - simple image, but structure of hippocampus is beautiful with additional fanfare. 🟢 is Fos - labeling cells that get activated in response to disinhibition of inhibitory neuron subpopulation in the prefrontal cortex. Image credit to JHU Neuroscience student Aaron Salisbury.
October 3, 2025 at 1:09 PM
For #FluorescenceFriday - simple image, but structure of hippocampus is beautiful with additional fanfare. 🟢 is Fos - labeling cells that get activated in response to disinhibition of inhibitory neuron subpopulation in the prefrontal cortex. Image credit to JHU Neuroscience student Aaron Salisbury.
Reposted by Robert Phillips
Don't miss this new 🔥 Hot Topic 🔥 from @rphillips3.bsky.social & Stephanie Page 👇
New Hot Topics piece from @rphillips3.bsky.social and Stephanie Page in @npp-journal.bsky.social describing emerging insights on roles of molecularly-defined cell types in the lateral septum, which serves as a hub for coordinating diverse social behaviors.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Role of molecularly defined lateral septum cell types and circuits in social behaviors - Neuropsychopharmacology
Neuropsychopharmacology - Role of molecularly defined lateral septum cell types and circuits in social behaviors
www.nature.com
October 2, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Don't miss this new 🔥 Hot Topic 🔥 from @rphillips3.bsky.social & Stephanie Page 👇
Reposted by Robert Phillips
For postdocs interested in spatial transcriptomics, UAB just launched a Spatial PRIME postdoc program which training and increased funds for postdocs in this area. Check it out if interested
October 1, 2025 at 1:22 PM
For postdocs interested in spatial transcriptomics, UAB just launched a Spatial PRIME postdoc program which training and increased funds for postdocs in this area. Check it out if interested
Reposted by Robert Phillips
New Hot Topics piece from @rphillips3.bsky.social and Stephanie Page in @npp-journal.bsky.social describing emerging insights on roles of molecularly-defined cell types in the lateral septum, which serves as a hub for coordinating diverse social behaviors.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Role of molecularly defined lateral septum cell types and circuits in social behaviors - Neuropsychopharmacology
Neuropsychopharmacology - Role of molecularly defined lateral septum cell types and circuits in social behaviors
www.nature.com
September 30, 2025 at 9:30 PM
New Hot Topics piece from @rphillips3.bsky.social and Stephanie Page in @npp-journal.bsky.social describing emerging insights on roles of molecularly-defined cell types in the lateral septum, which serves as a hub for coordinating diverse social behaviors.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Was awesome to be apart of this project. Congrats and kudos to @jtuscher.bsky.social for taking some interesting findings in rat sequencing data all the way to human astrocytes!
Excited to share this new work from the lab, in collaboration with @jtuscher.bsky.social & Rob Sorge! Here, we used single cell transcriptional profiling to define molecular adaptations induced by chronic pain and opioid experience, which often occur in conjunction.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 24, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Was awesome to be apart of this project. Congrats and kudos to @jtuscher.bsky.social for taking some interesting findings in rat sequencing data all the way to human astrocytes!
Reposted by Robert Phillips
Yes, I am on the academic job market looking to start my own lab at the intersection of molecular, computational, and systems neuroscience! If you think my work may be interest to your department, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Thank you, Keri!
Thank you, Keri!
Congrats Michael! Really appreciate the brilliance & creativity you brought to the analyses and as always, sincere dedication to open science 🧪 🧠
@mictott.bsky.social is on the job market!! Amazing skillset spanning wet lab/computational at molecular, cellular + systems level - and across species!
@mictott.bsky.social is on the job market!! Amazing skillset spanning wet lab/computational at molecular, cellular + systems level - and across species!
Very excited to share my second postdoc, now out in Science Advances! We used targeted snRNA-seq to profile four major subnuclei of the primate across three species (including humans). 1/13 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
September 18, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Yes, I am on the academic job market looking to start my own lab at the intersection of molecular, computational, and systems neuroscience! If you think my work may be interest to your department, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Thank you, Keri!
Thank you, Keri!
Reposted by Robert Phillips
A spatially resolved transcriptomic atlas of the primate amygdala (human, macaque, and baboon) now out in Science Advances (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...). The amygdala contains 32 types of neurons with many neuron types specific to particular subdivisions.
Lots of updates from the preprint!
Lots of updates from the preprint!
