This Week in Neuroscience
Episodes
TWiN 70: Unraveling the axon wrap
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains the role of a ubiquitin ligase component in regulating the sheathing of multiple axons by Schwann cells. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Vi...
TWiN 69: Fibromyalgia and the microbiome
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains a study which showed that transplanting gut microbiota from women with fibromyalgia into mice induces pain, as well as phenotypes common...
TWiN 68: Firewall for the brain
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explores the use of speech brain-computer interfaces to restore communication to people with paralysis, and reveals strategies for protecting pri...
TWiN 67: Interpreting situation-specific facial signals
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explores how theta phase shifts mediate contextual perception of facial expressions during everyday social interactions. Hosts: Vincent Racaniell...
TWiN 66: Neuroscience of overeating
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN reviews the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of overeating and obesity, the role of the hypothalamus and reward systems in controlling food ...
TWiN 65: Air pollutants promote dementia
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains epidemiological data showing that exposure to air pollution was associated with an increased risk of developing Lewy body dementia, and ...
TWiN 64: How the brain decides what we see
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains how visual neurons show functional flexibility by selectively responding to subsets of inputs representing attended objects while ignori...
TWiN 63: Microbiome-targeted neurotherapy
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN discusses research showing that Lactobacillus acidophilus promotes cognitive function recovery after cerebral ischemia, by regulating microglial ...
TWiN 62: Memories of bad food
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains research which identifies the regions of the brain that register a long-lasting aversion to potentially poisonous food even with meal to...
TWiN 61: Blood to the brain
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN reveals that proteins travel from the blood to the brain where they are taken up by microglia, revealing a new mode of communication between the ...
TWiN 60: You get the gist of it?
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN discusses experiments which show that high-fidelity memories that lose their precision with time depends on reorganization of hippocampal circuit...
TWiN 59: AI co-scientist
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tim explains AI co-scientist, a tool released by Google, which it hopes to help scientists generate hypotheses and research proposals, and to accelera...
TWiN 58: Tongue-dragging rescue behavior
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains a study showing that when a mouse is confronted with an unconscious conspecific, it engages in behavior including tongue-dragging to res...
TWiN 57: Repetitive injury, herpes, and Alzheimer's
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN discusses a study showing that repetitive injury reactivates HSV-1 in a human brain tissue model and induces phenotypes associated with Alzheimer...
TWiN 56: Astrocytes help neurons remember
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains a study showing that while groups of neurons, form the basis for memory, astrocytes are key components of the adaptive reponse to learni...
TWiN 55: A brain circuit for day/night balance
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains the identification of a brain circuit and periodic branch-specific neurotransmitter deployment that regulates organismal adaptation to p...
TWiN 54: How pregnancy transforms the brain
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explores how pregnancy leads to modifications in brain structure and function that may prepare the mother for parenting. Hosts: Vincent Racaniel...
TWiN 53: Slowing time by cooling the brain
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joseph Paton and Felipe Rodrigues join TWiN to explain how they used temperature manipulation to alter the speed of neuronal dynamics in the dorsal st...
TWiN 52: Probiotic improves social behavior in children with ASD
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mauro Costa-Mattioli returns to TWiN to discuss the results of a placebo controlled, double blind clinical trial of a probiotic which improved social ...
TWiN 51: Sensory processing dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN reviews altered somatosensory reactivity, which is frequently observed among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and in mouse model...
TWiN 50: Neurological sequelae after COVID-19
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN reviews experiments which show that SARS-CoV-2 triggers the up-regulation of synaptic components and perturbs local electrical field potential in...
TWiN 49: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest mouse of all?
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN welcomes mice to the elite club of 'self-aware' animals, with a study demonstrating a mirror-induced self-directed behavior in mice resembling vi...
TWiN 48: Traumatic brain injury and retroviruses
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN describes a study that reveals activation of endogenous retroviruses in oligodenroglia from patients with traumatic brain injury. Hosts: Vince...
TWiN 47: Walking after spinal cord injury
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains an amazing study of a man who was paralyzed after a spinal cord injury and regained the ability to walk after implantation of a brain-sp...
