Mark Brandon, PhD.

Now published @Nature, we used miniscopes to study the thalamic head direction system during drift and reorientation. Paper: nature.com/articles/s4158… Summary: douglas.research.mcgill.ca/news/research-… There’s a lot in the paper, but my favorite piece to share/highlight is in figure 2:

The 3rd Neural Circuits and Behaviour satellite is happening May 18th at @CAN_ACN in beautiful Montreal. Registration is now open (link below). eventbrite.ca/e/neural-circu…

1/8. New preprint! Using fUSi in head-fixed mice🐭, we found that arousal events trigger a brain-wide wave of activity 🌊🧠. Surprisingly, this pattern was preserved during manipulations of the locus coeruleus, pointing to a minor role for noradrenaline. biorxiv.org/content/10.648…

I am excited to share that our paper is now published in Nature Human Behavior! Check it out here: rdcu.be/e6pzS. Thanks to my PI, Katherine Duncan, and to my collaborators for their support on this journey! Stay tuned for an iEEG follow up 🧠

Excited to share this in final form @SfNJournals : An Open-Source Restraint System for Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Awake Rats: eneuro.org/content/13/2/E… If anyone wants to try doing it, give us a call! Happy to help you get going!

This project on 2-color calcium imaging is from the COVID years. Delayed for too long but still useful. You should be able to build this version based on our paper. Some interesting data showing direct pathway neurons activated before indirect pathway neurons for contraversive movements. A dual-color miniature endoscope for calcium imaging in behaving mice biorxiv.org/content/10.648…

Exciting new preprint out led by @JingwenLi18. The paper describes the first recordings of V1 neurons in a freely-moving monkeys and how dynamic active gaze behaviors organize visual input in the real-world. Amazing work from a rising star! biorxiv.org/content/10.648…

New study reveals a previously unseen learning process in the brain’s memory centre, with implications for Alzheimer’s disease 🧠 🔗mcgill.ca/x/5ih @mcgillu | @McGillMed | @CIHR_IRSC | @markbrandonlab

@CIHR_IRSC 11% funding rates will slowly destroy our health research ecosystem. We continue to hire more researchers, and we want to do so, of course, with so many brilliant minds around, yet funding remains the same or decreases.

@andrewtanyongyi @Nature Thanks Andrew!

@markbrandonlab @Nature Congratulations Mark!

I’m very happy to share the final version of this, now published in @Nature rdcu.be/eY5nh Hippocampal neurons that initially encode reward shift their tuning over the course of days to precede or predict reward.

@mohajerani77 @Nature Thanks Majid!

@markbrandonlab @Nature Well done Mark and the team.

@JasonSynaptic @Nature Thanks Jason!

@markbrandonlab @Nature Congrats Mark!

@SChenlab Thanks Simon!

@markbrandonlab Congrats!!! you are on fire ~~~~~~~~~

New paper from the lab, now out in @PNASNews tinyurl.com/bdeh2bs8 - ADN neurons (head direction cells) project to MEC inhibitory cells, with a preference for VIP-expressing cells - MEC VIP cells increase cfos expression during, and are required for, a spatial memory task

McGill is recruiting top-tier researchers working abroad through the federally funded Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program, addressing global and national challenges. The first round is due in early 2026. Learn more and submit your candidacy: mcgill.ca/x/5Zh

!! Canada has announced an initiative to attract the best international postdoctoral and PhD student researchers! Must be outside Canada and have less than 3 years of postdoc experience. nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/news/launch… Contact me if interested

How Sense of Direction Is Used to Navigate youtu.be/Ss_LlhTt61o via @YouTube

We're presenting Miniscope Zero, the first fully-wireless Miniscope, at #SfN25! Wireless power + data enable long-term neural recordings from multiple freely behaving animals. @MiniscopeTeam Poster: Nov. 17, 1–5 pm, ZZ7, tinyurl.com/mhdfb67u Video: youtu.be/mIt15LA-rZI?si…

@behrenstimb Peak SfN FOMO…

First ever public presentation of single cell evidence for non-spatial grid cells by Elena Gutierrez, Seb Veselic from Steve Kennerley lab. Steve an I have been dreaming of this moment for nearly 10 years. #sfn25

@DrJKhokhar @OpenBehavior This is great to see Jibran!

Excited to share another #opensource tool from the lab! We have been using this set up to do awake head-fixed scans without the need for any anesthesia on the day of the scans! Now working on integrating licking behaviour and linear treadmill operandum! @OpenBehavior