I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.

Out in Cell Genomics: A comprehensive analysis of the cell-type-specific effects of CHD8 loss of function on gene expression in the embryonic and juvenile mouse cortex. Thread 🧵: www.cell.com/cell-genomic...

Most neurodevelopmental disorders are caused by having 1 functional gene copy. Using SCN2A, we show that upregulating the functional copy rescues neuronal phenotypes. Amazing work with @neurobender.bsky.social led by Serena Tamura, Andrew Nelson, Perry Spratt & others. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Yale has established a new PhD program in Human Genome Sciences and will be accepting applications this fall. We are also searching for an Associate Director of Student Services (a PhD-level position). Learn more here: medicine.yale.edu/bbs/tracks/h... careers.yale.edu/us/en/job/YU...

Check out our latest work co-led by @dcsoto.bsky.social and @jmuribescr.bsky.social identifying hundreds of human duplicated gene families using the new T2T-CHM13 assembly, with a focus on those potentially contributing to brain evolution 🧪: authors.elsevier.com/a/1lTQtL7PXu...

So NIMH is no longer supporting F31s, but is still supporting F30s and F32s? I initially thought this might be an error in the FOA (there are a lot more errors popping up now), but it's in the Guide too: grants.nih.gov/funding/nih-...

After spending tons of time rebutting our trainee's grant termination.. this response doesn't suggest a 'careful assessment' There aren't mechanisms that support mid-PhD trainees, so theres nothing to apply to, even though it scored in the top % of all apps. Not to mention the demotivation. Ugh.

I'm proud of Yale for doing this

Hey BlueSky! Want to learn more about some almost literally mind-bending brain research being done by @noonanlab.bsky.social? Check out the story below for one scientist's perspective on the importance of basic scientific research and the pursuit of open-ended questions about what makes us human.

Thrilled to share our latest study out in @natureportfolio.nature.com led by the fantastically talented Jing Liu. Our study provides insight into a long standing question in biology: What molecular features make us uniquely human and how do these function? www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Despite the Times trying to spin this as “Harvard should quit,” the article really (and likely unintentionally) conveys the message “Harvard should absolutely keep fighting.” www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/u...

For #FluorescenceFriday, here's a human-chimpanzee iPSC-derived chimeric somitoid, with human cells shown in red and chimpanzee cells shown in green, made by our student Je Won Yang (1/2):

Yes, this... 👇

As a rare bit of good news, a huge congratulations to @jkpritch.bsky.social who was just elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Here's the full list.

I'm honoured to have been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. It's a wonderful recognition of all the hard work by the amazing folks in the lab over the years. A huge thanks to them all.

ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM Implementation of Schedule F This is what a lot of us have been worried about. This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs. BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD... 1/n

Glad to see that Yale has co-signed this statement. bsky.app/profile/cant...

Our own Paschal candle. Happy Easter, everyone.

Today the NY Times posted an interview with Chris Rufo that anyone associated with universities — or anyone who benefits from advances in health care or any other aspect of the research taking place there — should listen to or read in transcript. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/p...?

On the futility of collaboration, from Tom Scocca. I'd also like to point out that trust in higher ed and institutional expertise is so low right now in large part because of a decades-long right wing propaganda campaign to achieve exactly that end. defector.com/the-bargain-...

I greatly appreciate everything that Christopher Eisgruber says in this interview, but, more than that, it's increasingly a relief to hear someone in a position of authority willing to be sane in public. #academicSky #eduSky www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/p...

A project five years in the making, we've now published complete "T2T" genomes for six additional ape species! It turns out that finishing (and analyzing) six genomes is slightly more work than one... doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Exclusive: Weeks after President Donald Trump’s administration ordered NIH to pull $250 million in biomedical research grants to Columbia University, the agency is freezing all remaining grant money owed to the university until further notice. scim.ag/4if5Rg1

We're disappointed to see Ben Barres's powerful book "The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist" among the ~400 titles removed from the Naval Academy Library. Needless to say, we're proud to have published his book and will keep it — and his memory — alive.

