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Chrystal Starbird

@drstarbird.bsky.social
7.3K followers 642 following 1.4K posts

Scientist, mother, perpetual learner. Assistant Professor, Structural Biologist, Advocate, and Speaker. Views my own. signal @starbic.01 www.starbirdlab.com

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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
22 years! #anniversary
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Crystal Rogers, PhD @rogerslabucd.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I had a really fun time taping this episode live at the Symposium! I can’t wait to hear how it turned out! Huge thanks to @stemcellpodcast.com for having us on! 🤩
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
When you stop on the way to your anniversary vacation to help your son help his friend fix their car 🤷🏾‍♀️😂
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
My younger son types 200 wpm. These kids really are something else 🤯
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
And… I am SO excited to share the first research preprint from my group! In this paper we determined several cryoEM structures to visualize the entire cell-to-cell bridging complex formed by TAM receptor and ligand, bringing into 3D a common graphical depiction. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Thank you! And thanks for sharing with your class! You made my day too 😊
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Might see a familiar name in this article celebrating 100 years of crystallography 😉 🫶🏾
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Thank you, and same!!! 🤗
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
*prompted 🤦🏾‍♀️😁
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bioRxiv Biophysics @biorxiv-biophys.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Structural basis of phosphatidylserine enhancement of Gas6 ligand-induced Axl activation www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
You can learn more about our lab and my amazing team of curious and hardworking scientists on our website (links below). We also have a page on my website where you can donate to support our lab’s efforts: starbirdlab.com
starbirdlab.com
The Starbird Lab – Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Community
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
And, of course, being a Mom is my MOST important job. So, if you follow me, know that you will hear about all of the above. I LOVE science. I am a scientist. But I’ll never just focus on the science (couldn’t if I even tried, though I don’t want to try)
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
But most of my focus is on personal interactions: how I mentor my trainees, how I interact with colleagues, what values I emulate, etc. So most of the work I and many do to uplift others in STEM is invisible: www.cell.com/trends/cance...
cell.com
Shadow mentoring: a cost–benefit review for reform
Shadow mentoring relationships are those outside of traditional mentoring roles and are an unseen yet critical component of trainee retention that is rarely acknowledged. In this paper, we detail the ...
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Another initiative I am proud to be a small part of: lifescienceeditors.org/who-we-are/
lifescienceeditors.org
Who we are - Life Science Editors Foundation
We are former journal editors, grant specialists, researchers and academics who want to achieve equity, inclusion, diversity.
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I’ve put my advocacy to work in visible and less visible ways: acd.od.nih.gov/working-grou...
acd.od.nih.gov
ACD Working Group on Re-envisioning NIH-Supported Postdoctoral Training
Ensuring the future of U.S. competitiveness and innovation in biomedical research is of utmost importance to NIH.
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Another example: open.spotify.com/episode/0Irv...
open.spotify.com
Crush that Interview Part 2: Climbing the Academic Ladder
STEAM'D: The Podcast · Episode
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
And about how the systems in which science operates can exclude promising talent from non-traditional backgrounds: open.spotify.com/episode/20x4...
open.spotify.com
Standard Deviation S2 E2: The Advocacy Tax
Out of Patients with Matthew Zachary · Episode
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
And I speak often on podcasts both about my science: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/ner...
listennotes.com
Episode#27 X-Ray Chrystallography – Dr. Chrystal Starbird
00:43:21 - Hello listeners,  This week Dr. Crystal Starbird, Assistant Professor at UNC Chapel Hill will talk about X-Ray Crystallography, a rival to CryoEM. T…
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
And here: www.the-scientist.com/from-nature-...
the-scientist.com
From Nature Lover to Structural Biologist: A Scientist’s Journey | The Scientist
A gift of medical books from an unlikely source spurred Chrystal Starbird’s scientific career. She talks about what motivates her research on cell surface receptors and the obstacles she has faced as ...
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
We are excited to share research, but I want to take some time to share a little about myself. I LOVE science, but I also spend a lot of time advocating for more inclusive science. This work is promoted by my own obstacles in pursuing science which I talk about here: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
cell.com
Transforming myself and academia for good
Dr. Chrystal Starbird is the winner of the first Rising Black Scientist Award for a post-graduate scholar. For this award, we asked emerging Black scientists to tell us about the experiences that spar...
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Lorenzo Lorenzo-Luaces, PhD @lluaces.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Come be my colleague! We have a cluster hire including a Tenure-Track Assistant Prof Hire: indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/34485 and an Associate/Full hire: indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/34486, and a non-tenure track teaching hire (ad incoming). Please share, I'm happy to answer questions!
indiana.peopleadmin.com
Associate or Full Professor Faculty Position in Clinical Psychology
Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) invites applications at the associate or full professor rank for a cluster hire in clinical psychology in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colle...
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
