iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Happy to share the lab’s latest preprint! Led by PhD student @isaiahwill.bsky.social, we hope that this thorough characterization of expression patterns for many #drosophila fat body driver lines will be a useful resource to the fruit fly community.

Panel from a composite figure showing 6 images of fat body patches taken using confocal fluorescence microscopy

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

I’m so proud of J’nea and Lena ! Both have been a joy to train and mentor as they’ve developed academically and personally. Yesterday at #DiscoverUSC2026, they showcased their research projects with expertise, confidence, and enthusiasm.

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Huge CONGRATULATIONS to @isaiahwill.bsky.social on being awarded a SPARC grant from @uscresearch.bsky.social, which will help support his awesome PhD work! #drosophila 🪰🔬👨🏽‍🔬

Isaiah standing in front of his research poster

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

A different, refreshing way to do group lab meeting suggested by @jennagraham10.bsky.social Ideas brewing, projects moving! 🪰👩🏾‍🔬👨🏾‍🔬👩🏼‍🔬👩🏽‍🔬👩🏻‍🔬🪰

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to the new Dr. David Duncan for successfully defending his doctoral dissertation today!!!🥳🎊👨🏾‍🔬🪰

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

One of the things I do to decompress - cross stitch. I’ve been making pieces that are related to my research. This is the first one I completed (a while ago) of a germarium of the #drosophila ovary.

Multicolor cross stitch piece of a Drosophila germarium

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Reposted by Alissa Armstrong

Dr. Michael D. L. Johnson @copperbae.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

STEM Black History Fact 23/28 George Washington Carver’s work on crop diversification improved nutrition, soil health, and food security, key determinants of public health. kids.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...

kids.nationalgeographic.com

Black Scientists and Inventors | Black History Month

Learn about these inspiring men and women.

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

My visit to Berkeley last week to give a talk about the lab’s research for the MCB seminar series was AWESOME! Many stimulating conversations about science, mentoring, lab culture and community outreach. The icing on the cake was meeting @ongkaty.bsky.social. I love her pins, stickers, and patches!

Two women, Katy (left) and Alissa (right), posing together. Katy is holding two fruit fly stickers

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Katy Ong @ongkaty.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I've emerged from my faculty job app cocoon to open up the Etsy shop for a bit. Come grab some #Drosophila swag and support @flybase.bsky.social ! All proceeds are donated, here's the belated donation from December's sales.

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Biology Open @biologyopen.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

James Walts & co use #Drosophila melanogaster to investigate how exercise impacts body composition, specifically, protein content. doi.org/10.1242/bio.... #ExercisePhysiology #Metabolites #TreadWheel #GWAS

Experimental set-up. 3 to 5-day-old virgin flies were collected and separated into groups of ten by sex, using ten vials of ten flies per sex/genotype/treatment combination. Flies in the exercise-treated group underwent five consecutive days of exercise using the Treadwheel, while animals in the control group were handled the same way, but without the treatment on the Treadwheel. 1 day after completing the exercise treatment, climbing ability of all animals was measured. At this point, the animals were weighed and frozen for metabolite analysis.

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

Excited that Lena's undergraduate research efforts have been recognized by funding in the form of a Magellan Scholar Grant. We look forward to learning more about how RTK-mediated signaling allows fat tissue to communicate to ovarian tissue in #drosophila. 🪰🔬

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Today we celebrated @chsphd.bsky.social earning his doctoral degree at the hooding ceremony. It’s the end of an era, with all members of the first generation of Armstrong lab earning their degrees. #uofsc25 #uofscbiologicalsciences

Chad and Alissa taking a selfie with their doctoral regalia on

Full body picture of Chad and Alissa in their doctoral regalia

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Denis Wirtz @deniswirtz.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

Download our large database of funding opportunities for early-career faculty and researchers Download it here: research.jhu.edu/rdt/funding-... 433 funding opportunities.

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

End of Fall 2025 Celebration with the Armstrong Lab!

