🦆 QUACK! 🦆 QUACK! 🦆 QUACK! Now, THIS is a great campaign. @standupforscience.bsky.social, led by @cdelawalla.bsky.social, began delivering "Quack-O-Grams" to Congress this past week. The message is simple: Impeach "the Quack," Robert F. Kennedy Jr. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjET... (1/10) 🧪

In a hearing, Susan Monarez told senators she was let go for holding the line on scientific integrity. cen.acs.org/policy/regul... #chemsky 🧪

As a scientist, it's alarming to hear about a plan to abruptly change the US childhood #vaccine schedule without substantial evidence. As a parent to a one-year-old, it's terrifying. www.statnews.com/2025/09/17/m... (1/5) 🧪

I can't stress enough how important it is to spend time with your people now and again, #SciComm included! Since I had an AWESOME time at a Ticket to Biotech event yesterday, I wanted to share some of my quick takeaways from this #biotech meet-up. tickettobiotech.com (1/6) 🧪

The recent interview of Holden Thorp, @science.org EOC, on #SciComm by Patrick Boyle in AAMCNews is an absolute banger! Now more than ever, it’s critical for scientists, organizations, and companies to deliver scientific messages that stick. www.aamc.org/news/restore... (1/9) 🧪

It's no fun to wake up on a Friday to news that the #SupremeCourt ruled 5-4 to let the Trump Administration cut $783 million in #NIH grants. www.npr.org/2025/08/21/g... (1/9) 🧪

This quote lives rent-free in my head. #SciComm #ScientificCommunications #MedicalCommunications (1/9) 🧪

RFK Jr.'s baseless decision to cancel 22 BARDA grants supporting mRNA vaccine development will cost lives and hurt people. Full stop. 🛑 www.bbc.com/news/article... (1/8) 🧪

How did we go from decades of broad political support for US science & scientists to unprecedented attacks on their autonomy and independence? And how can scientists build stronger community connections today? Science Network member Christopher Fisher explores these questions and more in this blog.

I'm not the only one who thinks society's future depends on the evolution of #Scientists trained to marry scientific disciplines with #HumanCulture and #Policy! Don't take it from me. Take it from Jonas Salk, virologist, researcher, polio vaccine inventor, and vaccination champion. (1/4) 🧪

Modern science needs more Bacon! That's a rallying cry we can all get behind, right? But, before you get too confused (and/or excited), I don't mean 🥓 salt-cured meat 🥓! I mean Bacon with a capital "B." Sir Francis Bacon, that is. (1/9) 🧪

Welp, it's been a chaotic 24 hrs for US research. Yesterday, OMB directed the NIH to "pause" the spending of appropriated funds for grants, contracts, and training awards. Hours later, the WH signaled it would abandon OMB's plan. Can you say whiplash? (1/8) 🧪 www.statnews.com/2025/07/29/t...

📣EVENT ALERT! Join us next Monday, July 7th at 6:30pm PT at Burke-Gilman Brewing Co. in Seattle, WA for a conversation on how science works with @carlbergstrom.com (UW Biology) and Kevin Gross (NCSU Statistics) - and you! Find the event here & register➡️ zurl.co/nEQAN @burkebrewing.bsky.social

#ClimateChange? YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?! @weareyellowdot.bsky.social 🧪 www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O95...

We need to have an honest discussion about #science and #society. With massive cuts looming over US scientific, medical, and academic institutions, it's clear that the scientific community needs to retool its role IN society. ▶️ Check out my blog for @ucs.org. blog.ucs.org/science-blog... (1/5) 🧪

Here's a tough but important Monday read for you. The article, an opinion piece in @statnews.com, comes from six former CDC #vaccine advisory committee chairs (linked in the comments). www.statnews.com/2025/06/20/a... (1/7) 🧪

#SciComm frameworks sometimes feel “obvious." But they help us think clearly about the big picture. Here’s one for you: a mnemonic to boot! The Public Health Communications Collaborative's CALM approach harps on some of my favorite soapboxes. publichealthcollaborative.org/resources/th... (1/X) 🧪

