Sign in

Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD

@drxilma.bsky.social
539 followers 663 following 31 posts

Boricua 🇵🇷 physician neuroscientist; Mom, Peds Neurogenetics 🧠🧬 @CHOP/UPenn, mitochondriac, my lab works on mechanisms of pediatric neurodegeneration #raredisease #TBCK www.med.upenn.edu/oglab opinion = my own

PostsRepliesMedia
Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD @drxilma.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
🙄
010
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology @asbmb.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
NIH funding decisions should be made by scientific experts, not political appointees. Protecting rigorous peer review safeguards public trust, biomedical progress and U.S. scientific leadership. ➡️Learn more: www.asbmb.org/advocacy/pos... #ScienceServesUsAll #ASBMBAdvocates
Graphic reading "Science Serves Us All" over a blue scientific background with the ASBMB logo.
01915
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
PBS News @pbsnews.org · 24/08/2026
When Luis Manuel Aviles was arrested by immigration authorities, his son was entering his ninth month on the USS Abraham Lincoln with the Navy. www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/he-was-…
pbs.org
He was waiting for his son to return from the USS Lincoln. Then Border Patrol arrested him.
Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was arrested after leaving his house to take his car to the mechanic, according to his wife, Argelia Aviles. She said her husband, a handyman in Key West, Florida, has a permit...
25497203
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Jen Taub @jentaub.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
“A single-payer universal health care system could cover every American, save more than 100,000 lives a year, and still cost $1 trillion less than the system it would replace, according to a new preprint study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health.” ysph.yale.edu/news-article...
ysph.yale.edu
Universal Health Coverage Could Save $1 Trillion and 114,000 Lives Every Year, Yale Study Projects
A single-payer universal health care system could cover every American, save more than 100,000 lives a year, and still cost $1 trillion less than the system it
595165427120
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Jack Mirkinson @jackmirkinson.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Today in @thenation.com: a harrowing piece written from inside the Dilley ICE detention center by Maryam Tahmasebi, a green card holder who's been locked up along with her husband and son for months despite none of them committing any crime. www.thenation.com/article/soci...
thenation.com
One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention
My husband, son, and I have been locked up for months—despite being permanent residents with no criminal record. It is an unendurable, unending nightmare.
11835222210
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Paul Bleicher @pbleic.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Astonishing. RFK Jr. adds 8 members to a 6 member FDA advisory panel. 6 of them were sellers of peptides, and the 7th a compounding pharmacist. In an 8-6 vote with all 8 votes coming from these new panel members, the panel approved 4 peptides against the objections of FDA scientists.
nytimes.com
FDA Panel Supports Lifting Restrictions on Four Peptides (Gift Article)
In an all-day hearing, the agency’s scientists argued against allowing broad access to unproven drugs that the agency had banned three years ago.
16328291508
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
"The National Institutes of Health admitted to using an internal search tool to flag UC grants that mentioned 'health equity,' 'work force diversity,' 'structural racism,' and 'sexual orientation.' " apnews.com/article/cali... 1/3
apnews.com
White House admits it used keywords to kill billions worth of California research grants
Federal agencies that terminated more than a thousand research grants at the University of California last year admitted that they used keywords related to diversity, gender, vaccine hesitancy and COV...
513185
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Morgan @larubia22.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
28 years of cyclosporiasis testing Screwworms eradicated in the US in 1966. Measles eradicated in the US in 2000. All are back because of this science denying administration.
463158275971
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 07/07/2026
Cheer up, USA. One of your soccer teams has won 4 World Cups.
Megan Rapinoe
6887001641
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Science Magazine @science.org · 01/07/2026
The NIH expects to make up for a grantmaking lag and spend its full budget by 30 September. But because it plans to fund many multiyear grants up front as a lump sum, the agency will likely award fewer new grants and competitive renewals. scim.ag/4ePQfjf
scim.ag
NIH likely to award fewer grants as it races to spend 2026 budget
Government shutdown, staff shortages have complicated effort to meet 30 September deadline to spend funds
02812
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
This is a tremendous piece by Judy Stone at @forbes.com. This new OMB rule is going to hurt communities from coast to coast. Federal grants are not just about research! www.forbes.com/sites/judyst...
forbes.com
How The OMB Rule Could Hurt You And Your Town
The OMB proposal threatens scientific research and ALL federal funding for states, cities, and nonprofits. It politicizes ALL funding. Call your reps and write an objection.