Photograph of Armstrong Lab members - from left to right, Olivia, Chad, Carly, David, Isaiah, Dr. Armstrong, Lena, Jenna, Payal, Ymani, and Shanieka

Photograph of Armstrong Lab members - from left to right, Chad, J'nea, Shanieka, Payal, Olivia, Dr. Armstrong, Carly, Lena, Isaiah, and Ymani

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Biology Open @biologyopen.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Aurélia Joly, @micro-megs.bsky.social & co show that stem cell-intrinsic NF-κB activity is crucial for preventing apoptosis and ensuring proper intestinal epithelial repair following injury in #Drosophila. 🪰 doi.org/10.1242/bio.... #StemCells #Intestine

Rel is not essential for DSS-dependent ISC proliferation but impacts survival rates after DSS treatment. (A) 10-day-old unchallenged (UC) esgts/+ flies fed PBS/5% sucrose solution for 48 h; and DSS-treated esgts/+ or esgts/RelRNAi flies fed 3% DSS in 5% sucrose for 48 h. Scale bars: 25 µm. DNA (cyan), esg+ progenitors (yellow), and Dl+ ISCs (magenta) labelled.

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Played a modified version of BINGO in my Fundamental Genetics class today, and the students enjoyed it!

Photo of BINGO cards containing terms related to recombinant DNA technology, like restriction enzymes, plasmid, multiple cloning site, transformation, vector, etc.

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

Today a major milestone was achieved as @chsphd.bsky.social gave a beautiful presentation and successfully defended his dissertation. CONGRATULATIONS to the newly minted Dr. Simmons!!! 🎉🥳🍾🪰🔬👨🏾‍🔬

Chad standing next to a podium presenting one of his data slides from his dissertation talk

Selfie of Chad and Alissa after the news was delivered that Chad had passed his defense with flying colors

Chad’s celebration cake with a pumpkin border design

A picture of the Armstrong lab at Chad’s celebration

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Love this! Had never seen it before, but will definitely share.

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

An Armstrong lab trainee is preparing to leave the nest - @chsphd.bsky.social presents his doctoral work and defends is dissertation next week.

Flyer announcing a dissertation defense for Chad Simmons, a doctoral student in the Armstrong Lab

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Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

If you are a researcher whose lab uses FlyBase, consider a tax-deductible personal contribution. A lot of $100 contributions would help bridge the gap until we can set up a user fee system, and even $10 donations send the folks there the message we're behind them. Please share

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

Yesterday’s #OOTD for the first day of genetics class. Topic: DNA structure

Selfie of Alissa who is wearing a dress with a DNA double helix pattern

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Shefali @iamshef.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

#Drosophila community in the US and non- EU countries, please donate to help us support #Flybase. People behind the scenes have put in incredible effort over the past few months - as someone who has seen some of it first hand at #IUBloomington, they deserve all the praise. Please share and donate !

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Dee @dee4ever.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

#Bluesky #Blacksky #Edusky Would you repost to help my students in rural SC? Your donation can brighten the classroom experience for our students. Your generosity will make a huge difference in the lives of our students, & I would really appreciate your assistance. www.amazon.com/baby-reg/die...

media.tenor.com

a thank you card with watercolor hearts on a white background

ALT: a thank you card with watercolor hearts on a white background

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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

I am really excited to be a part of this team. We took our time writing this, putting a lot of thought into how our journeys as #NativesInSTEM were affected by different aspects of Universities and looking for commonalities across the world. I hope folks in academia appreciate this work.

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Early-career #Drosophila biologists (grad students, postdoc, pre-tenure faculty) looking to add a me tore to your mentoring network, be sure to complete the survey by 9/1 so that you can be matched to the best mentor possible.

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Moe Mahjoub @mahjoublab.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

👇 Contact me if you're interested!

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Biology Open @biologyopen.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Will you be at #SEB2025 this week? Visit the @biologists.bsky.social booth (#3 & 4) in the exhibition hall to ask about the @biologyopen.bsky.social Fast & Fair peer review initiative. bit.ly/41N31tO @sebiology.bsky.social

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USC Research @uscresearch.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Letters of intent are due Friday, August 1!

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

It’s official! Fall 2025, I go from “Assistant” to “Associate” Professor. Thanks to trainees (ugrad/grad/postbacs), professional/personal networks, & family for supporting my goal of establishing a vibrant research program that puts people before projects. More science, scientists, & understanding!

Screenshot that says “Dear Professor Armstrong:
By action taken during the June 20, 2025 meeting of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees, I am pleased to inform you approval was given to the administration's recommendation that you be awarded tenure and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, effective August 16, 2025.
Congratulations on your achievement.”

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

It was a give-away! I’ve never replied to an email faster, lol

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

...and how to dissect fat bodies on our newly acquired, old-school teaching 🔬

Isaiah showing Acchia how to pin dissected fly abdominal carcasses

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Summer brings new @sc.edu undergraduates to the lab - learning some #drosophila genetics...