"We're not hunting werewolves." Strange way to begin, I know, but bear with me! I like to use this phrase with my clients, colleagues, and fellow advocates when talking about strategic #ScientificCommunication and #Advocacy. Why? Because there are no "silver bullets" in #SciComm. (1/6) 🧪

Don't ya just hate it you're cruising on some rad scientific content and then suddenly you have to get baby raccoons out of your basement? I know. I know. We've ALL been there. Just #SciComm things... But hey, let's use this chance to talk about how amazing raccoons are! I wanna hear your 🦝 facts.

Hey #SciComm and #MedComm folks, how do you communicate uncertainty? Uncertainty is a tricky topic. I mean, heck, when discussing uncertainty in a general sense, you're defining a word that describes how things are hard to fully define. That's pretty meta, if you ask me! 🧪 (1/7)

When @lastweektonight.com covers a topic, it's usually bad news for it. So, what was the main story this week? #HHS John Oliver has a way with presenting terrible news in a strangely palatable way. Still, this was tough to watch. You should still watch it. (1/2) 🧪 www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H34...

Has it felt like recent US science policy changes caught the scientific community flat-footed? If so, you're not alone. It's been hard NOT to think about it. Maybe you're asking, "how did we get here?" Or, "why isn't something being done about it?" cen.acs.org/policy/Scien... (1/8) 🧪 #Chemsky

How much do you think about clinical #diagnostic tests in your medical care? For the most part, we tend to focus on the result and what it means for our health. Though that's very sensible, it also makes it easy to take the important work that enables those vital results for granted. (1/5) 🧪

Science advocates are pushing hard against the Trump administration's actions. But better leadership and more public engagement are needed to make a difference in this unprecedented political climate. cen.acs.org/policy/Scien... #ChemSky #Science #AcademicSky #SciSky

Is this what "radical transparency" looks like? I am still processing yesterday's devastating mass #HHS layoffs affecting #FDA regulatory leaders, #NIH directors, #CDC scientists, & many more. Close to home, comms teams were almost entirely eliminated. (1/6) 🧪 www.statnews.com/2025/04/01/h...

To support US science, we have to do more than play defense. Though lambasting policy decisions that negatively impact the scientific endeavor is essential, it's not enough. We also need to go on the offensive. That means we need more scientists to become proactive communicators. (1/10) 🧪

It's not political or controversial to say, "I'm anti-cancer and pro #CancerResearch." It's probably the easiest endorsement. So, why are there ANY disruptions to US cancer research? If you can, read this. It's not a fun read, but it's an important one. www.statnews.com/2025/03/24/t... (1/7) 🧪

This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH

A friend drove two hours today for her breast cancer chemotherapy only to learn it was canceled due to NIH cuts. Clinical trial ended midstream. No treatment, no restart, no plan, no information. Her bro-in-law's chemo was also canceled.

I’m curious, scientists and medical professionals: what was the last bit of fiction you read? How often do you find the time to dive into novels, short stories, plays, poems, etc.? I love talking about connecting science and fiction. It’s one of my favorite soap boxes. (And, I have many!) (1/10) 🧪

Happy Pi Day Friday! We only get one day to celebrate the most famous mathematical constant, so make it...count. By that, I really mean eat pie. Aside from being a homophone, a pie is usually a circle after all. If you divide the pie's circumference by its diameter, you get another #pi! (1/2) 🧪

With the many ongoing developments in # AI and # ML, it can sometimes be difficult to separate the actual value from the hype, including in # DrugDiscovery and Development. So, I was thrilled to find a recent editorial by a team at @evotec.bsky.social that provides a great look. #chemsky (1/6) 🧪

Great turnout in Boston @standupforscience.bsky.social! People are still arriving in droves, as the Liberty Mall and surround areas of the Commons fill out. Clearly, this academic, #biotech, and healthcare epicenter is ready to advocate for #science in US society! 🧪

