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Raji Shyam

@shyamraji.bsky.social
856 followers 777 following 262 posts

Vision scientist | Proud mom of two humans and two dogs| shyam.lab.uiowa.edu Personal opinions do not reflect those of my employer

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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
What makes someone midwestern? I wish I had asked this to the person who exclaimed that an applicant "is very midwestern, even though his parents are immigrants." 🤨
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@arvoinfo.bsky.social‬ @arvoinfo.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
@arvoinfo.bsky.social members, it's time to show off the beauty of your #VisionResearch! Enter the 2026 ARVO Scientific Image Contest and your lab image could be featured at #ARVO2027 and win a $300 gift card. Learn more: bit.ly/4mNNbq8
Promotion for the 2026 ARVO Scientific Image Contest, featuring the 2025 winning image of human retinal organoids by Leila Bahmani, PhD. Text invites entries by October 31.
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Such high praise for a department!
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
So many! Asked if I'd like the job. I said yes, but there was no communication for 2 months. Emailed again to ask if I was interested. I said no; I took another. Rejection in 30 mins. I had a K99. The interviewer: "I see you have a K award. I wouldn't advertise this. They are so easy to come by."
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BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Hey, #Pittsburgh peeps: I'm doing a thing tomorrow. See you there?
University of
Pittsburgh.

Sip of Science

September 22 7-9pm
Trace Brewing
4312 Main St.

Maysam Chamanzar, PhD - Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Developing new technologies to precisely record and control brain activity using electrical signals, sound, and light.

Zeila Hobson - Community Ophthalmology and Remote
Access Program Manager, UPMC Vision Institute
Leading efforts to expand vision care in underserved communities through mobile clinics, telehealth, partnerships, and research.

Bryan Jones, PhD - Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Mapping the complex network of neural connections in the retina to reveal how vision works and what goes wrong in disease.
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Hanging out with your friends at meetings is the best!
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I had the best time at #ISER2026! I am inspired by the new advances in the corneal endothelium field. Thank you to the speakers, including @sarathomasy.bsky.social, for sharing their insights. Kudos to the organizers, @palomaliton.bsky.social, for putting together a great meeting!
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Please stop by the corneal endothelium session on August 27th at 1 pm @iser.bsky.social Featuring talks by many greats, including @sarathomasy.bsky.social. Looking forward to catching up with all my favorite eye people!
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BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I've got a new chapter out, Insights Into Retinal Remodeling In Retinal Degenerative Disease: bryanwjones.com/2026/07/insi...
A cartoon figure showing a vertical section through retina with the red, green, and blue cone pathways, the rod pathway and the Müller glia illustrated.
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Foundational! "The scientist doing basic research may not be at all interested in the practical applications of his work, yet the further progress of industrial development would eventually stagnate if basic scientific research were long neglected." From Science: The Endless Frontier, Bush, 1945
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Sofia de Oliveira, Ph.D. @sdeoliveira.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
📣This is bigger than science ⚠️ Please help us reach non-scientists: share this on Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, neighborhood groups, Search OMB-2026-0034 on Regulations.gov Comment by July 13 ⌛ #ScienceMatters #PublicHealth #FederalFunding #CommunityMatters #SpeakUp
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BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Science peeps, particularly trainees: When reviewing grants, it really, really helps if you have a Google Scholar page, an ORCID account, or a website that makes getting information about you, easy. Some sort of web presence. I'm begging you. Make it easier for study sections to give you money.
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Anna La Torre @latorrelab.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Excited to share our new paper! This work explores how Sonic hedgehog signaling helps coordinate retinal patterning and neurogenesis, including regulation of both cell cycle exit and progenitor competence during mammalian eye development journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
journals.biologists.com
Roles of sonic hedgehog signaling in retinal patterning and neurogenesis during mammalian eye development
