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Melanie Penner

@drmelpenner.bsky.social
184 followers 209 following 174 posts

Dev Peds at Holland Bloorview, clinician scientist studying better services for autistic children/youth. Hogging the aux and skipping the slow songs.

PostsRepliesMedia
Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Crafting a good research question is the most fundamental skill. I often spend over an hour on this task in a grant application. It’s hard for me to see how outsourcing that leads to anything but bad science.
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Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Faculty position at Calgary careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/1820090...
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 25/08/2026
Breaking News: Two unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania died from measles, the first deaths from the disease this year in the U.S., as a large outbreak there continues to spread.
nyti.ms
In Pennsylvania, 2 Measles Deaths Are Reported
The deaths, which one doctor called “extremely rare in the modern era,” are the first in the United States in 2026.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Exactly this! In my role as a doctor with my patients, I need to hear out their concerns and build trust over time. This is VERY different than the approach we should take at a public discourse level.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Pepper by Butthole Surfers - I once knew a guy who made a full mixed tape of only that song
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Casey Stegman @caseystegman.com · 27/07/2026
People who think Emily Wilson is being mean have clearly never presented a paper at an academic conference
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EMILY WILSON @emilyrcwilson.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
There is a lot to say about the Nolan Odyssey movie. But one point that I think has not been emphasized enough is: this is a film about living in LA, as Nolan, my erstwhile British compatriot and age mate, has done for years. I gather it’s a strange place.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
static.klipy.com
Bjork Jumpscare
ALT: Bjork Jumpscare
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I loved how manual her spell was to turn them into pigs - wildly disturbing, and also akin to what women endured in war
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Niche interest alert: did anyone else think that the Siren song in #TheOdyssey sounds eerily like Bjork’s Anchor Song? It also plays when he is home and first speaking to Penelope. Interesting thematic overlap… youtu.be/17yWeynOfOI
youtu.be
Bjork - The anchor song
YouTube video by Cruise Control
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Jimothy has blessed us this #DisabilityPrideMonth people.com/seattle-shor...
people.com
Oddly-Shaped Raccoon Believed to Have a Spine Deformity Becomes Seattle’s Newest Viral Star
The raccoon’s unusual appearance has sparked comparisons to mythical creatures, but experts say he’s adapting remarkably well despite his spinal deformity
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Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
FWIW, JB Pritzker recently signed legislation to end subminimum wage labor for people with disabilities, a major priority for disability rights activists.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Both me and Ticketmaster are crashing out trying to get Turnstile tickets
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
In-house psychologists diagnosing and creating a pipeline of clients. Kids in cubicles. Bonuses for the number of hours of therapy children attend. Cheetos for writing letters. Pulling kids out of their natural environments. An industry in need of oversight & reform www.nytimes.com/2026/05/23/h...
nytimes.com
Short Naps, Long Hours: How Autism Clinics Squeeze Medicaid Dollars Out of Preschoolers
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Michael @masmus.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
I should be grading. Instead, I’ve been diving into the MLB sponsor patches. So in honor of every team finally donning one this season, I’ll score and rank each abysmal patch. The score is out of 5, accounting the patch’s aesthetics with the uniform, the company, and fittingness to the team.
T. Rowe Price patch of a Ram on a grey Baltimore jerseyBright green TD patch on white Blue Jays jerseyRed QT patch on white Royals jerseyAARP patch on red Washington jersey
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Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
NEW: A serious staffing shortage — of the Trump admin's own making — is delaying the agency's ability to send billions to universities around the country, leaving labs reeling in the meantime. “I thought we were at rock bottom”, a senior NIH official said. “We are below rock bottom now.”
nature.com
NIH staffing shortage could slash number of new grants issued this year
Some units at the US funding giant are so understaffed, they are focusing on mandated grant renewals rather than new awards.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Oh good another autism moral panic
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Measles Took My Daughter. This Is What I Want Everyone to Know. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Measles Took My Daughter. This Is What I Want Everyone to Know.
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DrSinBin @drsinbin.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
I'm not joking when I say mRNA technology is more important than "AI" and it's a tragedy we're throwing billions into one while our government is aggressively defunding the other.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
The wildest thing about the movie Speed is the number of infrastructure projects
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
When I was interviewing for my first faculty position, the chief of paediatrics asked me if I thought medicine was a career or a calling. It was clear which one was the correct answer. Thinking about that conversation as I reflect on this season of #ThePitt
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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 09/04/2026
It’s hard to overstate how much of this moment is driven by people who got a taste of accountability and were very, very mad about it.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
@murderxbryan.bsky.social
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Mike Wiser @drmikewiser.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
So, thing that is apparently better understood inside academia than outside of it: International students pay sticker price. Most domestic students do not. International students are subsidizing the education costs for domestic students, as per student governmental funding drops.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
media.tenor.com
I Want You To Get The Word Out There That We Back Up The Wire GIF
ALT: I Want You To Get The Word Out There That We Back Up The Wire GIF
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Big oak dropping an acorn for the fans
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 26/03/2026
The American Medical Association directly responds to New York Times coverage mischaracterizing their posiiton on gender affirming care for trans young people. cloud.e.ama-assn.org/newsletter?u...
In recent days, AMA communications to the New York Times have requested a correction on their part to reflect the actual language the AMA used in response to their inquiry. Additionally, a letter to the editor has been submitted requesting a public correction—this was neither a policy change nor was it an endorsement of a position taken by another medical society. In addition, during Congressional testimony in mid-March, I had the opportunity to set the record straight stating to the Subcommittee on Health of the House Energy and Commerce Committee that there has been no change in AMA policy with respect to access to and provision of gender-affirming care. This will appear in the Congressional Record.
