Sonya Neal
@neal-lab.bsky.social
Associate Professor @UCSD| HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar| Research on rhomboid proteins| Proud mom| Proud PI of a very demure & mindful lab|co-founder of BUMMP |1st Gen & Black in STEM
Both of my mentees got into their dream PhD programs. Both in biology, one at Stanford and the other at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Being a mentor is so rewarding. People look up to you and trust you to take all of your experience and wisdom and pour into them. Then you watch them soar!
Loved welcoming Miramar Community College students to the Neal Lab for a research overview, lab Q&A, and tour! Educational outreach is at the heart of what we do, and it’s always inspiring to share science with the next generation of researchers. 🧬🔬 #
New review out in Chem Rev: "Navigating Misfolded Terrain: ER-Associated Degradation of Membrane Proteins." We loved pulling together the whole story of ERAD, from the discovery of ubiquitin to today's cryo-EM structures of ERAD machineries. (1/3) doi.org/10.1021/acs....
Navigating Misfolded Terrain: ER-Associated Degradation of Membrane Proteins
Integral membrane proteins face unique folding challenges in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) due to their hydrophobic transmembrane domains and complex topologies. Membrane protein misfolding disrupts ...
pubs.acs.org
To my colleagues at UC San Diego, the BUMMP Annual Symposium is happening today, May 12, at Price Center! Please stop by and check out the incredible research our mentees have been working on over the past year 💕💕 @bummpatucsd.bsky.social @ucsandiego.bsky.social
Double announcement I'm excited to share🩷 So proud to share a new paper led by my incredible graduate student @dagarwal.bsky.social. We highlight the real experiences of mothers in academia and the structural & cultural changes needed to retain them. febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
FEBS Press
In this qualitative study, we interviewed nine mothers across various levels of life sciences academia to understand their challenges in balancing academia with motherhood: dependence on supervisors,....
febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
What a glorious day🎉 🎉🎉 Inaugural PhD from the Fish team in the Neal lab! Congratulations to Dr. Saroj Gourkanti on a successful PhD defense. These are the moments that make this job worthwhile💕💕💕
Another preprint is out from the Neal Lab! 🎉 Excited to share the first systematic side-by-side comparison of ERAD Derlin paralogs, revealing distinct cellular functions for Derlin-1, Derlin-2, and Derlin-3. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We deleted a rhomboid protease… and regeneration went into overdrive. New preprint from the Neal Lab! Rhbdl2 restrains macrophage-driven regeneration in zebrafish. 🐟🔥 #Regeneration #InnateImmunity www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
“[We] found that [rhbdl2] does not affect normal development, but triggers enhanced regenerative growth following injury, accompanied by increased macrophage accumulation at the wound site, which is accompanied by increased early apoptosis and proliferation.” New work from @neal-lab.bsky.social 🐟
bioRxiv Immunology@biorxiv-immuno.bsky.social · 6mo agoRhomboid protease Rhbdl2 regulates macrophage recruitment and wound regeneration in zebrafish https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.13.705804v1
I am SO incredibly excited to announce the launch of a global list of Inspiring Black Scientists. You can use this list to nominate and connect with researchers. Please share and join us in highlighting these outstanding scientists for #BlackHistoryMonth and beyond! www.wiley.com/en-us/resear...
What an incredible moment celebrating UC LEADS’ 25th anniversary! This program opened doors for me and so many others pursuing academic careers. Hearing alumni share how transformative it has been is living proof that access, mentorship, and opportunity work. This is impact.
