Thomas Luo
@thomas-zhihao-luo.bsky.social
Assistant Professor, University of Utah
Neural population dynamics in decision, attention & learning
theluolab.org | biology.utah.edu/faculty/thomas-zhihao-luo
Neural population dynamics in decision, attention & learning
theluolab.org | biology.utah.edu/faculty/thomas-zhihao-luo
Pinned
Thomas Luo
@thomas-zhihao-luo.bsky.social
· Sep 17
Transitions in dynamical regime and neural mode during perceptual decisions - Nature
Simultaneous recordings were made of hundreds of neurons in the rat frontal cortex and striatum, showing that decision commitment involves a rapid, coordinated transition in dynamical regime and neura...
www.nature.com
How does the brain decide? 🧠
Our new @nature.com paper shows that neural activity switches from an 'evidence gathering' to a 'commitment' state at a precise moment we call nTc.
After nTc, new evidence is ignored, revealing a neural marker for the instant when the mind is made up.
rdcu.be/eGUrv
Our new @nature.com paper shows that neural activity switches from an 'evidence gathering' to a 'commitment' state at a precise moment we call nTc.
After nTc, new evidence is ignored, revealing a neural marker for the instant when the mind is made up.
rdcu.be/eGUrv
Reposted by Thomas Luo
Our next paper on comparing dynamical systems (with special interest to artificial and biological neural networks) is out!! Joint work with @annhuang42.bsky.social , as well as @satpreetsingh.bsky.social , @leokoz8.bsky.social , Ila Fiete, and @kanakarajanphd.bsky.social : arxiv.org/pdf/2510.25943
November 10, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Our next paper on comparing dynamical systems (with special interest to artificial and biological neural networks) is out!! Joint work with @annhuang42.bsky.social , as well as @satpreetsingh.bsky.social , @leokoz8.bsky.social , Ila Fiete, and @kanakarajanphd.bsky.social : arxiv.org/pdf/2510.25943
Reposted by Thomas Luo
1/ Hello Drosophila-philists and braino-maniacs! 👋🪰🧠🧪
The Caron lab has a new preprint, and it is about 🥁🥁🥁 democracy!
Neuro-democracy, to be precise. So: drop EVERYTHING and listen up — a 🧶!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The Caron lab has a new preprint, and it is about 🥁🥁🥁 democracy!
Neuro-democracy, to be precise. So: drop EVERYTHING and listen up — a 🧶!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
October 30, 2025 at 5:47 PM
1/ Hello Drosophila-philists and braino-maniacs! 👋🪰🧠🧪
The Caron lab has a new preprint, and it is about 🥁🥁🥁 democracy!
Neuro-democracy, to be precise. So: drop EVERYTHING and listen up — a 🧶!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The Caron lab has a new preprint, and it is about 🥁🥁🥁 democracy!
Neuro-democracy, to be precise. So: drop EVERYTHING and listen up — a 🧶!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
For obvious reasons, I've become fascinated with retrotransposons. So we ( @alexwhiteley.bsky.social and I) wrote an article now out in Neuron @cellpress.bsky.social on how we think retrotransposons influence brain function and health! kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...
October 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM
For obvious reasons, I've become fascinated with retrotransposons. So we ( @alexwhiteley.bsky.social and I) wrote an article now out in Neuron @cellpress.bsky.social on how we think retrotransposons influence brain function and health! kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
With the help of AI, Princeton’s @thomas-zhihao-luo.bsky.social and @carlosbrody.bsky.social can now pinpoint the exact moment a rat makes up its mind — just by reading its brain activity 🧠🐀
pni.princeton.edu/news/2025/wh...
pni.princeton.edu/news/2025/wh...
When a rat makes up its mind, these neuroscientists know
Scientists can now freeze-frame the exact moment an animal makes up their mind and commits to a choice — simply by looking at their brain activity
pni.princeton.edu
September 30, 2025 at 2:32 PM
With the help of AI, Princeton’s @thomas-zhihao-luo.bsky.social and @carlosbrody.bsky.social can now pinpoint the exact moment a rat makes up its mind — just by reading its brain activity 🧠🐀
pni.princeton.edu/news/2025/wh...
pni.princeton.edu/news/2025/wh...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
🛑 Attention researchers who train freely-moving rodents!