Summary: Temporal disruption of sonic hedgehog signaling reveals stage-specific roles in eye cup patterning and in regulating proliferation, progenitor competence and fate specification during retinal...
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Tom Kash @superkash.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/317...
unc.peopleadmin.com
Laboratory Research Technician
The primary function of this position is to assist the Principal Investigator and members of the laboratory with experiments involving molecular biology, animal behavior, biochemistry, electrophysiolo...
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Tom Kash @superkash.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Kash lab at UNC is hiring a new technician (our current two are off to grad school!!) posting will go live soon, email me CV and names of references if interested.
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Crystal Rogers, PhD @rogerslabucd.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Please check out our new preprint! Together with @sarathomasy.bsky.social and led by DVM/PhD candidate Raneesh Ramarapu, we used 3D imaging + quantitative analysis to show how the corneal endothelium maintains a stable layer and refines hexagonal packing during development.
(Left panels) Modeling of nuclei organization at 11 and 16 days of corneal development in an avian embryo. (Right panels) IHC for N-cadherin (yellow) and ZO-1 in 3D reconstruction of corneal cells at days 11 and 16. Nuclei are magenta.
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
First R01 for the lab! Elated does not even begin to describe what I am feeling!! Many many thanks to the hardworking people at the NIH for getting this NoA together for us!
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Very proud of Hsuan-Yeh Pan, a post doc in the lab, who received $100K from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation! This was the first grant he ever wrote!! His work will focus on aqueous humor components in Congenital Hereditary Endothelial Dystrophy.
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
My home department hosted @blockintheback.bsky.social for a visit and seminar last week. As always, Kristen gave an amazing talk!! Always nice to reminisce out with the fabulous folks at the U! @eannemartin.bsky.social
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Natasha O'Brown @natashaobrown.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
@tcpotts.bsky.social paper is live. Happy to share #FishNAP, a new, non-invasive way to measure #BBB permeability in 96-well format with #zebrafish www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
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Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Apply now for the Signaling by Adhesion Receptors GRC June 7 - 12, 2026! The meeting has a terrific program that balances developmental biology, cell polarity, and adhesion and signaling. Please share! www.grc.org/signaling-by...
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Good news from NIH! Michael Chiang has apparently been reappointed as Director of the National Eye Institute www.nei.nih.gov/about/our-mi...
nei.nih.gov
Michael F. Chiang, M.D. | National Eye Institute
Michael F. Chiang is director of the National Eye Institute, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Please take a moment to email your senators and congressmen about the importance of passing the FY26 appropriations bill. takeaction.researchamerica.org/Default.aspx...
takeaction.researchamerica.org
Research!America
The Research!America alliance advocates for science, discovery, and innovation to achieve better health for all. We urge Congress and the administration to increase funding for the National Institutes...
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
The appropriations bill that includes NIH is being finalized. The Senate bill includes a bipartisan amendment from Senators Capito (WV) and Baldwin (WI) limiting multi-year funding of grants. The House version does not and OMB has issued a veto threat if the House includes such language. 1/3
media.tenor.com
a close up of a brown surface with a few spots
ALT: a close up of a brown surface with a few spots
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Dorota Paczesniak @dorotdesigns.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Hello #PortfolioDay 🐡 I’m a scientific illustrator with a PhD in biology and research experience in ecology and evolution. My work includes infographics, illustrations, learning materials, and branding I’m open to commissions and/or a full-time job in communications or educational design
A photo of a book open on a page showing illustrations related to colour theory. From "The Communicating Scientist" by Olle Bergman, Sarang Park, and Joanna Bagniewska, with illustrations by Dorota PaczesniakA complex figure with a digital illustration and text boxes. Shows soil cross-section and a plant with above-ground and below-ground parts visible. The plant has four stalks: one with a bud, flower, and fruit, and one with brown and dried leaves that are falling off. This is to signal the main theme of the paper, i.e. phenology.

