Thanks to @sciencey-syd.bsky.social for the opportunity to examine how the prism of queer bioethics can be used to address equity, diversity, & inclusivity in the context of such important topics as stem cell donation, stem cell models & workforce representation. publichealth.uci.edu/2025/10/22/a...
Applying a queer bioethics framework to advance equity in stem cell research – UC Irvine Wen Public Health
publichealth.uci.edu
My UCI colleague Dr. Sydney Prange (@sciencey-syd.bsky.social) & I recently published an article on LGBTQ+ persons, queer bioethics, & the importance of diversity, equity, & inclusivity in stem cell research, regenerative medicine, & other "STEM" fields. OA link: www.tandfonline.com/eprint/SHJBX...
LGBTQ+ persons, queer bioethics, and inclusivity in stem cell research and regenerative medicine
Despite the increasing visibility of the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other expansive genders or sexual orientations) community, LGBTQ+ persons continue to face significa...
tandfonline.com
This is interesting — in a paper out today, researchers created an alternate history to estimate what Trump's desired cuts to NIH would look like. Of 557 drugs approved 2000-2023, *more than half* are at least partially linked to NIH research that would have not happened under a 40% reduction.
What if NIH had been 40% smaller?
Replaying history with less NIH funding shows widespread impacts on drug-linked research
science.org
ATTENTION New crowdsourced site collecting and sharing stories of public impact of research publicusaresearchbenefits.com Take a look and consider contributing. Let's make this as powerful as possible!
Searchable database of tangible benefits that federally-funded research gave us.
A crowd-sourced site. Health and Well-being. National Security. Prosperity.
publicusaresearchbenefits.com
Thinking about devastating cuts to NSF: US gov-funded science has been the engine upon which most of the tech wealth was generated. But the oligarchs (currently hoarding much of that $) think it’s their own brilliance & not the accident of standing close to the scientific engine that made them rich.
This is incredibly cool: if you search for a condition that’s affected your family, the site returns stats on how much NIH has done for that disease, *and* a contact form for reaching out to tell your Members of Congress why you want to see them defend NIH. Pass it on!
In terminating hundreds of NIH grants, the Trump administration dumped years of investment down the drain. In my latest @opinion.bloomberg.com column, we analyzed the cancelled projects & talked to scientists to understand just how much the public loses out. It's a lot: tinyurl.com/bdey86su
As a biologist, I'm appalled at pride the White House takes in willful ignorance. In yesterday's executive order about NPR and PBS, their first example of "the trash that passes for `news' at NPR and PBS" is the statement that "banana slugs are hermaphrodites." But this is unequivocal fact.
The NPR, PBS Grift Has Ripped Us Off for Too Long
For years, American taxpayers have been on the hook for subsidizing National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which spread
whitehouse.gov
As I watch US researchers respond to threats against science, I’m reminded of when scientists in Brazil navigated a similar storm, says João Vieira https://go.nature.com/4jRn6FB
Dear US researchers: break the outrage addiction. I survived the besieging of science. So can you.
As I watch US researchers respond to threats against science, I’m reminded of when scientists in Brazil navigated a similar storm.
go.nature.com
An important point getting overlooked: When NIH cancels "diversity" grants (e.g., diversity supplements, Fs, Ks, etc), they aren't canceling the grants based on *what* the grant studies. They're cancelling them based on *who* is doing the research. And that disallowed "who" is anyone not white.
"If we cut or limit funding for curiosity-driven research, we risk shutting down the pipeline of future innovation. While the outcomes of basic science may seem unclear or esoteric at first, such work frequently forms the bedrock of future technologies, treatments, and therapies." 👏👏👏
@LaBonneLaB@labonnelab.bsky.social · 2y agoMy ode to Curiosity Driven Research www.statnews.com/2025/04/03/b...
The Regime will not stop until they’ve dismantled the entire U.S. scientific infrastructure. It benefits no one and will harm multitudes.
Andrea Love, PhD | Biomedical Scientist@drandrealove.bsky.social · 2y agoThe CDC has literally been gutted today. There’s no need for “April Fools” when reality is a nightmare for every human on this planet. Thousand of scientists fired. Entire departments erased. 1/
Earlier this week, The Regime suddenly axed grants related to LongCOVID. Massive backlash from advocates ensued. And today, the NIH reversed course and reinstated at least some of this grant funding. Keep making noise. Keep taking up space. Keep shouting the truth. thesicktimes.org/2025/03/28/u...
