Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
@ssebastianchoi.bsky.social
Assistant Professor @ UT Southwestern Medical Center. Neural circuits for touch and pain sensation. www.schoilab.org
Pinned
I wanted to document these opportunities for my grad students’ future reference. Senior neuroscience grad students can benefit greatly from presenting their thesis work and networking at extramural symposiums. Here are seven such events, along with their past/ongoing deadlines and symposium dates.
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
🧠🌟🐭 Excited to share some of my postdoc work on the evolution of dexterity!
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
October 22, 2025 at 8:41 PM
🧠🌟🐭 Excited to share some of my postdoc work on the evolution of dexterity!
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
We compared deer mice evolved in forest vs prairie habitats. We found that forest mice have:
(1) more corticospinal neurons (CSNs)
(2) better hand dexterity
(3) more dexterous climbing, which is linked to CSN number🧵
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
1st paper from Sadler Lab is out!! Highlights: 1) A. muciniphila reverses sickle cell (SCD) pain, 2) fecal transplant from SCD mice induces pain via bilirubin-TRPM2 vagal signaling, 3) BilR+ bacteria less abundant in SCD patient poo, 4) RNAseq on HUMAN nodose ganglia! www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Gut microbiota and metabolites drive chronic sickle cell disease pain in mice
Brandow et al. describe how the gut microbiome drives chronic sickle cell disease
(SCD) pain. SCD guts contain excessive heme catabolites, fewer bacteria that metabolize
bilirubin, and low levels of A...
www.cell.com
September 16, 2025 at 3:07 PM
1st paper from Sadler Lab is out!! Highlights: 1) A. muciniphila reverses sickle cell (SCD) pain, 2) fecal transplant from SCD mice induces pain via bilirubin-TRPM2 vagal signaling, 3) BilR+ bacteria less abundant in SCD patient poo, 4) RNAseq on HUMAN nodose ganglia! www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
Our department at UT Southwestern Medical Center has openings for TT faculty position! Our Neuroscience Research Division has diverse research programs, from genes to neural circuits to human brain imaging. UTSW has a vibrant/growing neuroscience community!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
Neuroscience Faculty in Psychiatry - Assistant Professor - Dallas, Texas (US) job with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | 12844379
The Psychiatry Department at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is seeking outstanding neuroscientists.
www.nature.com
September 9, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Our department at UT Southwestern Medical Center has openings for TT faculty position! Our Neuroscience Research Division has diverse research programs, from genes to neural circuits to human brain imaging. UTSW has a vibrant/growing neuroscience community!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
It was a lot of fun organizing a session (pain and nausea) at the Korean Neuroscience meeting with Hojoon. Thanks to speakers @karalmarshall.bsky.social @chuchuzhang.bsky.social who flew all the way to Korea with us! Great to catch up with old friends and make new ones. And the food was amazing!
August 30, 2025 at 5:56 AM
It was a lot of fun organizing a session (pain and nausea) at the Korean Neuroscience meeting with Hojoon. Thanks to speakers @karalmarshall.bsky.social @chuchuzhang.bsky.social who flew all the way to Korea with us! Great to catch up with old friends and make new ones. And the food was amazing!
It's been 3 years since I started my lab in 2022. What a journey so far! Anxiety and frustration at times, but grateful to be where I am, especially with my fantastic group of trainees. My fourth year officially(?) started with the 3-year renewal approval for animal protocol and biosafety permit!
August 30, 2025 at 5:12 AM
It's been 3 years since I started my lab in 2022. What a journey so far! Anxiety and frustration at times, but grateful to be where I am, especially with my fantastic group of trainees. My fourth year officially(?) started with the 3-year renewal approval for animal protocol and biosafety permit!
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Our paper showing decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal cord in people who died with a history of neuropathic pain is now published in PAIN: journals.lww.com/pain/abstrac... Great work from @oliviadavis.bsky.social and the teams of the De Koninck and Hildebrand labs. ❤️ 🇨🇦 collabs!
Decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal dorsal horn... : PAIN
date there is no evidence supporting or opposing this hypothesis in humans. Here, we demonstrate that KCC2 expression is decreased in superficial dorsal horn neurons of organ donors who died with a do...
journals.lww.com
July 22, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Our paper showing decreased KCC2 expression in the human spinal cord in people who died with a history of neuropathic pain is now published in PAIN: journals.lww.com/pain/abstrac... Great work from @oliviadavis.bsky.social and the teams of the De Koninck and Hildebrand labs. ❤️ 🇨🇦 collabs!
