Duncan Astle
@DuncanAstle
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Neuroscientist, psychologist, European and blogger based in Cambridge, UK. Interested in cognition, the brain and education. Tweets are my views. He/him/his.
Joined October 2014
V. excited by this in @TrendsCognSci. A long time in the writing, w/ Mark Johnson and @DanAkarca. Can computational models tell us something fundamental about cognitive and brain development?. We think so. We term it "computational neuroconstructivism".
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Just spotted Sinead O'Connor bird-watching. I asked how she was getting on. She said, "so far it's been 7 owls and 15 jays". You're welcome.
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On the 4th of July, as one regime came to an end… a new power was rising. Her name is Polly, born via surrogacy. Dads, baby and surrogate all doing well. As two dads, having a child was made possible thanks to two incredible people.
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This is the best Clinton-Blair exchange that I have read so far. you could not make it up.
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If I gave lectures on 'Theory of Mind', this would be my go-to illustration.
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Holding my breath for Wisconsin. They have a card sorting task, so I hope they're good at switching. (that is a very niche gag).
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The honor of listening to Prof Judith Butler visiting @Cambridge_Uni, to speak on "Who is afraid of gender?". A key message: "the right to self-identification takes no one else's rights away". Even more inspiring was the enthusiasm of a young generation. It was utterly packed.
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Dear psychology twitter,. I know there are studies of kids during lockdown. but is anyone running a study of the experiences, behaviour and wellbeing of teachers? . I'd be really interested to hear.
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Before I knew I was gay, I knew I 'should not be'. The bullying throughout school was excruciating. Only as an adult did I understand the damage it did. If someone is old going enough to be victimised for being LGBTQ+, they're old enough to have proper support and role models.
Would anyone from our @cambridgelgbt community like to share their story? #ifirstknewIwasLGBTQ.
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The first is an anonymous egg donor who wanted to help couples otherwise unable to conceive. The second is our amazing friend @SueReviews, who offered to carry Polly*. Words cannot express our gratitude to Sue and her family; it's been a wonderful journey.*
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We do the science. We review the papers. We run the editorial process. In most cases, the tax-payer foots the bill. Elsevier makes the (enormous) profit. Is this the start of the neuroscience community taking control of the publication system? I certainly hope so.
All NeuroImage and NeuroImage:Reports editors have resigned over the high publication fee, and are starting a new non-profit journal. This comes with great regret, and a huge amount of thought and discussion- please read announcement to get more details.
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I'm interest in whether and how people constrain how often they fly. If you limit your flying, what rules do you apply? And how do people respond when you say "I can't come because I'm not flying"?. Genuinely interested. This seems like a good day to ask this question.
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Buried in the article you find that 88% of Tory ads are indecent, dishonest and untruthful. Vs 0% for Labour. You'd think that 2 days before an election this would be an important headline. Apparently not. Feels oddly dystopian that facts no longer matter.
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We are so grateful for the incredible people who helped us along the way, and for the countless others who fought for, and continue to fight for, equal access to reproductive healthcare for LGBTQ+ people.
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In 2009 the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act allowed same-sex female couples to be legal parents from birth. In 2010 changes in surrogacy law allowed same-sex male couples to be legal parents from birth. In 2015 same-sex parents got the same rights to parental leave.
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I am *SO* thrilled!. Exciting times for developmental sciences @Cambridge_Uni, and I can't wait to build bridges with new colleagues @psychiatry_ucam, @mrccbu and across Cambridge. Very grateful to electors, the Gnodde family, friends, collaborators, and a fab group. Thank you :).
📢 Neuroscientist and psychologist @DuncanAstle is the first Gnodde Goldman Sachs Professor of Neuroinformatics. This important new post in @psychiatry_ucam has been made possible thanks to a generous endowment from the Gnodde family and Goldman Sachs Gives. 👏.
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Happy #NationalComingOutDay folks! . In my experience coming out can be painful. But it can also be liberating. And whilst you never stop coming out, it does get easier. Wherever you are on your journey, be proud of who you are, and do things in your own time.
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Me: Hey guys, I did some science thing with some code.My postdocs: .
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I'd like to know why you chose Poland. Krakow is in the middle of a declared 'gay free zone' in Poland. @PrideinSTEM @LGBTSTEM.
Mark your calendars🗓️ .The FENS Regional Meeting 2021 will be taking place in Kraków, #Poland on 25-27 August 2021. Call for symposia open - more info: #FRM2021 #neuroscience
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"blah, blah, blah, science, cognition, brains, blah, blah"
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My parents didn’t go to university, let alone become academics. So, brief reflections on my experience of being the first in my family to navigate academia. V short 🧵.
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After what has felt like an incredibly long road, I am very happy and relieved to announce that I just bought a house. contracts exchanged hands this morning. Can't quite believe it finally happened.
