As an overall note, people can say shit that sounds good but do absolutely nothing to improve people's quality of life. Take that into consideration on everything you hear.

For a story in @beingpatient.bsky.social, I'm looking to speak with #neurologists who've had healthy patients come to them because they believed they had Alzheimer's after taking a direct-to-consumer Alzheimer's blood test. DM me or get in touch at simon (at) beingpatient (dot) com

Working on a story for @thesicktimes.org about the quality, utility, and risks of exercise trials in Long COVID (and how often they mention/measure PEM). Looking to speak with anyone that's participated in these trials and experienced PEM/other negative side effects as a result.

Digital Cognitive Tests: How AI Tools Could Transform Alzheimer’s Diagnosis and Care beingpatient.com/digital-cogn... by @spichaksimon.bsky.social @beingpatient.bsky.social #Alzheimers #dementia #AI #ArtificialIntelligence

There's a suite of new AI-powered digital cognitive tests coming to market. The goal: Speed up the assessment and spot people who might benefit from more extensive testing sooner. My latest for @beingpatient.bsky.social beingpatient.com/digital-cogn...

Can antivirals against herpes treat early-stage Alzheimer's? At #AAIC2025, researchers presented data from a clinical trial showing no effect. My latest for @beingpatient.bsky.social beingpatient.com/cold-sore-vi... 1/6

Delayed Disability Benefit Leaves Canadians Struggling, Facing Bank Fees They Can't Afford Customers with TD and BMO are affected but it isn't clear how many or when the situation will be fixed. My reporting on the #CDB delay. simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/canada-dis...

When researchers and press offices overhype their findings it can undermine trust and distort expectations for people living with these diseases. A few things I learned as a researcher and now a science journalist. A🧵 1/n

Though blood tests can't predict if a healthy person will get Alzheimer's, many people still want to know their risk. For @beingpatient.bsky.social I covered a recent study that looked at some of the complexity behind learning your risk. 1/n🧵 beingpatient.com/learning-alz...

Welcome to the era of vibes-based medicine! A new study in the Lancet eClinicalMedicine finds that exercise for Long COVID is an effective treatment - and they do that by using studies of people who didn't have Long COVID.

Coca-Cola used to have cocaine. 7-Up's original formula opted for the mood-stabilizing drug lithium. Now the mood-stabilizing drug is back in the news for a different reason - could it slow down Alzheimer's? At @beingpatient.bsky.social we cut through the hype. beingpatient.com/science-behi...

(1/2) Key genetic differences found in people with ME/CFS > Swipe to find out more. These findings reflect the lived experience of thousands of #pwME. Thanks to all our participants & supporters who made this possible! Read a summary of our results: shorturl.at/pgsjk

Six months later: What their response on ME/CFS tells us about the Cochrane Collaboration. New post at Absolutely Maybe .... 1/2 absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/07/31/s... #MECFS

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🩸There are several dozen blood tests to help diagnose Alzheimer's on the market. When should doctors use them?🩸 At the @alzassociation.bsky.social International Conference, the association presented new guidance. My coverage in @beingpatient.bsky.social beingpatient.com/blood-tests-...

🧠 What have we learned about anti-amyloid drugs for #Alzheimer's since 2023? 🧠 My coverage of the real-world data presented at this year's @alzassociation.bsky.social International Conference (#AAIC2025) in Toronto. Read my coverage @beingpatient.bsky.social beingpatient.com/4-questions-...

My coverage of #AAIC2025 is live now on @beingpatient.bsky.social. What's good for the heart appears to be good for the brain, in this observational study. People taking multiple cardiovascular drugs had slower cognitive decline than those who weren't on any. beingpatient.com/aaic-2025-ca...

Had the privilege of being interviewed on the Still Here by @thesicktimes.org discussing my investigative story on Canada's Long COVID guidelines

What can a spider's brain teach us about Alzheimer's and neurodegenerative disease? One of the more fascinating pieces I had the pleasure of working on for @beingpatient.bsky.social www.beingpatient.com/what-can-spi...

My latest for @thesicktimes.bsky.social!

🧠The U.S.’s 35 Alzheimer’s disease research centers provide resources, and care while advancing research and drug trials. As of May, 13 no longer have federal funding. Teams are “scrambling” to continue their mission. My latest For @beingpatient.bsky.social www.beingpatient.com/alzheimers-d...

Several companies are testing out vaccines to prevent and treat Alzheimer's. For @beingpatient.bsky.social, I wrote about these new vaccines and what makes them different from the previous generation which failed in clinical trials. www.beingpatient.com/precision-pr...

Sometimes Goober likes to scratch himself like a dog 🦔

On March 15th, I gathered alongside a few dozen others in front of Queen's Park for #LongCOVID awareness day, organized by @cancovsoc.bsky.social. My thoughts on this moment and how policymakers are failing disabled Canadians🧵 simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/a-reflecti...