4166114
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 03/06/2026
Striking to me how little reporting there is on this rule proposal, which is maybe the biggest change to American governance in almost a century. And this reporting is … weak. www.npr.org/2026/06/03/n...
npr.org
President Trump seeks control of science funding
The White House Office of Management and Budget is moving to take more control of billions of dollars in federal grants. Critics say the proposed change would jeopardize the integrity of U.S. science.
9382211
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Admirable Women @admirablewomen.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Dr. Patricia Bath overcame sexism, racism & poverty and saved the sight of millions of people. She invented the Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment, 1986; it was patented in 1988. She co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness, 1976. She died #OTD in 2019. #WomenInSTEM
A vibrant color historical photograph capturing the brilliant ophthalmologist, inventor, and academic Dr. Patricia Era Bath (1942–2019) in an office or laboratory setting, radiating an aura of confident intelligence and warm approachability. Occupying the center and right of the shot, Dr. Bath sits facing forward, smiling brightly with a direct, engaging gaze at the camera. She is dressed in a professional white medical lab coat—subtly embroidered with "Dr. Bath" in red cursive on the left lapel—worn over a light blue button-down denim shirt and accented by a polished gold chain necklace. Pens are visible tucked into her left coat pocket. Positioned prominently to her right on the left side of the frame is a large, white medical laboratory microscope or ophthalmic imaging equipment with black eye-pieces. The background shows a white wooden bookshelf packed with colorful medical texts, binders, and stacked papers. This portrait carries immense historical significance, honoring a legendary trailblazer in STEM who became the first Black female doctor to patent a medical device—the revolutionary Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment—fundamentally restoring sight to millions worldwide.
143114582708
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Reese Richardson @reeserichardson.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
TL;DR: We've identified more than 100 cases of apparent manipulation in Thermo Fisher Scientific's antibody verification data. @sholtodavid.bsky.social @johanduchene.bsky.social reeserichardson.blog/2026/05/28/h...
reeserichardson.blog
How much of Thermo Fisher’s antibody data has been manipulated?
We’ve documented more than 100 instances of apparent data manipulation in Thermo’s catalog
23591312
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Whitney Robinson @whitneyepi.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Most Americans support science research…and don’t realize the ways it’s being methodically smothered “Flagged grants address cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, H.I.V., heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, nutrition & prenatal care...” www.nytimes.com/2026/04/22/s...
nytimes.com
Pace of N.I.H. Funding Slows Further in Trump’s Second Year
112
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Mike Feigin 🥯 @mikefeigin.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
My face when someone says, “the data are trending.”
4435
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Child Neurology Society @childneurosoc.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Did you know 1 in 35 U.S. children has autism? This Autism Awareness Month, the Child Neurology Society celebrates the unique strengths of individuals with autism and calls for awareness, inclusion, and high-quality care for every child. #AutismAwarenessMonth
011
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
J Cruz @jcruz-78.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
To be fair, my doctor also heals me by placing his hand on my forehead while holding a glowing orb in his other hand. I can tell the healing is working when my forehead also glows. He is also usually accompanied by angels, eagles and usually a fighter jet I can totally see how he’d confuse the two
291
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Carolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 10/04/2026
Exciting new work from the team @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social on a multi-respiratory pathogen vaccine www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Mucosal vaccination in mice provides protection from diverse respiratory threats
Traditional vaccines target specific pathogens, limiting their scope against diverse respiratory threats. We describe an intranasal liposomal formulation combining toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and 7/8 ligands with a model antigen, ovalbumin, that provided ...
1299
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Just watched the NIH Strategic Planning input session... Some observations: (1) I am glad that NIH is doing this (although I do remain skeptical about how seriously they will take input which challenges their existing intentions). PEOPLE SHOULD STILL COMMENT! grants.nih.gov/news-events/... 1/4
grants.nih.gov
NIH Seeks Input on Framework for Next NIH-Wide Strategic Plan | Grants & Funding
25420
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
They should have called it Straight of Schrödinger: it is both open and closed depending on whom you talk to and when.