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As we all know. Pride month starts with my birthday :). Enjoy the sun folks. x
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I couldn't help but wonder. were we really 'working from home'? Or just living in the office?
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Today's pet peeve. When I visit the supermarket I usually buy flowers. Every time the cashier will say "Oooooh, someone will be pleased to get these". EVERY TIME. No they won't! They're for myself and I am not pleased by anything. Tune in for tomorrow's pet peeve.
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Well, I made it to the end of the decade. It's been a crazy 10 years. I've loved and lost. I came out. And I met some amazing people along the way. In the end I just feel glad that I can be myself. Be kind to each other, folks .#10yearchallenege #DecadeChallenge #DecadeOfChange
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Submitted manuscript to a journal. 2 weeks later, they say that it can't be considered until I reformat all of the headings (sizes etc), and change a bunch of the references. And reader, I have to tell you that I'm seriously considering not bothering, and sending elsewhere.
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Whilst lots of people are at Manchester Pride, I'm at the village scarecrow festival back home. It's everything I'd hoped for
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Out today, 4PM GMT, our new paper in Current Biology: Transdiagnostic brain mapping in developmental disorders. Super proud of this one. With @RSiugzdaite, @JoeBathelt @JoniHolmes80. Check out our blog about it:. @CamNeuro.@CurrentBiology.@mrccbu.@calmcbu
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Our Annual Review for @TheJCPP is out: The Transdiagnostic Revolution in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Our conclusion? Overreliance on ill-fitting diagnostic criteria impedes progress in understanding mechanisms and providing support (1/5). A mini-thread.
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"Two pathways to self-harm in adolescence" - very proud of this new paper from our lab. Led by Stepheni Uh, with @esdalmaijer, @RSiugzdaite and @Tamsin_J_Ford. Supported by the @gatesfoundation, @The_MRC, and @mrccbu.
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1997: In the future computers will solve humanity's greatest problems. 2018: .
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NEW PREPRINT: "Increase in childhood depression during the COVID-19 lockdown". Having seen kids 18 months ago, we gathered new mental health data during lockdown to test for changes. There was a substantial increase in depression ratings. @mrccbu.
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Back from vacation to begin a new job :) . Very excited to get started @psychiatry_ucam. I've had my induction, found my office and signed some forms. Time to get cracking! .
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Over night a close friend of the family died of #COVIDー19. If anyone was in any doubt, this is incredibly serious. I suspect that 99%of people on twitter are already doing their best to distance themselves. But speak to family and friends who may not be.
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Happy LGBT+ History Month! We've come a long way, but many barriers we've yet to dismantle. Understanding our past is essential to overcoming the systems and prejudice that continue to impact the daily lives of sexuality and gender minorities. Our long march continues. #LGBTHM22
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My expert opinion:.UK kids get ~16 vaccinations (over ~4yrs), protecting against multiple deadly diseases, some that pass to the brain. Keep up with your child's vacc schedule. It could save their life. In other news: Vaccinations don't cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Period.
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Incredibly honoured! Massive thank you to my awesome partner organisations-@SandResearch,@Learnus, @TwyfordTrust, and @CambridgeInt, plus many schools and charities that helped us translate our research over the past few years. What an amazing journey. @CamNeuro @mrccbu @The_MRC.
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If anyone thinks that #PrideMonth is no longer relevant or needed, I would encourage you to read the comments. .
NEW: The UK's first Professorship in LGBTQ+ History has today been announced by @MansfieldOxford, in association with @OxfordHistory. 👏. Renowned historian, Prof Matt Cook, will become the first Jonathan Cooper Chair of the History of Sexualities. ⬇.
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Super excited to finally announce that I have been made a Fellow of Robinson College, University of Cambridge, and start this coming term!
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With >40 colleagues working in child and adolescent mental health, we want to raise an important issue, published next month in @TheLancetPsych. Put simply: we *need* timely access to mental health data and that is currently not happening. Short 🧵1/7.
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In summary, my overriding feeling is that I am, in part, an example of survivorship bias. I have been very lucky. When you’re not aware of the implicit rules of academia you are remarkably non-strategic, and more reliant on chance and good support. That’s my experience anyway.
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Finally. A pointless university ranking that I can be proud to top.
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Folks. I have officially been vaccinated. Feeling a little groggy, but fine.
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Happy #LGBTSTEMDay from the @mrccbu!! To celebrate diversity in neuroscience we will be showcasing the work lgbt+ scientists from our main twitter account today. 🏳️🌈 @CamNeuro @The_MRC @Cambridge_Uni
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NEW PAPER! "Beyond the 'core deficit' hypothesis", a perspective on developmental theory w/ the fab @SueReviews. "Choose any categorization of developmental differences, and there is a graveyard of once-popular theoretical accounts." .
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Graduating from AI school. Having learnt all the machines etc.
