We've know the hindbrain is distinct for decades—the midbrain hindbrain boundary was identified as a key signaling center back when I still had a research career. This 2012 paper cites references on the topic going back to the 1990s.
Midbrain-hindbrain boundary patterning and morphogenesis are regulated by diverse grainy head-like 2-dependent pathways
The isthmic organiser located at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB) is the crucial developmental signalling centre responsible for patterning mesencephalic and metencephalic regions of the vertebra...
journals.biologists.com
September 22, 2026 at 12:54 AM
We've know the hindbrain is distinct for decades—the midbrain hindbrain boundary was identified as a key signaling center back when I still had a research career. This 2012 paper cites references on the topic going back to the 1990s.
3) Is "midbrain" actually "brain" when it is first distinct, or part of a shared fate with the spinal column? I don't think we know.
4) It could be the midbrain/hindbrain boundary is specified prior to the formation of neural precursors, and whatever distinguishes them is also present in non-neural
4) It could be the midbrain/hindbrain boundary is specified prior to the formation of neural precursors, and whatever distinguishes them is also present in non-neural
September 22, 2026 at 2:38 AM
3) Is "midbrain" actually "brain" when it is first distinct, or part of a shared fate with the spinal column? I don't think we know.
4) It could be the midbrain/hindbrain boundary is specified prior to the formation of neural precursors, and whatever distinguishes them is also present in non-neural
4) It could be the midbrain/hindbrain boundary is specified prior to the formation of neural precursors, and whatever distinguishes them is also present in non-neural
midbrain? it's actually very beautiful to me
March 6, 2026 at 5:22 AM
midbrain? it's actually very beautiful to me
adding "a fountain of cardboard" to the midbrain cache of images that describe my strange life
www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2025/12/the-...
www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2025/12/the-...
December 5, 2025 at 2:22 PM
adding "a fountain of cardboard" to the midbrain cache of images that describe my strange life
www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2025/12/the-...
www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2025/12/the-...
The big contrast is with the midbrain/forebrain, which appear to become distinct lineages a bit later in development. I don't think the timing of hindbrain/spinal cord division has been explored carefully.
September 22, 2026 at 2:38 AM
The big contrast is with the midbrain/forebrain, which appear to become distinct lineages a bit later in development. I don't think the timing of hindbrain/spinal cord division has been explored carefully.
For non-developmental biologists: we don't think of ourselves as segmented (that's for insects, after all), but our nervous system is segmented. The forebrain is set up different than the midbrain, which is set up differently than the hindbrain, which is set up differently than the spinal cord.
September 22, 2026 at 12:54 AM
For non-developmental biologists: we don't think of ourselves as segmented (that's for insects, after all), but our nervous system is segmented. The forebrain is set up different than the midbrain, which is set up differently than the hindbrain, which is set up differently than the spinal cord.
🚨Very happy that my PhD work is now out in @nature.com!
We discovered that evolution, by acting in the midbrain, shifted the threshold to escape in Peromyscus mice, to fine-tune defensive strategies in different environments
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This was a truly collaborative effort! 🧵⬇️
We discovered that evolution, by acting in the midbrain, shifted the threshold to escape in Peromyscus mice, to fine-tune defensive strategies in different environments
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This was a truly collaborative effort! 🧵⬇️
July 23, 2025 at 3:06 PM
🚨Very happy that my PhD work is now out in @nature.com!
We discovered that evolution, by acting in the midbrain, shifted the threshold to escape in Peromyscus mice, to fine-tune defensive strategies in different environments
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This was a truly collaborative effort! 🧵⬇️
We discovered that evolution, by acting in the midbrain, shifted the threshold to escape in Peromyscus mice, to fine-tune defensive strategies in different environments
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This was a truly collaborative effort! 🧵⬇️
That is such a midbrain thing to say
September 22, 2026 at 3:04 PM
That is such a midbrain thing to say
But again, we already knew the hindbrain was developmentally distinct from its two flanking tissues, the midbrain and spinal cord, that lots of interesting genes get activated at the boundary between two of them, etc. And that, because of this, these neural segments go on to do different things.
September 22, 2026 at 12:54 AM
But again, we already knew the hindbrain was developmentally distinct from its two flanking tissues, the midbrain and spinal cord, that lots of interesting genes get activated at the boundary between two of them, etc. And that, because of this, these neural segments go on to do different things.
I don't buy this for a whole list of reasons.
1) The first is that our ability to resolve things, both in terms of timing and in terms of cell fate, is limited.
2) While midbrain/forebrain differences emerge later, they are just as functionally significant, if not more so.
1) The first is that our ability to resolve things, both in terms of timing and in terms of cell fate, is limited.
2) While midbrain/forebrain differences emerge later, they are just as functionally significant, if not more so.
September 22, 2026 at 2:38 AM
I don't buy this for a whole list of reasons.
1) The first is that our ability to resolve things, both in terms of timing and in terms of cell fate, is limited.
2) While midbrain/forebrain differences emerge later, they are just as functionally significant, if not more so.
1) The first is that our ability to resolve things, both in terms of timing and in terms of cell fate, is limited.
2) While midbrain/forebrain differences emerge later, they are just as functionally significant, if not more so.
Witness: Midbrain, 2014 by Deborah Bell
April 4, 2026 at 11:06 AM
Witness: Midbrain, 2014 by Deborah Bell
Emerging from public social hiatus to celebrate my primary grad school research formally being published on Friday!!
Two parallel neural ectoderm progenitors contribute to the developing brain
Nature Neuroscience - This study shows that the brain arises from two distinct progenitors: one forms the forebrain and midbrain, whereas the other generates the hindbrain. These insights enable...
www.nature.com
September 20, 2026 at 10:11 PM
Emerging from public social hiatus to celebrate my primary grad school research formally being published on Friday!!