UPDATE: RECOVER Long COVID pathobiology grants restored - The Sick Times
Long COVID research grants from the National Institutes of Health’s RECOVER program will be restored following news stories about their abrupt cancellations and advocacy to restore the funding, accord...
thesicktimes.org
These are training grants. 🚨 The Trump administration has launched a war on students and young people studying science. It’s a common thread. Trump is killing student fellowship grants at NIH and NSF, and is killing the NIH and CDC in-house fellows programs.
Jeremy Berg@jeremymberg.bsky.social · 2y agoF mechanisms (New and Competitive renewals) Oof! 3/n
The CDC has officially been compromised. Not by the hardworking and brilliant scientists there, but by the infection that is known as RFK Jr. In suppressing an expert report on the current measles outbreak showing the importance of MMR vaccination, we can no longer trust their communications.
“My hope is that during the coming years, the unprecedented assault on scientific truth that has adversely impacted public health in our nation comes to an end so that the citizens of our country can fully benefit from the breadth of advances in medical science”. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/28/h...
Top FDA Vaccine Official Resigns, Citing Kennedy’s ‘Misinformation and Lies’ (Gift Article)
Dr. Peter Marks, a veteran of the agency, wrote that undermining confidence in vaccines is irresponsible and a danger to public health.
nytimes.com
Aside from the fact that research leads to cures and discoveries that help everyone, these funds have already been appropriated by Congress! The president does not have the authority to withhold appropriated funds just because he doesn’t like where they’re going. Why isn’t Congress pushing back?!!
Dan Diamond@ddiamond.bsky.social · 2y agoSee this chart for one stark example: NIH funding has dramatically slowed down. Grant awards are down *$3 billion* so far, compared to same time period last year I asked the White House to explain. “This is not a researcher entitlement program,” said an official, defending their new approach.
Working with an interdisciplinary team, we have developed a website to communicate how the White House's proposed cuts to health research would cause losses of $16B and 68,500 jobs. Find out how your community may be impacted. Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org a 🧵
We polled Nature readers to ask if they were thinking of leaving the US for jobs abroad. Three-quarters of them (who said they were US-based scientists) said yes. 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
75% of US scientists who answered Nature poll consider leaving
More than 1,600 readers answered our poll; many said they were looking for jobs in Europe and Canada.
nature.com
My grad student Sydney @sciencey-syd.bsky.social did a great job at the @ucirvine.bsky.social Grad Slam 3 minute thesis finals, and came in 2nd place for the whole university! So proud!
I wonder if spreading extremely encouraging experimental results on helping treat pancreatic cancer with *gasp* mRNA vaccines may help people who have villainized them come around. This is a good press release on the study and links to the Nature paper. www.mskcc.org/news/can-mrn...
In Early-Phase Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trial, Investigational mRNA Vaccine Induces Sustained Immune Activity in Small Patient Group
Learn how MSK researchers are deploying mRNA vaccines against pancreatic cancer.
mskcc.org
Looking at some survey data here. Trump/Elon cutting off all cancer cure research is the issue that freaks voters out more than any other, also the one they've heard the least about. Important for voters to hear more about this.
We are heartened by this call to action in Nature, one of the most respected journals in science. It urges the global scientific community to speak out on behalf of those being censored and support research as the US government shifts away from its historic leadership www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Trump 2.0: an assault on science anywhere is an assault on science everywhere
US President Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to science and to international institutions. The global research community must take a stand against these attacks.
nature.com
Scientists need to face the reality that this is not some temporary funding crisis while a bumbling administration sorts out their priorities. This is an intentional assault on academia by accelerationist extremists who wish to break society. Fascism must be met in the streets.
“Since 1980, Congress has mandated that the agency seek to broaden participation of underrepresented groups […] The NSF spokesperson did not respond to a query about concerns that Trump’s executive orders are at odds with the agency’s responsibilities, as codified in law.”
Max Kozlov@maxkozlov.bsky.social · 2y agoNSF has unfrozen funds but is continuing to scour research grants for violations of Trump’s orders Nature spoke to six NSF staff members, who shared documents detailing plans to search 10,000 flagged grants for DEI language. For @nature.com w/ @dangaristo.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/d41...
🚨BREAKING. From a program officer at the National Science Foundation, a list of keywords that can cause a grant to be pulled. I will be sharing screenshots of these keywords along with a decision tree. Please share widely. This is a crisis for academic freedom & science.
