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Marion Pepper

@marionpepper.bsky.social
2.1K followers 403 following 86 posts

Immunologist. Immune memory.👩🏻‍🔬

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Reposted by Marion Pepper
Waggoner Lab @labwaggoner.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social Dysfunctional memory B cell responses to the protective repeat region of the Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein are associated with waning humoral immunity www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... @marionpepper.bsky.social
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Reposted by Marion Pepper
Jay Shendure @jshendure.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Thrilled to post thread re: new single-cell lineage of mouse embryo reconstructed w/ DNA Typewriter. One animal, zygote to late organogenesis (E13.5). Tree has 1,340,794 transcriptionally profiled, annotated tips (cells), 1,142,588 dated internal nodes, rooted at zygote 1/n
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Marion Pepper @marionpepper.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Dr. Marc K. Jenkins is a scientific hero for so many of us. And just a man who loves to sing Johnny Cash for some. Please join us in celebrating his extraordinary career with a retirement symposium at the University of Minnesota on Monday, September 14th! 🎉 To learn more see link in post below👇:
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Marion Pepper @marionpepper.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
A decade ago we showed that T-dependent IgM+ memory B cells (MBCs) that express CD80 and CD73 rapidly respond to a secondary Plasmodium infection (Krishnamurty, Immunity, 2016). Since then, post-doc Gretchen Harms Pritchard has been working out the cues that lead to the formation of these cells. ⤵️
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Marion Pepper @marionpepper.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Take a deep breath.
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Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
I am reviewing a simply amazing paper from a relatively young US-based lab, which is in danger of shutting its doors later this year. My emotions are all over the place. The fact that this does not uniquely identify the lab I’m referring to just deepens the tragedy of this moment in US science.
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The American Association of Immunologists @aai.org · 14/03/2026
How is immunological research transforming the fight against chronic disease? Join us on March 18 for a Congressional Briefing on the new era of autoimmune therapies. Learn how we’re closing the gap for 31M+ Americans living with autoimmunity: ow.ly/RJUn50YrwL8. #AAIadvocacy
AAI Congressional Briefing announcement with Capitol dome image, detailing a March 18, 2026 event on immunological research for autoimmune diseases at Cannon House Office Building.
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Reposted by Marion Pepper
Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
1. #Measles update: The total confirmed cases so far this year has risen to 1362 as of 3/12. Key context: The 2026 total to date is 60% of the 2025 total for the entire year. #CDC reports that among cases with known vax status, 92% weren't vaxed. There've been 14 new outbreaks this year.
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Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
1. Time for a #flu & #measles update. Six more kids have died from flu, bringing the year-to-date total to 66. Sadly there will be more deaths reported but hopefully this year doesn't approach last year's dreadful pediatric death toll. #CDC estimates ~90% of these kids weren't vaccinated.
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Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
1. #CDC posted new #flu data today. A 🧵 Another pediatric death was reported in the 2024-25 flu season, making it the deadliest flu season for kids since CDC started collecting this data point 20 years ago. 2024-25 has surpassed the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. 9 kids have died from flu so far this year.
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Jen Gommerman @jengommerman.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
Proud to share our work now out in Cell. We hope what we learned about IgA immune responses to rotavirus can be translated into better vaccines. Congratulations Dr. Kei Haniuda, an amazing PDF. TY @uoftmedicine.bsky.social for covering. temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/news
temertymedicine.utoronto.ca
Recent News
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Deepta Bhattacharya @deeptabhattacha.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
We're hiring for tenure-track faculty! Please apply if you have interests in immune responses to microbes and/or cancer, immune regulation, microbial infections (bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi), the microbiota, and/or interests that span these disciplines. arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
arizona.csod.com
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor (T/TE)
Establish or continue a successful, extramurally funded research program that will advance knowledge in the broad areas of immunobiology, as defined a...
