Open neuroscience and data-sharing
Recent articles
This series of scientist-written essays explores some of the benefits and challenges of data-sharing.
To keep or not to keep: Neurophysiology’s data dilemma
An exponential growth in data size presents neuroscientists with a significant challenge: Should we be keeping all raw data or focusing on processed datasets? I asked experimentalists and theorists for their thoughts.

To keep or not to keep: Neurophysiology’s data dilemma
An exponential growth in data size presents neuroscientists with a significant challenge: Should we be keeping all raw data or focusing on processed datasets? I asked experimentalists and theorists for their thoughts.
The S-index Challenge: Develop a metric to quantify data-sharing success
The NIH-sponsored effort aims to help incentivize scientists to share data. But many barriers to the widespread adoption of useful data-sharing remain.

The S-index Challenge: Develop a metric to quantify data-sharing success
The NIH-sponsored effort aims to help incentivize scientists to share data. But many barriers to the widespread adoption of useful data-sharing remain.
A README for open neuroscience
Making data (and code) useful for yourself automatically makes it useful for others.

A README for open neuroscience
Making data (and code) useful for yourself automatically makes it useful for others.
Neuroscience graduate students deserve comprehensive data-literacy education
Despite growing requirements around how to handle and share data, formal training is lacking.

Neuroscience graduate students deserve comprehensive data-literacy education
Despite growing requirements around how to handle and share data, formal training is lacking.
Designing an open-source microscope
Funding for the development of open-source tools is on the rise, but support for their maintenance and dissemination, both crucial for their meaningful uptake, remains a major challenge.

Designing an open-source microscope
Funding for the development of open-source tools is on the rise, but support for their maintenance and dissemination, both crucial for their meaningful uptake, remains a major challenge.
Neuroscience needs a research-video archive
Video data are enormously useful and growing rapidly, but the field lacks a searchable, shareable way to store them.

Neuroscience needs a research-video archive
Video data are enormously useful and growing rapidly, but the field lacks a searchable, shareable way to store them.
Unleashing the power of DIY innovation in behavioral neuroscience
Widespread adoption of open-source tools calls for more support and training.
Unleashing the power of DIY innovation in behavioral neuroscience
Widespread adoption of open-source tools calls for more support and training.
Pooling data points to new potential treatment for spinal cord injury
By gathering raw data from multiple labs, we identified an overlooked predictor of recovery after spinal cord injury. Many more insights remain trapped in scattered data.

Pooling data points to new potential treatment for spinal cord injury
By gathering raw data from multiple labs, we identified an overlooked predictor of recovery after spinal cord injury. Many more insights remain trapped in scattered data.
How scuba diving helped me embrace open science
Our lab adopted practices to make data- and code-sharing feel safer, including having the coding equivalent of a dive buddy. Trainees call the buddy system a welcome safety net.

How scuba diving helped me embrace open science
Our lab adopted practices to make data- and code-sharing feel safer, including having the coding equivalent of a dive buddy. Trainees call the buddy system a welcome safety net.
We found a major flaw in a scientific reagent used in thousands of neuroscience experiments — and we’re trying to fix it.
As part of that ambition, we launched a public-private partnership to systematically evaluate antibodies used to study neurological disease, and we plan to make all the data freely available.

We found a major flaw in a scientific reagent used in thousands of neuroscience experiments — and we’re trying to fix it.
As part of that ambition, we launched a public-private partnership to systematically evaluate antibodies used to study neurological disease, and we plan to make all the data freely available.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Multisite connectome teams lose federal funding as result of Harvard cuts
The teams aim to develop tools to scale up mouse connectomics in preparation for eventually mapping an entire human brain.

Multisite connectome teams lose federal funding as result of Harvard cuts
The teams aim to develop tools to scale up mouse connectomics in preparation for eventually mapping an entire human brain.
Learning in living mice defies classic synaptic plasticity rule
Donald Hebb’s theory—memorably summarized as “cells that fire together, wire together”—does not explain the shifting hippocampal connections in mice learning to navigate a virtual environment, according to a new study.

Learning in living mice defies classic synaptic plasticity rule
Donald Hebb’s theory—memorably summarized as “cells that fire together, wire together”—does not explain the shifting hippocampal connections in mice learning to navigate a virtual environment, according to a new study.
Cephalopods, vision’s next frontier
For decades, scientists have been teased by the strange but inaccessible cephalopod visual system. Now, thanks to a technological breakthrough from a lab in Oregon, data are finally coming straight from the octopus brain.

Cephalopods, vision’s next frontier
For decades, scientists have been teased by the strange but inaccessible cephalopod visual system. Now, thanks to a technological breakthrough from a lab in Oregon, data are finally coming straight from the octopus brain.