They are giving people literal seats at the table, and allowing people to fail in the most wonderfully scientific of ways. If you aren’t already watching the Hypothesis Fund and what they are doing, you should be. Excited to see all that continues to come from this exceptional community.
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The @hypothesisfund.bsky.social retreat has been beautiful, inspiring, and restorative all at the same time. What they are doing: bringing together some of the world’s most innovative, creative, and successful scientists to support emerging scholars to pursue their boldest ideas, is groundbreaking.
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Grants submitted, two papers submitted, abstracts submitted…it’s been a week! But a beautiful and unforgettable meal with great company was an excellent finish 🙏🏾
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Crystal Rogers, PhD @rogerslabucd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
It has been an amazing @hypothesisfund.bsky.social retreat ending at a dinner at Tonnemaker Farm. I shared the findings from work we have been doing over the past year and heard so many other phenomenal awardees speak. Huge thanks to everyone involved and to my scout, @drkhaynes.bsky.social! 🤩
Sunflowers at the Tonnemaker Farm Three women smiling at the hypothesis fund retreat dinner at Tonnemake farm.Sunset at the Tonnemaker FarmHypothesis Fund retreat dinner
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Thank you!!! 🙏🏾
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Thank you!!!
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Thank you!!! 😊
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Thank you! I’m excited for this and all to come!
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thank you!!! 🙏🏾
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thank you!!!! 😊
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thank you!
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thank you! 😊
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I am so incredibly proud of my team, including co-first authors Nicole Fournier and @biophysgal.bsky.social ! They have been working hard and there is more to come from the Starbird Lab soon, so stay tuned! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Structural basis of phosphatidylserine enhancement of Gas6 ligand-induced Axl activation
TAMs (Tyro3, Axl, and MerTK) are receptor tyrosine kinases with primary roles in apoptotic clearance and immune suppression. In apoptosis, bridging complexes form between TAM receptors on phagocytic c...
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
We determined structures with and without activating membrane lipid, phosphatidylserine (PS). Working with the Smith lab, we use a combination of methods to propose a mechanism whereby PS stabilizes and induces conformational changes in receptor:ligand complexes to promote kinase domain activation.
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
And… I am SO excited to share the first research preprint from my group! In this paper we determined several cryoEM structures to visualize the entire cell-to-cell bridging complex formed by TAM receptor and ligand, bringing into 3D a common graphical depiction. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Ending a social media break to share two exciting pieces of news: First, my postdoc paper was accepted! We share the first structure of a TAM receptor ECD, fully glycosylated, and insights into TAM receptor ectodomain organization. portlandpress.com/biochemj/art...
Figure in the paper that shows the domains of all three TAM receptors next to a cartoon representation of the determined ECD structure, with a bent C-like conformation and sugars shown as spheres.
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Thank you! 😊 🎉
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Tigist Tamir @phosphotig.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Extra! Extra! Read all about the new paper from @drstarbird.bsky.social ! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
static.klipy.com
Spongebob and Patrick Celebrating Party
ALT: Spongebob and Patrick Celebrating Party
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Leslie B Vosshall PhD @leslievosshall.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Transformative opportunity for early career faculty @hhmi-science.bsky.social #FreemanHrabowski Scholars competition opens 11/3/2026 but you can get started NOW: view application components, establish eligibility, and unlock example applications and other resources www.hhmi.org/programs/fre...
hhmi.org
Early Career Faculty Program | Freeman Hrabowski Scholars | HHMI
The Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program offers comprehensive support to outstanding early career faculty committed to scientific excellence in their own research, and to fostering labs that expand the ...
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Parkinson's Foundation Research @pfresearchteam.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
📢 Congratulations to 2026 Impact Awardee, Danielle Schmitt at the University of California, Los Angeles, whose project focuses on functional imaging of PINK1 activity dynamics. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Congratulations!!! 🎉
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Double THIS 👇🏾
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I Scare You Like Sound Dog @chadstanton.blacksky.app · 02/09/2026
“I think it’s safe to say that most, if not all, the students in the room felt like our lives were threatened. We did not feel like we were going to make it out of that room alive,” Samuel Scarborough, senior adviser for the Black Student Movement, said.”
dailytarheel.com
Black student organizations targeted in racially motivated attack at campus watch party
The individual, detained by UNC Police, entered a Greenlaw Hall classroom Monday night with an aerosol can and lighter. He communicated racially charged threats and threw items at students before flee...
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Two surgeries, two with colds (including me), a busy time at work/school, and a college drop off in Boston 😭 Just another Starbird fam week! Grateful for friends who helped us manage it all 😍🫶🏾
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
This timeline has GOT to be kidding. Dolly and then Tim Curry in the same week!
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
When the committee picks the one poll time to meet you are not available 😂
static.klipy.com
Kevin Durant Salty Reaction
ALT: Kevin Durant Salty Reaction
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Thank you!!! 😊
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Thank you!! 😊
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Thank you! 🙏🏾
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