Nathan Gray Hedrick

Neuroscientist (of the postdoctoral variety), humanist, futurist, absurdist, and sleepless contemplator of cosmic matters.

Just built wrong, I guess.

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

Trying to help get the word out. Please contact if anyone knows anything.

[Blake Richards @tyrell_turing]

Friends, we need your help. An Wu, a postdoc from UCSD is missing post-Cosyne. We're trying to locate her. We're worried she may have been staying at a building that had a bad fire this week. If you have any information about where An was staying or last seen please contact me.

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

If you're still around at SfN today, come by my poster at 1pm! I'll be talking about how neurons determine which synapses should make the cut when it comes to learning a motor skill. Interesting implications about how synaptic information is selected!

[Takaki Komiyama @takaki_komiyama]

Wednesday afternoon Komiyama lab posters! C36 “Local functional interactions determine eligibility for synapse elimination during learning” by @Nathan_the_Gray who is on the job market! #SfN2022

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

Having a conversation with exciting data is truly one of the joys of the trade.

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@JasonSynaptic A potential entry point for engendering a feeling of being on the same side, posits this observer.

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@JasonSynaptic So it's PD vs. PI, which has me looking behind curtains for the figure steepling their fingers in approval. If PIs instead showed support for, e.g., transparency of the use of overhead costs, or pressure on Unis to account for specifically *why* PDs "can't" be paid more...

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@JasonSynaptic Agreed, though I think it goes beyond PIs just covering their eyes. Many are becoming the voice of opposition to the valid concerns, often with "back in my day arguments" that turn ire from PDs towards them.

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@JasonSynaptic 3) The camaraderie I've experienced with people who just live for the opportunity to peek behind the curtain of reality, at least a little, is second-to-none.

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@JasonSynaptic 2) The belief in basic science is simultaneously the probable key to the future while also affording a hell of a playground for those fortunate enough to get there (/here).

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@JasonSynaptic 1) The lack of limitless profit-potential makes academia the safest place for truth to flourish. Imperfect in practice, but still my go-to argument against incentive-driven arguments such as "they're keeping the cure to cancer a secret because profit"

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@MJMRowan @LavivTal I'll be there!

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@LavivTal A shame, but it's understandable. We'll just have to catch up through other means 😀

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@Jonna_Singh_ The zoom out was 🤯

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

Press coverage on one's own work is always fun. @brainpostco did a short write-up on our recent @NatureNeuro paper. It was fun and easy working with them, and it's an honor to get the attention. https://t.co/irbHgTgT5D

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

Surfer bros, like, existentially grappling with whether or not they were, like, ideologically aligned with C.S. Lewis's characterization of evolution is among the rarer #apartmentliving Pokémon that I've captured of late.

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@pfapostolides Glad you liked it! Big caveat that, while "transient" new spines don't follow the same rules or contribute long-term, they could still play a yet undescribed role in the evolving circuit!

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@AceTylercholine Very happy to hear that your initial impressions were transformed! I often battle with the assumption that we've basically got this topic figured out... but details matter! From the geometry of water molecules emerges the beauty of snowflakes.

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@r_huszar How neurons utilize this to generate efficient sample-and-match connectivity is truly a thing of beauty.

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

Happy to announce the release of my work in the Komiyama lab, in which we try to understand more about the function of new synapses that form during learning. We all have an intuition about how new synapses change our brain and behavior (1/n)...https://t.co/1zERNYwNGr

[Nathan Gray Hedrick @Nathan_the_Gray]

@r_huszar Great analogy! Neurons are cells, at the end of the day, and all cells thrive by distinguishing "here" vs. "there" (at pretty fine resolution). Thus, local computations are an old hat in evolutionary terms.