6637
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
American Epilepsy Society @amepilepsysoc.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Epilepsy organizations are united behind the bipartisan #NationalPlan4Epilepsy Act (S.494 / H.R. 1189). We need your help to keep building momentum. Take 5 minutes to contact your members of Congress & ask them to sign on. Your voice matters. Take action: bit.ly/NP4E
012
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Cancelling continuous submission for reviewers seems like just about the worst possible idea. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide... Unless of course breaking the system is the point. Many PIs are already quietly boycotting review. Some not wanting to lend credibility to an increasingly corrupted NIH…
grants.nih.gov
NOT-OD-26-064: Update of NIH Late Application Submission Policy and End of Continuous Submission
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Update of NIH Late Application Submission Policy and End of Continuous Submission NOT-OD-26-064. NIH
25018
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 29/03/2026
This story is insane. Married an American, arrested at her greencard interview, flown out of state, nearly killed multiple times when her diabetes was ignored and then mistreated. When she finally got out? Found out her credit card had been used illegally. www.daylightsandiego.org/san-diego-wo...
daylightsandiego.org
San Diego woman says her credit card information was stolen while she was in ICE custody
Hanne Engan, whom ICE arrested at her green card appointment, said her diabetes quickly escalated while at Otay Mesa Detention Center due to medical negligence. Written by Kate Morrissey, Edited...
4598684436
Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD @drxilma.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
😭😭😭😭
020
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Jonathan Wosen @jonathanwosen.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Mariya Sweetwyne, an assistant prof at the University of Washington, is down to just 1 lab member after NIH rescinded a grant program through which she'd sought funding. She's reduced her mouse colony by half. Each morning, her daughter hands her a few coins and asks, “Is this going to be enough?”
Mariya Sweetwyne, an assistant professor at the University of Washington
13412
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Just a year ago, we heard reducing the deficit was so important Elon Musk had to fire as many scientists, forest rangers and Black women on the government’s payroll that he could find. Now? 🤷🏾‍♂️
8345851769
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Ethan Goldberg @ethangoldberg.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
We are recruiting to a Research Tech II position in the lab: careers.chop.edu/us/en/job/10... Please consider sharing the link. This is a great position for someone interested in working for a few years prior to applying to M.D., Ph.D., or M.D./Ph.D. programs, or transitioning to industry.
careers.chop.edu
Research Technician II - BEAMS Facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America | Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Apply for Research Technician II - BEAMS Facility job with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America. Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
032
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Travels with Darwin @robertmdawley.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Stand Up for Science at Philadelphia, the original American city of science. #standupforscience # Philadelphia
115225
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
The data is in: the NIH goalposts have shifted. What were once almost certain fundable scores have become coin flips and what used to be likely grants have become aspirational, leading to fewer awards. Another manifestation of how HHS policies have led to fewer awards and less science.
Graph of award probability of R35 and R01 from NIH factbook as a function of review rank percentile. As is apparent, 2025 is a significant departure, with lower award probabilities at all scores <40 and significant departures from norm, where even being in the top 10% is no longer a nearly certain indicator of success.

Data source: https://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/report/302
18698420
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Very excited to be speaking at the @standupforscience.bsky.social rally in Pittsburgh on Saturday. I am speaking just prior to Dr. Rachel Levine 1/2
Stand Up for Science rally poster March 7th, 1:00 PM at Allegheny Landing in Pittsburgh.
414533
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
The richest man owns X. The second and third richest men control Google. The fourth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The fifth richest man owns The Washington Post. And now the sixth richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here?
nytimes.com
Netflix Backs Out of Bid for Warner Bros., Paving Way for an Ellison Takeover
17923874316417
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Child Neurology Society @childneurosoc.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Join us today, February 24, for Ex Vivo Gene Therapy in Leukodystrophies at 3 pm CT. Learn about FDA-approved ex vivo gene therapies for X-ALD & MLD, including eligibility, risks, and early diagnosis. Register: ow.ly/BKzt50Yac5A
001
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Check this out straight from the NIH website, acknowledging that multiyear funding was likely responsible for a 20% decrease in early stage investigators. And that it was expected. A strange approach for someone so committed to the next generation of scientists. grants.nih.gov/news-events/...
