Selma Masri

Macropinocytosis maintains CAF subtype identity under metabolic stress in pancreatic cancer Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors are glutamine deficient, and both tumor cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) rely on this ami…

Excited to share work published in @cp-cancercell.bsky.social by @yijuan.bsky.social showing that macropinocytosis inhibition drives myCAF-to-iCAF conversion, enhancing therapeutic responses in pancreatic cancer. Thank you to our collaborators that contributed! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Exclusive: NIH to dismiss dozens of grant reviewers to align with Trump priorities The move would undo years of work, leaving advisory councils understaffed, and without the full expertise needed for reviews.

"Nature has learnt that … some staff members are screening candidates’ social-media presences to check whether they have expressed negative views about the Trump administration or been involved in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts … at their institutions."

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

Congratulations!! 🎉🍾🎊

Following court order, NIH ceases new terminations of politically sensitive grants After a judge told agency to restore hundreds of killed grants, NIH backs off plans to cancel more existing projects

Science story about termination of terminations...

www.science.org/content/arti...

A number of firsts this year including my first time participating in commencement @ucirvine.bsky.social and hooding my first 2 graduate students that have earned their PhDs!! Congratulations Valeria and Melissa! You are both amazing and this is only the beginning! 💪🧬🧪🦸‍♀️🦸‍♀️

The findings at the recent trial and today's Columbia chaos is pushing me to the edge.

I just sent the following email...

ADD YOUR NAME: Sign the Open Letter in Support of NIH Staff Join the courageous and committed National Institutes of Health (NIH) public servants by adding your name now.

Here is a link you can blast out to all of your networks to ask them to consider signing on in support of our NIH heroes.

actionnetwork.org/forms/add-na...

We are at 5000 folks who have signed on. But we can do better

Only for people who have ever been sick or knows someone who has been.

Looking forward to sharing our recent work at #SLEEP2025! Circadian Medicine session starting in about an hour and I’ll be discussing approaches to timing cancer immunotherapy. See you there!

Massive NIH study challenges use of race as a proxy for genetic ancestry in research A large government study shows that Americans’ self-reported race is a poor proxy for their genetic ancestry.

race does not equal genes
www.statnews.com/2025/06/05/n...

This week in science: hawks hunting, infrared contacts and immunity through the day Berly McCoy and Regina Barber of Short Wave talk about a hawk's clever hunting strategy, contacts that allow wearers to see infrared light, and how immunity varies during the day.

Thanks to @npr.org and the Shortwave podcast for covering circadian research! It was very cool to be on the podcast and on All Things Considered. And Kudos to Chris Hall for the exciting work.

www.npr.org/2025/05/29/n...

www.npr.org/2025/05/30/1...

Check out our latest story @natcancer.nature.com co-led with @masrilab.bsky.social that reviews how the circadian clock intersects several aspects of cancer biology. Excited to be part of this collaborative team effort to understand impacts on DNA repair, early onset cancer, and cancer treatment 💪🧬🕔

Congratulations to first author Bridget Fortin, a true rockstar! Also, a huge shout out to our phenomenal collaborators on this piece, @yincaoscd.bsky.social and Katja Lamia. This was a true team effort!

The diverse roles of the circadian clock in cancer - Nature Cancer Masri and colleagues review the latest studies on the influence of circadian rhythms in cancer biology, discussing possible connections between chronobiology and cancer prevention and treatment.

Super happy to share our latest in @natcancer.nature.com co-led by @pannunziolab.bsky.social! We review the complex role of the circadian clock in genome integrity, DNA repair, immunity, metabolism, and cancer with a specific focus on early-onset cancer. Check it out!

www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Celebrating UCI school of medicine graduate students 🧪🧠 . You are the future of #science @ucirvine.bsky.social @cnlm.bsky.social @neurohoke.bsky.social

Time for Action! Urge legislators to fund UC!

