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harvardbrainsci.bsky.social
The Developing Cranial Motor System
Gabriela Carrillo & Fiona Mensching (Lab of Elizabeth Engle,
@bostonchildrens.bsky.social )

Winning submission in the 2025
#HBIBeautyOftheBrain image contest.

Visit brain.harvard.edu/beauty-of-th... to learn more. Click image for description.
January 22, 2026 at 8:13 PM
harvardbrainsci.bsky.social
Beauty in Darkness
Shon Koren (Lab of Michael Greenberg, Harvard Medical School)

Winning submission in the 2025
#HBIBeautyOftheBrain image contest.

Visit brain.harvard.edu/beauty-of-th... to learn more. Click image for description.
In darkness our eyes may fail us, but our brain cells still glimmer in response to things we cannot see. This image snapshots the activity and connections between cells in the visual cortex, the brain area responsible for processing vision, even when we are in complete darkness.
February 3, 2026 at 7:57 PM
harvardbrainsci.bsky.social
Spinal Projection Neurons in Larval Japanese Rice Fish
Jackson Roberts (Lab of Florian Engert, Harvard University)

Winning submission in the 2025
#HBIBeautyOftheBrain image contest.

Visit brain.harvard.edu/beauty-of-th... to learn more. Click image for description.
This image shows neurons in the brain of a larval Japanese Rice Fish that transmit motor commands to the spinal cord. This was achieved by embedding a crystal of dye into the spinal cord and allowing the axons to carry dye to the brain. Color represents z-depth.
January 26, 2026 at 9:00 PM
harvardbrainsci.bsky.social
Sensory Network Beneath the Skin
Jingyu Peng (Lab of Ya-Chieh Hsu, Harvard University)

Winning submission in the 2025
#HBIBeautyOftheBrain image contest.

Visit brain.harvard.edu/beauty-of-th... to learn more. Click image for description.
This image was captured as part of our research into understanding nerve–stem cell interactions in the skin. Shown here is the intricate network of sensory neurons (blue) that innervate the skin epidermis and hair follicles (white), enabling us to perceive touch, temperature, and pain—crucial functions for adapting to a constantly changing environment.
January 29, 2026 at 6:32 PM
harvardbrainsci.bsky.social
Where Sound Takes Shape
Katelyn Boulanger (Goodrich Lab, Harvard Medical School)
Winning submission in the 2025 #HBIBeautyOftheBrain image contest.

Visit brain.harvard.edu/beauty-of-th... to learn more and see other submissions. Click image for description.
The mammalian cochlea is a spiral-shaped organ that mediates the sense of hearing with astounding precision. Here, auditory neurons are shown with their cell bodies in magenta, extending cyan axons to innervate sound-sensitive cells around the spiraling border of the tissue, also in magenta.
January 21, 2026 at 8:50 PM