Jess Breda and I developed a protocol for training center-port nose fixation 61% faster than a previous curriculum while keeping violation rates low.
Preprint here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Jess Breda and I developed a protocol for training center-port nose fixation 61% faster than a previous curriculum while keeping violation rates low.
Preprint here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
FixGrower: An efficient and robust curriculum for shaping fixation behavior in rodents
Center-port fixation is a common prerequisite for many freely-moving rodent tasks in neuroscience and psychology. However, typical protocols for shaping this behavior are non-standardized and ineffici...
www.biorxiv.org
September 22, 2025 at 2:59 PM
🛑 Attention researchers who train freely-moving rodents!
Jess Breda and I developed a protocol for training center-port nose fixation 61% faster than a previous curriculum while keeping violation rates low.
Preprint here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Jess Breda and I developed a protocol for training center-port nose fixation 61% faster than a previous curriculum while keeping violation rates low.
Preprint here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
Thank you @nancyrmack.bsky.social and @princetonneuro.bsky.social for a great explainer about our paper!
pni.princeton.edu/news/2025/wh...
pni.princeton.edu/news/2025/wh...
September 22, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Thank you @nancyrmack.bsky.social and @princetonneuro.bsky.social for a great explainer about our paper!
pni.princeton.edu/news/2025/wh...
pni.princeton.edu/news/2025/wh...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
Friday’s AIND JC lead by Shawn Olsen and I on the Brody lab preprint ran 90+ min, unusual. Nice paper, spirited discussion. Make a clear argument that to grasp behavior we need multiregional, multi-neuron, simultaneous single-trial data. Below quotes from the paper.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Brain-wide coordination of decision formation and commitment
Neural correlates of a subject’s upcoming choice in decision making tasks are remarkably widespread throughout the brain, but how these brain-wide signals are coordinated remains unknown. Do brain reg...
www.biorxiv.org
September 20, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Friday’s AIND JC lead by Shawn Olsen and I on the Brody lab preprint ran 90+ min, unusual. Nice paper, spirited discussion. Make a clear argument that to grasp behavior we need multiregional, multi-neuron, simultaneous single-trial data. Below quotes from the paper.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
What happens in your brain when you make up your mind?
Postdoc (soon faculty at U. of Utah) @thomas-zhihao-luo.bsky.social and ex-grad student (now Shanahan Fellow at Allen Institute) @timkimd.bsky.social have some answers in this new paper out in Nature!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧵 1/6
Postdoc (soon faculty at U. of Utah) @thomas-zhihao-luo.bsky.social and ex-grad student (now Shanahan Fellow at Allen Institute) @timkimd.bsky.social have some answers in this new paper out in Nature!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧵 1/6
September 19, 2025 at 1:01 PM
What happens in your brain when you make up your mind?
Postdoc (soon faculty at U. of Utah) @thomas-zhihao-luo.bsky.social and ex-grad student (now Shanahan Fellow at Allen Institute) @timkimd.bsky.social have some answers in this new paper out in Nature!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧵 1/6
Postdoc (soon faculty at U. of Utah) @thomas-zhihao-luo.bsky.social and ex-grad student (now Shanahan Fellow at Allen Institute) @timkimd.bsky.social have some answers in this new paper out in Nature!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧵 1/6
How does the brain decide? 🧠
Our new @nature.com paper shows that neural activity switches from an 'evidence gathering' to a 'commitment' state at a precise moment we call nTc.
After nTc, new evidence is ignored, revealing a neural marker for the instant when the mind is made up.
rdcu.be/eGUrv
Our new @nature.com paper shows that neural activity switches from an 'evidence gathering' to a 'commitment' state at a precise moment we call nTc.
