Stephen Holtz
@stephen-holtz.bsky.social
Neuroscience and biophysics of touch and hearing @ Harvard medical school in the Wilson lab.
Ephys, optics, 2P Ca++/live imaging, biophysical models, Bayesian stats, EM, and Drosophila tools.
Ephys, optics, 2P Ca++/live imaging, biophysical models, Bayesian stats, EM, and Drosophila tools.
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Delighted to share an updated pre-print on how adaptive control in visual pursuit is implemented at the circuit level. New behavior and neuronal data in females (!) shows how two AOTU pathways are key elements in both sexes.
Check it out on @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social :
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Check it out on @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social :
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Specialized parallel pathways for adaptive control of visual object pursuit
To pursue a moving visual object, the brain must generate motor commands that continuously steer the object to the center of the visual field via feedback. The gain of this control loop is flexible, y...
doi.org
November 3, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Delighted to share an updated pre-print on how adaptive control in visual pursuit is implemented at the circuit level. New behavior and neuronal data in females (!) shows how two AOTU pathways are key elements in both sexes.
Check it out on @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social :
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Check it out on @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social :
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
At long last, Steve Urkel has been linked to our research.
Graduate student @kylethieringer.com and I wrote a dispatch about a new @currentbiology.bsky.social paper (doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...) describing a proprioceptive neural circuit that helps the fly visual system identify (and ignore) its own legs.
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lYLj3QW8S...
authors.elsevier.com/a/1lYLj3QW8S...
August 4, 2025 at 6:52 PM
At long last, Steve Urkel has been linked to our research.
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Public access to the first fly connectome that spans the whole CNS - BANC!: codex.flywire.ai?dataset=banc
Different from prior connectomes - it is brain + cord (think spinal cord)
We use it to ‘embody’ the system and find it resembles ‘subsumption architecture’ doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Different from prior connectomes - it is brain + cord (think spinal cord)
We use it to ‘embody’ the system and find it resembles ‘subsumption architecture’ doi.org/10.1101/2025...
August 2, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Public access to the first fly connectome that spans the whole CNS - BANC!: codex.flywire.ai?dataset=banc
Different from prior connectomes - it is brain + cord (think spinal cord)
We use it to ‘embody’ the system and find it resembles ‘subsumption architecture’ doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Different from prior connectomes - it is brain + cord (think spinal cord)
We use it to ‘embody’ the system and find it resembles ‘subsumption architecture’ doi.org/10.1101/2025...
A really satisfying story about feedback control in the wild—it’s been great seeing this project come together! Congratulations Matt!
Many animals use "adaptive control" to pursue moving objects, relying on flexible feedback loops to adjust their movement gain over time. But how do neural circuits actually implement this?
Here, we show how adaptive control in Drosophila pursuit involves two specialized parallel feedback loops.
Here, we show how adaptive control in Drosophila pursuit involves two specialized parallel feedback loops.
Specialized parallel pathways for adaptive control of visual object pursuit
To pursue an unpredictably moving visual object, the brain must generate motor commands that continuously steer the object to the midline of the visual field via feedback. Behavior implies that visual...
doi.org
April 28, 2025 at 3:35 PM
A really satisfying story about feedback control in the wild—it’s been great seeing this project come together! Congratulations Matt!
Devastating freeze at Harvard
March 10, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Devastating freeze at Harvard
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Petition to Reverse the NIH Indirect Cost Cap initiated by Tom Maniatis. Please amplify
Sign the Petition: chng.it/kK2HMP5pGk
"Share with Leadership & Faculty. Reach out to professional societies, biotech and pharma leaders, and philanthropic organizations to raise awareness and mobilize support."
Sign the Petition: chng.it/kK2HMP5pGk
"Share with Leadership & Faculty. Reach out to professional societies, biotech and pharma leaders, and philanthropic organizations to raise awareness and mobilize support."
Sign the Petition
Petition to Reverse the NIH Indirect Cost Cap (NOT-OD-25-068)
chng.it
February 10, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Petition to Reverse the NIH Indirect Cost Cap initiated by Tom Maniatis. Please amplify
Sign the Petition: chng.it/kK2HMP5pGk
"Share with Leadership & Faculty. Reach out to professional societies, biotech and pharma leaders, and philanthropic organizations to raise awareness and mobilize support."
Sign the Petition: chng.it/kK2HMP5pGk
"Share with Leadership & Faculty. Reach out to professional societies, biotech and pharma leaders, and philanthropic organizations to raise awareness and mobilize support."
Stay strong everyone. Penguins were my first biology love. I feel privileged as a basic science researcher, and hope the many kinds of value we bring to the country is recognized and defended.
February 10, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Stay strong everyone. Penguins were my first biology love. I feel privileged as a basic science researcher, and hope the many kinds of value we bring to the country is recognized and defended.
