iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Contemplating the headlines in AI today from tech execs boasting about pulling off the biggest theft of human labor in history, while also thinking about the "all in on AI" academics who complain about not being paid for the time they spend reviewing papers & grant apps.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Hot take on AI and academic writing: don't drop the writing assignment just because you can't tell if it was written by AI or not, and don't get jaded just because you think everyone is using AI. Give students the benefit of the doubt and let the honor policy ride. Here's why:

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Utterly disappointed in @harvard.edu Harvard Med School's decision to shame #bikecommuters rather than actually keep us safe at Longwood. Because ya know, my 20 lb bike going 15 mph is so much more dangerous than the 3k+ lb chunk of metal being operated by someone staring at their phone.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Using AI in research and education is a short cut. Differentiating between an efficient short cut from cutting corners takes ground truth and more than intellectual expertise. It's not exactly the type of thing educators should leave as an exercise to the student.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

The silence of academia embracing AI while data centers wreck harm on the environment and society is deafening. Almost as deafening as the noise coming from the data centers.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Lab equipment question: do you have a fav temp/humidity sensor for monitoring incubator conditions? I remember awhile ago @wormsense.bsky.social had one that recorded the readings and allowed for download via bluetooth I think? Looking for what's most reliable/cheapest right now.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Love having a great excuse to bike out to the commons when Boston weather is showing off.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Academics promoting or the use of or adopting AI in their research have an ethical obligation to openly discuss its environmental impacts and make efforts to minimize the harm the associated data centers are causing. I will die on this hill.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Many believe that AI models can have “experiences” and that they can have significantly more of these experiences in a shorter period of time than humans. To this point we need to remember that intellectual understanding does not equate experience, and that experience is requisite for expertise.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Unexpectedly inspired by Ronnie Chieng’s commencement address to Harvard, he hits the nail on the head. Using AI to do the work for you, in a capacity beyond a simple research tool, is skipping “the journey.” Skipping that journey as a student means robbing yourself of the opportunity for growth.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

I left X, hoping to rebuild SciTwitter. That never really happened (for me at least) and so I long wondered what BlueSky is actually good for. Turns out it’s a perfect place to connect with my fellow bibliophiles 🤩

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Possibly my favorite thing about physical books over all other types? Their very presence is a reminder of their existence, a reminder to read them, and a reminder to revisit their pages. All in a way that doesn’t require looking at a screen or risk the myriad of distractions from digital life.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Spring weather finally hitting in Boston.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Immediate (joking to self) response: I find it amazing that the lawyers got the ethics of this right before a lot of the neuroscience field.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

The thing I love about Boston is that it’s perfectly normal to walk more than 1.5 miles home from work. (Bike repair shuffle = trying something I usually only do during a blizzard)

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Do you know of a Northeastern student looking for a neuro co-op with a fun postdoc mentor on an exciting project in the Segal Lab? Please send them my way!

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Bless the people who send calendar invites 🙏

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

This whole time I’ve been wondering if there’s really a place fo ME in academia I’ve been missing the bigger question: is there a place for JOY in academia? I think there is. Even if we forget it sometimes.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

This is your reminder to go back up all of your data files and to double check that your working files are automatically backed up to a server from which they can easily be recovered in case they all of a sudden go missing. Ask me how I know 😳

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Trying to rebuild some fitness, feeling completely worked, but love seeing the data. Absolutely better than last week’s attempt. (This is what a VO2 max workout on the bike looks like for me right now 💀)

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

After years of telling PhD students they need to keep a strong hobby, I think I’ve finally articulated to myself the essential “Why?” It’s about perspective. Life in academia is a bubble. We often have to have a narrow focus to achieve goals, but this often leads to a loss of perspective. (1/2)

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Even I can’t believe how tired I look after a very hard week in postdoc life, but I’m still smiling because I have amazing mentors who make me feel at home. Very proud to be a part of this interdisciplinary group. #NewLabSwagDay

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Fill in the blank: If I could go back and tell my younger scientist self one thing about how to give lab meeting it would be _______

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Compassion challenge for professors today: see how many students you can say hello to by name as you’re passing them in the halls or wherever on campus. Not every student will care, but I think you’ll have a good chance of pulling on at least one heart string…

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

What if academia had an index to reflect the number of times someone had been thanked in a publication for sharing reagents?

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Just something pretty for your timeline. Nothing can ever really replace Furiosa, but new commuter also means new vibe. Introducing: Maitreya — the one who will help bring compassion, kindness, patience, and understanding to the streets.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

If I told you the equipment manual is basically a protocol would you be any more likely to read it? Or even think to look at it?

