Sarah Stern
@sarahstern.bsky.social
Neuroscientist at Max Planck Florida Institute. Mom x3. New Yorker at heart. She/her
Second Stern Lab escape room outing. Even when things feel difficult, I’m so grateful to be able to work with these fantastic people every day!
November 6, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Second Stern Lab escape room outing. Even when things feel difficult, I’m so grateful to be able to work with these fantastic people every day!
Lastly, although we find that most LepR connections are local, they make a projection to the BLA, which also controls latency to pellet retrieval in an operant learning task.
May 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Lastly, although we find that most LepR connections are local, they make a projection to the BLA, which also controls latency to pellet retrieval in an operant learning task.
Moreover, we found that administering leptin reshapes the transcriptome in the insula, and particularly in neurons that have previously been associated with food intake control. Leptin also reshapes overall insular cortex neural activity in response to feeding.
May 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Moreover, we found that administering leptin reshapes the transcriptome in the insula, and particularly in neurons that have previously been associated with food intake control. Leptin also reshapes overall insular cortex neural activity in response to feeding.
We also found that this effect is specific to food restriction compared to water restriction, suggesting that LepR neurons receive information specifically about hunger states.
May 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
We also found that this effect is specific to food restriction compared to water restriction, suggesting that LepR neurons receive information specifically about hunger states.
What do these neurons encode? Through a series of calcium imaging experiments we found that LepR neurons encode feeding bouts, but they are particularly responsive to hunger states, and alter their responsivity to food during food restriction.
May 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
What do these neurons encode? Through a series of calcium imaging experiments we found that LepR neurons encode feeding bouts, but they are particularly responsive to hunger states, and alter their responsivity to food during food restriction.
Interestingly, activation & inhibition of LepR neurons broadly had little impact on homeostatic food intake. However, it DID decrease 📉 pellets retrieved in an operant learning task and induced place aversion, suggesting that LepR is responsible for regulating learned feeding
May 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Interestingly, activation & inhibition of LepR neurons broadly had little impact on homeostatic food intake. However, it DID decrease 📉 pellets retrieved in an operant learning task and induced place aversion, suggesting that LepR is responsible for regulating learned feeding
Many previous studies assumed that cortical LepR neurons are nonfunctional. We show that these LepR neurons are responsive to leptin and become more excitable. And what about behavior?
May 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Many previous studies assumed that cortical LepR neurons are nonfunctional. We show that these LepR neurons are responsive to leptin and become more excitable. And what about behavior?
We identified a small population of leptin receptor (LepR) neurons in the insula that we hypothesized might receive direct information from the periphery about hunger states.
May 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
We identified a small population of leptin receptor (LepR) neurons in the insula that we hypothesized might receive direct information from the periphery about hunger states.
Celebrating the first major paper submitted from our lab, with a Herculean effort from our postdoc Zhe, and many colleagues!
Can’t wait to share more once the preprint posts!
Can’t wait to share more once the preprint posts!
May 14, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Celebrating the first major paper submitted from our lab, with a Herculean effort from our postdoc Zhe, and many colleagues!
Can’t wait to share more once the preprint posts!
Can’t wait to share more once the preprint posts!
If you’re a scientist whose funding has recently been cut or impacted, I would love to interview you and amplify your work!
Hoping to release our first two podcast episodes next week.
Please share widely!
Hoping to release our first two podcast episodes next week.
Please share widely!
April 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
If you’re a scientist whose funding has recently been cut or impacted, I would love to interview you and amplify your work!
Hoping to release our first two podcast episodes next week.
Please share widely!
Hoping to release our first two podcast episodes next week.
Please share widely!
Highly recommend for stress relief. A little progress every day.
February 24, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Highly recommend for stress relief. A little progress every day.
Tried to find myself on the brain initiative website …. I guess my K99 didn’t really exist
braininitiative.nih.gov/archived/sar...
braininitiative.nih.gov/archived/sar...
January 23, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Tried to find myself on the brain initiative website …. I guess my K99 didn’t really exist
braininitiative.nih.gov/archived/sar...
braininitiative.nih.gov/archived/sar...
This past year I made a commitment to prioritize my health, and it definitely feels good to end 2024 with a nice milestone 💪
December 29, 2024 at 5:48 PM
This past year I made a commitment to prioritize my health, and it definitely feels good to end 2024 with a nice milestone 💪
Night 1 of Chanukah. As we celebrate the holiday of lights, it’s impossible not to also think of the hostages who have now spent 446 nights in darkness. I pray that the days ahead bring a deal to end the war and bring the hostages home. 🎗️
December 26, 2024 at 2:00 AM
Night 1 of Chanukah. As we celebrate the holiday of lights, it’s impossible not to also think of the hostages who have now spent 446 nights in darkness. I pray that the days ahead bring a deal to end the war and bring the hostages home. 🎗️
Happy nittel natch to all those waiting for Chanukah to start tomorrow!
And Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating tonight!
And Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating tonight!
December 24, 2024 at 11:13 PM
Happy nittel natch to all those waiting for Chanukah to start tomorrow!
And Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating tonight!
And Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating tonight!
Also today, I made pie. Happy Thanksgiving! My most favorite food of the year!
November 28, 2024 at 4:05 AM
Also today, I made pie. Happy Thanksgiving! My most favorite food of the year!
Had a great first Stern Lab mini lab retreat today! We started by spending the afternoon exploring @alleninstitute.bsky.social tutorials and playing around with their old and new tools. Then dinner and team building at a local Escape Room! Overall a great day with my great lab team!
November 12, 2024 at 3:23 AM
Had a great first Stern Lab mini lab retreat today! We started by spending the afternoon exploring @alleninstitute.bsky.social tutorials and playing around with their old and new tools. Then dinner and team building at a local Escape Room! Overall a great day with my great lab team!
My fam was so excited for me when I heard the news. They got me balloons and many kisses and hugs. I love them so much 😊
October 4, 2023 at 1:45 AM
My fam was so excited for me when I heard the news. They got me balloons and many kisses and hugs. I love them so much 😊
Look out! PI at the bench today. Things can only go wrong. 🤓
September 13, 2023 at 1:44 PM
Look out! PI at the bench today. Things can only go wrong. 🤓