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Walter Chazin

@chazinwalter.bsky.social

Structural Biologist, Professor, Basketball player on the IL until I get that knee placement.

12 Posts56 Follower29 Folgt
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · last yr.

These statements about corruption in science are egregious lies. Kennedy is a tsunami of anti-science propaganda. This isn’t just a moral injury to scientists, it is downright dangerous. It is devastating that the U.S. Senate is permitting this.

Don Moynihan@donmoyn.bsky.social · last yr.

Full resignation letter from Demetre C. Daskalakis, a CDC leader, does not hold back. "The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud."

My resignation letter from CDC. Dear Dr. Houry, I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested. This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough. While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles. The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors. Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people. It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC. The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrate a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense. Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function. Some examples include the announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people, the firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts, the announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed, and the release of term of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC. Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc. I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again. I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season. Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.” We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary. I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources. At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him. To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him, that he should not be considered a source of accurate information. The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer. I believe in nutrition and exercise. I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability. Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun.The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed. For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision. Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation even when under attack from within both physically and psychologically. Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.
Alt CDC (they/them)@altcdc.altgov.info · last yr.

This isn't a walkout. It's a clap out - a way we have often supported our leaving leaders. Staff are taking admin leave for it. And wow, what an amazing and inspiring show of community support. 💚🥹💚 The US Public Health Service (uniform: service dress blues) will be holding a salute send-off now.

Chris Geidner@chrisgeidner.bsky.social · last yr.

I go to bed tonight proud to know how many people are willing to stand up for what’s right — and how few are willing to rally for his hate. Night, all, and let us try to be good to one another — and ourselves.

Dominique Baker@bakerdphd.bsky.social · last yr.

"In a May 21...recording..., Provost Robin Forman said that when Tulane leadership met with elected officials in April, they were pressed as to why “‘Tulane has taken a stand on the chemical industry as harming communities’,” and this “left people feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable.” "

Tulane scientist resigns citing university censorship of pollution and racial disparity research

A Tulane University researcher has resigned, citing censorship from university leaders. Kim Terrell, a researcher with the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, resigned Wednesday, saying in a letter the u...

apnews.com

Vanderbilt University Biological & Biomedical Graduate Students@vandybiomed.bsky.social · last yr.

Want to learn about lots of careers at once? Want to network with people in those fields? Registration for ASPIRE's famous Career Symposium is open for one more day!! medschool.vanderbilt.edu/career-devel...

2025 ASPIRE Annual Career Symposium: “A Kaleidoscope of Biomedical Science Careers”

Join us in-person explore the many paths a biomedical science PhD can take! A Kaleidoscope of Biomedical Science Careers Friday, May 30, 2025 Student Life Center Registration is now open!Please comple...

medschool.vanderbilt.edu

Kevin Gardner@nmrkaygee.bsky.social · last yr.

Basic science saves lives and fuels the economy, which is why I’m advocating for: ➡️NIH & NSF to spend FY25 funds ➡️$51.3B for NIH, $9.9B in FY26 ➡️Restoration of many canceled NIH & NSF grants Act now. Contact your lawmakers today: asbmb.quorum.us/campaign/123.... #ScienceServesUsAll #ASBMBAdvocates

Urge Congress to re-establish the U.S. as the Leader in Innovation

American Society For Biochemistry And Molecular Biology

asbmb.quorum.us

Chrystal Starbird@drstarbird.bsky.social · 2y ago

Our lab was featured in an NHK-World news story on the impact of science cuts, including how they are trying to change the narrative on DEI. www.linkedin.com/posts/chryst...

Our lab was featured in an NHK-World Japan news story on the impact of… | Chrystal Starbird

Our lab was featured in an NHK-World Japan news story on the impact of cuts in science, including how they're working to change the narrative on DEI. Diversity, equity, and inclusion does not mean...

linkedin.com

Eric C. Greene@dnacurtain.bsky.social · 2y ago

I am a professor at Columbia University. All of the student NIH training grants have been canceled and now there are reports that ALL funding will be frozen. Why are Universities not banding together and speaking out publicly and forcibly about governmental attacks on biomedical research?

Julian Streit@julianstreit.bsky.social · 2y ago

Excited to share our new preprint presenting mechanistic details of how proteins fold on the ribosome. With co-first author @sammyhschan.bsky.social , @twlodarski.bsky.social , Alkistis Mitropoulou, Lisa Cabrita, and John Christodoulou. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #proteinfolding #compchem #NMR

Structures of protein folding intermediates on the ribosome

The ribosome biases the conformations sampled by nascent polypeptide chains along folding pathways towards biologically active states. A hallmark of the co-translational folding (coTF) of many protein...

biorxiv.org

Sammy Chan@sammyhschan.bsky.social · 2y ago

Preprint! All-atom structures of 2 folding intermediates on the ribosome, along parallel pathways & conserved across Ig domains, by 19F NMR & MD Co-led by @julianstreit.bsky.social, & thanks twlodarski.bsky.social, Alki, Lisa & John Christodoulou! #nmrchat #compbio www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The New York Times@nytimes.com · 2y ago

President Trump has frozen billions of dollars in federal funds in an attempt to rid higher education of what he calls its woke ideology. Our reporter spoke to the president of Princeton University, Christopher L. Eisgruber, who has vowed to fight. Listen to "The Daily."

The University President Willing to Fight Trump

Christopher L. Eisgruber of Princeton University talks about the administration’s move to freeze billions of dollars in funding to higher education institutions.

nytimes.com

Dan Diamond@ddiamond.bsky.social · 2y ago

See 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.

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Jim Woodgett@jwoodgett.bsky.social · 2y ago

It’s incredibly hard to see a national treasure like the NIH descend into the atrocious servitude of stripping out an image of one of their most successful Institute Directors in an effort to please the thinnest skinned President of all time.

Mural at NIH, Bethesda, including an image of Dr Tony Fauci who served as Director of National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases for 38 distinguished years. Same mural at NIH today with Tony Fauci’s image clumsily removed.