Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Aug 22

An early career research award is always meaningful, but when it comes from an organization you’ve appreciated and admired for over a decade, it’s EXTRA special! Thank you @apadivision45.bsky.social for this honor ❤️!

2

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Aug 18

Linked in really nailed it 😂. “Bourbon educator” feels like a very reasonable next step.

1

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Aug 12

Beautiful!

1

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Aug 11

Shared the APA keynote stage with @drnataliews.bsky.social which is something I never imagined doing, but it turned out to be unforgettable!

We told the story of how a White ally’s Facebook rant led us to see how therapy can mobilize anti-racism action which inspired our book, Beyond Fragility.

1 5

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Jul 27

And thank you to @jionilewis.bsky.social for the photo!

1

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Jul 26

Being in community with like-minded humans, particularly during these dark times, is so meaningful ❤️.

APA Division 45 @apadivision45.bsky.social · Jul 26

The Division 45 Executive Committee met all day to reflect on the conference, discuss members’ incredible work, and make plans for the division! We’re grateful to our incredible members and honored to serve in our roles to support you!

5

APA Division 45 @apadivision45.bsky.social · Jul 26

The Division 45 Executive Committee met all day to reflect on the conference, discuss members’ incredible work, and make plans for the division! We’re grateful to our incredible members and honored to serve in our roles to support you!

7

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Jul 26

Honored to have been a part of this panel, “Conversation with Div 45 Members-at-Large on Leading Radically with Resistance and Liberation” with Drs. Juan Pantoja-Patiño and Ayli Carrero Pinedo moderated by the lovely Dr. Fred Millán! @apadivision45.bsky.social

2 10

APA Division 45 @apadivision45.bsky.social · Jul 24

An afternoon panel entitled, “Under a Microscope Yet out of Focus: On Being Pro-Palestine”
Chair: Nadia Al-Dajani
Panelists: @yaramekawi.bsky.social, Rawan Atari-Khan, Rouan Salim, & @drgigiawad.bsky.social

2 7

helenneville12.bsky.social @helenneville12.bsky.social · Jul 24

Thank you Drs. Al-Dajani, Atari-Khan, Salim, @yaramekawi.bsky.social & @drgigiawad.bsky.social for modeling what it means to name & speak out against antiPalestinian racism. We can’t afford to be quiet about genocide & ongoing dehumanization. Excellent @apadivision45.bsky.social panel discussion

3 7

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Jul 19

A real “it takes a village” manuscript! What started as a class paper turned into a 10 year journey and I’m so glad this manuscript finally gets to see the light of day!

Colleen @colleenhughes.bsky.social · Jul 18

10 years ago I started this project with a talented group of social and clinical psychologists (in training). A new co-author, multiple degrees, internships, jobs, children, moves, reviews, revisions, and re-analysis later we get to see this project in the wild: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Perseverative Negative Thinking, Self-Control, and Executive Functioning in Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of Competing Models - Janet M. Lopez, Sophie Lohmann, Yara...

In this meta-analysis, we synthesized existing research on perseverative negative thinking, self-control, and executive functioning to better define their etiol...

journals.sagepub.com

2

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Jul 19

This paper was a great lesson in resilience, patience, and flexibility!

2

Colleen @colleenhughes.bsky.social · Jul 18

10 years ago I started this project with a talented group of social and clinical psychologists (in training). A new co-author, multiple degrees, internships, jobs, children, moves, reviews, revisions, and re-analysis later we get to see this project in the wild: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Perseverative Negative Thinking, Self-Control, and Executive Functioning in Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of Competing Models - Janet M. Lopez, Sophie Lohmann, Yara...

In this meta-analysis, we synthesized existing research on perseverative negative thinking, self-control, and executive functioning to better define their etiol...

journals.sagepub.com

1 5

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · May 11

What helped me get here?
-a spouse who cleaned all the tiny pump parts multiple times a day every day, did the majority of nighttime feedings, and was the “lead” on the bagging, freezing, and thawing process
-having a solid supply
-“flexible” job
-$$ (pumps, lactation treats, replacement parts)

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · May 11

The best Mother’s Day gift ever 💐? Officially winding down my pumping journey!!! While my nursing end date is still TBD, I am so happy to finally be on the other side of this journey. Shout out to all the academic mamas out there doing this part time job on top of a full time one 💪!