The #ABRCMS2025 conference was my first scientific meeting as an undergrad, and it was the experience that propelled me into science. Being back this week, surrounded by brilliant, aspiring young scientists, has been incredible. #seeingisbelieving
Does anyone have examples of F32 supporting documents in the new format (starting August of this year) they'd be willing to share? We're specifically looking for goals, preparedness, training activities and timeline for an F32 resubmission for the December deadline. Any help very much appreciated! 🙏
Another Neal lab retreat in the books. We mapped our yearly goals, came up with collaborative big picture ideas for future projects and most importantly, strengthened our team bond 💪🏽we are all in this together💪🏽
During these uncertain times, I’m very happy to see that my institution, @scripps.edu has an open tenure-track Assistant Professor position. Any field in Chemistry or Biology is welcome. I’d especially love to see fellow neuroscientists apply. Please repost! apply.interfolio.com/174756
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Thrilled to share that our review, “Holding Out for a Model: Rhomboid Superfamily in Vertebrate Development and Disease,” is now published in Journal of Cellular Physiology! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Holding Out for a Model: Rhomboid Superfamily in Vertebrate Development and Disease
The rhomboid superfamily, comprising both proteases and pseudoproteases, has emerged as a central regulator of membrane biology, mediating diverse functions including protein quality control, signal ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Got my run in earlier at School of Biological Sciences retreat in Lake Arrowhead. Now indulging in amazing science from our PhD program!
I could not be luckier to have such an amazing mentor behind me as I develop myself both personally and professionally. Thank you @neal-lab.bsky.social for standing behind and with me in this journey and @hhmi.org for this opportunity!
Sonya Neal@neal-lab.bsky.social · 11mo agoScientific pursuit is a team effort, built on mutual trust, respect and collaboration from mentor & mentee. Grateful every day for this journey, and so proud of my mentee @ericjordahl.bsky.social for being selected as @HHMINEWS Gilliam fellow! biology.ucsd.edu/about/news/2...
Scientific pursuit is a team effort, built on mutual trust, respect and collaboration from mentor & mentee. Grateful every day for this journey, and so proud of my mentee @ericjordahl.bsky.social for being selected as @HHMINEWS Gilliam fellow! biology.ucsd.edu/about/news/2...
HHMI Gilliam Fellowship Awarded to Eric Jordahl and Sonya Neal
biology.ucsd.edu
Grateful to share my academic journey & our lab’s research in the School of Bio.Science lecture series which build a bridge between our amazing administrative staff and faculty, further strengthening the bonds that make our community so special. Thankful to be part of it! @ucsandiego.bsky.social
Look what came in today! @jenheemstra.bsky.social can’t wait to learn your ways. You have paved the way for so many of us 🙏🏽
These are the most challenging times for early-career scientists and engineers. My team is doing its bit to help by maintaining and even expanding our database of funding opportunities for early-career researchers. We found 437 of them. Download it freely here: research.jhu.edu/rdt/funding-...
STEM isn’t a pipeline—it’s a braided river. Verónica Segarra offers a new model to support inclusion and rethink how we view scientific careers. www.molbiolcell.org/doi/10.1091/... #ASCB #CellBiology
So proud of my trainee, @ericjordahl.bsky.social , for being selected as an HHMI Gilliam Fellow! Your dedication to outreach and your relentless pursuit of inclusive excellence are unmatched! You are so deserving of this honor!!!!!!! www.hhmi.org/programs/gil...
The 2025 Gilliam Fellows & Advisors | HHMI
The Gilliam Fellows Program launches promising PhD students into impactful scientific research careers while fostering inclusive training environments.
hhmi.org
Congratulations 2025 Gilliam Fellows and Advisors! 🎉 The Gilliam Fellows Program launches promising PhD students into impactful scientific research careers while fostering inclusive training environments. Through this program, HHMI supports both graduate students and their faculty thesis advisors.
$400M more for the NIH in FY26 is a win for all Americans. Read our full statement thanking the Senate Appropriations Committee for their bipartisan support of scientific research: ow.ly/gtMv50WyRza.
Keep an eye out for this rising star on the faculty job market. Elizabeth is truly remarkable. Her resilience and determination continue to inspire me, especially in the face of setbacks during these times. #proudMOSAICcoach
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology@asbmb.bsky.social · last yr.Elizabeth Kaweesa was recently featured in ASBMB Today. Here's the link! ow.ly/k7EF50WykAJ
