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Stacey Kigar

@staceykigar.bsky.social

Research Associate, University of Cambridge | Leading Edge fellow | first-gen academic | molecular biologist studying effects of stress across the lifespan ๐Ÿง ๐Ÿฉธ๐Ÿงฌ

545 Followers  |  1,141 Following  |  28 Posts  |  Joined: 12.10.2023  |  2.159

Latest posts by staceykigar.bsky.social on Bluesky

ALBA-IBRO Diversity Podcast - Season 2 Episode 4 is out. In season 2, we focus on the transition from postdoc to PI, highlighting the unique challenges faced by postdocs and early-career PIs worldwide. Hosted by the Lonely Pipette.

I spoke to Renaud Pourpe (of @lonelypipette.bsky.social fame with @epigenetique.bsky.social) about the unique challenges faced by postdocs and early-career PIs worldwide on the transition from postdoc to PI.

Lots of useful advice shared (by others):

www.alba.network/diversity-po...

Check it out.

02.08.2025 23:01 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 30    ๐Ÿ” 12    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

one cool thing about Scandinavian countries with comprehensive public health insurance is places like Denmark can do a study onโ€ฆ everybody and conclude that yes COVID vaccines are safe

31.07.2025 01:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 890    ๐Ÿ” 254    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 12    ๐Ÿ“Œ 6
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Questioning AI Resource List Excellent summary of major problems with companiesโ€™ focus on AI written by expert in machine learning: https://ludic.mataroa.blog/blog/i-will-fucking-piledrive-you-if-you-mention-ai-again/ Another g...

is your workplace trying to force ai on you? is a family member giving ai too much power in their life? are you sick of billionaires destroying the environment and making life worse for everyone? here's a list of resources 10+ pages long to help you fight back: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

21.07.2025 14:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 186    ๐Ÿ” 110    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 10    ๐Ÿ“Œ 4
Too poor to science: How wealth determines who succeeds in STEM From student to researcher, a career in science can come with a high price tag. This Perspective explores how persistent financial barriers limit who can succeed in science, revealing how wealth shape...

I've wanted to write this article for years. About my and other's struggles to even survive sometime in #academia. Thank you to the amazing editors at @plosbiology.org that gave me the forum to write this piece. #science

24.06.2025 18:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 342    ๐Ÿ” 176    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 19    ๐Ÿ“Œ 42

the thing that *really* gets me about the pivot penalty is that pivoting is one of the easiest ways to escape a toxic supervisor by fleeing the "area", at least temporarily. academia is so relational and trainees have few options if their supervisors become hostile. adding costs to this one sucks.

07.07.2025 14:04 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 10    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It's here! โœจ
The #ExSRRF protocol paper is out ๐Ÿ˜. Full details for merging Expansion Microscopy with our eSRRF analysis. From cells to tissue. A partnership with @puellesv.bsky.social's lab. Lead by Dominik Kylies and @hannah-superres.bsky.social + colleagues. #ExM #eSRRF
โžก๏ธ Open link: rdcu.be/euvEw

03.07.2025 08:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 43    ๐Ÿ” 15    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
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Deciphering disordered regions controlling mRNA decay in high-throughput - Nature Using high-throughput functional profiling, how disordered regions control mRNA stability and translation is explored.

Now I've looked more closely at these two recent papers in Nature, and they are both excellent examples of why we need new narratives for talking about molecular biology to non-specialists. ๐Ÿงต
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

01.07.2025 20:04 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 105    ๐Ÿ” 30    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Alert! ... for the child development world!

@fluxsociety.bsky.social @fitngin.bsky.social โ€ช

The Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study has released its first data wave - itโ€™s massive.

Check here:
docs.hbcdstudy.org

and here:
nbdc-datahub.org

Hereโ€™s why it matters ๐Ÿง ๐Ÿผ

29.06.2025 02:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 152    ๐Ÿ” 79    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 3

Curious what Virginia's Republican governor has to say about this. UVa is a crown jewel for the state.