After nTc, new evidence is ignored, revealing a neural marker for the instant when the mind is made up.
rdcu.be/eGUrv
Transitions in dynamical regime and neural mode during perceptual decisions - Nature
Simultaneous recordings were made of hundreds of neurons in the rat frontal cortex and striatum, showing that decision commitment involves a rapid, coordinated transition in dynamical regime and neura...
www.nature.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:12 PM
How does the brain decide? 🧠
Our new @nature.com paper shows that neural activity switches from an 'evidence gathering' to a 'commitment' state at a precise moment we call nTc.
After nTc, new evidence is ignored, revealing a neural marker for the instant when the mind is made up.
rdcu.be/eGUrv
Our new @nature.com paper shows that neural activity switches from an 'evidence gathering' to a 'commitment' state at a precise moment we call nTc.
After nTc, new evidence is ignored, revealing a neural marker for the instant when the mind is made up.
rdcu.be/eGUrv
Reposted by Thomas Luo
Out today in @nature.com: we show that individual neurons have diverse tuning to a decision variable computed by the entire population, revealing a unifying geometric principle for the encoding of sensory and dynamic cognitive variables.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
June 25, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Out today in @nature.com: we show that individual neurons have diverse tuning to a decision variable computed by the entire population, revealing a unifying geometric principle for the encoding of sensory and dynamic cognitive variables.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
Our paper on NHP neuropixels is finally out in Nat Neuro! These probes have already been transformative and will usher in a new era of primate neuroscience. I am extremely proud to have played a very small role in this project. I can't wait to see what our community discovers. tinyurl.com/54u3hrj8
Large-scale high-density brain-wide neural recording in nonhuman primates - Nature Neuroscience
Neuropixels 1.0 NHP is a 45-mm, high-density silicon probe capable of recording large numbers of neurons with single-neuron resolution from most areas in a macaque’s brain.
tinyurl.com
June 23, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Our paper on NHP neuropixels is finally out in Nat Neuro! These probes have already been transformative and will usher in a new era of primate neuroscience. I am extremely proud to have played a very small role in this project. I can't wait to see what our community discovers. tinyurl.com/54u3hrj8
Reposted by Thomas Luo
🚀 We are excited to share that bombcell is now available in Python! 🐍 Automatically sort your units into good/MUA/noise/non-somatic using quality metrics and interpretable & adjustable classification thresholds.
pip install and play around with our toy dataset:
🔗 github.com/Julie-Fabre/...
pip install and play around with our toy dataset:
🔗 github.com/Julie-Fabre/...
GitHub - Julie-Fabre/bombcell: Automated quality control, curation and neuron classification of spike-sorted electrophysiology data
Automated quality control, curation and neuron classification of spike-sorted electrophysiology data - Julie-Fabre/bombcell
github.com
June 13, 2025 at 6:55 PM
🚀 We are excited to share that bombcell is now available in Python! 🐍 Automatically sort your units into good/MUA/noise/non-somatic using quality metrics and interpretable & adjustable classification thresholds.
pip install and play around with our toy dataset:
🔗 github.com/Julie-Fabre/...
pip install and play around with our toy dataset:
🔗 github.com/Julie-Fabre/...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
My latest Aronov lab paper is now published @Nature!
When a chickadee looks at a distant location, the same place cells activate as if it were actually there 👁️
The hippocampus encodes where the bird is looking, AND what it expects to see next -- enabling spatial reasoning from afar
bit.ly/3HvWSum
When a chickadee looks at a distant location, the same place cells activate as if it were actually there 👁️
The hippocampus encodes where the bird is looking, AND what it expects to see next -- enabling spatial reasoning from afar
bit.ly/3HvWSum
June 11, 2025 at 10:24 PM
My latest Aronov lab paper is now published @Nature!
