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Johanna Kowalko

@johannakowalko.bsky.social
588 followers 235 following 3 posts

Associate Prof, Lehigh University

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Reposted by Johanna Kowalko
International Zebrafish Society @izfs.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Join us for a NEW IZFS WEBINAR: Franklin-Prasher-Kimmel (FPK) Series! On June 25th at 10 am EDT with speakers Stefan Choy and Wei Qin. Read more & register here: lnkd.in/g383zP7 This IZFS Webinar is FREE to all registrants, thanks to the #YoRC! #IZFSWebinar #Zebrafish
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Reposted by Johanna Kowalko
Dr Kathleen Millen @neurodevkathy.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
🚨🧪🧵URGENT INPUT NEEDED: NIH asks input for next strategic plan-including emphasis on non-animal models (NAMs) to replace animals. Per NIH insider, anti-animal responses now outnumber scientists 200-700x. Please please provide input. Deadline: May 26, 11:59 PM ET. grants.nih.gov/news-events/...
grants.nih.gov
NIH Seeks Input on Framework for Next NIH-Wide Strategic Plan | Grants & Funding
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Tschopp Lab @tschopplab.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
One of my dream projects, ever since joining here in Basel, out now in @nature.com : single-cells 🤝 eco-morphological proxies rdcu.be/fiyso How cells and tissues adapt to dietary niches... Thanks and congrats to Antoine, Walter, and all the other co-authors for this great collaboration!! 🙏🥳
rdcu.be
Adaptive cellular evolution in the intestine of hyperdiverse cichlid fishes
Nature - Single-cell transcriptomics combined with morphological and ecological data show that the rapid evolutionary radiation of cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganyika was accompanied by dietary...
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@LaBonneLaB @labonnelab.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
House Appropriations markup of the FY27 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) bill calls for a 17% cut to NASA Science, 9% cut to NASA Space Technology, a 10% cut to NSF, and an 11% cut to NOAA. Call your reps and ask them to support science.
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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
The Cooper lab is hiring a postdoc with a strong background in mouse genetics and molecular biology to advance.our gene drive work. Must be extremely organized, engineering-minded, and outcomes-oriented. Spread the word and have interested candidates email me directly.
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Reposted by Johanna Kowalko
Darío Lupiáñez @dariloops.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
🐟How does the Amazon molly defy all evolutionary odds and overcome the detrimental costs of asexual reproduction?🧬 😊Glad that @rdacemel.bsky.social and I could contribute to this fascinating study, brilliantly led by Ed Ricemeyer @nature.com 👏Congrats to all authors! @cabd-upo-csic.bsky.social
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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
The difference between the false neutrality of legacy media and pro-democracy independent media. Help Democracy Docket grow. bit.ly/4qmEiFz
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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Let me be very clear: tomorrow morning and EVERY DAY THIS WEEK, call your Reps and Senators whether Dem, Republican or Independent. Express your outrage at Trump’s imperial and illegal actions against sovereign nations. TELL THEM to convene. To hold up everything. Hold up $. 202-224-3121
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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Great job, @schumer.senate.gov. You've changed the story from "GOP hurting millions of Americans to please unpopular, failing, delusional despot who's destroying his party" to "Dems are too weak and divided in the face of Trump's strength to take a stand and protect Americans"
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @aoc.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
The average SNAP benefit per month is $177 a person. The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person. People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives. And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
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Johanna Kowalko @johannakowalko.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Do it!
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Reposted by Johanna Kowalko
Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
Important piece by Prof. Kate Andrias. This is why treating SCOTUS as the only word on the Constitution gives away our power as citizens. As I frequently say “we are founders and framers” of the next iteration of democracy in this country. GIFT LINK www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Constitution Doesn’t Belong to Trump or the Supreme Court
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events. Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g... 1/14
jeremymberg.github.io
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Ted Lieu @tedlieu.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Day 2 of the Republican shutdown. Your regular reminders: 1. GOP controls government. They control what bills get voted on and the vote thresholds for each bill. Senate GOP can pass their bad funding bill today if they felt like it. 2. Dems are fighting to lower costs and save healthcare.
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Crystal Rogers, PhD @rogerslabucd.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Effective and empathetic scientific communication is so critical right now. We had an interactive workshop at the #2025ICDB led by @rebeccacalisi.bsky.social and Dr. Kevin Alicea-Torres and facilitated by @spiraldoc.bsky.social and myself- and we practiced this. Please check out our perspective!
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WHO @who.int · 28/08/2025
#ThrowbackThursday: In 1980 the 🌍🌎🌏 was declared #smallpox free, thanks to mass vaccination efforts. Smallpox was an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus. It was one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity. #VaccinesWork
World Health: The Magazine of the World Health Organization. May 1980. smallpox is dead!
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Jason Shepherd @jasonsynaptic.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
www.genengnews.com/topics/trans...
genengnews.com
Why We Still Need Animal Research in a World of AI and Organoids
The portrayal of uncaring scientists without any thought for the animals being used in their research is far from the truth.