Transcriptomic diversity of amygdalar subdivisions across humans and nonhuman primates
Specialized cell types and links to psychiatric disorders are revealed by genetic mapping of primate amygdala neurons.
www.science.org
September 17, 2025 at 7:31 PM
A spatially resolved transcriptomic atlas of the primate amygdala (human, macaque, and baboon) now out in Science Advances (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...). The amygdala contains 32 types of neurons with many neuron types specific to particular subdivisions.
Lots of updates from the preprint!
Lots of updates from the preprint!
Reposted by Robert Phillips
Excited to be co-chairing this @acnporg.bsky.social panel with chair @kr-maynard.bsky.social on opioid-responsive subpopulations in brain reward circuits. Special thanks to @rphillips3.bsky.social for helping to assemble the panel!
September 15, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Excited to be co-chairing this @acnporg.bsky.social panel with chair @kr-maynard.bsky.social on opioid-responsive subpopulations in brain reward circuits. Special thanks to @rphillips3.bsky.social for helping to assemble the panel!
It was awesome to be a part of this project and continue probing molecular heterogeneity in the NAc! Check out Prashanti's thread below
(1/10) We’re excited to share our new preprint (doi.org/10.1101/2025...), which uncovers the spatiomolecular landscape of the human nucleus accumbens (NAc), by integrating snRNA-seq with Visium spatial transcriptomics across 10 control donors. 🧠 #NAcLIBD #snRNAseq #10xVisium
September 15, 2025 at 5:12 PM
It was awesome to be a part of this project and continue probing molecular heterogeneity in the NAc! Check out Prashanti's thread below
Reposted by Robert Phillips
Excited to share my main PhD work is finally out! 🥳
We built a phage-assisted evolution platform to evolve allosteric protein switches (POGO-PANCE) and introduce cumulative, targeted mutations/Indels (RAMPhaGE)!
See how we evolved ultra-strong, light-switchable AraC variants 🌚🌞
We built a phage-assisted evolution platform to evolve allosteric protein switches (POGO-PANCE) and introduce cumulative, targeted mutations/Indels (RAMPhaGE)!
See how we evolved ultra-strong, light-switchable AraC variants 🌚🌞
Phage-Assisted Evolution of Allosteric Protein Switches https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.12.659331v1
June 13, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Excited to share my main PhD work is finally out! 🥳
We built a phage-assisted evolution platform to evolve allosteric protein switches (POGO-PANCE) and introduce cumulative, targeted mutations/Indels (RAMPhaGE)!
See how we evolved ultra-strong, light-switchable AraC variants 🌚🌞
We built a phage-assisted evolution platform to evolve allosteric protein switches (POGO-PANCE) and introduce cumulative, targeted mutations/Indels (RAMPhaGE)!
See how we evolved ultra-strong, light-switchable AraC variants 🌚🌞
Reposted by Robert Phillips
For #FluorescenceFriday - image credit to JHU Neuro grad student Suhaas Adiraju - parvalbumin 🟢, somatostatin 🔴, vGlut1 (Cyan). 🟣 marks cells activated by amphetamine using the Fos-TRAP activity-dependent tagging system. 🔬🧪🧠
August 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
For #FluorescenceFriday - image credit to JHU Neuro grad student Suhaas Adiraju - parvalbumin 🟢, somatostatin 🔴, vGlut1 (Cyan). 🟣 marks cells activated by amphetamine using the Fos-TRAP activity-dependent tagging system. 🔬🧪🧠
Reposted by Robert Phillips
#FluorescenceFriday image from Olivia Drake in the lab.
Red = Chst9+ neurons in the ventral striatum
Cyan = DAPI, a DNA marker
The red cells are full of the mu opioid receptor, the major target of opioids like morphine, fentanyl, and heroin.
Red = Chst9+ neurons in the ventral striatum
Cyan = DAPI, a DNA marker
The red cells are full of the mu opioid receptor, the major target of opioids like morphine, fentanyl, and heroin.
August 22, 2025 at 10:20 PM
#FluorescenceFriday image from Olivia Drake in the lab.
Red = Chst9+ neurons in the ventral striatum
Cyan = DAPI, a DNA marker
The red cells are full of the mu opioid receptor, the major target of opioids like morphine, fentanyl, and heroin.
Red = Chst9+ neurons in the ventral striatum
Cyan = DAPI, a DNA marker
The red cells are full of the mu opioid receptor, the major target of opioids like morphine, fentanyl, and heroin.