When a chickadee looks at a distant location, the same place cells activate as if it were actually there 👁️
The hippocampus encodes where the bird is looking, AND what it expects to see next -- enabling spatial reasoning from afar
bit.ly/3HvWSum
When a chickadee looks at a distant location, the same place cells activate as if it were actually there 👁️
The hippocampus encodes where the bird is looking, AND what it expects to see next -- enabling spatial reasoning from afar
bit.ly/3HvWSum
Reposted by Thomas Luo
Delighted that the first paper from our Cy2 JWST program was published today, reporting the discovery of molecular hydrogen in the 3% Solar metallicity galaxy Leo P. This was a very fun project with @karinsandstrom.bsky.social strom.bsky.social and fabulous co-authors! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Molecular hydrogen in the extremely metal- and dust-poor galaxy Leo P - Nature
Observations from the JWST MIRI-MRS instrument reveal the detection of rotational emission from molecular hydrogen near the only O-type star in the 3% solar metallicity galaxy Leo P, providing confirm...
www.nature.com
June 11, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Delighted that the first paper from our Cy2 JWST program was published today, reporting the discovery of molecular hydrogen in the 3% Solar metallicity galaxy Leo P. This was a very fun project with @karinsandstrom.bsky.social strom.bsky.social and fabulous co-authors! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
Tired of your boring old DDM? Check out recent work by grad student @ryguy.io that introduces a *state-dependent* DDM using an underlying HMM. We find mice change their speed-accuracy strategy from trial to trial! Code provided! (in Julia of course!)
🚨PREPRINT ALERT🚨
"A State–Dependent Drift Diffusion Model Reveals Mice Actively Explore A Speed–Accuracy Continuum During Decision-Making" is now available on biorxiv! Check it out below 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In this work we find that mice are not just static mindless decision makers.
"A State–Dependent Drift Diffusion Model Reveals Mice Actively Explore A Speed–Accuracy Continuum During Decision-Making" is now available on biorxiv! Check it out below 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In this work we find that mice are not just static mindless decision makers.
A State-Dependent Drift Diffusion Model Reveals Mice Actively Explore A Speed–Accuracy Continuum During Decision-Making
Understanding how animals shift between different decision-making strategies is critical for bridging normative models with naturalistic behavior. While drift diffusion models (DDMs) provide a powerfu...
www.biorxiv.org
June 10, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Tired of your boring old DDM? Check out recent work by grad student @ryguy.io that introduces a *state-dependent* DDM using an underlying HMM. We find mice change their speed-accuracy strategy from trial to trial! Code provided! (in Julia of course!)
Reposted by Thomas Luo
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 Thomas Luo
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 Thomas Luo
(2/3)
MAKE NOISE:
1. Share your story. Post how NSF funding has impacted your research or your life. Use #WithoutNSF to raise your voice.
2. Share your story on the Federal Freeze Tracker to help lawmakers and the public understand what’s at stake:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
MAKE NOISE:
1. Share your story. Post how NSF funding has impacted your research or your life. Use #WithoutNSF to raise your voice.
2. Share your story on the Federal Freeze Tracker to help lawmakers and the public understand what’s at stake:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Federal Funding Freeze: Share Your Story
Trump's funding freeze is causing chaos and harming Americans. Share your story to build the movement.
docs.google.com
May 2, 2025 at 1:31 AM
(2/3)
MAKE NOISE:
1. Share your story. Post how NSF funding has impacted your research or your life. Use #WithoutNSF to raise your voice.
2. Share your story on the Federal Freeze Tracker to help lawmakers and the public understand what’s at stake:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
MAKE NOISE:
1. Share your story. Post how NSF funding has impacted your research or your life. Use #WithoutNSF to raise your voice.
2. Share your story on the Federal Freeze Tracker to help lawmakers and the public understand what’s at stake:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
So impressed by this amazing new paper answering a fundamental question about the brain:
How do we associate the flavors we experience during a meal 🍽️😋 with postingestive effects like food poisoning 🤢🤮 that arise much later?
Our answer in @nature.com this week: Illness signals from the gut reactivate and strengthen flavor representations in the amygdala.
📄: nature.com/articles/s41...
Our answer in @nature.com this week: Illness signals from the gut reactivate and strengthen flavor representations in the amygdala.
📄: nature.com/articles/s41...