Heading down for Toronto's #LongCOVID awareness event

Canadian researchers developing recommendations for treating #LongCOVID released these gems: 1. CBT along with pacing to treat post-exertional malaise 2. A 6 minute walk test to evaluate patients, even though it could trigger PEM CC @sunsopeningband.bsky.social @longcovidphysio.bsky.social

Sharing for visibility www.statnews.com/2025/03/03/n... Thank you @statnews.com

Still working on a story for @beingpatient.bsky.social looking at the impact of firings and cuts at the #NIH, #FDA and other agencies on Alzheimer's and dementia. If you've got any information/internal memos/emails you'd like to share -- get in touch on Signal at simonspichak.64

New: Trump-controlled NIH begins targeted purge of LGBTQ+ research. Citing "agency priorities," some grants were terminated on Friday, leaving researchers with uncertain futures. Two researchers share their stories: open.substack.com/pub/insideme...

At least two grants that were previously approved at the #NIH are now being rescinded because of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion executive order. These grants fund research looking at Alzheimer's disease risk and caregiving in the LGBTQIA+ population. bsky.app/profile/jace...

Just received notice that our grant was terminated. 5R24AG066599-03 TheRiseRegistry.org

I wrote about the rising levels of microplastics being found in human brains for @beingpatient.bsky.social. While the rise of microplastics is worrying, scientists aren't sure yet how these particles affect our health. www.beingpatient.com/rising-micro...

With the Ontario Provincial election looming - I looked at how the major political parties to assess their policies around disability, COVID and Long COVID. simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/how-ontari...

Hey #NeuroSky, I'm still looking to speak with people at the #NIH or #FDA to understand how #Alzheimer's research is being affected. Are you discussing the cuts in meetings with your trainees? Are you a former employee who was fired or resigned? Get in touch via Signal. Message simonspichak.64

1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%. I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

Hey #NeuroSky, always looking to speak with anyone at the NIH with insight into what's going on with Alzheimer's and dementia research for @beingpatient.bsky.social. Get in touch via Signal - happy to keep you anonymous. Send a message to simonspichak.64

We are hearing that Andy Singleton, director of a new and promising Alzheimer's research center at NIH, just announced his resignation. This will disrupt innovative new Alzheimer's work to go beyond the "amyloid hypothesis." Bad news for anyone who's been touched by this disease. 🧪

On a related note, I'll be working on a story for my newsletter about the policies and promises #Ontario's provincial parties are making around #disability/#ODSP/#COVID. Get in touch if you've got any thoughts!

Just independently verified. So folks, why does it take you to a mental health page? Pick one: a) Incompetence b) Malice c) All of the above #ONPoli #COVID #LongCOVID

Here's my latest on the very grim happenings inside NIH

Absolutely love when my FOI request with the Public Health Agency of Canada takes more than 120 days to acknowledge and start processing...

A long post about what’s happening to the science funding agencies in the US and why. As mentioned, this one just kept getting longer even as I kept stripping curse words from it. www.science.org/content/blog...

Today @thesicktimes.bsky.social: an honor to have the great @davetuller1.bsky.social writing for us, covering the recent scandal at Cochrane over their flawed ME/CFS review. thesicktimes.org/2025/02/04/r...

‪ lmao sorry this is so fucked up??? I was using they/them pronouns when I started at the NYT in 2021 and when I left in 2022.

Here’s my statement as Lead for @whrcluster.bsky.social on the importance of studying women’s health- (& the importance of within & across sex & gender investigations) for our best chance at precision medicine womenshealthresearchcluster.com/learn/womens...

Hey virology/epidemiology/public health types: I'm writing a piece for WIRED on how the MAGA obsession with COVID origins/gain-of-function/biolabs is helping drive the assault on the NIH and USAID (& the DTRA?) If you have information and want to get in touch: [email protected] or Signal:

NASA workers were told to "drop everything" to scrub websites under its control www.404media.co/nasa-dei-dro...

Hey #MedSky + #NeuroSky - I'm a reporter at @beingpatient.bsky.social covering the impact of the NIH/FDA/HHS communications pause and executive orders on #Alzheimers and #dementia research. I'm wondering if the communications pause has lifted. Get in touch via DM or signal at simonspichak.64

@vscooper.micropopbio.org and @mostlymicrobes.bsky.social while downloading scientist spotlights for teaching from the site; ASM has also scrubbed the entire IDEAA page including resources on LGBTQ+ scientists at asm.org/IDEAA/resources/pride-month

until @404media.co published this, this woman's role at DOGE was unknown to the public: www.404media.co/musks-doge-b...