Lauer Lab

Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.

No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.

Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Coastal view of Puerto Rico

No snowcrete #ARO2026

NSF GRFP applicants (and mentors): Was your application Returned Without Review and deemed ineligible despite fitting in the allowed topics?
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at grfp@grant-witness.us so we can compile + follow up

Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter

William Warrick Cardozo (1905-1962) William Warrick Cardozo, physician, and pediatrician, was a pioneer investigator of sickle cell anemia and a leader in medical research of problems affecting people of African descent. Cardozo, born i...

It’s Black History Month! Over the course of this month, we will explore people who have made notable contributions to the biomedical sciences!

Today: William Warrick Cardozo, who discovered that heritable traits made people susceptible to sickle cell anemia.

blackpast.org/african-amer...

Or get 20 million $$ to open a research institute

View of downtown Baltimore from a high floor restaurant

Viewing downtown Charm City from Topside today. Can see campus in the distance!

A roadmap for conducting more inclusive research on brain resilience in ageing and dementia - Nature Reviews Neuroscience Guidance is lacking on how to best integrate sex, gender and social and structural determinants of health into neuroscience research on brain resilience in ageing and dementia. In this Roadmap article...

Important review by @mnrajah.bsky.social et al. on why we need to increase the diversity of our research on #aging and #dementia.

I'm very proud to be part of this collaboratory 🤩
#psychsciscky #neuroskyence

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We are hiring a Visiting Assistant Professor in Neuroscience for the 26-27 school year at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, with an emphasis on teaching Neuroanatomy for our undergrad Neuroscience major. More info: jobs.hope.edu/postings/5034
Please share!
#neuroscience
#neurosky
#neuroskyence

This is due tomorrow. It's a really simple form with just a few questions. If you interact with NSF at all you should fill it out. #neuroskyence #academia #psychscisky #compneuro #ccai

Read the Save HHS open letter!

www.savehhs.org/letter-we-wi...

Watch this video if you want to cry over overwhelming decency rather than over rage about what some are trying to turn our country into.

Bird retinas function without oxygen—solving a centuries-old biological mystery Neural tissue normally dies quickly without oxygen. Yet bird retinas—among the most energy-demanding tissues in the animal kingdom—function permanently without it. This may be relevant in future treat...

😱 phys.org/news/2026-01...

US Congress set to reject Trump’s sweeping science budget cuts Lawmakers announce legislation that would actually increase funding for basic research by more than 2%.

Nature story about the appropriations "minibus" bill and NIH

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

1/4

Committee Releases Conferenced Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bi... United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

The conference (agreement between House and Senate) appropriations bill that includes HHS and NIH was released this morning.

www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majorit...

1/5

A table of funding for fiscal year 2025 and proposed for fiscal year 2026 by institute and center.

Now for the money...

Overall, the budget is essentially flat.

The biggest winner is NINDS with a 5.9% increase. The biggest losers are NIEHS and NIDDK.

4/5

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere..."
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Letter from Birmingham, Alabama jail, April 16, 1963

Today and every day, let's remember that we are all connected and share a common destiny on this incredible ocean planet.

Bringing African ancestry into cellular neuroscience Two independent teams in Africa are developing stem cell lines and organoids from local populations to explore neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions.

Very important research to establish African ancestry cell lines! #Neuroskyence www.thetransmitter.org/cellular-neu...

And we explained briefly all the ways our group of collaborating Paid is trying to keep the ship afloat and protect our lab members from the worst of it

We just had a very frank “state of the union” discussion during our annual lab business meeting. We emphasized that it will be another difficult year. Communication and that working as a team is essential.

My specific experience is with NIH, but I’ll stand up and say it:

The people who work at NIH are together one of the great wonders of the world. US biomedical science, cancer cures, dementia research all are built on their talent and dedication.

The NIH's new multi-year funding plan will harm many institutions, scientists, and health outcomes.

Help us stop it! Call your representatives in the U.S. Congress!
#NIH

Susanne Sterbing, assistant research professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, dies at 60 Sterbing was best known for her work comparing auditory and somatosensory systems of different species

Susanne, thank you for being an enthusiastic and insightful collaborator. Rest in peace. hub.jhu.edu/2026/01/08/s...

My lab is seeking a #postdoc for a 3-year project on Pilbara leaf-nosed #bat 🦇 conservation, addressing climate change vulnerability using physiological, ecological, & modelling approaches.

Apply now: murdoch.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/MurdochCaree...

Trump administration cannot slash NIH research funding, court rules District Judge Angel Kelley last year blocked the cuts, and on Monday the appeals court agreed.

The district court injunction that prevented NIH from capping indirects at 15% was upheld today on appeal!

www.reuters.com/world/trump-...

If you work on corvid ecology, behaviour, cognition, or conservation, this might be useful for you 👇
I’ve just published CORVIDATA in Scientific Data 🐦
doi.org/10.1038/s415... (1/4)

Graphical ad showing Hobson Lab Postbac position: parakeet sociality and cognition, with a graphic showing a flock of monk parakeets flying towards a social network, two unmarked monk parakeets perched, and examples of our individually color-marked birds showing their dye marks and color codes

I am recruiting postbacs for my parakeet sociality and cognition project, ideally to start in Feb/Mar this year. Help spreading the word would be appreciated! More information and application link available here: ornithologyexchange.org/jobs/board/s...

FASEB’s comments to OSTP on Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise highlight approaches to grantmaking that provide support for shared research resources & early-career researchers, the use of gen AI in research, & identify regulatory burdens that hinder scientific progress. buff.ly/OIYSqB3

This has been a tough year for early career scientists including grad students.

If you had a professional success this year, no matter how small, share it with us so we can celebrate with you!

🧪

Notice of Request for Information; Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that aim to accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking...

OSTP has issued a request for information, please share with them your ideas for how to improve government functions related to science funding and policy

www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

Must say, while interviews with established PIs with deep cuts to their funding are important, the principal and longest term effects are on the trainees. An entire generation wiped of confidence.