iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I mostly live under a rock these days, but yesterday realized we have 6 wks to mobilize to flip the house (& perhaps senate). Volunteering to GOTV makes all the difference. My friends and I have reached more than 1 million voters in close races in the last 10 yrs. Here's what we've learned. Join us!

ellenroche.substack.com

Do it for Harriet. Do it for Dolly.

We have six weeks to win back the house and senate. Shall we?

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Excited to share lessons learned from our real-world caregiver-child #fnirshyper study at #neuroergonomics2026 (Mon at 10:30) We were committed to inclusion of diverse families which influenced everything: - budget - recruitment - personnel - tasks - montage - analysis @umdleadlab.bsky.social

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I just got a sneak peek of this symposium and it is SO fantastic and inspiring! So sad to miss @infantstudies.bsky.social but if you’re there do not miss @elliektaylor.bsky.social @rachelromeo.bsky.social @dtandon.bsky.social and Rose Perry’s talks! #icis2026

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Come join the wonderful @umdleadlab.bsky.social as our new lab manager this summer! Our lab is inclusive, creative, fun, and we’re engaged in all kinds of cool early developmental neuro (fMRI and fNIRS) research focused on language, executive function. and socioemotional development.

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Parents and educators share how immigration raids are disrupting their (already precarious) childcare experiences. rapidsurveyproject.com/article/list...

This fact sheet brings together data from RAPID’s national survey of parents of children under age 6 and national survey of child care providers of children under age 6. Through RAPID’s monthly surveys, we've been asking caregivers about what they are observing and experiencing in their communities as immigration enforcement activities have escalated. Findings include:

More than one in three parents (36%) and 30% of child care providers surveyed noticed impacts of immigration enforcement in their communities.
Among those who have noticed impacts, 61% of parents and 59% of providers reported they were concerned about reduced safety, belonging, and unity in their communities.
Additionally, nearly half of parents surveyed (48%) reported concern that immigration enforcement could affect their child care arrangement, with 14% of parents reporting they’d missed at least one day of child care due to immigration enforcement in their community.

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

👀 New paper out in Infancy! Mutual Sensitivity Between Caregivers Predicts Infant Affective State... @dougpiper.bsky.social & I co-led this analysis with Gabrielle Strouse, @proflaurenmyers.bsky.social @drzosh.bsky.social @geotro.bsky.social and Rachel Barr onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Mutual Sensitivity Between Caregivers Predicts Infant Affective State During Video Chat published in Infancy

Abstract

Infancy is an extraordinary period of human development, in which babies turn sensory and environmental information into meaning in the cradle of their caregivers’ affective and attentional cues. Babies express what they are thinking and feeling through smiles and gazes long before they develop expressive language. Most developmental research focuses on mother-infant dyads within a controlled lab environment, despite the complexity of young children’s caregiving ecosystems, which range far beyond the mother-child dyad and include caregivers at a distance via technology like video chat. This study uses a novel state space approach to examine relations between the sensitivity of two caregivers — what we call “mutual sensitivity” — and infants’ real-time affective and attentional states during video chat sessions.

How to read a state space (Hollenstein, 2013): This figure depicts a single infant’s affective states over three video chat sessions. Each grid square represents a unique affective state characterized by both valence (1-7, negative to positive) and arousal (1-7), high to low. For example, we can see that during the first video chat session, this infant briefly spent time in a high arousal, low valence state (distress).

Background
Caregiver sensitivity - a caregiver’s responsive, warm, temporally contingent engagement with an infant - has been robustly linked to children’s development across cognitive and affective domains.

Prior studies have shown that global caregiver sensitivity predicts both infant affective valence and infant engagement in JVA during in-person interactions (Braungart-Rieker et al., 2001; Mason et al., 2019) and during video chat (Roche et al., 2022; Myers et al., 2024).

In this study we used the Biringen et al., 2000 scale (1-9) and coded all behavioral variables every 30 seconds.

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National Immigration Law Center @nilc.org · 21/01/2026

Trump is threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to lawful protests against ICE in Minneapolis. He's made this threat before, but seems more focused on it than ever. Here's what you need to know⤵️ bit.ly/4qxW3Tf

bit.ly

Five Things You Should Know About the Insurrection Act

Here’s what to know about President Trump’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to protests over the murder of Renee Good by an ICE agent.