Screenshot from an NIH website reading: "Table 1 shows the number of principal investigators (PIs) applying for or receiving an R01-equivalent grant in FYs 2021 to 2025, disaggregated by career stage. NIH supported 1,423 and 1,144 ESIs in FYs 2024 and 2025, respectively. The decrease seen in FY 2025 may likely be due in part to NIH implementing a requirement to use 50% of its remaining competing Research Project Grant (RPG) funds (starting in June 2025) for full-year funded competing RPGs, which was expected to lead to fewer awards and support fewer researchers overall."
212359
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Dr. Annie Andrews @drannieandrews.com · 20/02/2026
There’s a seven year old boy hospitalized in Greenville, South Carolina with measles encephalitis. He can’t walk or talk or feed himself. This didn’t have to happen. Please vaccinate.
491046466
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
In a country with a bad president, be a Bad Bunny. [Cartoon by Matt Davies]
11082121968
Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD @drxilma.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Any resemblance with academia is pure coincidence
000
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Kim Mukerjee, MD @kimmukerjee.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
As pediatricians, we’re speaking out on the harms of aggressive immigration enforcement and detention on children. Our kids deserve safety and protection. See our piece in USA Today:
usatoday.com
We're pediatricians. We see how ICE is harming children. | Opinion
Liam Ramos is one of more than 1,700 children to have been put in family detention centers since 2025. We call for these centers to close.
075
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
167113482409
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 05/02/2026
BREAKING: Over 680 members of the National Academy of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering have endorsed articles of impeachment against RFK Jr. (1/2 🧵)
Top of the photo in white text reads: "BREAKING OVER 680 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES MEMBERS, INCLUDING 10 NOBEL PRIZE LAUREATES, ENDORSE IMPEACHING RFK JR." Below that in black text is a statement reading: "We, the undersigned Members of the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering, writing in our private capacities, endorse the Articles of Impeachment introduced in the House of Representatives on Dec 10, 2025 by Representative Haley Stevens." Below that is the red "STAND UP FOR SCIENCE " logo. Below that is a link in white text reading: "standupforscience.net/impeach-rfkjr".
6864662153
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
396339898118
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Andrew Hardaway @andrewhardaway.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Because of technical issues with the SciENcv website, NIH is extending a period of leniency accepting old format biosketches through May 2026 (see FAQ #5): grants.nih.gov/faqs#/common...
grants.nih.gov
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | Grants & Funding
62118
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
The scale of the loss is unimaginable. www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
115545
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
After being held in two of them as a boy, I fought for decades urging America to never again build concentration camps and put human beings in them. It breaks my heart to watch this happen twice now in my own lifetime.
Screenshot of an X.com post by The Associated Press (@AP) stating that dozens of immigrant families protested for better treatment behind fences at a Texas detention facility, where a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father were sent after being detained in Minnesota. Below is a video thumbnail showing a crowd gathered outdoors along a fenced walkway; many people wear bright blue or red outerwear, and some hold signs.
6293562112734
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Esther Choo @choo.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
The heartbreak is that we all know those nurses: the ones who don’t compartmentalize to the hospital, but are always caring for the people around them.
2677
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Razzball @razzball.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Minnesota is the best of us.
651421709584
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
🧪IMPORTANT! This graphic explains how science all over the US is funded. Congress approved a 2% increase in the #NIH budget for FY 26. Buried in the bill- Shift of ~40% of grants to MYF. This will still result in a 35% DECREASE in the NUMBER of grants funded per yr. Russel Vought is behind this.
Graphic helps visualize how MYF funds FEWER grants despite the increase in budget approval by Congress.

https://www.researchamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ACT-for-NIH-Multi-Year-Funding-One-Pager_October-2025.pdf
10211142
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
tmel1219.bsky.social @tmel1219.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
#MLK
28039
Reposted by Xilma Ortiz-Gonzalez MD PhD
Status Coup News @statuscoupnews.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
🚨BREAKING: ICE agents just launched flash bang grenades at protesters in front of federal building in Minneapolis—causing massive explosions. "It's terrorizing, this isn't the America I served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy," tearful protester tells us. WE'RE LIVE NOW ⬇️
1032191448904