This recent Research Highlight from @heatherwardmd.bsky.social‬ discusses how single rTMS sessions with fMRI to probe mechanism are critical stepping stones that line the path toward highly effective neuromodulation interventions for substance use www.nature.com/artic...

1. Excited to share our new publication in ‪@apa-journals.bsky.social‬ with Alex Moussa-Tooks @iubccnc that links grip strength 🏋️‍♂️ and well-being to alterations in resting-state network connectivity 🧠 psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...

1. Excited to share “Rewiring recovery: Patient-centered 🧲🧠 neuromodulation interventions for substance use disorders that meet people where they are,” in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with @VUMCPsych collaborators Sophia Blyth and Kristopher Kast www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Studies like Petersen et al. that use single rTMS sessions with fMRI to probe the mechanism of rTMS for substance use disorders are critical stepping stones toward highly effective neuromodulation interventions for substance use @heatherwardmd.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Over the next 25 years, if proposed cuts in NIH funding are made real, “In a population of more than 340 million, this reflects **82 million** fewer years of life.” In the US alone. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

This was such a fun Research Highlights piece to write for @npp-journal.bsky.social! I basically got to 👏 the impressive 🧲 🧠 work of @npetersen.bsky.social 🤩 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Excited to announce award of my K99/R00 "Theta burst modulation of hippocampal-cortical rhythms in schizophrenia," under amazing mentors at Stanford including @coreykeller.bsky.social! We will ask whether hippocampal oscillations can be systematically influenced by stimulation in schizophrenia.

1. Our new @JAMAPsych publication shows that provoking symptoms before administering TMS for OCD and nicotine dependence may enhance clinical response. Read more here & tweetorial below: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Co-authors include intern Ishaan Gadiyar, @kaidikang.bsky.social (PhD biostat 2025 @vanderbilt.edu) @vandyatvandy.bsky.social & @heatherwardmd.bsky.social VUMC News feature: news.vumc.org/2025/06/06/n... #MentalHealth

Vanderbilt PhD candidate Megan Jones @mntj21.bsky.social co-first-authored a JAMA Psychiatry review & analysis of 70+ randomized clinical trials that has collected 2K+ views (Altmetric 46) within 2 days. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... More about her at www.vanderbilt.edu/biostatistic...

A 45yo man with a history of TBI and seizures presents with depression resistant to multiple medications. What should be the next treatment? Experts review rTMS, ECT, ketamine, and neurosurgery in this Clinical Challenge @heatherwardmd.bsky.social journals.lww.com/hrpjournal/f...

🥗 If these aren't fightin' words, I don't know what are.

The entire SAMHSA staff that manages the National Survey on Drug Use and Health has been terminated. This is the only survey that tracks mental health and substance use trends in the US. We really are flying blind now.

Unsurprisingly, funding has now also been terminated at University of Pittsburgh. Work from my outstanding colleagues in Psychiatry & Psychology, Erika Forbes and Jennifer Silk, investigating suicide in LGBQT young adults, terminated midstream😩 PA folks, add this to your daily calls to congress ☎️

Unclear why outstanding scientists @crodriguezmdphd.bsky.social and @thebalelab.bsky.social were removed from their important service on the NIH advisory board. Would be great to get some transparency on this…

I'm happy to share our paper in @npp-journal.bsky.social on rsFC, cue-reactivity, and craving in nicotine smoking AND vaping! Thanks to coauthors, @amy.janeslab.org @blaisefrederick.bsky.social @ckorponay.bsky.social @mariascavnicky.bsky.social Here's what we found 🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Small but mighty gathering in Omaha today by UNMC campus. Glad to be there with Adunaevsky.bsky.social!