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

👀 Fantastic new review of disparate literature on stress & development across cog, emo and phys domains. "Early Life Stress Effects on Children's Biology, Behavior, & Health: Evidence, Mediators, Moderators, & Solutions" @nicolebushphd.bsky.social @alliesullivan.bsky.social & Amanda Noroña-Zhou

Abstract: This review synthesizes and critiques research on early life adversity and stress effects on multidomain health outcomes in child samples to fill a gap in the literature that has largely focused on adults. Prioritizing evidence from meta-analytic and systematic reviews as well as findings from (quasi-)experimental or large prospective longitudinal studies, we integrate interdisciplinary findings to characterize patterns of evidence for stress associations with child outcomes, including mental, physical, and positive health; academic, social, and justice system–related domains; and intermediary phenotypes that may predict disease, including biomarkers. We note cohesive evidence for sensitive periods of susceptibility to stress exposure and describe key mediators and moderators of stress effects, especially family-level factors. Then we highlight interventions targeting malleable factors that hold promise for ameliorating the effects of stress on children. Leveraging a developmental lens, we conclude with field-wide limitations and propose future directions for stress and health research that centers child development.

Infographic of moderators linking childhood stress to cognitive, emotional and physical development

Snapshot of evidence base for protective effects of policy interventions, eg Early Head Start

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

I've been on the internet since the 90s and this remains one of the very best things I've encountered here. Thanks @mastroianni.bsky.social for all your writing but especially this, you beautiful bouncing baby bog boy. "So you wanna de-bog yourself" www.experimental-history.com/p/so-you-wan...

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

New study from @ndersen.bsky.social and colleagues combines two of my favorite things - haunted houses and physiological synchrony research. "Scared together: heart rate synchrony and social closeness in a high-intensity horror setting." 👻❤️⚡❤️🧟

Scared together: heart rate synchrony and social closeness in a high-intensity horror setting.

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

"Writing is one of the most peaceful ways of communication...Writing is a form of listening, a process of thinking...the foundation upon which academic work is built. Writing is the heart of freedom of expression. Unbelievably, this opinion piece in our student paper, would lead to my detention."

vanityfair.com

“Even God Cannot Hear Us Here”: What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison

Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk opens up about her 45 days in a South Louisiana processing facility—and the generous and compassionate women she met.

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The Boston Globe @bostonglobe.com · 12/12/2025

Weeks before agents arrived in Somerville in search of Rümeysa Öztürk, the White House developed their strategy to crack down on student protesters in a private meeting. Quietly, Öztürk's visa was canceled. Then came the warrant for her arrest. trib.al/KGutFoj

Rümeysa Öztürk. Text on the card reads: “‘I sometimes wake up in tears for friends still there.’ Rümeysa Öztürk’s six weeks in ICE detention.”

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Powerful new commentary from thorbiie.bsky.social & @iheomairuka.bsky.social in @the74.bsky.social "Let us be clear: Agency in child-rearing is not a Silicon Valley innovation It is ancient wisdom..." www.the74million.org/article/the-...

Title: "The Goalposts keep moving: who gets to 'futureproof' their children?"

"If you haven't been living under a rock, you've probably seen the flood of headlines and hot takes about raising kids in the age of AI..."

"For years, those of us in early childhood have been shouting into the voice that play is not optional enrichment..."

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

👀 New @nature.com paper from Chenyu Yue, Na Wang & co identifies adenosine signaling in mPFC as a shared underlying mechanism of action in both ketamine and ECT, and thus a potential therapeutic target for depression. Super interesting read! 🐁 ⚡️

Screenshot of journal article “Adenosine signaling drives antidepressant actions of ketamine & ECT”

Screenshot from section of paper describing tests to confirm mPFC as essential for effects

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Dr. Allison G. Harvey @allisonharvey.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Are you applying to a PhD in Clinical or Counseling Psychology? Here is a list of mentors who are taking students. Please circulate widely (and on X) so all applicants can benefit 😀. If you are mentoring please do add your name! #clinicalpsychology @abctnow.bsky.social

docs.google.com

Accepting Clinical or Counselling Psychology Grad Student?

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

So many things to be concerned about. Here’s one more! Based on everything we know about infant development, we should be exceedingly cautious about letting our littlest play with generative AI toys & bots. If you agree please sign & share our scientific statement: gsolen.ucsd.edu/position-sta...

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Rounding out our #flux2025 neural synchrony symposium - Kathryn McNaughton will share findings (with chair Elizabeth Redcay) across behavioral synchrony & neural similarity using fMRI in both typically developing and ASD adolescents. Join us at 3 in Hyde 1! pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32025922/

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interpersonal Synchrony in Autism - PubMed

Across domains, synchrony is present but reduced or atypical in individuals with ASD during interactions with individuals with typical development (TD). Atypical synchrony may reflect the contribution...