Strong endorsement :)
🧠Excited about neuromodulator interactions or the mystery of sleep? Join our lab at Wash U! We're seeking passionate individuals to bridge cellular and systems neuroscience by decoding biochemical signaling dynamics in the brain. tinyurl.com/2bmf2py9 Postdoc and RA positions available. Pls repost.
Opportunities
We welcome you to join our scientific adventure to understand the function of neuromodulators and the function of sleep, and become future bridge builders between cellular and systems neuroscience.…
tinyurl.com
February 10, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Strong endorsement :)
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
🧠Excited about neuromodulator interactions or the mystery of sleep? Join our lab at Wash U! We're seeking passionate individuals to bridge cellular and systems neuroscience by decoding biochemical signaling dynamics in the brain. tinyurl.com/2bmf2py9 Postdoc and RA positions available. Pls repost.
Opportunities
We welcome you to join our scientific adventure to understand the function of neuromodulators and the function of sleep, and become future bridge builders between cellular and systems neuroscience.…
tinyurl.com
February 9, 2025 at 7:17 PM
🧠Excited about neuromodulator interactions or the mystery of sleep? Join our lab at Wash U! We're seeking passionate individuals to bridge cellular and systems neuroscience by decoding biochemical signaling dynamics in the brain. tinyurl.com/2bmf2py9 Postdoc and RA positions available. Pls repost.
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Each week, we are collecting, reading, vetting & tagging all the links, news & rumors you’re seeing whiz past you online. We are also talking to dozens of researchers & PIs about their firsthand experiences.
Every Friday, I debrief you over a drink at
buttondown.com/liminalcreat...
Every Friday, I debrief you over a drink at
buttondown.com/liminalcreat...
Making Sense of It All
Hi! I’m Liz Neeley and I’m glad you’re here. Making Sense of It All is an outlet for my work at Liminal, which focuses on sensemaking in a noisy and complicated world. I built Liminal as an antidote t...
buttondown.com
February 1, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Each week, we are collecting, reading, vetting & tagging all the links, news & rumors you’re seeing whiz past you online. We are also talking to dozens of researchers & PIs about their firsthand experiences.
Every Friday, I debrief you over a drink at
buttondown.com/liminalcreat...
Every Friday, I debrief you over a drink at
buttondown.com/liminalcreat...
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
American science and medicine has been thrown into chaos and uncertainty over the past week. Here are some stories to get up to speed. 1/12
January 28, 2025 at 3:58 AM
American science and medicine has been thrown into chaos and uncertainty over the past week. Here are some stories to get up to speed. 1/12
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
I have a dumb "how does Congress work" question.
My Congressman @repauchincloss.bsky.social Jake Auchincloss is ideally suited to advocate for NIH.
My question is, what should I look for him to do about the NIH and NSF freeze?
Call hearings? Sponsor a bill? File a lawsuit? Make phone calls?
My Congressman @repauchincloss.bsky.social Jake Auchincloss is ideally suited to advocate for NIH.
My question is, what should I look for him to do about the NIH and NSF freeze?
Call hearings? Sponsor a bill? File a lawsuit? Make phone calls?
January 27, 2025 at 11:27 PM
I have a dumb "how does Congress work" question.
My Congressman @repauchincloss.bsky.social Jake Auchincloss is ideally suited to advocate for NIH.
My question is, what should I look for him to do about the NIH and NSF freeze?
Call hearings? Sponsor a bill? File a lawsuit? Make phone calls?
My Congressman @repauchincloss.bsky.social Jake Auchincloss is ideally suited to advocate for NIH.
My question is, what should I look for him to do about the NIH and NSF freeze?
Call hearings? Sponsor a bill? File a lawsuit? Make phone calls?
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Today the Trump admin abruptly and indefinitely terminated many of the activities of the National Institutes of Health, the $50B/year collection of agencies that power the US biotech and health ecosystems. Even if these orders were lifted tomorrow, the disruption would be enormous.
Why care? 🧵
Why care? 🧵
Why should the public care about the freeze on the NIH? Aside from the need for scientific pursuits to make our society better…
-For every dollar we invest in NIH research, there is a $2.5 return.
-Research dollars help fund universities that employ non-academics. (1/)
-For every dollar we invest in NIH research, there is a $2.5 return.
-Research dollars help fund universities that employ non-academics. (1/)
January 23, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Today the Trump admin abruptly and indefinitely terminated many of the activities of the National Institutes of Health, the $50B/year collection of agencies that power the US biotech and health ecosystems. Even if these orders were lifted tomorrow, the disruption would be enormous.
Why care? 🧵
Why care? 🧵
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
We're finally here on Bluesky! We are the premier discovery-driven training opportunity for the next generation of neuroethologists and systems neuroscientists located at the Marine Biological Laboratory @mblscience.bsky.social
January 8, 2025 at 5:36 PM
We're finally here on Bluesky! We are the premier discovery-driven training opportunity for the next generation of neuroethologists and systems neuroscientists located at the Marine Biological Laboratory @mblscience.bsky.social
pampleopolitan: smooth, slightly grapefruit-ified cosmopolitan, because sometimes you just need a pink cocktail.
