Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDdr. thrasher, an american writer in ex(archia)(xile) @thrasherxy.bsky.social · 25/10/2025🚨 I was close reading the UCLA deal with Trump & found this gem of a ‘typo’ 😮 about UCLA’s “Feinberg School of Medicine”… THERE IS NO FEINNBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UCLA, they have the Geffen School of Medicine… But there is a Feinberg School at Northwestern (I worked there!), meaning…(1/3) 12815
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDInstitute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine @iaim-nu.bsky.social · 07/10/2025Join us for the 10th annual Data Jam on Oct. 27. @keyboardbiologist.bsky.social and @michellebirkett.bsky.social, Director of the I.AIM Center for Computational and Social Sciences in Health (COMPASS), are Northwestern organizational leads. www.surveymonkey.com/r/datajam2025 011
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDAaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 21/08/2025The practical upshot is that justice delayed is justice denied; or to be more precise, a lab which had to fire all of its researchers and halt work on groundbreaking research isn't going to be able to ever restore itself to the same position it would have been without a multi-year pause in funding. 21851298
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDLambda Legal @lambdalegal.org · 01/08/2025🔬 LAMBDA LEGAL WIN: Today, a preliminary injunction was granted in our lawsuit against the NIH’s termination of 100s of grants that funded critical LGBTQI+ health research. Learn more: tinyurl.com/3u6xcmkh 14020
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDNorthwestern's Institute for Public Health and Medicine @ipham.bsky.social · 29/07/2025“Over the last 20 years, there’s been a real recognition of the importance relationships have in our lives, whether that be in infectious disease, public health, information sharing.” @michellebirkett.bsky.social on the success of Network Canvas www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/ipham/...feinberg.northwestern.eduSocial network influence in public health and how to map itScientists at Northwestern have developed Network Canvas, a free and open-source program to study the complex social drivers of disease. 173
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDMax Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · 03/07/2025The full ruling explaining why NIH grant cuts are illegal came out today. It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia. Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵 131431646
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDNorthwestern's Institute for Public Health and Medicine @ipham.bsky.social · 30/06/2025A huge congrats to the Network Canvas team on receiving the 2025 Richards award 🎉 Their free and open-source program allows researchers to easily design, capture, and export network data. networkcanvas.com (photo by Network Canvas) 172
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDIsabel @isabelott.bsky.social · 16/06/2025Sometimes you don’t realize the full burden you’ve been carrying –of being implicitly treated as a second-class citizen whose life isn’t worth preserving, of people working to fix health inequalities in this country being persecuted, of the crushing *silence* around it – until someone calls it out. 221051
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDGovernor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 02/05/2025Donald Trump and Elon Musk are turning our government into their own slush fund. Attempting to cut Medicaid and Social Security, all while chopping up essential departments and agencies — just to make themselves and their friends even richer. 491563389
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDImpact Institute at Northwestern University @impactinstitute.bsky.social · 21/04/2025ISGMH Prof. “Michelle Birkett’s $3.8 million grant was ended in the first of its five years. The funding was awarded to understand — and ultimately address — disparities in HIV transmission and substance use among gay men and transgender women,” reports @bloomberg.com.bloomberg.comNIH Grant Cuts Aren't Saving Money. They're Wasting It.The Trump administration says the canceled funding is about cost efficiency, but data shows that the opposite is happening. 131
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDDenise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 08/04/2025🧵Trump is Russifying the American presidency and time of the essence. Russia’s system of government is like a “crown-presidential” system, which makes the president a kind of elected king. Two powers are central to this role.... 23915
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDInside Higher Ed @insidehighered.com · 07/04/2025Congress Targets Northwestern Legal Clinics The university’s legal clinics are under investigation after representing pro-Palestinian Chicago activists. The move raises questions about the fates of other clinical programs. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4ig3PMQbit.lyNorthwestern’s Legal Clinics Draw Scrutiny From CongressThe university’s legal clinics are under investigation after representing pro-Palestinian Chicago activists. The move raises questions about the fates of other clinical programs. 152
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDBrittany Charlton @britshmit.bsky.social · 02/04/2025🚨 BREAKING: I'm suing #RFKJr @ #HHS & #JayBhattacharya @ #NIH Canceling medical research grants threatens innovations benefiting ALL Americans, no matter your politics! 🇺🇸 Thanks to my lawyers @aclu.org @aclum.bsky.social @protectdemocracy.org & @cspi.bsky.social Long 🧵 on why I'm suing 👇 1/ 18493031951
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDScott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · 28/03/2025New this evening (3/28): Major update in NIH grant termination numbers. ❌ 695 NIH grants now terminated (up from 429) ❌ 232 on HIV/AIDS ❌ 44 on cancer ❌ 28 on Alzheimer's ❌ 123 on Covid* *And this doesn't count cancelled non-NIH Covid grants. HUGE THANKS to @noamross.net for pushing the updates!airtable.comAirtable | Everyone's app platformAirtable is a low-code platform for building collaborative apps. Customize your workflow, collaborate, and achieve ambitious outcomes. Get started for free. 213099