I just emailed my state representatives to support Newsom's new budget for UC. If you agree that this economic and social engine for California needs robust state support, please join me.

universityofcalifornia.quorum.us/campaign/sta...

Congratulations to the team!!

We had previously shown that TBX3 and #WNT cooperate in limb #DevBio

We now have a shocking finding, just published in @pnas.org

TBX3 physically engages with β-catenin to drive metastasis genes in #ColorectalCancer (CRC)

www.pnas.org/doi/epub/10....

Fresh out of press: our new chapter on the TBX3/WNT liaison, and how it drives metastasis-related genes expression in colorectal cancer, out on @pnas.org

Enjoy the “bluetorial” by @claudiocantu81.bsky.social below! 👇🏼

#WNT #CRC @liu.se

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

The Aging Microenvironment as a Determinant of Immune Exclusion and Metastatic Fate in Pancreatic Cancer Aging is a critical yet understudied determinant in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Despite a strong epidemiological association with age, conventional PDAC preclinical models fail to capture...

New preprint! 🧓⚡️ Aging drives immune exclusion & metastasis in PDAC by rewiring the tumor stroma. Young CAFs ♻️ rejuvenate the aged microenvironment & restore immune infiltration.
Read: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

#PDAC #Aging #TumorMicroenvironment #Preprint

Just watched this episode. John Oliver did an outstanding job breaking everything down, even what indirects costs are! It’s our job to get all this information out, especially to inform the general public. This needs to stop. Now.

Paramount Press Express | “60 MINUTES” LISTINGS FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 27 Airs 7:00-8:00 PM, ET/ PT on the CBS Television Network NIH – In its ongoing mission to shrink the federal government, the Trump administration has cut

Sunday TV viewing...More to come later

Lead story about NIH...

www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-news-and...

NIH cancels its first and largest study centered on women The Women’s Health Initiative has produced numerous influential findings

President Donald Trump’s administration appears to be killing much, if not all, of a historic initiative that was the first, and is still the largest, National Institutes of Health effort centered on the health needs of women. scim.ag/4jLeLTJ

This breaks my heart in ways I can’t quite describe.

NIH moving to ban all future grants to universities with DEI programs or Israel boycotts, document suggests NIH appears to be preparing to prohibit the awarding of new grants to institutions that have DEI programs or boycott Israeli companies

New STAT story about the possible new NIH grants terms and conditions

www.statnews.com/2025/04/21/t...

From Labs to Lives UC Davis researchers describe the impact of their work and the life-altering consequences if federal funding for medical research were reduced or eliminated.

www.ucdavis.edu/research/lab...
@ucdavis.bsky.social
@ucdavishealth.bsky.social
@ucdavisplants.bsky.social
@ucdaviscns.bsky.social
@ucdavispsych.bsky.social

NIH said to have halted awarding of new grants to top universities Universities whose NIH funding has been frozen may face further strain as the agency holds off awarding new grants to at least a half dozen of them, according to an internal email.

STAT story about freezing all payments to Columbia, Harvard, Brown, Northwestern, Cornell, and Cornell-Weill Medicine.

www.statnews.com/2025/04/18/n...

History shows revoking Harvard's tax status won't be easy — or fast A presidential effort to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status could run up against a number of challenges, including violating federal law.

A presidential effort to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status could run up against a number of challenges, including violating federal law.

The cast and crew of Pannunzio Lab season 6! Despite everything going on we continue to grow and be productive. Their excitement about science is contagious. These are the people that keep me coming in every day 💪🫀🧬

Leading Nutrition Scientist Departs N.I.H., Citing Censorship (Gift Article) Kevin Hall said his work on ultraprocessed foods has been “hobbled” under the Trump administration. Scientists have been raising such concerns for months.

My story about @kevinh-phd.bsky.social, nutrition and metabolism scientist at N.I.H., who felt compelled to take early retirement after experiencing censorship of his work under the new administration. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/w...

Are you kidding me?? So cute!!