I’m incredibly proud to announce my first grant as a Principal Investigator from the CJD Foundation! We are studying Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease to understand why brain cells "overload" and fail. Huge thanks to the CJD Foundation and the families who made this possible. 🙏

The latest @radiolab.bsky.social on neuron organoids is a masterclass in why serendipity is the core to scientific discovery. Chasing strange phenomena can yield huge breakthroughs. 🧠🧵 (1/2)

If you are submitting an NIH grant in February, you will be required to use SciENcv to prepare you biosketch. IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE. Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.

Happy New Year! May 2026 bring you fewer projects, more publications, and p-values < 0.05. May you breeze past Reviewer #3 and finally achieve that much-needed work-life balance. 🥂✨ #Science #AcademicLife #NewYear

A life-sciences job in Boston used to be a sure path to a high-paying career, but empty labs and unemployed grads now herald tougher times in the city. 🔗: on.wsj.com/4jmIwvd

This @wsj.com article highlights the slowdown in Boston, but anecdotally other biotech hubs, such as San Diego and San Francisco, are facing similar downturns 📉. Is this the usual "boom and bust" cycle, or a structural shift in the industry and waning US science support?🤔 www.wsj.com/tech/biotech...

2025 has been a marathon of a year: • 2 co-authored papers 📚 • 1 preprint 📄 • Oral presentation at Prion2025 🇧🇷 •Presented at @ucsdmedschool.bsky.social • 4 grant apps submitted 📝 ...all while chasing an energetic toddler. 🏃‍♂️ Ready for 2026! ☕️☕️ #AcademicSky #Science

New updates from NIH to tackle application backlogs: 1. Meetings cut to one day; only the top 30-35% are discussed. 2. The top third, and middle third ("competitive but NOT discussed") will both considered for funding 3. Scores released fast; simplified Summary Statements later. #NIH #ScienceFunding

2025 has been a roller coaster 🎢, from the lowest lows to the highest heights. But I can always trust that the elevator to my lab at @ucsandiego.bsky.social breaks down at least once a month. At this point, I'm convinced it's the university's secret initiative to keep its scientists in shape 😅

The first nonprofit-led gene therapy just won FDA approval for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, a win for patients, but also a cautionary tale. Many gene therapies aren’t financially sustainable, and companies are abandoning them. www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/itali...

I had a great time attending my first prion conference. I was honored to be selected to present my work, and it has been an amazing experience meeting other researchers and developing collaborations! #prion2025

Lovely quote I heard from a fellow PhD today “The only thing I hate more than being forced to learn new things is teaching them...” 😱😱 #somepeople

The strides for CJD event and the CJD foundation are vital for supporting families, funding researchers, and raising physician awareness. I was glad to join Drs. Sigurdson and Rajic from @ucsdhealthsci.bsky.social to discuss our research and progress in treatment at the #Strides4CJD in San Diego.

These @radiolab.bsky.social episodes highlight how curiosity-driven science can lead to real-world impact. I truly believe they should be required listening in schools. They teach the reality of the slow, steady march of scientific progress. 🎧 bit.ly/3EqqSGV vist.ly/3m2ryne

Just had that weirdly delightful moment where @radiolab.bsky.social started interviewing someone from my PhD institute, @sbpdiscovery.bsky.social Gotta love when the science world feels small in the best way. #STEM #PhDLife #SciencePodcasts open.spotify.com/episode/4Elq...

Fantastic work from our lab: In press at @jclinical-invest.bsky.social, we show that a single amino acid mutation in the prion protein alters NMDAR activity leading to rapid neurodegeneration without triggering aggregate formation. 🧠🧪 www.jci.org/articles/vie...

Excited to share my latest preprint studying prion disease. (🧵) PrPC-induced signaling in human neurons activates phospholipase Cγ1 and an Arc/Arg3.1 response www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

PrPC-induced signaling in human neurons activates phospholipase Cγ1 and an Arc/Arg3.1 response https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.01.645054v1

From 2010 to 2016 (latest data I have ), NIH research contributed to EVERY drug approved by the FDA

For every $1 spent by NIH, $2.56 was generated in return and supported over 400,000 jobs. Funding #science is one of the best investments a country can make! www.forbes.com/sites/michae...

Science saves lives! @standupforscience.bsky.social @ucsdmedschool.bsky.social

Biomedical research in San Diego is an engine of innovation and cures. It's time to show the world that people value the contributions of science and scientists! Please join "Stand Up for Science" at UCSD. #researchsaveslives @kpbssandiego.bsky.social @standupforscience.bsky.social

Just as I am writing a paper. PubMed was down today, and the eRA Commons portal is still down. I am happy Google Scholar is still working. Find citations may become more difficult in the weeks to come 😮‍💨 #neurosky #NIH #PudMed

Congratulations to the Kaul lab @ucriverside.bsky.social for their recent publication looking at the long-term effects of chronic low-dose methamphetamine in NeuroHIV. This was one of the first projects I contributed to during my PhD. It is great to see it finally published!

Freezing NIH funding will have consequences for everyone, not only scientists, from cancer treatments to pandemic preparedness to advancements in dementia. @standupforscience.bsky.social is organizing a rally to show our support for science on March 7, 2025 @ucsandiego.bsky.social

Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025! Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide! #scienceforall #sciencenotsilence

Two of the best shows out there, @sciencevs.bsky.social and The Indicator from @planetmoney.bsky.social, made episodes about the implications of recent cuts to NIH research.

A great infographic showing the essential services and facilities supported by #NIH indirect costs.

Just as we finish recovering from our lab getting flooded (the drywall is finally installed)… We have a fire right next to our building 🔥🔥 At this point, I am interviewing exorcists to give the lab a cleansing 😮‍💨😮‍💨 #science #lab

Today’s reminder that viruses such as #BirdFlu affect human health, but also have economic consequences. It is crucial the @NIH and @USDA continue funding research for infectious diseases. My wife said my weekend omelet will have to wait 🥲 #eggs #Science #H5N1

The best Christmas present of the year was by far this “COVID-19” teething toy. You have to start teaching them virology early! #Christmas #Science #COVID19 #virology

Starting 2025 with a visit to the Hungarian State Opera 🎭. Let’s hope this recharges me for an eventful year ahead. #hungary #nutcracker

Last visit to the lab to close a crazy 2024. Total tally for 2024: 1-co-author publication ✅ 1-grant ✅ 1-travel award ✅ 3-talks ✅ 2-poster presentations ✅ But most important to them all 1-new family member 👶 Time to spend time with the family. Let’s hope 2025 is even better 🎉🍾

It was a lot of fun to present at #CellBio2024. The Sigurdson lab was well represented this year. We look forward to Philadelphia next year. @ascbiology.bsky.social

Well… I definitely didn’t have lab getting flooded on my bingo card for this week 🤯🤯. Hopefully the walls dry and we avoid opening any walls 😮‍💨