Micaela Matta

A few key things that apply no matter where you are:
⭐ Meeting with your supervisor at least once a week strongly correlates with higher satisfaction
⭐ Students early in their PhD tend to be happier than those nearing the end
⭐ Working more than 60 hours a week makes satisfaction plummet

Eden Tanner coats nanoparticles in liquid salts for targeted drug delivery This physical chemist studies ionic liquids while making space in research for students with marginalized identities

Eden Tanner coats nanoparticles in liquid salts for targeted drug delivery

This physical chemist studies ionic liquids while making space in research for students with marginalized identities.

#DisabledInSTEM #NDEAM cen.acs.org/materials/io...

Too late but good news I guess? we lost a generation of students who haven’t had the opportunity to experience life abroad..

"Immigrants, we get the job done"

www.economist.com/graphic-deta...

Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality.

My HPLC was definitely overlooked

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

The Nobel committee needs to rethink their processes soon. No chance any millennial will answer their phone for that

Chem Nobel reaction live from Kyoto Uni! Not every day your nextdoor neighbour wins!

His Off-the-Grid Vacation Was Interrupted by Winning a Nobel Prize

I love this.

I thought nothing could possibly be worse than the Springer Nature submission system.. turns out I was wrong. Their proofreading system is straight torture from hell 😤

Other 3.  G. Gryn’ova , T. Bereau, C. Müller, P. Friederich, R. C. Wade, A. Nunes-Alves, T. A. Soares, K. Merz Jr.,  EDITORIAL: Chemical Compound Space Exploration by Multiscale High-Throughput...

Due to popular demand, I am sharing my slide deck on #environmental costs of #ML in #compchem & #materials_science www.grynova-ccc.org/other.html - incl. work by @skepteis.bsky.social @pschwllr.bsky.social and others.
Please send any other relevant resources my way, I’ll be maintaining this deck.

A statement from the President of the Royal Society | Royal Society A statement from Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, regarding threats to the values that allow science to flourish.

Deeply disappointing. Once again the @royalsociety.org has avoided explaining how *actions* by Elon Musk that clearly repudiate the Society's values are consistent with the code of conduct that Fellows must adhere to. royalsociety.org/news/2025/10...

He should have been expelled. This is way more than policing opinions.

- Inciting violence at far right rallies
- Interfering in government affairs
- Destroying health and science infrastructures
- Ensuring thousands will die

Abusers, excused and enabled by craven others, always grow in power.

“Science thrives when individuals and institutions have the freedom to carry out research without fear of discrimination, censorship, or other restrictions that would hinder their work.” Just a little bit contradictory here.. ☠️

An office door sign with my name on it, waiting for me

The view from my office: a constellation of buildings surrounded by greenery and the sea in the distance

One of the OIST buildings: the view from the 3rd(?) floor, showing a large open space that drops to the ground floor separating the 2 sides of the building. Several glass staircases connect the different levels across the 2 sides.

Made it to @oistedu.bsky.social! Check out my new office view! 🤩

#AcademicSky #PhDLife

Cross-national graduate student survey finds 43% (overall) experience discrimination/harassment as part of their studies

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

My Ask #1: check in with your students. They okay?

My Ask #2: check yourself. Are you causing their problems?

A China eastern plane parked at the gate

Ready to go! Heading to Naha via Shanghai ✈️

We are a computational group with expertise across #chemistry, #materials/computer science & #AI. If you want to apply simulations and software development skills towards biomedical research, this project is for you!

Details & contact info: tinyurl.com/MRC-polymer

I am looking to support #PhD candidates for a project on modelling degradable conjugated polymers for biomedical imaging and photodynamic therapy - applications open soon, get in touch! @kingsnmes.bsky.social #chemsky #compchem 🧪

Farage vows to scrap indefinite leave to remain, placing thousands at risk of deportation Reform UK plans to force non-citizens to apply for visas with high salary thresholds and no access to NHS services

Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain.

They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city.

Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.

there’s a lot of talk about big tech and corporations but so many international academic colleagues are also on H1Bs.

no university is going to pay 100k extra a year to keep them. if this holds, it would essentially mean the end of foreigners on tenure track jobs at US universities.

Any academic folks on H1B visas (even with stamps in passports) please get legal advice from your University attorneys before leaving the US.

Or January 🥲

Two books on a table, seen from above; the one to the bottom right (closed) is the Bradt guide to Okinawa. The one to the top left (open to reveal the Okinawa chapter) is the Lonely Planet Japan guide.

The heading of an email sent by the Theoretical Science Visiting Program to me. Subject: “Welcome to OIST! Arrival Information”

It feels real now it’s almost time to pack.. I’m excited to spend the fall visiting @luscombeoist.bsky.social @oistedu.bsky.social as a Theoretical Sciences Visiting Scholar! 🏝️🧬💻

"The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request"

How can this still appear in scientific papers from 2025? As a reader, reviewer, and evaluator (promotions, faculty hiring, awards), it is a red flag #OpenScience #ChemSky

The difference between doing a project and presenting it. An observation can lead to many avenues of explorations before focus turns to a specific discovery. Presenting it, in a talk / paper, follows inversely, with broad perspectives coming before & after the specific discovery.

A woman sitting at a restaurant table, holding a small fried fish to the camera

View of a cove from above. A handful of people on a pebbly beach and clear water, with rocks scattered on the beach and in the water

A woman enjoying the golden hour, sitting on a couch outside on a deck by the sea. In the background, the sea and a seaside walk

Sunset - pink sky, view of an empty beach, showing a few recliners and umbrellas

How your email finds me 💅 #sardinia

Google Scholar Is Doomed Academia built entire careers on a free Google service with zero guarantees. What could go wrong?

Since search is dead, how soon do you think Google Scholar is headed for the Google Graveyard? I'm betting it's soon, and academia is NOT prepared

😤

Data come in many different formats and are used in many different ways, but in many cases, a checklist like this (along with good data documentation) can help you verify if a dataset is in a usable format for most general purposes.
osf.io/t8upr

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-...