Expanding Our Research Horizons: 2026 CRN Investigators Meeting
In this blog, Hetal Shah, PhD, senior program officer, and Dana Lewis, PhD, program officer at ASAP and the Coalition for Aligning Science, discuss highlights from the 2026 CRN Annual Investigators Meeting, emphasizing how new research themes and cross-disciplinary collaboration are accelerating progress in Parkinson’s disease research.
Incentive valence differentially engages open- and closed-loop basal ganglia circuits during movement initiation
By onThis study used neuroimaging to show a ventral putamen-centered open-loop circuit linking emotions and movement in humans. Contextual incentives influence which motor circuit is activated, shedding light on paradoxical kinesia in Parkinson's Disease.
Extracellular space diffusion modelling identifies distinct functional advantages of archetypical glutamatergic and GABAergic synapse geometries
By onWe modelled extracellular diffusion in super-resolved images of live brain tissue neuropil. We found that extracellular space geometry shapes local diffusion and this has functional implications for signaling arising from synaptic spill-over.
Protocol for efficient CRISPRi-mediated silencing of retrotransposons in human pluripotent stem cells
By onThis methods paper outlines silencing transposable elements in hiPSCs using CRISPRi. Describes gRNA design, validation via multiome approach. Enables functional studies on TE transcription in hiPSC models.
Single cell eQTL mapping reveals convergent glial–neuronal risk architecture in Parkinson’s disease
By onPopulation-scale, disease-context aware meta single-nucleus eQTLs mapping (N 1,197) in nine cell types from cortex and substantia nigra identifies 125 risk genes and cell types for PD GWAS signals.
Striatal dopamine signals internal states related to behavioral performance over prolonged timescales in monkeys
By onDopamine plays dual roles in behavior: fast reward prediction errors and slow motivational states. Dopamine release in monkeys' brain regions tracks performance changes, suggesting a single signal for both functions.
FISH CODETECTION
By onDIG and Fluorescein labeled riboprobes Fluorescent in situ hybridization Frozen brain sections
An ImageJ/FIJI Preprocessing Workflow for Multi-Series Confocal Microscopy Datasets Prior To CellProfiler Analysis
By onA workflow using ImageJ/FIJI aims to create three-slice MIPs from multi-series .czi files to capture weak signals. It involves extracting datasets, creating projections, and saving images for efficient analysis in CellProfiler.
Health phenome of Parkinson’s patients reveals prominent mood-sleep cluster
By onIn 933 PD cases vs 291 controls, mood/sleep disorders (depression, anxiety, apnea, RLS) were more common and clustered. Pesticides and head trauma raised odds; smoking lowered. 43% of PD had a mood/sleep disorder.
Raw datasets for “Cholesterol Dysregulation in APOE4 Astrocytes Promotes α-Synuclein Pathology in miBrains, a Human Brain Tissue Model”
By onThis dataset contains all primary data and quantifications
Methods for “Cholesterol Dysregulation in APOE4 Astrocytes Promotes α-Synuclein Pathology in miBrains, a Human Brain Tissue Model”
By onCollection of protocols used for the manuscript entitled "Cholesterol Dysregulation in APOE4 Astrocytes Promotes α-Synuclein Pathology in miBrains, a Human Brain Tissue Model".
Datasets for Murray et al. 2026 (Prolonged Timescales) Manuscript
By onTrial information, dopamine data, and autonomic/behavioral data used for the prolonged timescales Murray et al. 2026 manuscript
CRN Cloud Training Videos
By onThese training videos are intended to provide an introduction to CRN Cloud and the getting started resources available.
Neural Control of Autonomic Arousal During Threat Anticipation Revealed by High-Resolution Cardiac Contractility
By onThese findings highlight neural correlates of adaptive behavioral mobilization during emotion-guided action, shedding light on motor circuitry that may be engaged during paradoxical kinesia, a phenomenon of emotion-relevant motor facilitation in PD.
Code for Murray et al. 2026 (Prolonged Timescales) Manuscript
By onSource code to replicate core analyses used throughout the Murray et al. 2026 (Prolonged Timescales) manuscript.
Data and code for Stasiak et al. 2026 (TREV-Emotion) Manuscript
By onOnline repository for the data and scripts used in the Stasiak et al., 2026 preprint on TREV-derived cardiac contractility in threat anticipation contexts.
Protocol for Stasiak et al. 2026 (TREV-Emotion) Manuscript
By onProtocol for Stasiak et al. 2026 (TREV-Emotion) Manuscript. Describes participant preparation, shock calibration, scan sequence, active escape task, and participant debriefing.
Distinct amygdalar pathways to frontopolar cortex and medial temporal lobe support temporal memory for emotional events
By onAmygdala pathways shaped temporal memory for emotional images, some sharpening it, others blurring it. Since related circuits drive paradoxical kinesia in PD, our findings may explain memory and cognitive decline in PD dementia.
Opto-Open Field Test
By onProtocol for optogenetic open field test, which records mouse behavior in an open field arena in response to alternating 5-minute periods of optogenetic stimulation.
Stereotaxic virus injection and fiber optic probe implantation
By onThis protocol serves to prepare mice for in vivo optogenetic stimulation.
