Full Professor in Neuroscience, McGill University Director, Centre for Research in Neuroscience (CRN) Leader, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) program at the RI-MUHChttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3mpwd67hods2bAt #FENS2026? Come see my PhD student Sabine Rannio’s poster Tuesday morning! Distinct pre- and postsynaptic NMDAR pools govern different forms of cortical plasticity. 📍PS01-07AM-021, 09:30–13:00 I’ll be around too, so come say hi! Next, off to Tuscany for the Synaptic Transmission GRC.05 Jul 2026 19:37 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpwd67hods2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3mnsiwg2a6c26🧪🧠 1/ The call for symposia for the @ibroorg.bsky.social World Congress 2027 is now open! The meeting will take place in Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦, 13–16 September 2027.08 Jun 2026 20:19 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnsiwg2a6c26https://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3mmp63fenjs2m🧪 1/ Our review “The 3-Body Problem: How Astrocytes May Govern Plasticity” is now out in The Neuroscientist. We explore the idea that astrocytes help determine when & where synaptic plasticity is permitted, reframing the credit assignment problem in biological circuits. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073858426144537125 May 2026 19:01 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmp63fenjs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3mkkkrofshk23Absolutely delighted and incredibly proud to see my better half, Alanna Watt, appointed Dean of the Faculty of Science at McGill!!! 🎉 Also a very meaningful milestone: she is the first woman to serve as Dean of Science at McGill. A big moment for the Faculty, and a very exciting one for McGill ❤️ [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Apr 2026 12:15 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkkrofshk23https://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3mk6edox7is2b🧪 1/ New preprint from the lab: L5 pyramidal cell tLTD requires astrocyte Ca2+ and CB1 signaling https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.21.719669v1 We revisit a classic STDP result in visual cortex23 Apr 2026 15:48 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk6edox7is2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3meyv7hhckk22🧪🧠 New preprint: helping resolve a decades-long debate in synaptic plasticity NMDA receptors are central to Hebbian learning. Yet for >30 years, the existence and function of presynaptic NMDA receptors have remained controversial. 📄 https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.14.705915 1/616 Feb 2026 20:28 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3meyv7hhckk22https://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3megs2dknkc2z🧪 Excellent review unpacking where Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity converge, and where they diverge. A clear framework for reconciling synaptic stability with learning-related change. Delighted to see this in the 'Diversity of the Plasticitome' research topic. [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 Feb 2026 15:43 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3megs2dknkc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3mdinndqyms2t🧪 This is a great IBRO opportunity for early-career researchers in global mental health neuroscience. #NCAMH offers real capacity building, collaboration, and proposal support. Check out the info webinar. #EarlyCareerResearchers #MentalHealthResearch #GlobalNeuroscience [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Jan 2026 16:04 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdinndqyms2thttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3mak5z5rzus2h🧪🧵 Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards — now open 🇨🇦 A new federal program to attract outstanding PhD students and postdocs currently outside Canada (including Canadians abroad).22 Dec 2025 02:14 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mak5z5rzus2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3majrndhhmc2c🧪📣 McGill University is recruiting exceptional researchers through the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program. #McGillResearch #ImpactPlus #AcademicCareers #ResearchLeadership21 Dec 2025 22:33 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3majrndhhmc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3m73xum6hck2kDelighted to share that I’ve been elected to the IBRO US/Canada Regional Committee. Looking forward to working with colleagues across North America and beyond to support neuroscience training, collaboration, and community-building.  #BrainResearch #IBRO #NeuroCommunity #McGill #RIMUHC [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Dec 2025 17:22 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3m73xum6hck2khttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3m3x4ocllmk2nWe still have a few spots available for Monday's re-launch symposium of the SFN Montreal Chapter! [contains quote post or other embedded content]24 Oct 2025 14:49 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3x4ocllmk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3m3x4jywuh22cA great evening at Maison Alcan for the Montreal General Hospital Foundation’s Soirée Impact & Innovation! ✨24 Oct 2025 14:47 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3x4jywuh22chttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lzoy4iayuc2v🧪 We are reviving the SFN Montreal Chapter with a meeting on 27 Oct at MUHC's Glen site! $25 for lunch, meeting, and membership! Speakers: Mihaela Iordanova, Sonia Lupien, Michael Meaney, & Karim Jerbi. Networking at Weinstein & Gavino's afterwards! Spread the word! https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/symposium-du-chapitre-montrealais-society-for-neuroscience-tickets-167616499762925 Sep 2025 22:16 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzoy4iayuc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lzferq2kw22a🧪 ~8 months ago, we launched the Research Topic "The Diversity of the Plasticitome", see below! We now have 2 publication fee discounts for this RT, available on a first-come, first-served basis! Current submission deadline is Oct 31, although extensions are possible. @frontiersmedia.bsky.social [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Sep 2025 02:36 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzferq2kw22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lzeejhfjj22g🧪 We got the privilege to write a Preview on the beautiful work of Morabito, Zerlaut, Rebola and colleagues that was recently published in Neuron. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0896627325005501?dgcid=author21 Sep 2025 16:59 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzeejhfjj22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lykxesvkwc2xYeah no kidding. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02741-1?WT.ec_id=NATURE-2025091111 Sep 2025 14:27 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lykxesvkwc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lsgjsigtmc2sMy former PhD student Christina Chou will give a webinar about high-throughput 2p optogenetic mapping tomorrow Thursday at 11:30 am ET, check it out! 🧪 [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Jun 2025 11:42 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsgjsigtmc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lry4duzsi22u🧪 We recently published our first micro-publication! This paper highlights the pitfalls of using extracellular stimulation to recruit synapses in neocortical circuits, as it lacks specificity. https://www.micropublication.org/journals/biology/micropub-biology-00153919 Jun 2025 18:04 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lry4duzsi22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lqvcoqvyv22q🧪 On June 26th, my former PhD student Christina Chou will give a webinar explaining how to do high-throughput 2-photon optogenetic microcircuit mapping! [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Jun 2025 21:54 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqvcoqvyv22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lpwtvnwrfk2sA very nice Insight article in eLife by Ikuko Smith on our forthcoming eLife paper on non-ionotropic presynaptic NMDA receptor signalling in spike-timing-dependent long-term depression. https://elifesciences.org/articles/10704924 May 2025 19:10 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpwtvnwrfk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3loqo24prdk23🧪 Congrats to the editors of the new Handbook of Electrophysiology, @scimemia.bsky.social, @nwanaverbecq.bsky.social, & @ianduguid.bsky.social, as well as my past postdocs @hovywong.bsky.social (now PI at CUHK) and Aurore Thomazeau (now PI at IPMC-CNRS France) to their two chapters in this book! [contains quote post or other embedded content]09 May 2025 14:44 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3loqo24prdk23https://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lnlnhn727k2jHere is the LinkedIn job ad for our new postdoctoral position. https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4215981888 [contains quote post or other embedded content]24 Apr 2025 21:25 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnlnhn727k2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3ln6nf4aaq22d🧪 We extended the deadline for our Research Topic "The Diversity of the Plasticitome" to 30 Oct 2025. This RT explores how plasticity varies with synapse and cell type. Check it out & let us know if you want to contribute! https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/68270/the-diversity-of-the-plasticitome19 Apr 2025 17:19 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3ln6nf4aaq22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lmqnsvlq2c2i🧪 The Sjöström Lab in Montreal is looking for a postdoc! We study cortical circuits, synaptic plasticity, and NMDAR signalling using custom 2-photon microscopy and optogenetics. We seek candidates with strong patch-clamp and/or 2-photon imaging expertise, and a relevant publication track record.14 Apr 2025 03:49 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmqnsvlq2c2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/pjsjostrom.bsky.social/post/3lifkkd5v4s27As a rule, cells that fire together wire together, but some synapses disobey this rule, notably hippocampal basket cells, BCs, have anti-Hebbian plasticity. We wondered if this was true in neocortex as well, and it turns out it is, suggesting a general principle! 🧪17 Feb 2025 20:11 +0000at://did:plc:qmfdgilhlxkkvuuo7ze6zwdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3lifkkd5v4s27