27.06.2025 17:03 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 5    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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Postdoctoral Researcher in Psychoneuroimmunology Do you want to contribute to improving human health? Join a dynamic and inclusive research group at the forefront of psychoneuroimmunology, where we investigate the interplay between behavior, brain f

โ€ผ๏ธ๐Ÿšจ postdoc position ๐Ÿšจโ€ผ๏ธ
I am looking for a postdoc in psychoneuroimmunology - come join our group to work on sickness behavior in humans ๐Ÿค’๐Ÿฆ  at Karolinska Institutet @ki.se !!

ki.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

deadline July 31st

@pnirs.bsky.social #neuroskyence #PsychSciSky #interoception

21.06.2025 11:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 40    ๐Ÿ” 32    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 6

Rewording my earlier post.

RFK Jr will be testifying before Congress.

I am interested in what experts and others think would be the best way to leverage this time and opportunity for the public good.

If you were behind the dais for this hearing, what would you do? What do you want to see asked?

11.06.2025 15:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18106    ๐Ÿ” 3077    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3592    ๐Ÿ“Œ 313
Postdoctoral Scholar in Social/Personality Psychology University of California, Riverside is hiring. Apply now!

Iโ€™m looking for a postdoctoral scholar to join me in the Self & Society Laboratory at UC Riverside! Sharing would be much appreciated! aprecruit.ucr.edu/JPF02104

11.06.2025 18:30 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 32    ๐Ÿ” 38    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 3

If you see this, post a flower ๐ŸŒท

Lovely tulips from a recent trip to the Netherlands

01.06.2025 13:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

Just published, expansion in situ genome sequencing, where you can sequence DNA while still inside the cell, mapping its organization relative to proteins and other markers, with the help of expansion microscopy! Led by @jbuenrostro.bksy.social. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

30.05.2025 11:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 168    ๐Ÿ” 54    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 8

Congratulations and welcome to the newest cohort of fantastic Leading Edge Fellows!!

27.05.2025 19:31 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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A human-specific enhancer fine-tunes radial glia potency and corticogenesis - Nature HARE5, a human accelerated region enhancer, modulates cortical development by influencing neural progenitor cell behaviour, leading to an enlarged neocortex with increased functional independence betw...

Thrilled to share our latest study out in @natureportfolio.nature.com led by the fantastically talented Jing Liu. Our study provides insight into a long standing question in biology: What molecular features make us uniquely human and how do these function? www.nature.com/articles/s41...

14.05.2025 16:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 168    ๐Ÿ” 68    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 19    ๐Ÿ“Œ 8
2022: "HBO max" in white font on a purple-blue gradient background.

2023: Just "max" in lowercase white font on a dark purple background.

2024: Same "max" text, now on a bright blue background.

2025 (first image): Same "max" text on a black background.

2025 (second image): Returns to "HBO max" with the "O" stylized like a target or CBS logo, on a dark gradient backgroundโ€”suggesting a full-circle or confused branding journey.

2022: "HBO max" in white font on a purple-blue gradient background. 2023: Just "max" in lowercase white font on a dark purple background. 2024: Same "max" text, now on a bright blue background. 2025 (first image): Same "max" text on a black background. 2025 (second image): Returns to "HBO max" with the "O" stylized like a target or CBS logo, on a dark gradient backgroundโ€”suggesting a full-circle or confused branding journey.

Me, revising a chapter of my book.

15.05.2025 12:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2994    ๐Ÿ” 426    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 53    ๐Ÿ“Œ 54

i have family in the area - will inquire!

08.05.2025 14:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
"WE'VE ARRANGED A society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. And this combustible mixture of ignorance and power, sooner or later, is going to blow up in our faces. Who is running the science and technology in a democracy if the people don't know anything about it?"
"Science is more than a body of knowledge, it's a way of thinking. A way of skeptically interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallibility. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to interrogate those who tell us that something is true, to be skeptical of those in authority, then we're up for grabs for the next charlatan, political or religious, who comes ambling along."