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Do you have any questions about the current understanding and treatment of #migraine? Check out the newest episode of the Pain Beat moderated by @julietmwirigi.bsky.social! bit.ly/3GGjCYu #podcast #newepisode #PRF
July 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Do you have any questions about the current understanding and treatment of #migraine? Check out the newest episode of the Pain Beat moderated by @julietmwirigi.bsky.social! bit.ly/3GGjCYu #podcast #newepisode #PRF
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Grateful for the opportunity and excited to try out some ideas! @hypothesisfund.bsky.social
5/5 Awardee @chuchuzhang.bsky.social explores how different body states (eg, pregnancy) may change what neurons sense & how they respond. Her work may lead to new ways to address nausea associated w/ pregnancy🤰 & chemo.
🍾Congrats Dr. Zhang! @dgsomucla.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout @pipethero.bsky.social
🍾Congrats Dr. Zhang! @dgsomucla.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout @pipethero.bsky.social
July 17, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Grateful for the opportunity and excited to try out some ideas! @hypothesisfund.bsky.social
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
New paper out in @pnas.org Thalamic CGRP neurons form a spinothalamic pain pathway relaying pain signal to the amygdala & insular, but not sensory cortex to encode the affective dimension of pain. Huge congrats to first author Sukjae Kang & coauthors. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Thalamic CGRP neurons define a spinothalamic pathway for affective pain | PNAS
Pain is both a sensory and emotional experience caused by various harmful stimuli.
While numerous studies have explored peripheral and central pain...
www.pnas.org
July 9, 2025 at 10:58 PM
New paper out in @pnas.org Thalamic CGRP neurons form a spinothalamic pain pathway relaying pain signal to the amygdala & insular, but not sensory cortex to encode the affective dimension of pain. Huge congrats to first author Sukjae Kang & coauthors. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
I’m very excited to share that I will join the University of Utah Department of Neurobiology as an Assistant Professor in Jan 2026!! 🎉🏔️🏜️
My lab will focus on body–brain interactions in learning & memory — how do signals from our internal organs remodel the brain & behavior?
My lab will focus on body–brain interactions in learning & memory — how do signals from our internal organs remodel the brain & behavior?
July 8, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I’m very excited to share that I will join the University of Utah Department of Neurobiology as an Assistant Professor in Jan 2026!! 🎉🏔️🏜️
My lab will focus on body–brain interactions in learning & memory — how do signals from our internal organs remodel the brain & behavior?
My lab will focus on body–brain interactions in learning & memory — how do signals from our internal organs remodel the brain & behavior?
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Molecular and functional diversity of the autonomic nervous system
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Molecular and functional diversity of the autonomic nervous system - Nature Reviews Neuroscience
The autonomic nervous system has long been viewed as a simple motor system in brain-to-body signalling. In this review, Wang and colleagues highlight diversity within autonomic neurons and their dynam...
www.nature.com
July 4, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Molecular and functional diversity of the autonomic nervous system
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Grateful for this amazing opportunity and generous support @klingensteinorg.bsky.social !
Congratulations Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi, Ph.D., recipient of a Klingenstein Fellowship Award in Neuroscience for the project, "Unraveling the Cancer-Neuron Crosstalk: Pathological Interactions Between Cancer and Pain Circuits." @ssebastianchoi.bsky.social
www.schoilab.org
www.schoilab.org
July 1, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Grateful for this amazing opportunity and generous support @klingensteinorg.bsky.social !
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Meet the 2025 Klingenstein Neuroscience Fellows! Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund is pleased to welcome 13 highly promising, early career scientists conducting cutting-edge research. Each will receive $450K over 3 years and join us at our scientific conference.
July 1, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Meet the 2025 Klingenstein Neuroscience Fellows! Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund is pleased to welcome 13 highly promising, early career scientists conducting cutting-edge research. Each will receive $450K over 3 years and join us at our scientific conference.
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Honored to be an HHMI FHS! Grateful to brilliant colleagues who push me to think deeply, and to my students whose curiosity & energy make the lab a joy.
My grad advisor said in genetic screens, you don’t get what you want—you get what you deserve. Hope we are deserving
www.hhmi.org/programs/fre...