Two undergraduate students, Merelin (left) and Acchia (right), working out a genetics cross in Dr. Armstrong's office

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Shefali @iamshef.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Hey #Drosophila folks ! #FlyCROSS is back and #Mentor surveys are open NOW ! If you're a faculty/postdoc/ equivalent in any scientific career & have #Drosophila research experience - we'd be delighted to have you as mentors to empower early career scientists in the #Dros community !

docs.google.com

Summer 2025 Survey For Mentors : FlyCROSS Mentor Mentee Matching Program

We appreciate you taking the time and volunteering to be a mentor! Add dmelcross@gmail.com to your email address book or safe sender list, so that you can receive our emails. To be a participating me...

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Part of the Armstrong and Ables lab crews met up for dinner at the #SESDB2025 @socdevbio.bsky.social meeting yesterday evening.

Picture of lab members after dinner. From left to right - David, Chad, Isaiah, Dr. Armstrong, Carly, BiClareline, Vicky, and Dr. Ables in an outside patio

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Grateful that students in my lab/department and one that I mentor were able to attend the @pair-up.bsky.social workshop at the MBL!

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Lab alum and recent USC graduates really know me! Thanks to Helena and Ivory for my necklace 🧬👩🏾‍🔬

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chasingmicrobes @chasingmicrobes.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

1/3 PLEASE READ, LIKE, REPOST this "1/3" post There is a Senate Hearing May 14th with RFK Jr to discuss Trump's proposed HHS budget. Please find call/email the members of the committee every day until then (I have compiled contact info for the members in post 2/3)

05.02.2025
MEDIA ADVISORY: Senate HELP Committee to Hold Hearing with Secretary Kennedy on HHS Budget

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, May 14, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to discuss President Trump's proposed HHS budget for fiscal year 2026. This is the first time in at least two decades that the HHS Secretary is testifying on a presidential budget before the HELP Committee.

Agenda: Hearing on Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Health and Human Services Budget;

Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Time: 1:00 PM ET/ 12:00 PM CT

Location: 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Witnesses: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

15 years ago, I turned in printed copies of my dissertation with baby in tow. I like to repost this as a reminder to myself and others - we can do hard things. @rkuruvi1.bsky.social will remember the backdrop 😃

Photo of Alissa with a pink pacifier in her mouth, carrying her sleeping baby in a baby carrier, and holding several printed copies of her dissertation in manila folders.

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Our very own J'nea won a FIRST PLACE poster award at #DiscoverUSC2025. The Armstrong Lab is proud!

J'nea posing at her poster during Discover USC 2025

Announcement of J'nea's first place poster win for Discover USC 2025

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Whitney Gibbs @whitgibbs.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

My lab at NYU is hiring a postdoc interested in RNA biology and local translation in neurons following axonal injury/neurodegenerative diseases!! Apply here: apply.interfolio.com/165681

apply.interfolio.com

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

The notice and COMMENT PERIOD OPENED TODAY AND CLOSES MAY 23. Anyone who would like to register an objection or comment should go to this page and click on the green “public comment” button at the top: www.federalregister.gov/documents/20... 6/n

federalregister.gov

Improving Performance, Accountability and Responsiveness in the Civil Service

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing a rule to increase career employee accountability. Agency supervisors report great difficulty removing employees for poor performance or misconduc...

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Last but not least - Jenna and Lena are working to understand how the highly conserved receptor tyrosine kinases function in adipocytes to control #Drosophila oogenesis. Jenna is a @uscresearch.bsky.social Magellan Scholar. 4/4

Jenna on the left and Lena on the right of their poster at Discover USC 2025 research symposium

Action shot of Jenna and Lena describing their poster to a visitor

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Next up - J’nea (a @uscresearch.bsky.social Magellan Scholar) is examining how amino transporters regulate differential tissue function. 3/4

J’nea posing in front of her poster at Discover USC 2025 research symposium

Action shot of J’nea describing her poster to a visitor

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

1st up - Payal & Olivia working on the lab’s newest project in collaboration w/ Rekha Patel - Developing #Drosophila as a model to understand the underlying cellular & molecular causes of dystonia, a human movement disorder. A @uscresearch.bsky.social Magellan Journey Award supported Olivia. 2/4

Payal on the left and Olivia on the right of their poster at Discover USC 2025 research symposium

Action shot of Payal and Olivia describing their poster to a visitor

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Alissa Armstrong @armstrongflylab.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

A🧵that exemplifies why I do what I do - training and mentoring the next gen of physicians and researchers. Armstrong lab undergrads made a strong showing at #DiscoverUSC2025. 1/4

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