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Looking fwd to our neural synchrony symposium today - & especially learning more from @pvrticka.bsky.social on synchrony in #fNIRS. For a preview check out an excellent 2025 review led by @saradefelice.bsky.social - join us 3pm in Hyde 1. 🧠 ⚡️ 🧠 #flux2025 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

De Felice et al 2025: relational neuroscience, insights from hyperscanning

Flux 2025 symposium - is neural synchrony a developmental mechanism?

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Fantastic talk on differential pathways of threat and deprivation across brain and behavioral outcomes from childhood > adolescence from Margaret Sheridan. Many open questions on how plasticity actually works. #flux2025

Distinct depreciation and threat trajectories for learning and emotional development

Emotion regulation findings after threat paradigm

Middle insula findings after threat x caregiver fMRI task

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

John Cryan’s microbiota-social cognition talk was a revelation and made me want to eat some sauerkraut and give some to all my neighbors. 🥦 🫐 🧠 🍏 🥬 @jfcryan.bsky.social #flux2025

Sensitive periods for microbiota development

Cross-species studies of associations between microbiome and social behavior

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Flux Society @fluxsociety.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

🎓 FLUX is proud to spotlight Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova. Her research focuses on understanding how children's early language experiences shape their brain, cognitive, and socio-emotional development. Read about her journey, motivations, and advice for other young scientists: 👉 buff.ly/19APuWX

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Is neural synchrony a dev. mechanism? How do we know? One methods insight - we should be cautious about interpreting brain synchrony w/o behavioral context. Our 2nd speaker, IM Haresign, wrote a great paper on this w/ E. Phillips & @profsamwass.bsky.social - learn more Sat @ 3! #flux2025 🧠⚡️🧠

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

I’ve wondered how we meaningfully interpret brain synchrony findings across regions in humans (eg motor v PFC). Going much deeper - @honglab.bsky.social will share how GABA- v glutamatergic neurons sync up - distinctly! - across two interacting mice - learn more 3pm Sat at #flux2025 🐁 🧠 ⚡️ 🧠 🐁

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

Great talk on combining behavioral and EEG data during parent-child dialogic reading to predict language outcomes from Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus at #flux2025 @jacobsfoundation.bsky.social symposium

Using multimodal diffusion maps to group different interaction sources

Only a multimodal analysis was related to parenting style and the child’s long-term outcomes

Lowe brain-to-brain synchronization during tablet-based reading

Literary Arabic v spoken Arabic and parent-child brain synchrony

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Koraly @drkoraly.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

My lab has an open post-doc position! We will begin reviewing applications as they come in. The post-doc will work with a vibrant research team at Penn State in the Department of Psychology and the Child Study Center. psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic... 1/3

psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

Postdoctoral Research Scholar, The Cognition, Affect, and Temperament Lab, College of the Liberal Arts, Department of Psychology-2

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

I am so excited to moderate this symposium at #flux2025. Please join us Saturday, 3pm in Hyde 1. Across 4 methods & stages (direct neural recording, EEG, fNIRS, fMRI | mice, babies, toddlers & adolescents) we'll explore whether neural synchrony represents a developmental mechanism. Please join us!

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

This times infinity. If you don't have time to read "Don't think of an Elephant" just watch Josh Lyman's perfect 30-second explanation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIYg... Every time we get hooked on refuting Trump's irrational claims, we lose the frame and support his.

youtube.com

Josh Lyman explains how elections work

YouTube video by Christian Poole

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Thank you @amandahess.bsky.social & @nytimes.com for this critical commentary on AI toys marketed to young children. We have no evidence that these kinds of toys support healthy development, and so many reasons to be cautious. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/a...

nytimes.com

They’re Stuffed Animals. They’re Also A.I. Chatbots.

