Shan Jiang
@shanjiang.bsky.social
DPhil Neuroscience, University of Oxford, spatial navigation, sleep; postdoc McGill
Pinned
Shan Jiang
@shanjiang.bsky.social
· Jun 17
New paper out in Current Biology.
We define thalamic head direction (HD) cells based on the combination of neurochemical identity, physiology, sensorimotor responses, and connectivity, suggesting cell types.
Great work led by Sara Hijazi and Shan Jiang from the lab.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
We define thalamic head direction (HD) cells based on the combination of neurochemical identity, physiology, sensorimotor responses, and connectivity, suggesting cell types.
Great work led by Sara Hijazi and Shan Jiang from the lab.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Diversity and sensorimotor specialization of head direction cells in the mouse thalamus
Hijazi and Jiang et al. identify distinct head direction (HD) cell subpopulations
in the mouse anterodorsal thalamic nucleus, based on the combination of firing patterns,
connectivity, and neurochemic...
www.cell.com
Second paper from my PhD out ✌️
Reposted by Shan Jiang
***Publication alert***
"Pathological tau alters head direction signaling and induces spatial orientation"
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
"Pathological tau alters head direction signaling and induces spatial orientation"
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
November 21, 2025 at 11:59 PM
***Publication alert***
"Pathological tau alters head direction signaling and induces spatial orientation"
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
"Pathological tau alters head direction signaling and induces spatial orientation"
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Reposted by Shan Jiang
Second paper from my PhD out ✌️
New paper out in Current Biology.
We define thalamic head direction (HD) cells based on the combination of neurochemical identity, physiology, sensorimotor responses, and connectivity, suggesting cell types.
Great work led by Sara Hijazi and Shan Jiang from the lab.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
We define thalamic head direction (HD) cells based on the combination of neurochemical identity, physiology, sensorimotor responses, and connectivity, suggesting cell types.
Great work led by Sara Hijazi and Shan Jiang from the lab.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Diversity and sensorimotor specialization of head direction cells in the mouse thalamus
Hijazi and Jiang et al. identify distinct head direction (HD) cell subpopulations
in the mouse anterodorsal thalamic nucleus, based on the combination of firing patterns,
connectivity, and neurochemic...
www.cell.com
June 17, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Second paper from my PhD out ✌️
Reposted by Shan Jiang
A half-century old question may have its final answer. Using high-resolution #Mini2P microscopes, we find no evidence of local topography in #PlaceCells. Place fields of neighbouring cells are no more similar than those of randomly selected cells. 🧠🗺️ Out now in @pnas.org www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Place cells in CA1 lack topographical organization of firing locations | PNAS
Topography is a well-described and well-known concept for cortical organization in
primary sensory and motor cortices of mammalian brains. Similar ...
www.pnas.org
February 19, 2026 at 11:53 AM
A half-century old question may have its final answer. Using high-resolution #Mini2P microscopes, we find no evidence of local topography in #PlaceCells. Place fields of neighbouring cells are no more similar than those of randomly selected cells. 🧠🗺️ Out now in @pnas.org www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Shan Jiang
I don't think I'll ever get bored of looking at raster plots of head-direction cells 🤩
February 13, 2026 at 11:05 AM
I don't think I'll ever get bored of looking at raster plots of head-direction cells 🤩
Reposted by Shan Jiang
Applications are now open for the summer school: 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
🧠 Apply before March 15: www.compneuronrsn.org
📍 Located in beautiful Eresfjord 🇳🇴
🗓️ Between July 6-24
Supported by the @kavlifoundation.org
In collaboration with @kavlintnu.bsky.social
🧠 Apply before March 15: www.compneuronrsn.org
📍 Located in beautiful Eresfjord 🇳🇴
🗓️ Between July 6-24
Supported by the @kavlifoundation.org
In collaboration with @kavlintnu.bsky.social
Mathematical Methods in Computational Neuroscience
Summer school in Eresfjord, Norway (July 8th - 26th, 2024)
www.compneuronrsn.org
February 17, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Applications are now open for the summer school: 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
🧠 Apply before March 15: www.compneuronrsn.org