TWiN 46: Neuronal activity promotes glioma progression
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains research showing that interaction between glioma cells and neurons in the brain shares mechanistic features with synaptic plasticity tha...
TWiN 45: Acupuncture modulates the immune system
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN discusses research showing that sciatic nerve activation with electroacupuncture at the sciatic nerve controls systemic inflammation and rescues ...
TWiN 44: ADHD and persistent pain
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN reviews a mouse model of ADHD to characterize hypersensitivity to pain, and that sensitization is further amplified in a pathological inflammator...
TWiN 43: Pavlovian opioid tolerance
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN discusses a study of on the pathways that control opioid analgesic tolerance, a root cause of opioid overdose and misuse, which can develop throu...
TWiN 42: Therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains how psychedelic drugs such as LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA, which are being explored for treating a wide range of neuropsychiatric diseases...
TWiN 41: Alzheimer's and melanin-concentrating hormone
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Vivianne explains how early in Alzheimer's disease, the brain attempts to counteract the increased excitatory drive caused by amyloid deposition, and ...
TWiN 40: Dopamine organizes behavior's syllables
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tim takes TWiN through two studies on the role of dopamine: that syllables are natural units of spontaneous behavior used by the brain to structure ac...
TWiN 39: Virus-like capsids trigger paraneoplastic disease
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Junjie from Jason's lab joins TWiN to discuss the observation that the cell gene PNMA2 encodes non-enveloped virus-like capsids that induce autoantibo...
TWiN 38: Bacterial immunity heals sensory neurons
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains the finding that immunity to commensal bacteria promotes sensory neuron regeneration via the cytokine interleukin-17A. Hosts: Vincent Ra...
TWiN 37: Microglia at the crossroads
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN reviews the field of microgial research, which has advanced in recent decades but is constrained by nomenclature that is necessary but often impl...
TWiN 36: Unbearable neurologists
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN answers listener questions about Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma and the microbiota, Dravet's Syndrome, schizophrenia, brain development, and chips...
TWiN 35: Neuromodulation in treatment-resistant depression
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jason and Tim review the use of an implanted chronic deep brain sensing and stimulation device to carry out biomarker-driven closed-loop therapy that ...
TWiN 34: Microglia vital after spinal cord injury
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains how central nervous system resident macrophages known as microglia coordinate cellular interactions during spinal cord repair in mice. H...
TWiN 33: Viruses leaving the brain
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN describes how neurotropic viruses leave the brain via meningeal lymphatic vessels located dorsally and basally beneath the skull. Hosts: Vincent ...
TWiN 32: Relearning how to move after stroke
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN reviews how, in a mouse stroke model, recovery of movement is associated with the remaining cortex and the striatum coordinating their activity t...
TWiN 31: HIV-1 co-receptor shapes window for memory linking
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains the observation that in mice, the HIV-1 co-receptor CCR5 closes the temporal window for linking different memories. Hosts: Vincent Racan...
TWiN 30: Gut to brain spread of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN describes experiments demonstrating that gut injection of alpha-synuclein fibrils in mice converts endogenous alpha-synuclein to a pathologic for...
TWiN 29: Astrocytes close the critical period
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains the finding that in the mouse visual cortex, astrocytes are key elements in the experience-dependent wiring of brain circuits. Hosts: Vi...
TWiN 28: Oligodendrocyte performance enhancing exosomes
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN reveals how oligodendrocytes enhance axonal energy metabolism by transcellular delivery of a protein, SIRT2, that deacetylates mitochondrial prot...
TWiN 27: Eyes wired to the auditory cortex
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN discusses the finding that rewiring retinal projections to the auditory thalamus in ferrets leads to visually responsive cells that are typical o...
TWiN 26: Immunological memory in the brain
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN reviews evidence in mice that brain neurons encode and retrieve specific immune responses. Become a patron of TWiN! Links for this episode Me...
TWiN 25: Thanks for listening
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN answers listener questions on sex in neuroscience studies, rotating memories in the brain, odorant receptors in the brain, and neutrophils that p...
TWiN 24: Social transmission of maternal behavior with Ioana Carcea and Robert Froemke
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ioana and Robert join TWiN to discuss their work demonstrating that rodents acquire maternal behavior by social transmission from an experienced mothe...