Neuron programming! Pro-neural TFs + 480 morphogen conditions + scRNA-seq --> Diverse iN subtypes of forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, spinal cord, and PNS. @hsiuchuanlin.bsky.social @jasperjanssens.bsky.social and Treutlein Lab! @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #NGN2 #ASCL1
July 11, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Neuron programming! Pro-neural TFs + 480 morphogen conditions + scRNA-seq --> Diverse iN subtypes of forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, spinal cord, and PNS. @hsiuchuanlin.bsky.social @jasperjanssens.bsky.social and Treutlein Lab! @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #NGN2 #ASCL1
Fascinating study which shows that at a fundamental level the brain is two separate organs, essentially the brain stem is one and the rest of the brain (forebrain and midbrain) are another. Distinct from the beginning both in formation and evolutionary history. med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...
Human brain is two separate organs, Stanford Medicine-led research finds
Stanford Health Care delivers the highest levels of care and compassion. SHC treats cancer, heart disease, brain disorders, primary care issues, and many more.
med.stanford.edu
September 22, 2026 at 1:09 AM
Fascinating study which shows that at a fundamental level the brain is two separate organs, essentially the brain stem is one and the rest of the brain (forebrain and midbrain) are another. Distinct from the beginning both in formation and evolutionary history. med.stanford.edu/news/all-new...
Separating the forebrain from the hindbrain is such a useful way to conceptualize adrenal responses ("fight or flight" limits the function of the forebrain and midbrain in favor of hindbrain function)
very neat to see data showing they're separate from very early development on
very neat to see data showing they're separate from very early development on
September 22, 2026 at 12:03 AM
Separating the forebrain from the hindbrain is such a useful way to conceptualize adrenal responses ("fight or flight" limits the function of the forebrain and midbrain in favor of hindbrain function)
very neat to see data showing they're separate from very early development on
very neat to see data showing they're separate from very early development on
My midbrain hurts
September 23, 2026 at 12:08 AM
My midbrain hurts
The other thing they showed was the ectoderm cell-fate commitment appeared to be cemented by 8.5+ days post-fertilization
That is, fore/midbrain cells could not be induced to change into hindbrain cells, and conversely hindbrain cells could not be induced to change into fore/midbrain cells
That is, fore/midbrain cells could not be induced to change into hindbrain cells, and conversely hindbrain cells could not be induced to change into fore/midbrain cells
September 22, 2026 at 1:33 PM
The other thing they showed was the ectoderm cell-fate commitment appeared to be cemented by 8.5+ days post-fertilization
That is, fore/midbrain cells could not be induced to change into hindbrain cells, and conversely hindbrain cells could not be induced to change into fore/midbrain cells
That is, fore/midbrain cells could not be induced to change into hindbrain cells, and conversely hindbrain cells could not be induced to change into fore/midbrain cells
There was a sentence or two about the midbrain originating from the same stem cells as the forebrain.
September 22, 2026 at 2:07 AM
There was a sentence or two about the midbrain originating from the same stem cells as the forebrain.
🦇👂🧠Our first bat paper is out! 🧠👂🦇
How do bats tell navigation from social calls?
Led by the fearless Dr. Jenni Lawlor, we used 2P imaging to show that the auditory midbrain encodes categorical primitives.
Check it out @natneuro.nature.com: rdcu.be/ehEgz
How do bats tell navigation from social calls?
Led by the fearless Dr. Jenni Lawlor, we used 2P imaging to show that the auditory midbrain encodes categorical primitives.
Check it out @natneuro.nature.com: rdcu.be/ehEgz
Spatially clustered neurons in the bat midbrain encode vocalization categories
Nature Neuroscience - Using two-photon imaging in awake bats, the authors show that the inferior colliculus encodes vocalization categories as categorical primitives—spatially clustered,...
rdcu.be
April 14, 2025 at 12:20 PM
🦇👂🧠Our first bat paper is out! 🧠👂🦇
How do bats tell navigation from social calls?
Led by the fearless Dr. Jenni Lawlor, we used 2P imaging to show that the auditory midbrain encodes categorical primitives.
Check it out @natneuro.nature.com: rdcu.be/ehEgz
How do bats tell navigation from social calls?
Led by the fearless Dr. Jenni Lawlor, we used 2P imaging to show that the auditory midbrain encodes categorical primitives.
Check it out @natneuro.nature.com: rdcu.be/ehEgz
whatever you say, midbrain
September 22, 2026 at 1:34 AM
whatever you say, midbrain
Is that because of the crosshairs targeting midbrain? 😉
January 31, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Is that because of the crosshairs targeting midbrain? 😉
hell yeah these are the types of sentences that get my midbrain throbbing
this has fun consequences for issues where policy positions are represented as booleans or integers. if you inscribe a hypersphere-approximating gaussian inside a high-dimensional polytope almost all the probability mass will be in the corners; almost none will be inside the hypersphere.
hypercubes are pointier than you’d expect
October 20, 2025 at 10:20 PM
hell yeah these are the types of sentences that get my midbrain throbbing
Spatially clustered neurons in the bat midbrain encode vocalization categories
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience
Spatially clustered neurons in the bat midbrain encode vocalization categories - Nature Neuroscience
Using two-photon imaging in awake bats, the authors show that the inferior colliculus encodes vocalization categories as categorical primitives—spatially clustered, category-selective neurons that ena...
www.nature.com
April 15, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Spatially clustered neurons in the bat midbrain encode vocalization categories
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#neuroscience
Okay, this is an incredibly, incredibly cool discovery. The brain stem is a different organ?
September 22, 2026 at 2:38 AM
Okay, this is an incredibly, incredibly cool discovery. The brain stem is a different organ?