My grad advisor said in genetic screens, you don’t get what you want—you get what you deserve. Hope we are deserving
www.hhmi.org/programs/fre...
The 2025 Freeman Hrabowski Scholars | HHMI
Freeman Hrabowski Scholars are outstanding early career faculty who have the potential to become leaders in their research fields.
www.hhmi.org
June 20, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Honored to be an HHMI FHS! Grateful to brilliant colleagues who push me to think deeply, and to my students whose curiosity & energy make the lab a joy.
My grad advisor said in genetic screens, you don’t get what you want—you get what you deserve. Hope we are deserving
www.hhmi.org/programs/fre...
My grad advisor said in genetic screens, you don’t get what you want—you get what you deserve. Hope we are deserving
www.hhmi.org/programs/fre...
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Thrilled to join the Rita Allen Scholars community (ritaallen.org/stories/2025...) and grateful for the support! Glad to (re)discover many inspirational colleagues as current and former award in pain scholars.
Announcing The 2025 Rita Allen Foundation Scholars - Rita Allen Foundation
Investing in transformative ideas in their earliest stages to promote breakthrough solutions to significant problems
ritaallen.org
June 20, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Thrilled to join the Rita Allen Scholars community (ritaallen.org/stories/2025...) and grateful for the support! Glad to (re)discover many inspirational colleagues as current and former award in pain scholars.
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
I’m so honored to be selected as both a 2025 McKnight Scholar and 2025 HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. And I couldn’t be prouder to share these honors with awesome @ucdavis.bsky.social colleagues 💙💛💙💛
health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlin...
health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlin...
UC Davis researchers honored by McKnight and Howard Hughes Medical Institute
UC Davis faculty Sergey Stavisky, Theanne Griffith and Elisa Zhang receive prestigious early-career recognition from McKnight Endowment Fund and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
health.ucdavis.edu
June 19, 2025 at 4:46 PM
I’m so honored to be selected as both a 2025 McKnight Scholar and 2025 HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. And I couldn’t be prouder to share these honors with awesome @ucdavis.bsky.social colleagues 💙💛💙💛
health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlin...
health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlin...
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Calling all Neuroscience postdocs! 🧠 Share your research through SPiNES (Seminars from Postdocs in Neuroscience: Extramural Series) from the NYUGSoM Department of Neuroscience. Applications close 08/20/25. Apply today! 👉 nyumc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
#Neuroscience #Postdoc #ResearchOpportunity
#Neuroscience #Postdoc #ResearchOpportunity
June 15, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Calling all Neuroscience postdocs! 🧠 Share your research through SPiNES (Seminars from Postdocs in Neuroscience: Extramural Series) from the NYUGSoM Department of Neuroscience. Applications close 08/20/25. Apply today! 👉 nyumc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
#Neuroscience #Postdoc #ResearchOpportunity
#Neuroscience #Postdoc #ResearchOpportunity
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
A little science to brighten your day…
We define characteristic postural and paw pressure changes after SCI using Blackbox.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We define characteristic postural and paw pressure changes after SCI using Blackbox.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Unbiased Quantification of Persistent Postural and Motor Deficits Following Spinal Cord Injury in Mice
Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes multifaceted postural and motor impairments that are challenging to quantify. Conventional behavioral tests, such as the Basso mouse scale (BMS), rely on qualitative ob...
www.biorxiv.org
June 1, 2025 at 6:12 PM
A little science to brighten your day…
We define characteristic postural and paw pressure changes after SCI using Blackbox.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We define characteristic postural and paw pressure changes after SCI using Blackbox.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Very striking results from Bruce Bean's lab performing ephys on human DRG neurons with the new pain 'blockbuster' drug recently approved by the FDA. These results show that even the most potent blocking of Nav1.8 may not be sufficient to silence pain neurons.
www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...
www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
May 29, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Very striking results from Bruce Bean's lab performing ephys on human DRG neurons with the new pain 'blockbuster' drug recently approved by the FDA. These results show that even the most potent blocking of Nav1.8 may not be sufficient to silence pain neurons.
www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...
www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
With all the chaos and destruction of academic research going on in the US right now, it feels a little weird to post this. But....