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Tuesday: 3 of us on my corner Wednesday: 7. I banged so joyfully I chipped my spoon Thursday: a dozen Tonight: dozens. Soup pot? Bass drum. People walk by, ask what we’re doing, grin, & start clapping along. Join us every night at 8 to free dc. #freedc #fuckfascism 🥄 🎶 🥣 🍳 🥁

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Fantastic coverage of the legal battle unfolding in DC. Who's in charge of my local police force? The people I elected, or the people attempting a coup? Notably - in addition to rescinding protections for immigrants Bondi's order is an attempt to punish protestors like me. #freedc

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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

We just published an excellent commentary in Vaccine by @gavinyamey.bsky.social & Chris Beyrer breaking down how the current regime is laying waste to US vaccination programs & what we can do about it: ✅Congress must withdraw support for RFK Jr ✅Speak up...loudly ✅Study anti-vax movements ✅VOTE

sciencedirect.com

The dismantling of the U.S. vaccine regulatory framework

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

I initially became a paid subscriber to @51st.news for symbolic reasons - to support local journalism. I am now relying on them for excellent coverage of the rapidly intensifying situation in DC, where the administration is now attempting to overrule our votes. #freedc 51st.news/why-d-c-is-t...

51st.news

Why D.C. is taking Trump to court over MPD

This could be the first of many lawsuits over D.C.’s ability to govern itself.

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Fantastic round-up of what's happening in DC. Thank you @51st.news and @streetsensedc.bsky.social.

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Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 13/08/2025

TONIGHT: It’s time for a new phase of national campaign work that puts pressure on institutions enabling Trump. You’ll learn to plan and execute a non-cooperation campaign, and how to coach others to do the same. Plus, Texas House Democratic leader Gene Wu joins us: www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Super interesting new study from @joscelinrocha.com @drkoraly.bsky.social @kabuss.bsky.social V. Lobue, B. Ostland - "Multilevel growth models show that infant neg. affect decreased post COVID onset, contrary to hypotheses." onlinelibrary-wiley-com.proxy.library.georgetown.edu/doi/full/10....

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Tonight and every night until the fascist occupation ends, we're banging pots and pans in the streets here in the district. See you at 8. #freedc #fuckfascism

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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Every serious media outlet should be immediately tracking down & bombarding Mike Johnson & John Thune with questions about why Congress is doing nothing in the face of this abuse of executive power, in the total absence of actual emergency conditions. No more free passes. bsky.app/profile/mcop...

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WAMU 88.5 @wamu.org · 11/08/2025

D.C. residents rallied near the White House this morning to protest President Trump’s federal takeover of city law enforcement. Free DC led a rally near LaFayette Square this morning, where speakers called on D.C. area residents to fight back President Trump’s ‘fascist’ federal takeover.

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Kathy Roberts Forde @krforde.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

The University of California system is publicly mobilizing against federal attacks. That’s historic. It's time for ALL of us in US #highered to act. Join our movement at standtogetherhighered.org. #academicsky #highered #standtogether 🔗 universityofcalifornia.edu/get-involved/stand-up-for-uc

standtogetherhighered.org

Stand Together

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Public Citizen @publiccitizen.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Trump will federalize D.C. police, deploy the National Guard, & send the FBI after homeless people to combat a made-up crisis in D.C. But on Jan. 6th when violent insurrectionists stormed the Capitol he couldn't be bothered to call the National Guard. Make it make sense.

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

My desk looks out onto a #DC street where I walk safely every night by myself. I live right on the edge of one of the highest crime areas in the city - and have for my entire adult life. Even in high crime neighborhoods, violence is rare, and it has declined in the last year.

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Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

The only place in DC where crime is up is the White House.

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

I have lived & worked in DC for ~20 years, including in largely peaceful neighborhoods w/ high crime rates. I have never been afraid to live here until today. “You will see them [national guard troops] flowing into the streets of Washington in the coming weeks” www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

usatoday.com

Trump to send National Guard into Washington, DC, and take over police: Live updates

President Donald Trump said the federal government will take control of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department.

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The Intercept @theintercept.com · 24/07/2025

“Aid is distributed by gunpoint by American mercenaries. It is inhumane, degrading, dangerous, and it violates every principle of humanitarian law.”

theintercept.com

Our Reporter Got Into Gaza. He Witnessed a Famine of Israel’s Making.

The people of Gaza face starvation under the joint U.S.-Israeli food distribution system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

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David Brang @dbrang.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Our department is recruiting! New tenure-track, open rank faculty position in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan (emphasis on human cognition and artificial intelligence). apply.interfolio.com/169170

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Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Inspiring and sobering research from @sherimadigan.bsky.social Thomas Robinson, Nilam Ram & Matias Dodel at #mediaandminds25

Poster on joint caregiver sensitivity and infant affective state

Sheri Madigan’s profiles of media use trajectories in childhood

Thomas Robinson highlighting person-specific framework from Merve Cerit

Matias Dodel’s presentation on Uruguay’s research infrastructure

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PhishatMSG @phishatmsg.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Philly showin' up today

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