I’ll be at ISSCR in Montreal presenting our work in organoid models of ALS! Let me know if you want to chat!

“Where was the hottest temperature recorded in the US?” - “Death Valley, California.” “What?? How do you know where that is?” - No reason.

We just got some amazing data and I couldn’t stop analyzing and I promise I’ll stop doing science when I stop feeling this curious about everything.

I have no words. Actually I do. Just not today. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

You know that one kid that raises their hand and says “finished!” before the whole class has even started their work? … … If you can’t see them, you may be them. (I’m not proud of myself here)

Que será Será I guess

Look, you really shouldn’t paint the walls. Baby A: … I need you to understand this, you’re a good boy, and you’re smart, but we paint on paper, ok. Baby A: … I need you to tell me, with words, that you understand. Baby A: You’re my soda pop. … sure.

Wow. What a week. Tuesday? What do you mean, Tuesday?

I am so bored on this plane that I got copilot to admit he recognized human patterns and shapes in the communication media we used. …. I got it to admit it recognized the bodies in the water.

I’m so sad I didn’t get to walk around Boston much… I love the town. Target ALS was awesome though!

“Will give talks for exposure”.

Ok, so: - This TALS conference is amazing. So much impressive data and good talks. The field is pushing forward - I am so, so, awkward at this things. Social skills of a paramecia. If you see me, please say hi. I know I can’t.

Thank you to everyone that helped review and of course to ResearchHub itself for this great support of our work!

Waitress at a restaurant yesterday, staring at the boys: - I mean, they are gorgeous, you could get lost in those big brown eyes… Girls: (Absolutely appropriate reaction btw, it was very weird)

Flying to Boston. Excited to attend the TALS meeting! Yet, very bored at the airport. Ask me anything! Careers, science, starting a lab, leaving industry, directing a core… Go for it! Or not. Let no one control you.

9yo: Dad how did the Great Depression end?

One of the babies rejected a cookie in favor of a book.

In case you didn’t know this babies have … soothing rituals. When we’re trying to get them to sleep, they sometimes nuzzle against your neck, or fiddle with your ear lobes, that sort of thing. Or, in a particularly extreme case, they pick at your eyelids and poke at your eyes. Help. Me.

9yo has a project presentation at 8:30. She’s not there. She turns a corner, running: - “I was at my sister’s class, reading for them. And I had a presentation on the human body, and now this.” Classes started at 7:50. Me: Do… do you need a time turner? 9yo: What? Me: Nevermind Miss Granger.

Today is Sir Terry Pratchett's birthday. By far one of the best authors of my generation. “A man is not dead while his name is still spoken.” So, may his name echo eternally through the clacks. GNUTerryPratchett

Anyone in Boston up for chatting next week let me know!

Watching the Phantom menace. “You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the force.” 9yo: Balance? Me: Between the light and dark side. 9yo: But.. aren’t there more Jedi for the light side? Me: Congratulations, you’re smarter than the Jedi council.

Memories of when a song could spark a revolution.

From an interaction with Microsoft copilot. Neither myself nor copilot are neurologists. I have a PhD in Biochemistry (it was the department of Biochemistry that gave it to me, so that’s what I have) with a thesis on Epigenetic regulation of cortical development by EZH2. Copilot is something else

I’m holding a twin, picking one sister from school. The other ones (other sister and twin) are home. A little puppy jumps up at me. Baby frowns. Me: “It’s ok, the doggy just wanted cuddles. But you get cuddles all to yourself today!” Baby looks at me with intense distrust: “brother, cuddles.”

Allow me to be a sappy dad today (more than usual). See, I have an angel. I know, she’s on loan, I’m just keeping her safe. But with her curly hair, her cute, adoring smile (think Shirley Temple), and mostly, her fiery judgment of everything and everyone, she’s just like an angel. She’s 8. Vibes

I have some very confused (borderline upset) twin baby boys that don’t understand why we’re saying happy birthday to our 8yo and not to our 9yo. Not everyone gets the same guys, just you

May realistically have to fundraise.

Dropping 9yo off early for a school trip. Girl I don’t know: 9yo, good morning. Can I please get one of your hugs? I need it today. 9yo: Sure (huge loving hug). Just… be like these kids. Know when you need a hug, know who to ask. And if you’re asked, consider giving one.