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Ceri Weber @ceriweber.bsky.social · 12/11/2024
Haven’t posted on here in awhile, so sharing my new preprint is a great way to get back into the bluesky science community!
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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.net · 09/06/2025
🚨BREAKING: 300+ NIH employees call out the harm of censorship & politicized science in scathing email to Bhattacharya, demanding an end to political interference, a lift on funding freezes, & rehiring of fired staff whose work saves lives. This is historic - insiders are blowing the whistle. 🧵(1/5)
Front-page-style graphic titled “BREAKING NEWS” with photos of RFK Jr. and Dr. Bhattacharya in front of a government hearing chamber. Text reads: “NIH Scientists Sound the Alarm as Health Research Faces Historic Threat” and “NIH Employees Send Trump Cronies Scathing Wake-Up Call.”
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
These are (or were) ongoing projects... no study section review or Advisory Council approval required.
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Jon Freeman @freemanjb.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
🚨 A new rule would let career scientists like NSF/NIH program officers be replaced by political appointees Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday 📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 22/05/2025
This is absolutely terrible news. With the shifting regulatory climate (i.e., antivax ratfuckery), Moderna has withdrawn their application for their eagerly anticipated COVID-flu combo vaccine. This vaccine offered better protection than getting each shot separately. h/t @merz.bsky.social
reuters.com
Moderna withdraws application for COVID-flu combination vaccine
Moderna said on Wednesday it has withdrawn an application seeking approval for its flu and COVID combination vaccine candidate after discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Johanna Kowalko @johannakowalko.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
New AP story about HHS passback budget and NIH reorganization. www.newsday.com/news/nation/... 1/2
newsday.com
Draft budget plan proposes deep cuts across federal health programs
A draft budget proposal circulating among federal officials would dramatically deepen cuts at the nation's top health agency, eliminating some public health programs entirely and serving as a roadmap ...
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Maxwell Frost @maxwellfrost.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
I don’t buy the narrative that Trump & President Musk actually WANT a shutdown. If that was the truth, they would’ve put forth an even worse bill that would 100% guarantee zero Dem votes. What they did was propose a bill that green-lights DOGE & Elon’s billionaire takeover by omitting guardrails.
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Neil Lewis, Jr. @neillewisjr.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
"Not only is silence in the face of mounting authoritarianism morally objectionable, but, as the Columbia case suggests, it’s not working. Columbia’s leadership made repeated concessions to right-wing critics, only to be the first to come under attack."
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @aoc.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
🚨 Everyone needs to call their Dem Senator right now. They are starting to cave. Tell them: 1. Vote NO on Cloture AND 2. Vote NO on the Republican spending bill. Don’t let them pivot to reconciliation. GOP doesn’t need Dem votes on that and they know it. TODAY is the showdown. 🤳🏽: (202) 224-3121
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Emil Lou, MD, PhD, FACP, FASCO @cancerassassin1.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
From Forbes magazine: “NIH Grants Fueled $95 Billion In FY 2024 Economic Activity, Finds New Report“ www.forbes.com/sites/michae...
forbes.com
NIH Grants Fueled $95 Billion In FY 2024 Economic Activity, Finds New Report
National Institutes of Health grants generated almost $95 billion in economic activity nationwide in FY 2024 according to a new report by United for Medical Research.
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Crystal Rogers, PhD @rogerslabucd.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Huge thank you to Chancellor May and our wonderful @ucdavis.bsky.social donors for choosing me as a Chancellor’s Fellow! The UC Davis SVM did a lovely write up if you are interested in learning more about me and this award! www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/crystal...
vetmed.ucdavis.edu
Crystal Rogers Honored as Chancellor's Fellow
Associate Professor Crystal Rogers is one of eight faculty members who comprise the newest class of UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellows, given to early career academics doing exemplary work in their fields.
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Daniel Gonzales @dgonzales1990.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
There’s been some talk on here about communicating more with undergrads about science funding, policies, outlook etc. I admit I was skeptical there would be interest. I polled my course. 70% were interested in having a discussion. The other 30% were “maybe interested.” 0% were not interested.
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Today, a broad coalition of scientific professional societies who represent over 92,000 scientists are speaking out against the politicization and demonization of Federally funded science and government scientist jobs. It was an honor to help the Union of Concerned Scientists with this! 🧪🌎
ucsusa.org
48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science
48 scientific societies representing almost 100,000 scientists signed on to a letter asking Congress to protect the future of science
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Leslie Rissler @ljrissler.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
NSF plans to reinstate all probationary employees who were fired on 18 Feb! NSF’s decision. 👏🏻👏🏻❤️
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Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.blacksky.app · 18/02/2025
In today's episode of doomerism isn't a strategy, here's a list of things you can do today to make the world around you suck a little bit less: Pick ONE thing and do it. bsky.app/profile/itsa...
What are some actions you can take TODAY?