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Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
“Thousands of very competitive projects in areas like cancer, diabetes, aging, neurological disorders and public health improvements most like went unfunded in 2025. Similarly, at the National Science Foundation, the roughly 3,000 fewer new grants encompassed reductions to every area of science”
nytimes.com
The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine
A quiet policy change means the government is making fewer bets on long-term science.
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Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 13/11/2025
A bad thing is unfolding at NIH this week: It looks like the Trump administration is trying to replace key civil servant scientific leaders, the Institute Directors, with political hires. These directors control the NIH budget, tens of billions. A bit of a video explainer here: 1/ 🧪
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allen institute @alleninstitute.org · 20/10/2025
Congratulations to Karel Svoboda and @jshendure.bsky.social on their election to the National Academy of Medicine (@nam.edu)! Election to the Academy is one of the highest honors in health and medicine. #NAMmtg More on their journeys to this achievement: alleninstitute.org/news/karel-s...
alleninstitute.org
Karel Svoboda and Jay Shendure elected to National Academy of Medicine
The honor recognizes leaders who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and made lasting contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health
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Jay Shendure @jshendure.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Super excited about first Shendure/Baker Lab collaboration & preprint on a multiplex sequencing-based strategy for screening de novo proteome editors in mammalian cells. Kudos to the brilliant Chase Suiter (not here) & @greenahn.bsky.social on the work! Preprint here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Nobel Prize given for showing the importance of investing in science for innovation and long-term economic growth. Basically the opposite of what the US is doing. 😭
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Marion Pepper @marionpepper.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by acute, intermittent, recurrent episodes of airway inflammation. A decade of work developing the tools, techniques and collaborations needed to figure out how CD4+ T cells in the lungs propagate disease can be found here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Tertiary lymphoid structures support the development of allergen-specific progenitor CD4+ T cells
Tissue-resident memory CD4+ T cells (TRM) are key sentinels of the adaptive immune response that provide a rapid, robust inflammatory response upon reactivation in non-lymphoid tissues. While CD4+ TRM...
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Marion Pepper @marionpepper.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
More coming on what this means but this was one of those stories that took almost a decade to come together but was well worth the time. Also check out a companion piece on @biorxiv by Patrick Brennan!
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Science Vs @sciencevs.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
This moment from our latest episode with science writer @edyong209.bsky.social is 🔥 We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪 Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇 open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...
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Edward Nirenberg @enirenberg.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
Neat study—following 320 healthcare workers for almost a year, with 152 of them being infected, the authors examined whether or not COVID-19 associates with more upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). It didn't (yay!). But, having a kid <5 associated with a 74% increase in the risk of URTIs.
academic.oup.com
Is COVID-19 Associated With an Increased Risk of Subsequent Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Adults? A Prospective Cohort Study
AbstractBackground. In Autumn 2022, a surge in upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) was observed worldwide. Individuals anecdotally reported increase
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Marion Pepper @marionpepper.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Excited to be here! Have to admit John Denver was running through my head as we wound our way through the country roads of West Virginia.
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Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
If you read 1 thing today, please make it this: my so-talented colleague @ericboodman.bsky.social explains why babies in the US are vaccinated at birth against hep B — and what the human costs of changing that policy would be. www.statnews.com/2025/09/11/n...
statnews.com
Dropping hepatitis B shots for newborns would ignore history and endanger children, scientists warn
People who study, treat, or have hepatitis B say ending routine vaccination at birth - as some vaccine critics want - could lead to a resurgence of the virus.
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Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
In a post on Truth Social, the president suggested that the CDC was being “ripped apart” over a question that was answered long ago — whether Covid vaccines work. (Gift article) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/h...
nytimes.com
Trump Wants Proof That Covid Vaccines Work. It’s Easy to Find.