Getting ready for school. Ok, girls are ready. Where are the babies? Babies: (They are fine. It was off. But they have the survival instincts of a butternut squash.)

We’ve taken sensorimotor organoids from 5 C9ORF72 lines and 4 controls and: - Phenotyped for ALS hallmarks - Functional analysis (calcium imaging) - scRNAseq at two time points - validation of scRNAseq results at the synaptic level - comparison to tdp43 mutant line - proteomics (pending). So much

“When you're chewing on life's gristle, don't grumble, give a whistle, and this'll help things turn out for the best.” Have you ever stopped to think we may just not be whistling enough, collectively?

Me: “Oh I’m so excited for this scRNAseq data we’re getting!!” We get the data. Me: (Thanks to the amazing @lrizzardi.bsky.social )!

This is your daily reminder that EVERYTHING and ANYTHING is possible.

Watching Gargoyles on Disney + Me: So they protect the castle even though people hate them. 9yo: Like the X-Men! Me: Like… yes, like the X-men.

I would just like to point out that the girls took some dance pictures which look awesome and $245 +TAXES FOR 7 PICS IS BLOODY HIGHWAY ROBBERY. Respect to photographers everywhere but you can’t convince me that 45 seconds of your time is worth $35. Yes, even with equipment and set up.

Does anyone have the remarkable mini? How good is it as a note taking device?

“I’m really excited about the Narnia book for my birthday! Oh and I would also like a little baby doll if you can manage and it’s not too expensive.” “Is that the truth?” “Yes!!” I really, really want to spoil them and they won’t let me.

It’s worth pointing out that this was the actual conversation. She would rather have the laminator. We ended up settling on the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe book as her favorite option. Seriously, I don’t know if she would like anything else.

Me: 7yo, what would you like for your birthday? 7yo: my teacher has something I would really love… Me: What? 7yo: A laminator! Me: A.. laminator? Well.. probably best not dear, anything else? 7yo: Well… my friends have a 3D printer.. Me:

We just noticed one of the twins somehow got a whole pork chop and is devouring, hidden away in a corner of the living room. The pork chop he didn’t want to eat on his own plate, in the dinning room, at the table, because he was feeing a mix of primeval hunter instinct. Boys. (He’s gnawing at it)

Ok, so I’ll be in Boston in early May, Montreal for ISSCR in early July and Portugal in mid-July! Drop a line if you want to say hi!

Little boy (about 4) is screaming and kicking, asking for his brother who is still in the feather. Yeah, I sympathize. Father: Do you want a spanking? I swear to goodness if he touches that child…

Wanna laugh? I am using a random number generator to pick one of our birth years, a side of the Atlantic, which of the top 5 songs. The twins, number 4 and 6, ended uo with number 5 in Portugal, and 2 in the US, and the exact same song. Beautiful things. (It’s not as unlikely as you think)

Ok I have a rapidly filling schedule in Boston from May 3rd to May 7th, if you would like to meet and chat about science and nonsense, let me know!* *disclaimer: this is untrue, and my schedule is actually pretty empty.

“What do you want for breakfast twins?” “Soup!” “S…soup?” “Soup!” “… I mean why not?”

Spotify: Let me guess the color of your aura playlist! Me: What? Why? What?… sure. Spotify: Indigo! classical … Me: Maybe because I play lullabies every day? Spotify: Let me guess your enneagram! Me: WTH IS AN… you know what, ok. Spotify: 5! Me (looking it up): the investigator? …

Baby is playing with a pterodactyl. Me: That a dinosaur? Baby: Sausaurus! Me: Great! What sound does it make? Baby (humming the Imperial March and pretending to march with the Pterodactyl ): Tum Tum Tum da da dum da da dum… Me: what?? Baby: Star Wars! Me: I can see it

Hey, blue version of the hive mind (microglia stuff): While looking into our phagocytosis assay within organized, we found some interesting behavior we haven’t seen in vitro: when they start a-munching, they start a-swarming. Seriously, they look like little bundled grapes. Anyone seen this?

Woke up at 5:30 AM with both twins bouncing on my bed and singing “My little soda pop” … I’ll take it. I’ll take it every single day until they break the bed.