New preprint from the lab is now live: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/n
New preprint from the lab is now live: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/n
PTEN regulates starburst amacrine cell dendrite morphology during development
Neurons are subject to extensive developmental regulation to ensure precise subtype-specific morphologies that are intimately tied to their function. Starburst amacrine cells (SACs) in the mammalian r...
www.biorxiv.org
May 9, 2025 at 5:35 PM
With all the chaos and destruction of academic research going on in the US right now, it feels a little weird to post this. But....
New preprint from the lab is now live: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/n
New preprint from the lab is now live: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
1/n
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Gave a talk at my parents’ retirement community to describe how science is done, and what is at stake. There was a ton of interest, and anyone can do this. Get the word out about how science affects everyone. I’m happy to share slides with anyone who asks- just get in touch! youtu.be/BY_SFgi-Cig
Kara Marshall PHD-History of Science in America - Trilogy at Tehaleh 04/27/25
YouTube video by Steve Lawson
youtu.be
May 3, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Gave a talk at my parents’ retirement community to describe how science is done, and what is at stake. There was a ton of interest, and anyone can do this. Get the word out about how science affects everyone. I’m happy to share slides with anyone who asks- just get in touch! youtu.be/BY_SFgi-Cig
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
🎈Our latest 🪅
We know that in addition to exteroceptive mechanisms, interoceptive chemosensation is also critical for regulating physiology/behavior.
We find that an enteric neuron in worms senses ingested salts via a variant ionotropic receptor (IR like the fly IRs) to regulate salt stress. 1/n
We know that in addition to exteroceptive mechanisms, interoceptive chemosensation is also critical for regulating physiology/behavior.
We find that an enteric neuron in worms senses ingested salts via a variant ionotropic receptor (IR like the fly IRs) to regulate salt stress. 1/n
An enteric neuron-expressed variant ionotropic receptor detects ingested salts to regulate salt stress resistance https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.11.648259v1
April 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
🎈Our latest 🪅
We know that in addition to exteroceptive mechanisms, interoceptive chemosensation is also critical for regulating physiology/behavior.
We find that an enteric neuron in worms senses ingested salts via a variant ionotropic receptor (IR like the fly IRs) to regulate salt stress. 1/n
We know that in addition to exteroceptive mechanisms, interoceptive chemosensation is also critical for regulating physiology/behavior.
We find that an enteric neuron in worms senses ingested salts via a variant ionotropic receptor (IR like the fly IRs) to regulate salt stress. 1/n
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Check out our latest @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social preprint from our PRECISION Human Pain Network project www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... "Type I interferons enhance human dorsal root ganglion nociceptor excitability and induce TRPV1 sensitization" led by Úrzula Franco-Enzástiga
Type I interferons enhance human dorsal root ganglion nociceptor excitability and induce TRPV1 sensitization
Type I interferons (IFNs) are critical cytokines for antiviral defense and are linked to painful inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and neuropathic pain in humans. Studies in rodent model...
www.biorxiv.org
April 29, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Check out our latest @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social preprint from our PRECISION Human Pain Network project www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... "Type I interferons enhance human dorsal root ganglion nociceptor excitability and induce TRPV1 sensitization" led by Úrzula Franco-Enzástiga
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Cool new study from @vabraira.bsky.social lab on tactile hypersensitivity associated with chronic pain. Glad we could collaborate. One cool thing Abraira lab did was use high-speed videography plus the PAWS pain detection system for uncovering pain behaviors.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The dorsal column nuclei scale mechanical sensitivity in naive and neuropathic pain states
During pathological conditions, tactile stimuli can aberrantly engage nociceptive pathways leading to the perception of touch as pain, known as mechan…
www.sciencedirect.com
April 23, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Cool new study from @vabraira.bsky.social lab on tactile hypersensitivity associated with chronic pain. Glad we could collaborate. One cool thing Abraira lab did was use high-speed videography plus the PAWS pain detection system for uncovering pain behaviors.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Seungwon (Sebastian) Choi | 최승원
Turns out, two of pain’s most famous messengers — Substance P and CGRPα — might not be so essential after all. Mice missing both still felt pain just fine, challenging decades of assumptions about how pain signals travel.
buff.ly/ypISrtx
buff.ly/ypISrtx
April 19, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Turns out, two of pain’s most famous messengers — Substance P and CGRPα — might not be so essential after all. Mice missing both still felt pain just fine, challenging decades of assumptions about how pain signals travel.
buff.ly/ypISrtx
buff.ly/ypISrtx