Since we're coming up on the 5 year mark since the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, I've been wondering what we learned from it from a #SciComm perspective. In particular, I'm been thinking about how politicians & officials used the phrase "Follow the Science." (1/9) 🧪

Another NIH grant rescinded - The Epidemiology of Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias in Sexual and Gender Minority Older Adults: Identifying Risk and Protective Factors - 1K01AG056669

I want to call attention to how US funding disruptions affect the #biotech industry. In particular, let's carefully watch what happens to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. (1/9) 🧪 www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/analyst-comm...

It's more important than ever that scientists and clinicians communicate effectively. I'm increasingly convinced that means we need to embrace greater complexity in our public-facing #SciComm efforts. Here are some of my favorite places to start dialing in complexity. (1/11) 🧪

How important is #PubMed to you? I use it every day, and I'm worried about its future (and really the NLM/NCBI at large). It may not be perfect, but it's an amazing resource for #biomedical research. If you're worried too, read Hilda Bastian's blog. absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/02/14/w... (1/6) 🧪

Like many, I've been chewing all weekend on the NIH's announced massive cut in indirect costs. Its abruptness and steepness are alarming. As is that, it seems illegal. To me, optics and a #SciComm breakdown lie at the center of this issue. (1/14) 🧪 www.statnews.com/2025/02/10/n...

Looking for a GREAT #MedicinalChemistry story today? Of course you are, and I've got just the thing! Imagine this: it's 1999, and an important HIV drug is on the market. Without warning, a production site can't make the life-saving medicine anymore. (1/3) 🧪 www.youtube.com/watch?v=PccO...

It's a good time to remind everyone that federal support for #science has been ingrained in the function of the United States since its beginning. During the first annual address to Congress in 1790 (a speech that would become the State of the Union), George Washington stated so directly. (1/9) 🧪

What the hell is going on? Just let NIH researchers do work...

Here's an uplifting story! I just came across this AWESOME article by @laureloldach.bsky.social in @cenmag.bsky.social. US #DrugManufacturers long relied on horseshoe crab blood for endotoxin testing, a key #microbio QC step. Late 2024, that finally changed. (1/6) 🧪 cen.acs.org/safety/drug-...

Continuing my concern train 🚂, abruptly and indefinitely postponing #NIH study sections and advisory committees only delays important R&D activities. Effective #BiomedicalResearch requires steady infrastructure and expert dialogue. The NIH provides that. (1/4) 🧪 www.statnews.com/2025/01/22/t...

While there's definitely room to improve how we talk about #PublicHealth, ceasing agency communications (even temporarily) isn't a good idea. Consistent, transparent communication is essential for establishing & maintaining public trust in scientific institutions. (1/4) 🧪 apnews.com/article/trum...

New year, new me, new viral outbreak? Please, no. Since the first US bird flu death was reported last week, I thought I'd use my #Influenza A (IAV) experience to talk a bit about it and provide an update on the #H5N1 bird flu circulating in US cattle, chickens, and wild birds. (1/14)

Health officials in Louisiana say a person there has died after catching bird flu. This marks the first reported death in the U.S. from the virus during the current outbreak.

Being a parent in #SciComm is sitting down to burn some midnight oil on science writing while listening to bangers... ...only to realize after several minutes that you've been listening to "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" & "If You're Happy and You Know It." 🤘

With the holidays upon us, it's time to cut yourself some slack and REST! Above my desk sits this note from my Dad, which he sent me during undergrad (with some cash), which continues to serve as my reminder. So, listen to Poppa Fisher: Do something fun, rest a bit, & then get back to work. (1/3)

If you're ever in New Orleans, go check out the NOLA Pharmacy Museum! It provides a rare window into the early history of American #PharmaceuticalScience. Our history provides critical context that helps our continued progress. Science and medicine are no exceptions to that! (1/6)