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDSTAT @statnews.com · 25/03/2025NIH terminated grants for a program studying how to diagnose, treat, and prevent HIV and AIDS in adolescentsbuff.lyNIH cuts halt 24-year program to prevent HIV/AIDS in adolescents and young adultsNIH terminated grants for a program studying how to diagnose, treat, and prevent HIV and AIDS in adolescents and young adults. 26342
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDDrug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 25/03/2025The purging of peer review at NIH has begun drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/t...drugmonkey.wordpress.comThe purging of peer review at NIH has begunA report in STAT by Molteni and Mast reports that “Prominent outside scientists who help the National Institutes of Health evaluate its internal research programs are being abruptly removed&#… 0129
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDGregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 24/03/2025This is what breaks my heart. These young people who are so eager and full of promise and who are the next generation of Nobel Prize winners, scientists inventors, teachers. #Trump and #Musk have destroyed it all. www.wired.com/story/the-ch...wired.comThe Chaos of NIH Cuts Has Left Early-Career Scientists ScramblingAs graduate programs lose spots and labs face shutdowns following Trump administration cuts to science funding, the path to a science career for students and researchers just got a whole lot harder. 13383125
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDErin Rook (he/they) @erinrook.bsky.social · 24/03/2025And then there were none… My advisor just lost their last remaining federal research grant. All were cancelled for being inclusive of #trans and #nonbinary people. People like us. These grants supported critical research into #LGBTQIA aging, dementia, and caregiving—and funded a staff of 7. 2116
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDSasha Costanza-Chock @schock.cc · 22/03/2025Information Silos exist for very good reasons. Do you want your medical data, tax data, social media days, etc combined in one place and made available to anyone in the federal government? 1023792
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDBrittany Charlton @britshmit.bsky.social · 21/03/2025We've been tracking unlawful NIH grant terminations for 3 weeks. Spread the word👇! Fellow PIs: what can you do upon termination? ✅ Email PO + document questions ✅ Submit FOIA ✅ Advocate to your OCG/OSP for appeal + litigation ✅ Consider outside litigation ✅ Donate to state AGs + legal orgs 1/🧵docs.google.comCancelled NIH grant information submission formPlease use this form to submit information identifying specific NIH grants that have been cancelled for any reason after January 20, 2025. Data from this form will be used to update the Rescinded NIH... 5266230
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDScott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · 21/03/2025The crush of new grant cancellations hasn't let up. If your grant was terminated (or your app was pulled) please use this Google Form👇 to submit details for tracking purposes. Multiple advocacy efforts are moving forward, but we must must must know more about what grants were cancelled and why.forms.gleCancelled NIH grant information submission formPlease use this form to submit information identifying specific NIH grants that have been cancelled for any reason after January 20, 2025. Data from this form will be used to update the Rescinded NIH... 10433492
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDSherry Pagoto, PhD @drsherrypagoto.bsky.social · 14/03/2025 The editor of AIDS and Behavior has a message: In a World Gone Mad -- Nothing is Changing at AIDS and Behavior. "We will persist, with elevated scrutiny, filtering, and yes censoring, pseudoscience and denialism." link.springer.com/article/10.1...link.springer.comIn a World Gone Mad -- Nothing is Changing at AIDS and Behavior - AIDS and BehaviorAIDS and Behavior - 0154
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDBrendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 14/03/2025If the government can do this to universities, we don't live in a free society. Five alarm fire. 452399697
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDDenise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 04/03/2025A timber industry lobbyist & exec now head of US Forest Service. The privatization/sell public lands thugs found their guy. First time in Forest Service history chief wasn’t a career employee. This thug is about to sell off our public lands to create Trump's sovereign wealth fund. 135237
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDJace D. Flatt, PhD, MPH (They/He) @jaceflatt.bsky.social · 04/03/2025Sharing for visibility www.statnews.com/2025/03/03/n... Thank you @statnews.comstatnews.comNIH terminates ongoing grants for LGBTQ+ researchSaying that "research programs based on gender identity are often unscientific," the agency wrote to scientists to cancel current grants. 3171109
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDAlt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · 03/03/2025Quick request: Please do contact us if you're a scientist at a university or outside NIH, and you serve on an #NIH council or advisory board, including the intramural Board of Scientific Counselor review boards (the reviews that impose high standards on NIH!) We'd love to be in touch. 5772286
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDDrug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 01/03/2025These grants survived intense scientific competition and scrutiny by expert peer scientists. It’s a sham to suggest they are unworthy. Pure bigotry to revoke them. 624794
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDDr. Becca @docbecca.bsky.social · 20/02/2025Glad to see this post getting some traction, because the Federal Register is the WHOLE ballgame, folks. To drive this point home, a recent EO declares that all posts to FR now must be approved by the White House. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...whitehouse.govEnsuring Accountability for All AgenciesBy the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: 5117115