📍 Located in beautiful Eresfjord 🇳🇴
🗓️ Between July 6-24
Supported by the @kavlifoundation.org
In collaboration with @kavlintnu.bsky.social
🧠 Apply before March 15: www.compneuronrsn.org
📍 Located in beautiful Eresfjord 🇳🇴
🗓️ Between July 6-24
Supported by the @kavlifoundation.org
In collaboration with @kavlintnu.bsky.social
Reposted by Shan Jiang
Really excited to share this Opinion piece we've been working on with fellow head-direction cell geeks @apeyrache.bsky.social @desdemonafricker.bsky.social and (bsky-less?) Andrea Burgalossi! While head-direction cells pop up in many cortical regions, we think that one of them is quite unique (1/8)
The postsubiculum as a head-direction cortex
The organisation of thalamocortical networks follows a conserved structure. Traditionally, these are divided into primary sensory systems that receive…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 15, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Really excited to share this Opinion piece we've been working on with fellow head-direction cell geeks @apeyrache.bsky.social @desdemonafricker.bsky.social and (bsky-less?) Andrea Burgalossi! While head-direction cells pop up in many cortical regions, we think that one of them is quite unique (1/8)
Reposted by Shan Jiang
*New preprint from the lab* – “Granularity of thalamic head direction cells”
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
🧠📈 🧪
1/11
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
🧠📈 🧪
1/11
Granularity of thalamic head direction cells
Head direction signaling is fundamental for spatial orientation and navigation. The anterodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (ADn) contains a high density of head direction (HD) cells that process sensori...
doi.org
September 15, 2025 at 3:13 PM
*New preprint from the lab* – “Granularity of thalamic head direction cells”
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
🧠📈 🧪
1/11
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
🧠📈 🧪
1/11
First spring hippocampus conference in Verona! Great experience with interesting talks and meeting amazing people there;)
May 23, 2025 at 4:52 PM
First spring hippocampus conference in Verona! Great experience with interesting talks and meeting amazing people there;)
First paper from my DPhil research project;)
Pathological tau alters head direction signaling and induces spatial disorientation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.07.622548v1
Pathological tau alters head direction signaling and induces spatial disorientation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.07.622548v1
Disorientation is an early symptom of dementia, suggesting impairments in neural circuits responsibl
www.biorxiv.org
November 28, 2024 at 2:18 PM
First paper from my DPhil research project;)
Reposted by Shan Jiang
Pleased to say our study led by James Street
showing a requirement for the LGN pathway for visual landmark control of head direction cells is now published! physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/...
showing a requirement for the LGN pathway for visual landmark control of head direction cells is now published! physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/...
The dorsal thalamic lateral geniculate nucleus is required for visual control of head direction cell firing direction in rats
Abstract figure legend Head direction cells in the rodent postsubiculum (PoS) are oriented by environmental visual cues, assessed in the laboratory using a cue-controlled environment. We investigated....
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
September 6, 2024 at 6:26 AM
Pleased to say our study led by James Street
showing a requirement for the LGN pathway for visual landmark control of head direction cells is now published! physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/...
showing a requirement for the LGN pathway for visual landmark control of head direction cells is now published! physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/...
Reposted by Shan Jiang
Pleased to share our #neuroscience preprint on how tau pathology affects head direction cells of the anterodorsal thalamus and induces disorientation, an early sign of #dementia
Pathological tau alters head direction signaling and induces spatial disorientation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.07.622548v1
Pathological tau alters head direction signaling and induces spatial disorientation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.07.622548v1
Disorientation is an early symptom of dementia, suggesting impairments in neural circuits responsibl
www.biorxiv.org
November 9, 2024 at 3:52 PM
Pleased to share our #neuroscience preprint on how tau pathology affects head direction cells of the anterodorsal thalamus and induces disorientation, an early sign of #dementia