"WE'VE ARRANGED A society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. And this combustible mixture of ignorance and power, sooner or later, is going to blow up in our faces. Who is running the science and technology in a democracy if the people don't know anything about it?" "Science is more than a body of knowledge, it's a way of thinking. A way of skeptically interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallibility. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to interrogate those who tell us that something is true, to be skeptical of those in authority, then we're up for grabs for the next charlatan, political or religious, who comes ambling along."

I think a lot about what Carl Sagan said in one of his final interviews.

04.05.2025 06:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18532    ๐Ÿ” 6300    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 250    ๐Ÿ“Œ 281

Well deserved! I reference your tik tok videos in my teaching statement for job apps :)

17.04.2025 05:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Massively parallel reporter assay investigates shared genetic variants of eight psychiatric disorders High-throughput experimental validation of genetic variants linked to eight psychiatric disorders reveals the regulatory mechanisms underlying variants with pleiotropic and disorder-specific effects.

1/ I am beyond thrilled to share our new paper in @CellCellPress! We explored the regulatory principles underlying pleiotropy in psychiatric disorders.
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

27.01.2025 19:02 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 44    ๐Ÿ” 20    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

congratulations! very excited to read the paper.

10.04.2025 06:10 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The Coming Out of a Transgender Scientist "I know that I am making the right decision because whenever I think about changing my gender role, I am flooded with feelings of relief."

We're disappointed to see Ben Barres's powerful book "The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist" among the ~400 titles removed from the Naval Academy Library. Needless to say, we're proud to have published his book and will keep it โ€” and his memory โ€”ย alive.

08.04.2025 20:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2065    ๐Ÿ” 690    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 16    ๐Ÿ“Œ 21
First They Came for Columbia | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson We must learn from the past. We cannot remain silent in the face of authoritarian attacks on our peers, even if they have not yet come for us.

"First They Came for Columbia"
"We must learn from the past. We cannot remain silent in the face of authoritarian attacks on our peers, even if they have not yet come for us."
Me and Levitsky in the Harvard Crimson
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

14.03.2025 10:07 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 955    ๐Ÿ” 389    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 21    ๐Ÿ“Œ 52

Standing in solidarity with all my US-based colleagues and friends. #standupforscience2025

07.03.2025 08:17 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

To our many American friends. The National Academies have assembled a package of resources for researchers facing threats or attacks in the US

www.nationalacademies.org/chr/resource...

28.01.2025 21:43 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 455    ๐Ÿ” 289    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 14    ๐Ÿ“Œ 12

Many of you may not be familiar with #NIH grants. Here are some facts to help you understand the magnitude of this disaster.
1) NIH grants are extremely difficult to get & not "free money". Researchers must have preliminary data & write detailed proposals. Mine was >200pages & took years to put

28.01.2025 15:37 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 842    ๐Ÿ” 258    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 20    ๐Ÿ“Œ 17
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Join researchers across the country in fighting restrictions on the NIH Please click the link to complete this form.

Academic workers across the country are organizing to call on our congressional representatives on Thursday, 1/30, at 3pm ET / 12pm PT to demand these restrictions be lifted immediately.
There will be a training over zoom at the beginning of the event.
Join us!
form.jotform.com/250226137228...

28.01.2025 03:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 521    ๐Ÿ” 408    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 17    ๐Ÿ“Œ 26
Call to End Freeze on Federal Grants

Call to End Freeze on Federal Grants

The White House's pause on federal grants threatens our nationโ€™s scientific progress. Read SfN's full statement urging this Administration to lift the freeze to protect the health and security of our nation: bit.ly/4gq9i2I

28.01.2025 21:40 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 175    ๐Ÿ” 79    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Hi again folks: If you're an NSF panel reviewer whose panel was canceled today -- or if you have submitted a proposal/grant application and are worried about it -- would love to chat with you today. Feel free to DM or email!

27.01.2025 16:49 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 77    ๐Ÿ” 48    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@staceykigar is following 20 prominent accounts