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Day 1 of working from home. I just ate an entire box of fish fingers. So safe to say it's been a productive time.
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It was such a honour to accept this award on behalf of the lab! So grateful to our participants, collaborators, funders, and the practitioners who support our research. Thank you! @mrccbu.@The_MRC @CamNeuro. #CelebratingNeurodiversityAwards.
And the award for best #NeurodiversityResearch 2022 goes to. Winner: Astle Lab from @Cambridge_Uni . Congratulations 🙌💜🥳 and thanks to @BirkbeckUoL . #CelebratingNeurodiversityAwards #NCWeek #Neurokin #Neurodiversity
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Our LGBT+ Staff Network has arrived on twitter :). Please given them a warm welcome!.
Over the next week, we’ll be introducing our @Cambridge_Uni LGBT+ Staff Network Committee. Please say hi!. First off. Introducing our Chair @DuncanAstle. Neuroscientist, psychologist, European and blogger. Fun fact: Hates yoghurt. Like really, really hates it. [He/him]
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Using machine learning to explore developmental disorders - our latest paper identifies groups of children with common cognitive difficulties. Available as a preprint: with @JoniHolmes80 and @JoeBathelt. @CamNeuro @calmcbu @mrccbu
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"I'm sorry you *feel* like you've been bullied. I hadn't realised I was doing it."
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We're hiring! Interested in brain development? If you're looking for a postdoc starting towards the end of the year, or early next year, then check it out :). Please share with people who are looking.
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I am constantly reminded that I have zero knowledge of grammar. I have no idea why a structure sentences like I do. I just know if it looks right or not, there is no way I could explain any of it. Is this because we were not taught any grammar at school?.
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Highlight of yesterday's interviews? Being accidentally mistaken for someone calling in about their favourite dessert. The previous caller was a big fan of lemon meringue pie. I was in fact there to talk about adolescent self-harm. It wasn't an easy segue.
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Shout out to the journals sending out proofs on the 23rd of December and giving authors 48 hours to turn them around. Not going to happen folks :).
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Me not getting the message when I am excluded from friendship groups.
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So excited that our work with machine learning and struggling learners features on the front cover of tomorrow’s @tes. Check out our editorial :) #SEND. Really proud of this project, and thrilled that it’s having an impact! . @mrccbu @CamNeuro @The_MRC @JoniHolmes80 @JoeBathelt
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Thrilled this is out in @PsychScience!.Testing Deprivation and Threat: A Preregistered Network Analysis of the Dimensions of Early Adversity.By the fab Sofia Carozza, me & @JoniHolmes80. TLDR? Didn't find support for dimensions of early adversity. Quick🧵.
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That nice family of bacteria living in my lower intestine?
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We have paid summer internships @mrccbu for undergraduate students to come and experience hands-on research in cognition and neurosciences. Know someone who might be interested? Please share :)
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Today in the lab, we are having a SHUT UP AND WRITE morning. Rule 1: Shut up.Rule 2: Write. Finally time to try and get some of those papers written.
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Gingers melt when exposed to direct sunlight. Always leave them in the shade with plenty to drink.
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Costing a grant or newbies - our latest blog with @SueReviews. Practical tips for how to put together a realistic grant budget. @mrccbu @CamNeuro @calmCBU .
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90% of science is just making sure that columns and rows line up properly. .
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A moment to celebrate. Massive well done to @DrCarpineti and all at @PrideinSTEM. Diversity in STEM matters, and we owe them a lot. So it's fabulous to see their important work recognised in the @AttitudeMag 101 lgbtq+ trailblazers list. More of this please!
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Just had the most wonderful email. It turns out that I have a distant relative (recently deceased) who was the Director of an oil company in the Benin Republic. And somehow. despite having many siblings and cousins. I am the sole beneficiary of his will. Drinks are on me.
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First remove the flag, then ditch the support page for LGBTQ+ students and staff. Enraged by what's happening in @CaiusCollege. This is the consequence of a public discourse that seeks to recast inclusive policies as 'political' and thereby give the green light for their removal.
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Folks, meet Barbara. She's 3 months old and exceedingly small.
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As promised. Here are some good references if you want to demonstrate the socio-economic biases that operate in recruitment. A thread:.
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Dear Twitter,. If you could give one tip to early-career researchers applying for a fellowship. what would it be?? . Ta,.d.
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Today's outing?. Diggerland. It's everything I'd hoped for, and more.
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Today I asked colleagues @Cambridge_Uni to sign this letter. It affirms LGBT+ rights and policies designed to safe-guard all. This matters to me and especially to junior people in my department. Please read and consider joining me. #PrideinSTEM .
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Finally a bit of good news. Paper accepted this morning :) . Hurrah!.
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Big paper accepted in the night. maybe Mondays aren't always crap :)
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