Jason Shepherd Journalist Profile

Articles

Ciara Greene on the quirks and complexities of human episodic memory

2 months ago | thetransmitter.org | Paul Middlebrooks |Claudia Lopez Lloreda |Jason Shepherd |Angie Voyles Askham

Special faculty research associate Carnegie Mellon University Share this article: Your browser doesn't support the audio element Download In this “Brain Inspired” episode, Paul Middlebrooks and Ciara Greene, associate professor of psychology at University College Dublin, discuss a wide range of topics from Greene’s book, “Memory Lane: The Perfectly Imperfect Ways We Remember.” Greene and her co-author, Gillian Murphy, argue that human episodic memory evolved to help us function in our daily...
Cracking the code of the extracellular matrix

Jan 17, 2025 | thetransmitter.org | Anna Victoria Molofsky |John C. Tuthill |Nicole Rust |Jason Shepherd

Twenty years ago, a remarkable discovery upended our understanding of the range of elements that can shape neuronal function: A team in Europe demonstrated that enzymatic digestion of the extracellular matrix (ECM)—a latticework of proteins that surrounds all brain cells—could restore plasticity to the visual cortex even after the region’s “critical period” had ended. Other studies followed, showing that ECM digestion could also alter learning in the hippocampus and other brain circuits.
Brains, biases and amyloid beta: Why the female brain deserves a closer look in Alzheimer’s research

Oct 22, 2024 | thetransmitter.org | Rachel Buckley |Megan Peters |Jason Shepherd |Lauren Schenkman

Alzheimer’s disease is not just a brain thief; it’s a gendered one. Of all people living with this form of dementia, two-thirds are women. They face a disproportionately higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s not simply because they typically outlive men but also because of intricate differences in brain biology. The gender disparity is woven into the very fabric of how the disease manifests and progresses, suggesting that Alzheimer’s isn’t a one-size-fits-all condition.
This paper changed my life: ‘Spontaneous cortical activity reveals hallmarks of an optimal internal model of the environment,’ from the Fiser Lab

Oct 16, 2024 | thetransmitter.org | Megan Peters |Robert C. Froemke |Steve Ramirez |Jason Shepherd

Answers have been edited for length and clarity. What paper changed your life?: Spontaneous cortical activity reveals hallmarks of an optimal internal model of the environment. Berkes P., Orbán G., Lengyel M. and Fiser J. Science (2011)Many dominant opinions in neuroscience hold that, when it comes to perception, the brain operates by performing something that looks like Bayesian inference.
What makes memories last-dynamic ensembles or static synapses?

Oct 14, 2024 | thetransmitter.org | Jason Shepherd |Dani S. Bassett |Lauren Ross |Nicole Rust

Professor of neurobiology University of Utah Share this article: Tags: The big picture, Memory, molecular neuroscience representation, Synapses, Synaptic plasticity, Systems neuroscience “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.” —Marcel Proust Our subjective experiences are continuously filtered through the lens of memory, so brains have to find a balance between stable memory storage and the flexibility to update existing memories with new...
What are mechanisms? Unpacking the term is key to progress in neuroscience

Oct 7, 2024 | thetransmitter.org | Dani S. Bassett |Lauren Ross |Jason Shepherd |Nicole Rust

In neuroscience, “mechanism” is a common and powerful concept. Mechanisms are often viewed as causal systems, which helps explain their central role in neuroscience. Causes are factors that can control, predict and explain their effects, giving us an understanding of why things happen and a way to target future outcomes. Identifying causal relationships and systems is necessary to understand the natural world, and the brain is no exception.
Lauren N. Ross

Oct 3, 2024 | thetransmitter.org | Dani S. Bassett |Lauren Ross |Claudia Lopez Lloreda |Jason Shepherd

Lauren N. Ross is associate professor of logic and philosophy of science at the University of California, Irvine. Her research concerns causal reasoning and explanation in the life sciences, primarily neuroscience and biology. One main area of her research explores causal varieties—different types of causes, causal relationships and causal systems in the life sciences.
MTG Calls for the Immediate Removal of BKP

Mar 28, 2024 | peachpundit.com | Jason Shepherd

In the wake of ALJ Lisa Boggs finding that Georgia Republican Party 1st Vice Chairman Brian K. Pritchard illegally registered to vote in Georgia and illegally voting in Georgia NINE TIMES, pressure has begun to mount for his removal from office. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-14) has called for Pritchard to immediately resign or be removed from office.
The Potential Liabilities for the Catoosa County GOP

Mar 5, 2024 | peachpundit.com | Jason Shepherd

O.C.G.A. § 21-2-596. Failure of Public or Political Officer to Perform DutyAny public officer or any officer of a political party or body on whom a duty is laid by this chapter who willfully neglects or refuses to perform his or her duty shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Why Republicans May be illegally Suppressing the Presidential Primary Vote

Feb 21, 2024 | peachpundit.com | Jason Shepherd

On the heels of my post yesterday on why so many candidates still appear on the Republican Presidential Preference Primary ballot and what happens if one votes for a candidate who has suspended their campaign comes the Cobb County Republican Party, the champion of election integrity, passing out a mocked up “Official Sample Ballot” crossing out candidates and claiming they have “withdrawn” from the primary election. Official Sample Ballots are required by law to be supplied to voters.