A colorful infographic titled “Yara’s Pumping Recap” displays breast milk pumping statistics. In bold navy text, it shows “14,016 ounces pumped.” Below that, “52,074 minutes of pumping” is written in teal, and “949 pumping sessions” appears in red. A line graph labeled “Monthly Breast Milk Pumping Volume (oz)” shows a rising trend from May 2024 to a peak in August and September, followed by a gradual decline through May 2025. The background includes playful, abstract patterns in blue, orange, and teal with a faux paper and tape design element.

1 1

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · May 1

Business idea: a website that automatically aggregates manuscript reviews across all journals into an overarching “to do” list. As soon as you press “accept,” the review gets populated in your list. Does this already exist?! I manually track with a spreadsheet but would be nice to automate!

1

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Apr 29

That is a great idea! I should challenge my need for symmetry…

2

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Apr 28

Omg I just posted about this issue the other day- I’m so glad I’m not the only one! Now that I have an almost one year old, I learned my lesson and just purchased over 30 pairs of the same white socks sized 12-24 months. Need to break the cycle 🤣

1 1

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Apr 19

“Moderate or higher levels of anxiety and depression were reported by 79.3% and 84.5%, respectively […] symptomatic PTSD was 67.8% when defined as meeting the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD and having a PCL-5 score ≥ 23, and 88.2% based on the latter criterion alone.”

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

The Psychological Toll of War and Forced Displacement in Gaza: A Study on Anxiety, PTSD, and Depression - Belal Aldabbour, Mariam El-Jamal, Amal Abuabada, Aseel Al-Dardasawi, Eman Abusedo, Huda Abu Da...

Background Armed conflicts severely impact survivors psychologically, with effects tied to the trauma's intensity and widespread displacement. From October...

journals.sagepub.com

2 2

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Apr 14

My number one piece of parenting advice? Choose just one type + color of socks and buy 25+ pairs. These poor things will likely never find their sole mates!

Just a whole bunch of single socks on the floor

1 5

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Mar 25

😂

Julia M. Rohrer @dingdingpeng.the100.ci · Mar 25

I asked DeepSeek to develop a scale to measure addiction to addiction scale development and of course it delivered.

1

Julia M. Rohrer @dingdingpeng.the100.ci · Mar 25

I asked DeepSeek to develop a scale to measure addiction to addiction scale development and of course it delivered.

18 47 170

Dr Slaughter-Acey @drslaughter99.bsky.social · Mar 22

🧵Yesterday, I received notice that my #NIH grant, on the social environment, lifecourse, epigenetics & #birthoutcomes in Black families, was terminated. This grant represented a critical effort to address the ⬆️ rates of maternal & infant mortality in the US, particularly among Black mothers & babies

54 430 780

WIRED @wired.com · Mar 18

They're called public records for a reason. Starting today, WIRED will *stop paywalling* articles that are primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, becoming the first publication to partner with @freedom.press to offer this for our new coverage.

Wired is dropping paywalls for FOIA-based reporting. Others should follow

As the administration does its best to hide public records from the public, Wired magazine is stepping up to help stem the secrecy

freedom.press

1.6K 24K 92K

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Mar 15

Truly heartbreaking.

Rachael Sirianni, PhD @docsirianni.bsky.social · Mar 15

This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH

Rachael Sirianni, PhD @docsirianni.bsky.social · Mar 15

This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH

730 11K 27K

Claire Cusack @claireecusack.bsky.social · Mar 10

Today I stood up for science by calling the Kentucky legislative line and asking the Senate Education Committee to oppose HB 4 (anti-DEI) and HB 424 (anti-tenure). They’re meeting TODAY at 3 pm. Call, call, call! #StandUpForScience

1 6

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Mar 10

So excited for my fave conference!

APA Division 45 @apadivision45.bsky.social · Mar 1

It's March 1st which means proposals for the 8th Biennial APA Division 45 Research Conference are due in THREE weeks on March 22! We can't wait to read your proposals. Submit them here: www.cvent.com/c/abstracts/...

8th Biennial APA Division 45 Research Conference Submission Portal

www.cvent.com

Yara Mekawi, PhD @yaramekawi.bsky.social · Mar 4

Proud to see fellow psychologist @eruss.bsky.social speaking up against anti DEI legislation! Sorry that the majority of the legislators seemed to completely tune out the valid concerns brought up by members of the KY community…

1

APA Division 45 @apadivision45.bsky.social · Mar 1

It's March 1st which means proposals for the 8th Biennial APA Division 45 Research Conference are due in THREE weeks on March 22! We can't wait to read your proposals. Submit them here: www.cvent.com/c/abstracts/...

8th Biennial APA Division 45 Research Conference Submission Portal

www.cvent.com

1