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD50501: The People’s Movement ❌👑 @50501movement.bsky.social · 20/02/2025🚨 We are mobilizing for a NEW national day of protest— March 4th Against Monarchy! Find organizing resources and more at linktr.ee/fiftyfiftyon.... @polrev.bsky.social @altnps.bsky.social #NoKings #50501movement #FiftyFiftyOne 22433271468
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDGovernor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 20/02/2025Tyranny requires your fear, your silence, and your compliance. Democracy requires your courage. 23597691020946
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDGregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 14/02/2025This new Administration is a bunch of terrorists blowing up all that is meant to keep us safe and healthy. CDC cuts expected to devastate Epidemic Intelligence Service, a ‘crown jewel’ of public health www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t... via @statnews.comstatnews.comCDC cuts expected to devastate Epidemic Intelligence Service, a ‘crown jewel’ of public healthMembers of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service were warned Friday that many of them were about to be fired 16451121570
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDLewis Kamb @lewiskamb.bsky.social · 14/02/2025CDC source: “We just had word that all our fellows and post doc staff are laid off effective immediately. The famous Epidemic Intelligence Service, aka the Disease Detectives, is no more. That’s 1260 staff. They are calling this ‘Phase 1’.” 556107755567
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDCarl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 08/02/20251. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%. I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...grants.nih.govNOT-OD-25-068: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost RatesNIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates NOT-OD-25-068. OD 25469984077
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDNeighbors For Environmental Justice (N4EJ) @n4ej.org · 05/02/2025Today we're excited to announce a new tool: ChicagoAQI.com It's for two things: suggesting locations for city air monitors, and exploring data from Chicago's cumulative impacts assessment. Spanish: es.chicagoaqi.com Chinese: cn.chicagoaqi.com 14318
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDDerek Lowe @dereklowe.bsky.social · 05/02/2025I’ve unfortunately needed to add more material to my post from yesterday. The re-election of Donald Trump is looking like the biggest act of American self-destruction since the Civil War. Same link, new title and some updates.science.orgRevised and Extended: What's Happening Inside the NIH and NSF 21323180
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDMiriam Goldstein @miriamgoldstein.bsky.social · 06/02/2025Just in case you thought that removing DEI criteria would mean that everyone is competing equally: NIH is removing grad students from underrepresented backgrounds from the applicant pool altogether. Their applications will not be considered. Other students, not from these backgrounds, will be. 16154042847
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDJosh Lee @josh-lee.bsky.social · 06/02/2025I received an email from NIH stating that applications are being removed from an upcoming study section. I am dismayed that NIH is folding. 1119158
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDCooper Battle @chbattle.com · 05/02/2025Extremely disappointed to see HHMI decide to kill their Inclusive Excellence program, including terminating the current IE3 awards to over a hundred institutions effective this year in the middle of a 6-year grant. I was hoping HHMI (and other private funders) would continue to lead the way. 15344141
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDPisco @piscolitty.bsky.social · 01/02/2025Joanna’s video DARK GOTHIC MAGA has now reached over 200k views, youtu.be/5RpPTRcz1no?... please watch and support!youtu.beDARK GOTHIC MAGA: How Tech Billionaires Plan to Destroy AmericaYouTube video by Blonde Politics | The Silly Serious 46820
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDErin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 31/01/2025In my years of reporting on LGBTQ news this was by far the hardest. But we are still here. You made it to Friday. You lived. Good job. That wasn’t easy. Through a diversity of tactics, we will continue to live. Rest up, drink water, find community, so that we can all be here tomorrow too. 324199632575
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDJoel Mittleman @joeljm.bsky.social · 31/01/2025I’ve now posted the National YRBS data, 2015-2023, here. I’ll add the state and district data soon. www.datalumos.org/datalumos/pr...datalumos.orgCDC National Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2015-2023 1618899
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDProPublica @propublica.org · 31/01/2025NEW: Organizations that provide vital, lifesaving care for desperate and vulnerable people around the world have been forced to halt operations, turn away patients and lay off staff. “I’ve never seen anything that scares me as much as this,” one doctor said.propublica.org“People Will Die”: The Trump Administration Said It Lifted Its Ban on Lifesaving Humanitarian Aid. That’s Not True.Organizations that provide vital care for desperate and vulnerable people around the world have been forced to halt operations, turn away patients and lay off staff. “I’ve never seen anything that sca... 311013385
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDAlt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 31/01/2025CDC pages relating to LGBTQ+ queer health are being removed from the CDC website. Staff are not involved in this censorship. We will follow up with external resources for our communities. 9586147
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhDJess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 31/01/2025When you can only win with disinformation, data become a threat. 7307136