How is it that there are no lightsaber hanukiahs out there? Like... Lightsaber hilts would make the best holders for candles

The "Make America Healthy Again" crowd is, once again, taking actions that harm Americans. Not only will this lead to higher rates of depression and suicidality for youth, it will impact those youth for the rest of their lives. Trans youth deserve care

Yesterday, I had the honor of being the invited speaker at the VCU Department of Psychology's commencement ceremony. While I would love to share all of those words here, apparently character limits exist I encourage you to check out the brand new blog entry on my website:

Happy Hanukkah!

Every so often I relisten to the musical The Last Five Years just to remind myself how fucking awful Jaime is (and how wonderful Jeremy Jordan is)

Today is my 40th birthday. It is also my first day of being officially Jewish. I had an amazing Beit Din, including Rabbi Ahuva Zaches, Rabbi Ariel Tovlev, and @thatrabbicohen.bsky.social. It is so cool to have had numerous queer Rabbis, and a trans Rabbi, on my Beit Din.

I know that it is a little weird to discuss a paper that you were 7th author on, but this is work that I am particularly proud of: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.5...

Some absolute rockstars in my department are accepting student -- each and every one of these researchers is amazing. If you have students interested in health psychology, tell them to consider VCU!

In 2015, @pinknews.bsky.social published a feature on Trans Broken Arm syndrome which I cited in my Social Science & Medicine article about trans broken arm syndrome. A couple of months ago, a PinkNews referenced my article. It just feels so... cyclical. And I am here for it

Some folks go to conference host cities early to sightsee. I go early to visit the local roller derby league

I have a tough time convincing my students that ChatGPT is not a substitute for actual work. There's no way in fuck I have ever pushed students left or manipulated university structures to push my "woke" agenda

So far, I agree with like... 98% of your opinions (Windows PCs are better than Macs). I'll have to share the name for a group of Rabbi with my rabbi. I think she'll get a kick out of it

It's wild to me how "defund the police" ended up leading to similar (or increased) funding in most majority democrat cities, while defunding science and public radio have effectively been done with the stroke of the pen

This is fucked. Science has been *made* political by people who are fighting against truth

One month left! Who is coming to my invited talk at APA? #APA2025

I wish I could say that I was surprised by this decision. I listened to the arguments in real time, and there wasn't a single part of me that had hope that any of the conservative judges could be swayed by rational arguments on this highly (and stupidly) politicized issue

As I watch grant after grant after grant get cancelled, I can't help but think about what this means for the future of research in the United States. We have seen how quickly the damage can be done. We have seen how an administration can use grants as cudgels to get their way

I am incredibly excited to share my work in a couple months at #APA2025 in Denver, CO. In this talk, I will be demonstrating how understanding issues that face minoritized populations (such as trans folks) can help us better understand issues that face the individuals broadly

Ew

Trump abolishes 37 NSF divisions #academicsky #psychscisky #sciencesky www.science.org/content/arti...

I think it's really important to consider context when suggesting that science should engage in more "adversarial collaboration." If the topic is trans lives and trans health, my "adversaries" often seem to believe that trans individuals are trans because of social contagion or mental illness

And suddenly the pseudoscientific bullshit makes even more sense

This reminds me a lot of the work that @gordpennycook.bsky.social did on pseudo-profound bullshit

One of the biggest, and most interesting, things I have noticed about recent anti-trans bullshit is the use of scientific language to push an ideological agenda

PhD Timeline xkcd.com/3081

Getting a gaming computer to complete things for grad school was 100% the correct option. Bootstrapping is infinitely quicker. It really is something to be able to run an SEM with 10000 bootstrap samples in less than 3 minutes

Apparently people are "it" now, and ideas can be illegal. What are these "illegal ideas", ICE?

Funnily, I never broke 1k followers in the Bad Place I'm so happy to have you all with me, and I can't wait to share my upcoming research (and eventually job outcomes) with you all

These are classical techniques used to spread and reinforce misinformation online.

Just a reminder that I am still looking for a new position. My work fits well within multiple contexts ranging from Public Health to Psychology to Political Science. Don't let anti-science fear mongers win -- #HireWall #PsycSciSky #PublicHealth 🌈

Dear USA, Do you really want to make healthcare more efficient? Spend more money on research so that we can make advances that help everyone, and switch over to a single payer healthcare system. Each of these ultimately SAVES money and, more importantly, lives

This is absolutely vile. I am so tired, and it's only March

Look at you, San Francisco!

While my research areas are currently under attack by the Trump administration, they won't be forever. I urge universities and search committees to not only account for the current funding environment, but to prepare for a future where work like mine becomes highly fundable

What is a weird thing that you collect that just brings you joy? Mine is public transit cards

Now it just seems personal. I research trans health and do work in misinformation spaces. Sorry I want people to be happier and healthier? I guess?

This I say to anyone in a position of power, be they department heads, administration, or just plain private foundation funders: if you have ANY contingencies or emergency plans, execute them right now. You cannot wait this out. But even if you could, doing so would irreparable harm researchers.

Do y'all remember when Trump blamed the rise in COVID-19 cases on testing? This is giving similar vibes. Research about gender-affirming care is vital in making the world better for trans youth and adults. Researchers like us are out here trying to make sure that this research happens

Dr. Wall--newly minted--has expertise and insight on the topics of medical misinformation, especially as far as it concerns gender and sexual minorities go, beyond almost anyone I've ever met. I've looked to her for direction for years. If you have the ability to hire her, do it. And shame on NIH.

There are very few people who are meeting the moment, and @catherinesjwall.bsky.social's work expertly weaves political psychology and misinformation research to understand how our current landscape is shaping transgender health policies.

Cat's done some amazing work at the intersection of transgender health and misinformation, and I was in awe watching her present this work at SPSP. If you do research on either of those areas and have a position open, or you know someone who does, spread the word.

This week has been hell. So many people have lost their grants. People are likely losing their jobs. Others, like myself, are at the beginning of their careers -- we may never recover. Please don't forget us. Don't leave us behind

Hear me out... There are tons of researchers who are out jobs or who have lost their grants right now. Canada has the opportunity to do the funniest thing...

My grants were terminated.

The only job that I have been offered was taken away because of the policies of the current administration -- and on my defense day, no less

Let's start here: On Wednesday, I successfully defended my dissertation. In setting up my dissertation work, I learned a whole new subfield of literature on misinformation because it was a topic that I felt was important. And I am proud of the work that I did.

I loved this thread when it was in the other place, and I love it more now. "Just joking" is always "just joking... Unless..."

Today is Retraction Day, when we observe the anniversary of the retraction (Feb. 2, 2010) of the fraudulent paper that purported to show a link between vaccines and autism. 🧪#medsky