Alissa Rothchild

Don't wait to apply! The deadline is coming up soon...

Come join us! Western Mass is a fantastic place to do science!

Our findings reveal both shared and distinct Mtb responses of AM and MDM across species and highlight the need to use both animal models and human studies in tandem to dissect mechanisms of disease.

Big thank you to everyone who contributed to the project!

(5/5)

Gene boxplot for MAF and IL10 expression

Lastly, examination of candidate genes revealed that low #MAF and #IL10 expression were two features that distinguished AM from MDM across species, suggesting regulation of cell proliferation and immunosuppression differs across macrophage subsets.

(4/5)

Pathway analysis summary of human and murine AM responses to Mtb

Second, we found that responses from murine AM isolated from #BCG vaccinated or coMtb-infected mice were more similar to responses of human AM than those from naive mice, suggesting that prior systemic exposure is critical for shaping the human airway immune response.

(3/5)

Dot plot of pathway analysis for MDM vs AM responses

This team effort revealed several interesting findings...

First, we found that while all #macrophages generated strong #interferon responses to Mtb in vitro, AM from both species showed weaker inflammatory responses to Mtb than human MDM or murine BMDM, despite higher baseline levels.

(2/5)

Shared and distinct responses of human and murine alveolar macrophages and monocyte-derived macrophages to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Abstract. Macrophages are important sites of bacterial replication and host immune responses during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection with distinc

Happy to share our latest publication in collaboration with @mcampomd.bsky.social, Kim Dill-McFarland, and Tom Hawn, where we perform a cross-species analysis of human and murine AM and MDM responses to Mtb!

academic.oup.com/immunohorizo...

#TBsky #Immunosky (1/5)

First impressions count in #TB. Andrea Cooper @uniofleicester.bsky.social discusses studies by @wjbranchett.bsky.social et al. (rupress.org/jem/article/...) and @bengern.bsky.social et al. (rupress.org/jem/article/...), in Insights: rupress.org/jem/article/...

Donald Trump is weak. He’s a bully. And when we won’t bow down to kings or to bullies, they start to lose their power.

The American people do not bow down.

😍 Boston, you are beautiful. #NoKings

Join our interdisciplinary research community!

#Immunosky #Reprosky #Devbio

Our department has a second TT search in #development and #reproduction.

careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...

🚨Job posting! #UMassAmherst Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences is hiring a TT faculty member in #Immunology. Both fundamental and translational areas considered. Please spread the word!
careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...

UMass Amherst Microbiology is hiring a tenure-track virologist. Come work with me! 🦠🧪
careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...

We are hiring! Please circulate in your networks. Join us in beautiful warm and wonderful KZN to answer some important questions about asymptomatic / subclinical TB.

#TBsky #IDsky 🧪

We are hiring! The Dept of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics is looking for faculty at the Assistant or Associate professor level (tenure track). Please consider joining our vibrant microbiology and immunology community at the University of Pittsburgh School of medicine

Happy to share our new pre-print, led by PhD student Linh Pham! We examine inhibition of MHC II expression by NRF2 during Mtb infection and its impact on innate-adaptive crosstalk. Special thanks to the Behar lab who helped us set up a T cell co-culture system for the project! #TB #immunology

Congratulations @bengern.bsky.social!

Trump officials halt ‘dangerous’ research, overriding NIH career scientists The Trump administration’s actions on NIH gain-of-function research have raised concerns among scientists, who argue the move could block experiments that are safe and potentially lead to new treatmen...

Tragically, the NIH is finding any reason it can to cancel grants, including critical research into the nature and function of mycobacterium tuberculosis. www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...

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.

NEW: In an unprecedented move, the NIH will soon disinvite dozens of scientists about to take positions on advisory councils that make final decisions on grant funding.

NIH staff were told to select others aligned with the Trump administration and told to expect placements by political appointees.

‼️ Save the date! ‼️ Tuberculosis: Understanding the Disease Across Scales Keystone 2026 on March 23-26 in Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 Very excited to organise this meeting with Digby, Bree and Margarida
Short Talk Abstract Deadline: Nov. 24, 2025
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...

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.

WOW!.. 8500+ supporting cast heroes (that's us!) have already signed our Letter of Support for the brave NIH heroes who laid down their case in the historic #BethesdaDeclaration.

Add your name here actionnetwork.org/forms/add-na... & stand up to save science & health in America.

#StandUpForScience

NSF, NASA and NIH budgets per year, inflation adjusted from 2000-2025 along with the proposed cuts. NSF includes research component only. Massive cuts across all sectors, well below support spanning 25 years.

How bad will it be? Catastrophic.

Proposed cuts to #NSF, #NIH, and #NASA will set the US R&D landscape back 25 yrs+, cause economic and job loss now, and undermine innovations to come.

But, this is the WH's *proposed* budget.

Speak up now before it is too late.

(inflation adjusted $-s below)

Trump’s new ‘gold standard’ rule will destroy American science as we know it | Colette Delawalla The new executive order allows political appointees to undermine research they oppose, paving the way to state-controlled science

Delighted to see this piece with Victor Ambros, @carlbergstrom.com, Carol Greider, @michaelemann.bsky.social, and @briannosek.bsky.social in the wild.

Trump’s new ‘gold standard’ rule will destroy American science as we know it

@standupforscience.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

There’s been some “advice” coming from some quarters for scientists not to focus on DEI-related funding cuts.

I wholly reject this concept.

Cutting programs designed to reduce science and healthcare disparities is as detrimental to science as anything else, both morally and functionally.

New NIH Notice "expiring" a large number of funding opportunities because

"We have identified a number of Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) that were not expired or reissued as indicated in the implementation plan outlined in NOT-OD-24-085."

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

Congratulations @payalyokota.bsky.social! Fantastic work!

the word alert is in a purple circle ALT: the word alert is in a purple circle

ACTION ITEM-----ACTION ITEM

Implementation of Schedule F

This is what a lot of us have been worried about.

This allows for many civil service positions to replaced with political appointees. This could include NIH institute directors and even POs.

BUT THERE IS A COMMENT PERIOD...

1/n

Updated funding curves...

Data downloaded today, but plotted through 4/15 to correct for NIH Reporter lag time).

New and Competitive Renewal Awards first

Awards being made but the rate remains lower than normal

1/2

These Faculty Senates Are Trying to Band Together to Stand Up to Trump The idea of a compact among institutions is based on the idea that there’s strength in numbers, and it comes amid frustration that few presidents are speaking out against the administration’s actions ...

Faculty senates at Rutgers University, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, the University of Indiana at Bloomington, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have passed resolutions calling for the creation of a mutual-defense compact. chroni.cl/4cBFrnu

Press Releases | Congressman Jim McGovern

I'm taking action following the Trump administration's sudden revocation of international student visas in MA-02.

Their actions are unconstitutional, unconscionable, and unprecedented. We need answers.

Read more: mcgovern.house.gov/news/documen...