TWiN 23: Peripheral nervous system with Bruce Carter
31 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bruce Carter joins TWiN to discuss the peripheral nervous system: the development of nerves that convey sensory information like touch from the tips...
TWiN 22: It's never lupus
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains how anti-DNA antibodies present in lupus patients bind to GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors, act as positive allosteric modulators, and ...
TWiN 21: How do we know if a mouse is hallucinating?
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explores a study of hallucination-like perception in mice which supports the idea that hallucinations arise as faulty perceptual inferences due t...
TWiN 20: Drifting aromas in the brain
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
While perceptual constancy requires the brain to maintain a stable representation of sensory input, TWiN explores a study showing that odor-evoked res...
TWiN 19: Glia 101
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Vivianne gives a primer on glial cells, with the goal of thinking about the central nervous system holistically and appreciating the ...
TWiN 18: Autism and the gut microbiome with Mauro Costa-Mattioli
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mauro Costa-Mattioli joins TWiN to discuss how his laboratory dissects the contribution of host genetics and the microbiome in complex neurodevelopmen...
TWiN 17: Worms see the light with Michael Nitabach
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Nitabach joins TWiN to discuss the finding that the nematode C. elegans, which do not have eyes, can discriminate between colors to guide fora...
TWiN 15: Microbiome and neurodevelopment with Helen Vuong
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Helen joins TWiN to discuss her work on understanding how the maternal microbiome modulates fetal neurodevelopment in mice. Hosts: Ori Lieberman, And...
TWiN 14: Reducing Alzheimer-like pathology in mice
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ori, Jason, and Vincent discuss the use of antibodies to neutralize amyloid-β seeds before their deposition becomes detectable in transgenic mice, ...
TWiN 13: mRNAs for long-term memory
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ori, Jason, Erin, and Vincent dissect a study that utilizes single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal the genes that underlie remote memory storage in the ...
TWiN 12: A gene for short-term memory
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ori, Jason, and Vincent reveal identification of an orphan receptor that modifies short-term memory in mice, and a mouse model of COVID-19 that includ...
TWiN 11: A dollar per neuron
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Maria joins TWiN to explain how single-cell transcriptomics is being used to reveal the evolution of the brain, at a cost of about $1 per neuron. Host...
TWiN 10: Remodeling synapses with a cytokine
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains how a cytokine produced by neurons activates microglia which modify the extracellular matrix and remodel synapses, leading to memory con...
TWiN 9: COVID-19 neurology with Genna Waldman
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Columbia University Chief Neurology Resident Genna Waldman joins TWiN to explains how her department prepared for COVID-19, and the neurological sympt...
TWiN 8: Replacing lost neurons
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
TWiN explains how neurological disease in mice can be repaired by using CRISPR/Cas to knock down levels of a single cell protein, which converts astro...
TWiN 7: Stress, the good, bad and beautiful
13 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The TWiN team reveals how the nervous system controls hair graying in mice subjected to stress, and adaptive immune responses. Hosts: Ori Lieberman, J...
TWiN 6: Neural control of sexual behavior
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nirao Shah joins TWiN to discuss the work of his laboratory on how our brains generate social interactions that differ between the sexes. Hosts: Ori L...
TWiN 5: Anosmia and COVID-19
18 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bob Datta joins TWiN to reveal the findings of his laboratory on expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry genes in the olfactory epithelium and the implications...
TWiN 4: It's a trap!
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jason visits the TWiN studio to explain Arc Capsid Bearing Any RNAs (ACBARs), virus-like capsids that transfer genetic information between neurons. Ho...
TWiN 3: Gambling on dopamine
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Erin and the TWiN team explain how dopamine neurons encode reward probability and uncertainty, and their roles in attention-based learning and risk-ta...
TWiN 2: Cells that fire together wire together
05 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The TWiN team explain the basic principles of synaptic transmission, and review a classic paper demonstrating that recycling endosomes are important f...
TWiN 1: The ultimate challenge
26 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The synaptics launch the first episode of TWiN by revealing their training, research interests, and goals for the podcast. Hosts: Ori Lieberman, Erin ...