Had a fantastic time at #ARVO2026 - so much exciting science, great food, wonderful colleagues, and any form of weather you might want! I am especially honored to have been elected to the AMPC for the Retinal Cell Biology section along with @latorrelab.bsky.social!

For me, this signals the start of fun science at #ARVO ❤️

I had a great time visiting Iowa last week, and it was fantastic to catch up with outstanding alums from our PhD program who are out there doing amazing things! @shyamraji.bsky.social @eannemartin.bsky.social

Had a great visit to the University of Kansas! I got to catch up with a bunch of Utah Human Genetics alums, saw the ctenophores, had Rock Choc Jayhawk at Sylas and Maddy’s, and got to bond with my brother’s cat.

Had an absolute blast visiting the NEI yesterday! It was great to see so many fantastic people including @samerhattar.bsky.social @jeffreyafarrell.bsky.social @katwrog.bsky.social @abhinavsur.bsky.social @tmr65.bsky.social and so many more!

Hard to believe it’s been six years - that was also our first week of remote work and school due to Covid, so my kids were at home to experience their first earthquake (and me hollering at them to get under our big dining room table)

Huge congratulations to Pramod Karthikeyan from the lab on winning the 2026 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award from the University of Utah School of Medicine! Here’s Pramod in action presenting at Capitol Hill Day last month! @utah.edu @uuhsresearch.bsky.social

Join us for the 2026 Visual System Development GRC at Sunday River, Maine!

Best kind of surprise for the weekend: an unexpected meet-up with Chase, the first PhD student from the lab!

Sunrise in Maryland

So excited to go to Vienna for this in July!

📅EZM2026-Save the date! We are delighted to welcome you to the 13th European Zebrafish Meeting in Vienna, Austria! 📑Submit your abstract by March 15 2026! ✅Early bird registrations are now open until April 15th 2026 We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Tonight’s diversion: a combined performance of the Wasatch Junior High Concert Band, Skyline High School Wind Ensemble, and the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds

First project of the year: a hat for a friend Harlow Flip, Icy Sunset colorway from @spincycle-yarns.bsky.social @dreareneeknits.bsky.social 🧶 #knitsky

Felt this on campus at the University of Utah

Just felt a little earthquake in Salt Lake City?

🧪IMPORTANT! This graphic explains how science all over the US is funded. Congress approved a 2% increase in the #NIH budget for FY 26. Buried in the bill- Shift of ~40% of grants to MYF. This will still result in a 35% DECREASE in the NUMBER of grants funded per yr. Russel Vought is behind this.

Good news from NIH! Michael Chiang has apparently been reappointed as Director of the National Eye Institute www.nei.nih.gov/about/our-mi...

Great overview of the damage to science over the past year. This shows NIH awarded 24% fewer new research awards in FY2025 vs 2024. The multiyear funding language in the new LHHS bill means we should expect the same amount of new science this year. www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

One year into Trump's second presidency, how are science and medical research faring? Our @nature.com team breaks it down for you. (1/n) From @virginiagewin.bsky.social, learn about Layoffs ✅ Funding cuts ✅ Attacks on science ✅ www.nature.com/articles/d41... 🧪

The NIH's MYF policy in 2025 resulted in 4000 fewer grants and fellowships that touched every area of biology and medicine; continuing it in 2026 would be disastrous for science, technology and health in the United States 🧪 www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Survivorship Bias Sugar Cookies for the Human Genetics Department Holiday Baking Extravaganza

« Not in word list » 😕

An honor and dream come true to perform alongside Yo-Yo Ma, presented by Celebrity Series at Boston Symphony Hall. 💜 🎼Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod)

This week, the world lost a beacon of joy, compassion, and generosity. We will miss you, Virginia. 💔 www.vcstar.com/obituaries/p...

Article on research cuts beginning to affect the University of Utah (gift link): “At this point, [University President] Randall noted, the U hasn’t felt the full effects of the Trump administration’s research cuts. ‘What will happen next year,’ he said, ‘we will see.’” www.sltrib.com/news/educati...

A deep dive into the destruction of US cancer research by @jonathanmahler.bsky.social “It’s an absolutely unmitigated disaster,” a former top official at NIH told him. “It will take decades to recover from this, if we ever do.” Gift link: nyti.ms/48iH3Cr

Le Pas Espagnol Op. 56, No. 6 by Fauré Super-fun performing with my son (17) despite the near-disaster of our music being blown off of the piano in the drafty recital hall - we were saved by my daughter (13)!

Snapshots from end-of-summer travels: Pennsylvania (1/2)

We need a new microscope objective. A $1.6k tariff for something that you can hold in your hand and that is only manufactured in Germany

STAT Story www.statnews.com/2025/07/29/t... 1/n

www.statnews.com/2025/07/29/t... “[OMB’s rule on NIH spending] constitutes the entirety of new and, possibly, ongoing research grant dollars that go from the NIH out to universities, academic medical centers, and other research institutions.” e.g., noncompeting awards are in jeopardy

Op-Ed from Dana Carroll and my father Jerry Kaplan highlighting some amazing history of publicly funded science at the U. of Utah and how this is in grave jeopardy. First NIH grant ever was to U of U!

The University of Utah could be in danger of losing $100+ million annually School leaders worry Trump administration’s court-contested grant policies could severely impact local research, jobs www.deseret.com/utah/2025/07...

Summer storm

New story about CBO analysis of the effects of NIH cuts and FDA changes on drug development. 1/n [Gift link] www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/h...

Scenes from Madison #IZFC2025

Huge congratulations to Sarah LaPotin from the lab for winning a poster prize at #IZFC2025!!

IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT Please watch the workshop video and COMMENT by 5:00 Monday 7/14 This is the source of the "no more model organism only grants in NIH-funded research" decree.

The winners of the 2025 George Streisinger Award are the Course Directors of the Zebrafish Development and Genetics course at MBL, for their tremendous contributions to our amazing community for >25 years! #izfc2025

So very, very happy to be back in Madison for #IZFC2025!

🚨🚨🚨 Tol2kit announcement! We have rebuilt the wiki that was corrupted a few months ago! We’re in the process of also linking it to the original address. Please visit us here: tol2kitkwan.genetics.utah.edu Thank you for your patience!! #zebrafish #transgenesis #plasmids #sharing

Some personal news: amid everything going on, I’ve been promoted to Professor. I am so deeply grateful to all of the past and present members of the lab, who allowed me to be a part of their journey. I am so honored to call all of you my colleagues.

Spam text messages are getting aggressive

Researchers Train Mice To Choose Between Life-Saving Medications And Other Essentials theonion.com/researc...

Much appreciated support from biotech execs and investors 🙏 www.statnews.com/2025/06/27/b...

As I was finishing my postdoc, I received proofs on November 29, 2011 with a 48 hour deadline. I went into labor that night and my daughter was born at 10:15 am on November 30.