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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 02/09/2025
Yesterday the president demanded that evidence about Covid vaccines be shown to the public. Today @apoorvanyt.bsky.social & I run through some of the studies made public over the past 4+ years that show that the vaccines work. Gift link: nyti.ms/46k17Tq
nyti.ms
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Marion Pepper @marionpepper.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
Enormous thanks to @immunologyking.bsky.social and @maurogaya.bsky.social for organizing a vibrant, invigorating #EMBObarriertissues workshop. A poignant reminder of how critical immunological studies are for ameliorating human disease. And a lot of fun people. 🐟 #wickelfisch
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Carolyn King @immunologyking.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
I only heard tonight that Mike is no longer with us. All credit to him in setting me on this path as an immunologist. The description of his teaching brings back such warm memories. I recognize so many of the scientists on his collage. What a gift to the world he was. www.cell.com/immunity/ful...
cell.com
Michael Cancro (1949–2025)
Just a few weeks ago, researchers and educators connected to immunology lost a wonderful friend and colleague: Michael Cancro, professor of pathology and lab medicine at the University of Pennsylvania...
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Deepta Bhattacharya @deeptabhattacha.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
We mostly rely on Bayesian guesswork to predict how long antibodies will be produced for new vaccines/infections. Here, we find that some of the key programs are set *really* early. We hope early signatures can be used to predict and engineer durable vaccine immunity. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Early, adjuvant-responsive epigenetic programs in B cells imprint subsequent plasma cell survival and the duration of humoral immunity
The duration of antibody production varies across different infections and vaccines. To define molecular programs that promote durable humoral immunity, we used mice deficient in ZBTB20, a transcripti...
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Physicians for a Healthy Democracy @physiciandemocracy.medsky.social · 28/08/2025
The ousting of Dr. Susan Monarez as CDC Director, followed within hours by the resignations of Dr. Deb Houry, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, and Dr. Daniel Jernigan, mark a collapse of public health leadership with consequences that reach every American household.
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Karolinska Institutet @ki.se · 25/06/2025
Applications are now open! We are recruiting 20 Assistant Professors in a wide range of subject areas. We're looking for early-career researchers with strong scientific merits and future potential. 🔗 All positions: ki.se/en/about-ki/...
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Center for Immunology-UMN @cfi-umn.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
With deep gratitude, we thank Dr. Marc Jenkins for his decades of leadership, mentorship, and dedication to the Center for Immunology. The foundation he built will guide and inspire us for years to come.
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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
If you believe that keeping your head down and being quiet will spare you from this fate, you are mistaken. This will be all of us.
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Ivan Zanoni @lozanzi.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
#WeekendRead! #MomIsAlwaysMom! Koch, Shenoy et al show @science.org that, in the first 7 days of life, breast milk IgGs (not IgAs!) recognize microbiota & limit, via Fc receptors, Tfh cell and B cell intestinal expansion, protecting against #colitis & #allergy during weaning!
doi.org
Breast milk IgG engages the mouse neonatal immune system to instruct responses to gut antigens
Maternal antibodies fundamentally regulate gut immunity in the developing infant, yet the mechanisms underlying this process remain elusive. We found that maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG), ingested in ...
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
I have a first serious attempt to estimate the consequences of multi-year funding for July. For new R01s, the amount of additional expenditure was $135 M The number of additional R01s that could have been funded is 182 1/9
media.tenor.com
a man in a shirt and tie is touching his forehead
ALT: a man in a shirt and tie is touching his forehead
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Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
The "data" package Secretary Kennedy used to bolster his argument for discontinuing #BARDA funding for #mRNA research doesn't support his argument. @jakescottmd.bsky.social lays it out in a must read for @statnews.com. www.statnews.com/2025/08/13/r...
statnews.com
Kennedy's case against mRNA vaccines collapses under his own evidence
“This isn't scientific disagreement. It's either staggering incompetence or willful misrepresentation,” writes infectious disease physician Jake Scott.
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anil oza @aniloza.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
By entirely funding more awards up front, the NIH is on track to fund just 1 in 25 applications Such a payline “would chase a lot of people out of science” former NCI director Ned Sharpless told us 🧪🔬 www.statnews.com/2025/07/29/n...
statnews.com
NIH is shrinking the number of research projects it funds due to a new Trump policy
NIH plans to shrink the share of grant applications it will award for the remainder of the fiscal year, in some cases by more than half.