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Linda Diak @lindadiakquilts.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Major quilt eye candy incoming. This was pieced by Kris Lescinsky, pattern is Catch Me by Jacqueline DeJong. Took me 5 audiobooks to quilt it, lol.
close up:Catch Me - a quilt by Jacqueline DeJonge, pieced by Kris Lescinsky, quilted by me - a white background, green batik border, and circles with stars or compass roses interconnect with borders of flying geese (triangles, and a diamond in the center of the quilt in a checkerboard pattern.close up:Catch Me - a quilt by Jacqueline DeJonge, pieced by Kris Lescinsky, quilted by me - a white background, green batik border, and circles with stars or compass roses interconnect with borders of flying geese (triangles, and a diamond in the center of the quilt in a checkerboard pattern.close up:Catch Me - a quilt by Jacqueline DeJonge, pieced by Kris Lescinsky, quilted by me - a white background, green batik border, and circles with stars or compass roses interconnect with borders of flying geese (triangles, and a diamond in the center of the quilt in a checkerboard pattern.close up:Catch Me - a quilt by Jacqueline DeJonge, pieced by Kris Lescinsky, quilted by me - a white background, green batik border, and circles with stars or compass roses interconnect with borders of flying geese (triangles, and a diamond in the center of the quilt in a checkerboard pattern.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Our paper on it is accessible here: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Understanding the Use of the Term “Weaponized Autism” in An Alt-Right Social Media Platform - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Background The term “weaponized autism” is frequently used on extremist platforms. To better understand this, we conducted a discourse analysis of posts on Gab, an alt-right social media platform. Met...
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Kudos to @slooterman.bsky.social for unpacking the neurodivergence discourse! Includes references to some of my team’s work trying to understand the use of ‘weaponized autism’ in alt-right spaces
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
I have a Hector joke but it drags on
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Hal O'Wien @kbuts.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Bluesky is the app for people who like sports, but sports doesn't like them back.
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Anna Phylaxis @quatoria.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
The intention of the anti trans project, from “just asking questions” to “fairness in sports” was always this: to make it illegal and impossible to be trans in society. To create pretexts for our arrest and removal, if we don’t put ourselves under house arrest. To punish us for being different.
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Brendel @brendelbored.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
The stupid thing about social media arguments about social media is that everyone who has them is a 40 year old arguing about which site frequented by 7% of the population is more relevant, meanwhile everyone under 25 is on something called Blooble inventing new words to scare us with
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19thnews @19thnews.org · 12/02/2026
As a growing number of states weaken childhood immunization requirements, physicians fear many families will miss critical wellness checks.
19thnews.org
Without school vaccine mandates, many kids may never see a doctor
As a growing number of states weaken childhood immunization requirements, physicians fear many families will miss critical wellness checks.
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Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 13/02/2026
Bluesky is the new science Twitter, new study by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social and Julia Wester concludes! "Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."
academic.oup.com
Scientists no Longer Find Twitter Professionally Useful, and have Switched to Bluesky
Synopsis. Social media has become widely used by the scientific community for a variety of professional uses, including networking and public outreach. For
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
“The goal horn went off during the ceremony when they kissed.” @slooterman.bsky.social warming my heart during a polar vortex
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Big #autism news re: leucovorin. Published trial from India has been RETRACTED. This, combined with the fact that the earlier Frye trial was terminated by the FDA, further emphasizes that this is not a recommended therapy. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Retraction Note: Efficacy of oral folinic acid supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - European Journal of Pediatrics
European Journal of Pediatrics -
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Big #autism news re: leucovorin. Published trial from India has been RETRACTED. This, combined with the fact that the earlier Frye trial was terminated by the FDA, further emphasizes that this is not a recommended therapy. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Retraction Note: Efficacy of oral folinic acid supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - European Journal of Pediatrics
European Journal of Pediatrics -
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Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
God loves a terrier.
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Sending some love to the Twin cities tonight
Jayhawks album cover in front of a record player with Electric Fetus covering
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Not sure why but this totally tracks :)
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
You’re actually an honorary Canadian in that case!
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Omg Sara
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The American Academy of Pediatrics @ameracadpeds.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Today marks a major moment for child health: the AAP has released its updated 2026 childhood and adolescent immunization schedule. Updated annually to reflect the latest scientific evidence, this year’s schedule is formally endorsed by 12 leading medical and healthcare organizations. bit.ly/4r5KbaQ
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NPR @npr.org · 26/01/2026
Parents of autistic children are clamoring for a prescription vitamin promoted by federal health officials. But there's little evidence the drug will help.
n.pr
Can the prescription drug leucovorin treat autism? History says, probably not
Parents of autistic children are clamoring for a prescription vitamin promoted by federal health officials. But there's little evidence the drug will help.
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Ash Parrish, Kotaku's LeBron James @adashtra.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
"How could they lie like that so brazenly??"" Because you let them. FOR DECADES About people you didn't care about.
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Sam “The Great Pumpkin” Thielman @samthielman.com · 22/01/2026
I just thought everyone should see this
Dr Kareem Carr
man: i wish to publish
@kareem_carr
Jan 21
reviewer 2: your paper is no good
man: i'll do anything to improve
reviewer 2: it's simple. you must read the work of the great scientist Pagliarini
man: *bursts into tears* but i am Pagliarini
Andre Pagliarini
@apagliar
Jan 21
a first: in rejecting an article I submitted to a journal, reviewer 2 noted I failed to engage the work of one Andre Pagliarini
Jan 21, 2026 • 3:47 PM UTC
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Melanie Penner @drmelpenner.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Big day for meritocracy
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