The text boxes are divided into two main categories: above-ground and below-ground and briefly explain the difference between these two environments in resource gradients, plant–soil functionality, and coupling to photosynthesis.

Morris, K., & Nair, R. (2025). Below the leaves: Integrating above- and below-ground phenology for earth-system predictability. Functional Ecology, 00, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.70057A photo of a leaflet open to show the first and the last page. This is an infographic for the Conservation Genetics Workshop titled „Types of genetic markers: What can they reveal?”
The first page features an illustration of the three levels of biodiversity: genes, species and ecosystems.
The last page has an info box about open and FAIR data.

Citation:

Buser CN, Weber AAT, Feulner PGD, Richman S, Fischer MC, Grossen C, Naciri Y, Paczesniak D, Paerli R, Reutimann O, Tschan J, Widmer A & Gugerli F. (2025). Types of genetic markers: What can they reveal? (Conservation Genetics Workshop, Infographic 1). Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL. https://doi.org/10.55419/wsl:40663An infographic titled: “Tree breeding - from wild to genetically improved forests”. There are four coloured panels with illustrations and diagrams, and grey text boxes surrounding them. The panels depict

1. Wild forest

2. Breeding

3. Mass propagation

4. Cultivated forest

Developed by Luke (Natural Resources Institute Finland) and the University of Helsinki. Graphic design: Dorota Paczesniak
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Samer Hattar @samerhattar.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
A new paper from my lab. I will have a full description soon. rdcu.be/eX1Ld
rdcu.be
ipRGC properties prevent light from shifting the SCN clock during daytime
Nature - The inability of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells to shift the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus during daytime is caused by light-dependent depolarization...
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Abraham Palmer @abepalmer.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
If you are submitting an NIH grant in February, you will be required to use SciENcv to prepare you biosketch. IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE. Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Very cool study!
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Scott Hadland, MD @drscotthadland.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Parent and pediatrician here. All vaccines are still available & recommended. Talk to your pediatrician for more info. Know this: Even as our government shifts its recommendation language, I would never forgo the RSV, hepatitis A & B, or meningitis vaccines for my own kids.
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Why this obsession with oil? There is not enough time left for this planet to burn all of it! Morons!
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
I am down with the flu twice in the past two months (although vaccinated) I could have used a better start to the New Year :(
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
This 👇 Absolutely awful! It feels like I am using my phone underwater..
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Trying to find some protocols for cone isolation from frogs that don't involve transgenics or freezing. There is a surprising dearth of information out there for cone isolation? Seems to be mostly rods. Is anyone familiar with any simple-ish protocols? 🧪 👀 #xenopus
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Harmit Singh Malik @harmitmalik.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Are you an early-stage graduate student (2nd or 3rd year) or early-stage postdoc based in the US or Canada, working primarily in Drosophila? Would you like to help improve the experience of all trainees working in Drosophila research? If so, read on. (Please repost to reach a broad audience.)
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
New preprint from the lab in collaboration with @sherberg128.bsky.social. By only altering the stiffness of the substrate, we discovered changes in corneal endothelial cell health. This study indicates how physical changes to the Descemet's membrane can affect the endothelium.
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BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
As a neuroscientist, I’d suggest there is a profound disconnect between what *some* computer scientists think is representative of “intelligence”, cognitive ability, or descriptions of consciousness from some in AI work. LLMs are not how neural systems process information, nor how brains function.
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Had an amazing time catching up with @eannemartin.bsky.social It is especially serendipitous to meet grad school friends as a PI!
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Proud to be a part of the 50 States, 50 Stories initiative organized by @arvoinfo.bsky.social Read more about National Eye Institute funded work in my lab on Fuchs Dystrophy here - www.arvo.org/news/arvo-bl...
arvo.org
NIH’s role in advancing Fuchs dystrophy research
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
This👇 You can do good work, and it is not limited to being at elite institutions. As you advance in your career, it becomes more about "what have you done?" not "where did you do it?"
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Happy Diwali to all! Here is hoping a mighty force (democracy, collective will, whatever you want to call it) will light the path for all of us.
media.tenor.com
a greeting card for happy diwali with fireworks and candles
ALT: a greeting card for happy diwali with fireworks and candles
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Hardest thing about moving to a new place as an adult is making new friends. Shamelessly approaching strangers, and asking if I can be their friend is my new strategy. My new friends (3 so far!) say they are charmed by my candor (read desperation). Onward..
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Writing two manuscripts at the same time is not worth my sanity. Stating this on a public forum so I can be reminded to not pursue such lunacies anymore.
media.tenor.com
a cartoon dog is sitting at a table in front of a fire with the words it 's fine everything is fine
ALT: a cartoon dog is sitting at a table in front of a fire with the words it 's fine everything is fine
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Michel Cayouette @michelcayouette.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Check this out! So nice!
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Attending a grant writing seminar at the University. Its quite interesting how there is no mention of luck as an imperative in grant funding.
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Lab goals
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Daisy Shu @eyedaisyshu.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
I'm so excited to be hiring my first postdoc! If you love retinal biology and developing new therapeutics to cure blindness, please apply! Thank you to the @brightfocus.bsky.social for supporting my research and enabling me to grow my research team! external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au/cw/en/job/53...
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
A tree fell on my fence few months ago. Neither my spouse nor I are handy, and we left it in its unkempt state. My neighbor took it up on himself to buy the materials, and fix it (after he checked with us). Welcome to Iowa! People are way too nice here.
Friendly neighbor fixing a fence
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Attended the post-doc to PI panel organized by the University of Iowa post-doc association. Always fun to discuss career trajectories with PIs new to Iowa, including the awesome @kmulfaul.bsky.social
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
One of those weeks where I am happy to bury myself in the science and tune the world out. Happy science-ing to all who can relate!
media.tenor.com
a kitten wearing headphones with its mouth open and its eyes closed .
ALT: a kitten wearing headphones with its mouth open and its eyes closed .
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Raji Shyam @shyamraji.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
New paper from the lab! In collaboration with Patrice Tankam lab at Indiana University, we evaluated changes in the Descemet's membrane thickness in the double mutant FECD mice. Congrats to the co-first authors Hadiya Pattan and Subashree Murugan! iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx...
iovs.arvojournals.org
Enabling In Vivo Longitudinal Evaluation of Descemet's Membrane Thickness in Wild-type and FECD Mice Using Self-Referenced Optical Coherence Microscopy | IOVS | ARVO Journals
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