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Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · 22/07/2025
No better time to call or email your members of Congress. Next year’s NIH budget is being debated in the Senate. A new nonpartisan campaign is making it easy to defend science and protect America’s innovation. Just follow this link to contact your representatives: www.protectscienceandinnovation.org
protectscienceandinnovation.org
Protect Science and Innovation
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Ruth Franklin @ruthfranklinlab.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
🎉 Over the moon to share the first paper from my lab!! We discovered an unexpected role for the cytokine OSM in lung epithelial homeostasis and repair. 🧵 1/n www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Macrophage-derived oncostatin M repairs the lung epithelial barrier during inflammatory damage
Tissue repair programs must function alongside antiviral immunity to restore the lung epithelial barrier following infection. We found that macrophage-derived oncostatin M (OSM) counteracted the patho...
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Nature @nature.com · 02/07/2025
This is how to have difficult conversations with vaccine sceptics
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Carolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 30/06/2025
Much appreciated support from biotech execs and investors 🙏 www.statnews.com/2025/06/27/b...
statnews.com
Proposed cuts could have ‘catastrophic effect,’ 110 biomedical, health sciences industry leaders tell Congress
Proposed cuts will have “a catastrophic effect on the advancement of biomedical and biotechnology capabilities in the United States,” more than 100 leaders of biomedical/health sciences companies tell...
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BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
Great Measles 2025 update in NEJM. It is unfortunate we need this but measles is on course to return to endemicity in the United States and Canada. A self inflicted predicament thanks to the spread and rise of anti-vaccine rhetoric. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
nejm.org
Measles 2025 | NEJM
In this article on measles, the authors review the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and associated illnesses as well as treatment and prevention strategies.
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Taia Wang Laboratory @wanglaboratory.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
Assistant professors studying immunity to infectious disease - don’t miss this opportunity! The BWF PATH program supports innovative research on molecular and/or systemic mechanisms that influence outcomes of pathogen exposure. @bwfund.bsky.social Learn more & apply: www.bwfund.org/funding-oppo...
bwfund.org
Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease - Burroughs Wellcome Fund
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Heran Darwin, PhD @heran.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
www.bwfund.org/funding-oppo...
bwfund.org
Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease - Burroughs Wellcome Fund
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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
The cover of this week's @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
Red states and blue states alike Equal opportunity damage to biomedical research and the US economy
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Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
Kudos to @maitreya.bsky.social lab alumnus Chris Large and all the authors!
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going-graymd.bsky.social @going-graymd.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
I have witnessed the positive effect of the HPV vaccine as it debuted at the onset of my career in the 90's. The extreme cervical cancers we saw in early residency are almost a thing of the past. Horrific to think they could once again be de rigeur
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Carolyn King @immunologyking.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
We've worked on Hif deletion in CD4 #Tcells for an embarrassingly long time. We gave up and had to rederive the T conditional KO mice after we stumbled on a phenotype in # NK cells from these mice (1+ years after data acquisition) It's been long, slow and fascinating. In a nutshell...
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Brotman Baty Institute @brotmanbaty.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
POSTDOC ALERT: Applications now open for SeaBridge postdoc fellowship; opportunity to work on leading-edge biotech w/researchers at the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology. brotmanbaty.org/news/new-pos... @marionpepper.bsky.social @jshendure.bsky.social @coletrapnell.bsky.social
brotmanbaty.org
New Postdoc Fellowship Program Builds on Innovative SeattleHub Research | Brotman Baty Institute
BBI
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Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
To put these top-line budget numbers in context, cuts of this magnitude would effectively mean no new grants in FY2026. The entire extramural budget would go to existing, continuing grants. An abject failure of American ambition. And a betrayal of our global leadership in health science innovation.
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