A neural mechanism for learning from delayed postingestive feedback - Nature
Illness signals from the gut reactivate and strengthen flavour representations in the amygdala to support learning from delayed postingestive feedback.
www.nature.com
April 5, 2025 at 11:34 AM
So impressed by this amazing new paper answering a fundamental question about the brain:
I'll be at the Philadelphia event!
HEY DORKS, GET YOUR SIGNS READY!
*Two* upcoming opportunities to Stand Up for Science, together.
🚨TOMORROW APRIL 5TH🚨
In partnership with @indivisible.org we say: HANDS OFF OUR SCIENCE
Find an event near you and register here: handsoff2025.com?utm_source=s...
#standupforscience
#handsoff
*Two* upcoming opportunities to Stand Up for Science, together.
🚨TOMORROW APRIL 5TH🚨
In partnership with @indivisible.org we say: HANDS OFF OUR SCIENCE
Find an event near you and register here: handsoff2025.com?utm_source=s...
#standupforscience
#handsoff
April 5, 2025 at 1:36 AM
I'll be at the Philadelphia event!
Reposted by Thomas Luo
How do we associate the flavors we experience during a meal 🍽️😋 with postingestive effects like food poisoning 🤢🤮 that arise much later?
Our answer in @nature.com this week: Illness signals from the gut reactivate and strengthen flavor representations in the amygdala.
📄: nature.com/articles/s41...
Our answer in @nature.com this week: Illness signals from the gut reactivate and strengthen flavor representations in the amygdala.
📄: nature.com/articles/s41...
A neural mechanism for learning from delayed postingestive feedback - Nature
Illness signals from the gut reactivate and strengthen flavour representations in the amygdala to support learning from delayed postingestive feedback.
www.nature.com
April 3, 2025 at 6:34 PM
How do we associate the flavors we experience during a meal 🍽️😋 with postingestive effects like food poisoning 🤢🤮 that arise much later?
Our answer in @nature.com this week: Illness signals from the gut reactivate and strengthen flavor representations in the amygdala.
📄: nature.com/articles/s41...
Our answer in @nature.com this week: Illness signals from the gut reactivate and strengthen flavor representations in the amygdala.
📄: nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that his department has revoked the student visas of hundreds of students so far, with plans to cancel more.
Trump administration advances immigration crackdown on foreign student protesters
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that his department has revoked the student visas of hundreds of students so far, with plans to cancel more.
www.npr.org
March 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that his department has revoked the student visas of hundreds of students so far, with plans to cancel more.
Reposted by Thomas Luo
Out today in PNAS! We asked how Bayesian inference is implemented in macaque prefrontal cortex www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Bayesian inference by visuomotor neurons in the prefrontal cortex | PNAS
Perceptual judgments of the environment emerge from the concerted activity of neural
populations in decision-making areas downstream of the sensory...
www.pnas.org
March 27, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Out today in PNAS! We asked how Bayesian inference is implemented in macaque prefrontal cortex www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Thomas Luo
1/7 Our paper on individual variability in decision-making is finally out in @nature.com! Inspired by the classic work by Mante and Sussillo, we trained many rats to solve context-dependent decision-making, and we found that different brains use different neural mechanisms to solve the same task!
Individual variability of neural computations underlying flexible decisions - Nature
Behavioural experiments to study decision-making in response to context-dependent accumulation of evidence provide testable models that are consistent with the heterogeneity in neural signatures among...
www.nature.com
March 21, 2025 at 1:29 PM
1/7 Our paper on individual variability in decision-making is finally out in @nature.com! Inspired by the classic work by Mante and Sussillo, we trained many rats to solve context-dependent decision-making, and we found that different brains use different neural mechanisms to solve the same task!
Reposted by Thomas Luo
I think about this a lot. Thanks @behrenstimb.bsky.social for the wonderfully 90s-vibe blog full of wisdom!
users.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/~behrens/Sta...
users.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/~behrens/Sta...
March 17, 2025 at 8:10 PM
I think about this a lot. Thanks @behrenstimb.bsky.social for the wonderfully 90s-vibe blog full of wisdom!
users.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/~behrens/Sta...
users.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/~behrens/Sta...