Pluta Lab

~30 years of research in non-behaving animals argue that bilateral touch integration likely occurs downstream of primary somatosensory cortex. We reveal the state- and task-dependent logic that unlocks communication between S1s through the corpus callosum. nature.com/articles/s4159…

My colleagues at Science published their work on a photovoltaic device for vision restoration in NEJM today The device, "PRIMA", has made it possible for some legally blind patients to do things like read and play the crossword again

The 38th Barrels Meeting November 13–14, 2025 (just before #SfN) UC San Diego Registrants may submit requests for short talks and poster presentations. Invited speaker list and registration link in replies ⬇️

The Oldenburg lab is looking for a postdoc! If you want to use holographic optogenetics to answer questions about neural codes let me know. We like shooting lasers and thinking about movement. oldenburglab.com/positions/

Bilateral integration in somatosensory cortex is controlled by behavioral relevance @LabPluta @HayagreevKeri @Hyein_Park_ nature.com/articles/s4159…

Very excited to share my PhD project, out today in Neuron! Check out the thread below for my best attempt at a high-level summary. cell.com/neuron/fulltex…

New paper! Cognitive independence and interactions between cerebral hemispheres doi.org/10.1016/j.neur… #neuroscience

@MillerLabMIT Thanks, Earl! It brings me real satisfaction to see this long overdue piece in the whisker system puzzle come to fruition. Suma's implementation of the LNP model was on point. It amazes me how well SC neurons predict movements - past, present, and future!

Neurons just keep mixing their selectivity. Whisking and locomotion are jointly represented in superior colliculus neurons journals.plos.org/plosbiology/ar… #neuroscience

@bsauerbrei1 Gait is modified by sensory feedback only at certain phases of limb movement?

Finally starting to appreciate the ability of simple models to make prose explanations clearer and more concrete. Here, a model of cortical control of gait modification via phase-dependent gating of sensory input.

@mousejesus @kwanalexc @ItsClaraLiao @NIH @NIMHgov @Nature But can mice make corrective tongue movements while tripping on shrooms?!

@kwanalexc @ItsClaraLiao @NIH @NIMHgov @Nature Congrats @kwanalexc! Cornell neuroscience is killing it this year!

Our latest study identifies a specific cell type and receptor essential for psilocybin’s long-lasting neural and behavioral effects 🍄🔬🧠🐁 Led by Ling-Xiao Shao and @ItsClaraLiao Funded by @NIH @NIMHgov 📄Read in @Nature - nature.com/articles/s4158… 1/12

@gottapatchemall IT cells are just there for structural support.

It's always the PT cells lol Psilocybin’s lasting action requires pyramidal cell types and 5-HT2A receptors nature.com/articles/s4158…

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

We must learn to showcase the practical significance of basic research, demonstrating how seemingly arcane investigations yield transformative applications, writes @tonyzador. thetransmitter.org/outreach/how-t…

I am thrilled to share my postdoc work from the Soohyun Lee Lab, nature.com/articles/s4158…. Huge thanks to the awesome PI Soohyun Lee and collaborators Yuan Zhao, Ka Chun Lam, @fpereira, and Charles R Gerfen.

This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine. It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine. I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.

NIH study sections are being canceled or postponed at the last minute, wasting countless hours of scientists' time and delaying critical research funding. This instability threatens scientific progress and patient care. @NIH needs to fix this - fast. #NIHStudySection @theNCI @nih_nhlbi @NIHFunding @NIHDirector

I'm quoted in this article on how NIH is still blocked from funding new grants. This sabotage makes no sense. Nearly every medicine or treatment you've ever received has roots in NIH-funded research, and every $1 of NIH spending generates $2.46 in returns. wbur.org/news/2025/02/2…

A large portion of grants awarded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health cannot be funded for the foreseeable future because of an indefinite hold on submissions to the Federal Register, according to an email reviewed by The Transmitter. By @avaskham thetransmitter.org/funding/federa…