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

My husband, who works from home, had to drop me off at work this morning in rush hour Longwood Ave traffic. I kind of feel badly for him, but am also secretly happy he had to experience what I deal with every day. Although, the comfort of a vehicle doesn’t quite do my usual bike commute justice.

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Reposted by Joy Franco, PhD

Margarida Cardoso Moreira @margaridamcm.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Our internal organs are evolutionary marvels. New technologies are transforming our understanding of the evolution of vertebrate organs. You can find more by reading here: rdcu.be/e5EgU #EvoBio #EvoDevo 🐟🦎🐢🦇🐊🦜

rdcu.be

The molecular evolution of vertebrate organs

Nature Ecology & Evolution - This Review discusses recent advances in the molecular evolution of vertebrate organs, including rates of evolution of organs and cell types, molecular mechanisms...

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Boston postdoc life really living up to the hype 😉 Isn’t it funny that I genuinely do still love it here?! As always, cannot express enough gratitude for the people working hard to keep the roads and sidewalks cleared. YOU are the reason my precious experiment didn’t go to waste this week 🥹 🙏

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Lolz to when you don’t even realize it’s a federal holiday because you’re a postdoc.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

A favorite Buddhist expression is if a single tree is sick, take care of it but don’t forget about all of the other healthy trees. Thus, in spite of bike sadness, I’m celebrating the completion of my very 1st single cell mito seq prep 🥹! So grateful to DFCI’s Claudia Barr program for their support!

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Part of why I was commuting on Furiosa was because I had retired her from racing but still loved the way she rode. She’s one of the funnest bikes I’ve ever owned and as weird as it sounds, I felt happy every single time I started my commute b/c of her. Would 100% take her back no questions asked.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Boston - pls be on the lookout for my bike that was stolen from this exact rack on Longwood Ave today. 2021 Specialized Diverge Expert Carbon, size 52 cm, raspberry and blk with studded tires. Yes I know it’s too nice for commuting but ya know, we ride what we got and I spend a lot of time commuting

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Any recommendations for a hematologist in the oncology department at Stanford who excels in bed side manner? Need a very sensitive MD or at least someone who won’t express surprise or disbelief when their patient is crying.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

I don’t regret doing a postdoc in Boston but a little foresight into the weather when experiment planning MAY have saved me some trouble 🥶 Celebrating a successful day in lab thanks to my amazing labmates @cynthiamoncadareid.bsky.social @yichiahuang.bsky.social 🫶 #SequencingScienceSisters

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

If you could have any science super power what it would it be? I’ll start: knowing exactly how long something will ACTUALLY take to achieve.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Sending tremendous thanks to everyone working hard to clear the snow tonight 💓💓💓

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

On the idea of leaving academic research: one of the hardest ideas for me to grapple with is stepping away from the science that I love. I’ve spent years focusing on a carefully chosen topic. The (potentially false) idea is that I can’t find a TT job, I have to give up that study & that hurts…

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Your written protocols and lab notebooks are a love letter to your future self (whether it’s you or a future lab member). Please be kind. Here are some critical things I have frequently noticed missing: (feel free to add yours in thread 🧵)

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Has anyone started putting together statistics on this year’s TT job search? I learned an expression about a certain event having the same probability of occurring as a turtle sticking its head in a yoke that’s floating in the sea and it’s giving strong TT job search vibes.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

The point of waking up early isn’t do that you can start work early. It’s so that you can have a nice morning before going to work.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

No one even bike commutes in the winter. Just so grateful for these studded tires making my winter commute that much easier.

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Like many other postdocs who faced endless rejection after endless effort, I’m finally parting with the attachment to the TT job path. Please send thoughts and prayers — or just share practical advice that might inspire other ways of looking at future career prospects 💓🙏💓 …

media.tenor.com

tinkerbell from peter pan is dancing in front of a mirror with the words what freedom feels like .

ALT: tinkerbell from peter pan is dancing in front of a mirror with the words what freedom feels like .

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

On rejection in academia, for those dealing with it — like me: it’s not easy to keep going in the face of rejection. It is easy to feel like a “failure” and normal to worry about “if not this then what next?” Nothing can change the pain, but I hope you can at least be proud of yourself for trying.

media.tenor.com

two cartoon characters with hearts on their heads

ALT: two cartoon characters with hearts on their heads

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Was inspired to break my Bluesky silence so that I could share my awesome new book (thx to my wonderfully generous lab mate) with @christlet.bsky.social — this is a fun language challenge for me!

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Joy Franco, PhD @engineeringjoy.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Are you working on #CancerNeuroscience and presenting at #SfN? Let me know! I want to come see your talk or poster and the app is really not helpful for locating your info 🤓. Drop it in 🧵 please 🙏

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