1.5 oz vodka
1 oz cranberry juice
0.75 oz orange liqueur
0.5 oz grapefruit liqueur
0.5 oz lime juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
1.5 oz vodka
1 oz cranberry juice
0.75 oz orange liqueur
0.5 oz grapefruit liqueur
0.5 oz lime juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
December 29, 2024 at 12:05 AM
pampleopolitan: smooth, slightly grapefruit-ified cosmopolitan, because sometimes you just need a pink cocktail.
1.5 oz vodka
1 oz cranberry juice
0.75 oz orange liqueur
0.5 oz grapefruit liqueur
0.5 oz lime juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
1.5 oz vodka
1 oz cranberry juice
0.75 oz orange liqueur
0.5 oz grapefruit liqueur
0.5 oz lime juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Happy holidays!
For those interested in brain body communication, the Keystone Symposium abstract deadline is approaching. I hope to see some of you soon!
For those interested in brain body communication, the Keystone Symposium abstract deadline is approaching. I hope to see some of you soon!
Come explore emerging research in brain-body communication
@KeystoneSymp
Interoception: Neural Sensing and Control of Organ Function, this April in Seattle! keysym.us/KSInterocept... #KSInteroception25 pic.x.com/gWsgQgcAJh
@KeystoneSymp
Interoception: Neural Sensing and Control of Organ Function, this April in Seattle! keysym.us/KSInterocept... #KSInteroception25 pic.x.com/gWsgQgcAJh
Interoception: Neural Sensing and Control of Organ Function | Keystone Symposia
keysym.us
December 26, 2024 at 11:28 AM
Happy holidays!
For those interested in brain body communication, the Keystone Symposium abstract deadline is approaching. I hope to see some of you soon!
For those interested in brain body communication, the Keystone Symposium abstract deadline is approaching. I hope to see some of you soon!
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
my lab (www.tuthill.casa) at UW is hiring a research assistant/tech. basic scope is to apply machine learning/computer vision tools to measure and model 3D animal behavior and mechanics. we are a diverse, collaborative, curiosity-driven group.
Apply: uwhires.admin.washington.edu/ENG/Candidat...
Apply: uwhires.admin.washington.edu/ENG/Candidat...
December 19, 2024 at 6:48 PM
my lab (www.tuthill.casa) at UW is hiring a research assistant/tech. basic scope is to apply machine learning/computer vision tools to measure and model 3D animal behavior and mechanics. we are a diverse, collaborative, curiosity-driven group.
Apply: uwhires.admin.washington.edu/ENG/Candidat...
Apply: uwhires.admin.washington.edu/ENG/Candidat...
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
The Neural Systems & Behavior course at @mblscience.bsky.social is now open for applications (deadline 1st Feb 2025, tinyurl.com/329nbtzp). Students often describe this 8-week training course as a life-changing and eye-opening scientific experience. Apply and join us in magical Woods Hole 💫🐙🧠🔬
December 18, 2024 at 9:19 AM
The Neural Systems & Behavior course at @mblscience.bsky.social is now open for applications (deadline 1st Feb 2025, tinyurl.com/329nbtzp). Students often describe this 8-week training course as a life-changing and eye-opening scientific experience. Apply and join us in magical Woods Hole 💫🐙🧠🔬
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Want to 3D print a pipette holder for Gilson and Eppendorf pipettes? New design by #IanKercher. www.printables.com/model/109822...
December 16, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Want to 3D print a pipette holder for Gilson and Eppendorf pipettes? New design by #IanKercher. www.printables.com/model/109822...
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Do the biologists all know about the game of Metazooa? It's nice to warm up the brain with some morning taxonomy
metazooa.com
metazooa.com
Metazooa
Become an evolutionary detective to find the Mystery Animal!
metazooa.com
December 15, 2024 at 4:57 PM
Do the biologists all know about the game of Metazooa? It's nice to warm up the brain with some morning taxonomy
metazooa.com
metazooa.com
Was thinking this wouldn’t start until January
December 13, 2024 at 5:28 PM
Was thinking this wouldn’t start until January
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Winter sunsets are the best. Did I mention that the Champalimaud PhD program just opened for applications and that the lab has an open postdoc position in metabolism?
December 11, 2024 at 6:13 PM
Winter sunsets are the best. Did I mention that the Champalimaud PhD program just opened for applications and that the lab has an open postdoc position in metabolism?
Reposted by Stephen Holtz
Excited to push this project over the finish line tomorrow. If all goes well, both the phd and the preprint should be around the corner!
December 9, 2024 at 1:46 AM
Excited to push this project over the finish line tomorrow. If all goes well, both the phd and the preprint should be around the corner!