Become a “Friend of the Library”
Call your state representatives 
Boycott businesses rolling back DEI
Read & fund independent journalists and magazines
Join a Mutual Aid network  
Donate to environmental justice organizations
Support minority authors and artists 
Pass out Know Your Rights cards to the undocumented
Organize a local or school-based protest
Follow, elevate, and fund minority voices online
Donate to reproductive justice organizations
Volunteer at homeless or DV shelters
Send money to your local food banks 
Join the local school board 
Attend town hall meetings and voice your opinion
Start book clubs centered on Black history
Fundraise for supplies K-12 teachers may need
Donate to legal funds that protect LGBTQ+ people
Start a scholarship for underserved students
Host community action conversations 
Work on research about the marginalized
Integrate DEI into every part of your business
Migrate from Twitter to Bluesky (it’s so good)
Support businesses that stand by humanity
Stand up to people bullying the vulnerable
Donate to Public Citizen and federal worker unions
Find joy in the in between and don’t lose hope
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Amit Khandhadia @amitkhandhadia.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Truly awful. The intramural program supports so much exploratory work that happens basically nowhere else including my PhD. It’s a jewel that attracts scientists from all over the world to attempt their dream experiments. Please call your congress person about this if you can.
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@LaBonneLaB @labonnelab.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
This article is unhelpful, implying the problem has been solved-it has NOT 1)Study sections are still not being posted in the FR 2)Study Section SROs have NOT been told meetings can resume and 3)Even if some study sections are allowed to meet no new grants can be approved without council meetings
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Zebrafish Rock! 🎃 @zebrafishrock.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Check out the upcoming Northeast Regional Society for Developmental Biology Conference at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA. April 25 – 27, 2025. Lots of cool models will be represented! REGISTER & SEE PRELIM PROGRAM at sdbonline.org/nesdb2025 #ZebrafishMeeting @socdevbio.bsky.social
Poster for the Northeast Society for Developmental Biology Conference in Woods Hole. There's lots of animals represented such as the axolotl, zebrafish, squid, octopus, planarians, drosophila and sea anenomes.
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Noah Whiteman @nkwhiteman.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
1. Help: NIH study sections and council meetings not already published in the Federal Register as of Jan. 21 have not been allowed to meet (thetransmitter.org/funding/fede...). This appears to be an 'end run' around a recent injunction and came from HHS officials. You can help (see below):
thetransmitter.org
Federal Register hold makes ‘end run’ around court pause on NIH funding freeze
NIH-related updates to the Federal Register, which are required for the scheduling of study sections and advisory councils, are on hold indefinitely, according to an email reviewed by <i>The Transmitt...
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Jeremy Koster @jeremykoster.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Upon learning that yesterday would be my last day as a program officer at the National Science Foundation, I shared this parting message with my colleagues. The next few months will be frenetic and stressful for them. Here are some things that you can do to help them with the mission ahead. (1)
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Caroline Charpentier, PhD @carocharp.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
🚨This should be amplified!! Study sections and council meetings are still being cancelled despite the court order unblocking NIH freezes, effectively halting any new research grant from being funded: www.thetransmitter.org/funding/fede...
thetransmitter.org
Federal Register hold makes ‘end run’ around court pause on NIH funding freeze
NIH-related updates to the Federal Register, which are required for the scheduling of study sections and advisory councils, are on hold indefinitely, according to an email reviewed by <i>The Transmitt...
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Paul Krugman @pkrugman.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Government does important work — but not if DOGE can prevent it paulkrugman.substack.com/p/our-govern...
paulkrugman.substack.com
Our Government Is Experiencing a Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly
Musk is moving fast and breaking important things
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Bita Moghaddam @bita137.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Many in biotech/private sector are boasting about their ways of funding and doing science But they are staffed with PhDs and postdocs we train in our NIH and NSF funded labs in universities With university labs lacking funds to train, the private sector will be profoundly harmed
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Johanna Kowalko @johannakowalko.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
It is imperative that we discuss what is happening with our trainees at all levels. What is happening will directly impact them.
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 08/02/2025
8. It is difficult to overstate what a catastrophe this will be for the US research and education systems, particular in biomedical fields. It is deliberate and wanton devastation entirely out of scale with any concern about DEI activities on campuses. The goal is destroy US universities.
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Leah Litman @leahlitman.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS A DEPARTMENT CREATED BY STATUTE; IT CANNOT BE ELIMINATED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER! EXECUTIVE ORDERS CANNOT REPEAL STATUTES! JUST LIKE DEPARTMENTS CANNOT BE CREATED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER! she shouts into the void
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christine liu / two photon art @christineliu.art · 22/01/2025
Step 1) find your rep www.congress.gov/members/find... Step 2) send an email or call their office Step 3) tell them that federal spending on scientific advancement is the best hope we have to “win against china” or whatever these guys are obsessed with these days
congress.gov
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Vaughn Cooper @vscooper.micropopbio.org · 22/01/2025
Please tell your representative: 1) I'm not just a teacher in your district, I'm essentially an entrepreneur running a small business. 2) I employ XX people at good wages, ranging from $Y-Z. 3) Blocking the operation of the NIH prevents this and damages our local economy
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