Congrats @mictott.bsky.social !! Incredibly well-deserved
August 5, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Congrats @mictott.bsky.social !! Incredibly well-deserved
Reposted by Robert Phillips
Excited to share this huge team effort collaboration supervised by Stephanie Page in Translational Neuroscience @lieberinstitute.bsky.social and @stephaniehicks.bsky.social @jhubiostat.bsky.social to generate a spatio-molecular resource of the hippocampus in human 🧠
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
An integrated single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomics atlas reveals the molecular landscape of the human hippocampus - Nature Neuroscience
The topographical organization of cells in the hippocampus reflects its ability to regulate mood and cognition. Here the authors generate a spatially resolved gene expression map in the human hippocam...
www.nature.com
July 30, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Excited to share this huge team effort collaboration supervised by Stephanie Page in Translational Neuroscience @lieberinstitute.bsky.social and @stephaniehicks.bsky.social @jhubiostat.bsky.social to generate a spatio-molecular resource of the hippocampus in human 🧠
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Couldn’t agree more with Kenny. Super excited to be apart of the GRC-Amygdala community now.
Amygdala GRC fed my soul in a time of doom and gloom. Ready to keep climbing knowing that there’s such a fantastic community with me.
July 17, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Couldn’t agree more with Kenny. Super excited to be apart of the GRC-Amygdala community now.
Reposted by Robert Phillips
This project started well over a decade ago (I actually did bench work here!) when we noted the presence of these divergent transcripts in the human BDNF locus. Project had a lot of stops and starts, but really excited to finally get to share it 🧠🧪👩🔬
BDNF-DT and BDNF-AS-DT: Novel Genes in the BDNF locus https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.10.25331311v1
July 15, 2025 at 12:31 PM
This project started well over a decade ago (I actually did bench work here!) when we noted the presence of these divergent transcripts in the human BDNF locus. Project had a lot of stops and starts, but really excited to finally get to share it 🧠🧪👩🔬
Alright, so only people who create the starter pack can add folks. I am happy to add whoever, just message me or comment who to add. Thanks!!
Someone at the power hour brought up peak science twitter. I miss that too. Towards building/maintaining the GRC-Amygdala community, here is a starter pack with attendees. Please add folks who are attending!!
go.bsky.app/13BbBW9
go.bsky.app/13BbBW9
July 15, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Alright, so only people who create the starter pack can add folks. I am happy to add whoever, just message me or comment who to add. Thanks!!
Someone at the power hour brought up peak science twitter. I miss that too. Towards building/maintaining the GRC-Amygdala community, here is a starter pack with attendees. Please add folks who are attending!!
go.bsky.app/13BbBW9
go.bsky.app/13BbBW9
July 14, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Someone at the power hour brought up peak science twitter. I miss that too. Towards building/maintaining the GRC-Amygdala community, here is a starter pack with attendees. Please add folks who are attending!!
go.bsky.app/13BbBW9
go.bsky.app/13BbBW9
Reposted by Robert Phillips
🧬🌽 Happy Transposon Day! 🌽🧬
Today we celebrate the birthday of Barbara McClintock - scientist extraordinaire and discoverer of jumping genes. Still the only woman to have an unshared Nobel Prize in the biomedical sciences #TransposonDay2025
Today we celebrate the birthday of Barbara McClintock - scientist extraordinaire and discoverer of jumping genes. Still the only woman to have an unshared Nobel Prize in the biomedical sciences #TransposonDay2025
June 16, 2025 at 3:14 PM
🧬🌽 Happy Transposon Day! 🌽🧬
Today we celebrate the birthday of Barbara McClintock - scientist extraordinaire and discoverer of jumping genes. Still the only woman to have an unshared Nobel Prize in the biomedical sciences #TransposonDay2025
Today we celebrate the birthday of Barbara McClintock - scientist extraordinaire and discoverer of jumping genes. Still the only woman to have an unshared Nobel Prize in the biomedical sciences #TransposonDay2025
Reposted by Robert Phillips
Chesapeake Bay is at a turning point. Once severely polluted, the bay has seen major improvements in recent years. But President Trump's proposed budget would slash key programs.
Chesapeake Bay is on a rebound, but Trump's proposed budget could set it back
Chesapeake Bay is at a turning point. Once severely polluted, the bay has seen major improvements in recent years. But President Trump's proposed budget would slash key programs.
n.pr
June 17, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Chesapeake Bay is at a turning point. Once severely polluted, the bay has seen major improvements in recent years. But President Trump's proposed budget would slash key programs.