Cornell is unique among the Ivies in that many of its constituent colleges are effectively part of the SUNY system. Doesn't this give New York State standing to sue the federal government? bsky.app/profile/deni...

New preprint from my group! Here we studied the contribution of a subset of human- and hominoid-specific transposons (SVA, LTR5HS) to the evolution of human craniofacial development. We specifically focussed on cranial neural crest (CNCC) formation and migration 1/n www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

BREAKING: We're suing the National Institutes of Health over their politically-motivated purge of research grants. This is an unlawful attack on scientific progress that puts lives at risk.

Congratulations to Dr. Atreyo Pal, who defended his PhD thesis today! He is our 11th PhD! You can read all about his work here: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

exciting news for our scientific community! www.nygenome.org/news-events/...

The decision a lot of universities face now is whether to: -- have their federal funding pulled because they stood on principle to protect their students and the integrity of their research, or -- have their funding pulled anyway just because they exist, regardless of how cravenly they submit.

My OpEd in @elife.bsky.social “It feels as if we are trying to fight a series of attacks on science with one arm tied behind our back and our lips half sewn shut.” “Yet we are not beaten, and some of us are downright energized.” elifesciences.org/articles/106...

Trying to make sense of the current situation, I put together some thoughts in an op-ed for @elife.bsky.social on what we, as scientists, can do – and what institutions MUST do – to protect science right now elifesciences.org/articles/106...

These are children. Little girls and boys playing at "government."

Congratulations to Nathan for conceiving and designing this unified demultiplexing toolkit!

Interested in a starting PI position at University College London to work on Genetics, Evolution or the Environment? My department has opened the call for expressions of interest for sponsorship of independent fellowship applications. www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

"Why don't you buy a new centrifuge" Because everyone knows that any appliances in that shade of yellow will outlive you and your entire family, look at it

📣 We are advertising for a postdoc to join our team at the University of Edinburgh! Our lab studies gene regulatory mechanisms in development, and how genetic changes may impact these processes to alter development and shape human craniofacial form and function 🧬🧪

Columbia seems poised to cede control of their institution to the whims of people who want to destroy it and higher education as a whole. It's impossible to overstate how short-sighted this is. The idea that Trump will stop here is beyond belief. www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

Leadership from UC Berkeley. "...we see recent actions going beyond those purposes in ways that threaten core values: academic freedom, freedom of inquiry, & freedom of expression.... we will be steadfast and unrelenting in our efforts to defend those core values."

An intro to the Massilani Lab youtu.be/oTjbWoEokns?...

How does gene regulation shape brain evolution? Our new preprint dives into this question in the context of mammalian cerebellum development! rb.gy/dbcxjz Led by @ioansarr.bsky.social, @marisepp.bsky.social and @tyamadat.bsky.social, in collaboration with @steinaerts.bsky.social

The subjugation of universities to official power is a hallmark of autocracy. No one should be under any illusions about what’s going on here. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/n...

Well, confirmed, I guess

Michael Yuan is recruiting graduate students and potential postdocs to join his new evolutionary ecology lab at TCU in Fort Worth (www.myuanlab.com). He has funds to fully support PhD students starting both this fall 2025 and fall 2026. Please RT.

Wondering if your PO, SRO, or other NIH official is still at NIH? Tara pointed out this useful search tool. Unfortunately my MIRA PO, who just took over this portfolio in December, is no longer listed. 💔

I have confirmation from several sources now that all T32s, many F30s and F31s, and most or all Center awards (P30, P50) have been terminated at Columbia. This is quite damaging to research and to individuals. This is pure terrorism and cannot be legal. But litigation will take time...

👇🎯 The public isn't going to understand this, unless the presidents of R1 universities around the country <loudly> & <collectively> get out into the public square & start explaining this & calling out the existential threat to the entire 🇺🇸 university system. The silence is deafening right now.

A beautiful blustery day in Hartford Connecticut to gather in support of scientific funding and research. Great that @blumenthal.senate.gov showed up, too!