Proud to stand up for science on the steps of the Tennessee state capital in Nashville! #standupforscience

NIH budget: $ 48b Musk wealth: $351b Both are mostly funded by your tax dollars But only one might save your life . . . . Sources: www.nih.gov/about-nih/wh... Search results: elon musk net worth g.co/kgs/6c8YEuB @standupforscience.bsky.social

Stand Up For Science TN (Nashville) was a success! Thanks to everyone who came out and @campbell4tn.bsky.social and @aftynbehn.bsky.social for coming out and adding their voices to the fight! @standupforscience.bsky.social #standupforscience2025

The mood was defiant at many of the rallies, where chants of “Scientists will not be silenced”, “Facts over fear” and “What do we want? Peer review! When do we want it? Now!” were heard. https://go.nature.com/3F8T6FX

#standupforscience2025 in Nashville was a big success. I spoke. I didn’t throw up. 😂 Love seeing all the pics from around the country and around the world. Out of the lab and into the streets! @standupforscience.bsky.social

What's new at @acnporg.bsky.social in 2025? A whole *new* cohort of ACNP Associate Members! 🤩 Over the next few months, we'll be introducing our new Associate Members, so keep an eye out & send congrats their way! #WelcomeToACNP👋 Today, say hello to Dr. Gustavo Angarita from Yale Psychiatry 👇

At the Capitol in NASHVILLE today…

Our press release about the results is now online here: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/patient...

Guardian story about Federal Register issue is up. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Here’s what is going on. When you start firing the military’s top lawyers, that means you are getting ready to order the military to do unlawful things. Trump replaces those JAGs with men who will justify any future unlawful and unethical actions that he wants the military to do.

@medvanderbilt.bsky.social will be at the Nashville site standupforscience2025.org/nashville-tn/ and we look forward to seeing others there!

“The discoveries that aren’t made — you can’t point to them, because they will never be made,” said Jeremy Berg, a former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. “The hard part is you don’t know what you missed until years later, when something doesn’t happen.”

Also just now, NIH intranet was updated re its communications pause. NIH scientists can now resume travel to and participation in conferences. The pause on updating the Federal Register remains in place -- which means grant-making is effectively frozen, in violation of court orders.

New York Times article now up on Federal Register stuff. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/s... 1/n

The University of Pittsburgh confirmed Friday that there would be no new Ph.D. offers of admission while Pitt works to understand how reduced federal aid could impact the institution.

I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but the Federal Register block is intentionally being used to stop NIH from awarding grants. They might not call it a freeze, but things are effectively frozen. We need legal action ASAP.

Diversity is our greatest asset, even if the government disagrees… They not like us! POC in STEM are here to stay. They tried to rig the game but you can’t fake influence! Mustard on the [Be][At] bro. Happy Black History Month!

$1 billion… Just refusing to fund federal health research and pocketing away the designated money for their own slush funds Sucking $1 billion out of the economy, diverting it from health research… For what?

The Trump Administration is maintaining the NIH grant freeze despite lawsuits challenging the order, a Nature article reported today. Science funding in the US is already lagging, leaving researchers in limbo. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

I'd like to bring this multimillion-dollar photo-op to the attention of Elon Musk and DOGE. Instead of firing food inspectors and air traffic controllers and cancelling critical medical research at NIH, stop this outrageous waste of our people's tax dollars!

This is happening everywhere, officially and unofficially.

Behold 3 fools/liars

1/29: First plane crash in 16 years in DC 1/31: Crash in Philly 2/5: Delta flight struck in Seattle 2/6: Flight wrecks in Alaska 2/10: Crash in Scottsdale 2/12: Military jet crashes in San Diego 2/16: Crash in Covington, GA 7 crashes since the WH congratulated itself for “restoring aviation safety”

American planes are crashing almost every day and the Secretary of Transportation is visiting the Daytona 500 and tweeting at Pete Buttigieg.

On the latest airline crash, by me (no paywall): fallows.substack.com/p/from-defun...

Well that’s interesting www.reuters.com/world/us/fda...

We need Pete Buttigieg as a clear messenger, more than ever.

A card that a 6-year-old made this weekend for an NIH employee.

The Dep't of Health and Human Services laid off employees Saturday evening across some of its biggest agencies, including the FDA and CDC. Those laid off included people who evaluate the safety of medical devices. @rachelcohrs.bsky.social @bloomberg.com Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The Trump administration began firing several hundred FAA employees just *weeks* after a fatal crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

"The emails were 'from an "exec order" Microsoft email address' — not a government email address." apnews.com/article/doge...

On Friday night, HHS ordered CDC to take down all flu vaccine campaign materials from its website. Materials are starting to come down. For example, a campaign explaining that flu shot can reduce flu severity from "wild to mild" is now offline. Left image is from Friday, right is now Meanwhile...