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What’s up with Downes?

@gbdownes.bsky.social

Dad of two, Professor of Biology @UMass, rare disease researcher and advocate, SPINES @MBL director, and runner. I use zebrafish to study the genetic control of locomotion and epilepsy genes. πŸ§ͺ🧬🧠

2,247 Followers  |  860 Following  |  245 Posts  |  Joined: 03.07.2023  |  1.9538

Latest posts by gbdownes.bsky.social on Bluesky

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09.05.2025 14:07 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Trump administration restructures federal health agencies, cuts 20,000 jobs The reduction in force comes along with a reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services, consolidating 28 divisions to 15.

In the aftermath of a global pandemic, and in the midst of two major public health crises (the ongoing measles and bird flu outbreaks), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announces that it is cutting 20,000 full-time jobs.

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

27.03.2025 16:05 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Today I lost an NIH grant training clinicians to do research about intimate partner violence with perinatal women.

More women are murdered in the perinatal period than die of obstetric complications.

I didn't just lose a grant. We lost an entire cohort of people building careers to prevent that.

22.03.2025 00:19 β€” πŸ‘ 29059    πŸ” 9112    πŸ’¬ 856    πŸ“Œ 492

Elite universities have totally lost their way. No leadership, no courage, and few protections around scholarship.

10.03.2025 20:20 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Who funds biomedical research? @nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

10.03.2025 17:12 β€” πŸ‘ 618    πŸ” 309    πŸ’¬ 16    πŸ“Œ 25

They have already fired people at the NOAA aquarium.

10.03.2025 20:01 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Very true. This is why we don't use Methylene Blue, especially when performing behavioral analysis.

10.03.2025 19:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Big congratulations to Madison Riffe, a spectacular graduate student in my lab! She wrote this review as part of @biologyopen.bsky.social Future Leader Review. Her idea! Madison is looking for a postdoc so reach out if you're interested. Whatever lab she selects will be VERY lucky to land her. (4/4)

10.03.2025 19:13 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

If these disorders do constitute a new disease class, it could present an opportunity for understanding them, developing new therapies, and combining patient advocacy efforts. (3/4)

10.03.2025 19:13 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

We review the clinical findings of these diseases and the efforts to model them in cells and animal systems, including #zebrafish. (2/4)

10.03.2025 19:13 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Neurogenetic disorders associated with mutations in the FERRY complex: a novel disease class? Summary: This Review provides a summary of cellular and molecular data about TBCK, PPP1R21, and FERRY3, components of the FERRY complex, and compares clinical symptoms observed upon their mutation.

I'm excited to share that we have a new paper out! This is a review about a #RareDisease. We propose that #TBCK Syndrome, #PPP1R21 related intellectual disability, and #FERRY3 intellectual disability, all rare disease, may constitute a new disease class. (1/4)
journals.biologists.com/bio/article/...

10.03.2025 19:13 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

"This is direct censorship of scientific research.”

06.03.2025 03:03 β€” πŸ‘ 29    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ¦—πŸ¦—πŸ¦—

04.03.2025 17:06 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump 2.0: an assault on science anywhere is an assault on science everywhere US President Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to science and to international institutions. The global research community must take a stand against these attacks.

US President Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to science and to international institutions. The global research community must take a stand against these attacks.

https://go.nature.com/4kd1vIu

25.02.2025 21:53 β€” πŸ‘ 677    πŸ” 286    πŸ’¬ 8    πŸ“Œ 26
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Here at DOGE, We’ve Streamlined Every Aspect of America’s Collapse "Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave representatives of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency access to the federal payment system la...

"I promise, America will soon be the Cybertruck of countriesβ€”uglier than you could have imagined, built for rich chuds, borderline inoperable, and on fire."

08.02.2025 15:00 β€” πŸ‘ 14815    πŸ” 3757    πŸ’¬ 265    πŸ“Œ 168

Hi all, I am in contact with a reporter at Science magazine who would like to talk with a trainee or mentor who successfully applied for an equity/DEI-related NIH training grant or a training supplement but have not received the Notice of Award and probably won't get the grant.

06.02.2025 01:10 β€” πŸ‘ 231    πŸ” 199    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 2

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03.02.2025 18:48 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Universities are the target, doesn’t matter if they’re wearing a target or not.

03.02.2025 17:58 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

*some things

01.02.2025 02:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Reminder that @europepmc.org is a mirror of Pubmed with better search and that it indexes *all* bioRxiv preprints (as well as ResearchSquare), not just the ones funded by NIH like chauvinist Pubmed

31.01.2025 20:44 β€” πŸ‘ 301    πŸ” 157    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 6

If you like my comments, don’t forget to like and subscribe.

01.02.2025 02:08 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

We don’t wear lab coats very much either, but I’m not about to let this sponsorship opportunity go to waste!

01.02.2025 02:07 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I personally envision our lab coats emblazoned with logos, like a race car driver.

31.01.2025 22:48 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Hope this is real.

31.01.2025 03:35 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Now we get to see which institutions really walk the talk versus those that support diversity only when it’s fashionable. Taking notes.

31.01.2025 03:20 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

This seems like a you problem.

31.01.2025 01:01 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I think it’s a misconception to say the NIH/NSF faucet has been turned back on. The freeze is still in place. Outside of that, congratulations on your grant! I hope you’re celebrating the win!

30.01.2025 13:48 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Is the first skirmish over? Genuinely asking.

30.01.2025 13:46 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

🚨PIs of Training Grants and Programs, ESPECIALLY training grants that support students from historically excluded groups (T32s and T34s, IMSD, MARC, PREP, MOSAIC, etc.)🚨

We need to push back on the loss of information and the disappearance of websites about these resources.

29.01.2025 18:48 β€” πŸ‘ 255    πŸ” 148    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 5

I would love a lawyer to clarify because it seems like there’s a considerable amount of space between the ruling and what the GOP lawyers are declaring.

29.01.2025 23:50 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

@gbdownes is following 20 prominent accounts