April Houston
@aprilehouston.bsky.social
Science/health communicator, traveler, feminist, and human rights advocate. Let's talk gender equality, #globalhealth, implementation science. Or dogs. She/her.
Reposted by April Houston
Elon Musk is getting a $1 TRILLION pay package from Tesla.
If he worked 40 hr/week, he'd be making $50 million PER HOUR.
That is a truly unfathomable amount of money -- it could end hunger, fund life-changing research, & save countless lives.
Instead, it's going to Elon Musk.
If he worked 40 hr/week, he'd be making $50 million PER HOUR.
That is a truly unfathomable amount of money -- it could end hunger, fund life-changing research, & save countless lives.
Instead, it's going to Elon Musk.
November 7, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Elon Musk is getting a $1 TRILLION pay package from Tesla.
If he worked 40 hr/week, he'd be making $50 million PER HOUR.
That is a truly unfathomable amount of money -- it could end hunger, fund life-changing research, & save countless lives.
Instead, it's going to Elon Musk.
If he worked 40 hr/week, he'd be making $50 million PER HOUR.
That is a truly unfathomable amount of money -- it could end hunger, fund life-changing research, & save countless lives.
Instead, it's going to Elon Musk.
Reposted by April Houston
Come cross the finish line with us this morning in our quest to save AIDS research. We have some terrific speakers to end our marathon! Go to saveaidsresearch.org or join the livestream now on You Tube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3wx....
September 17, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Come cross the finish line with us this morning in our quest to save AIDS research. We have some terrific speakers to end our marathon! Go to saveaidsresearch.org or join the livestream now on You Tube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3wx....
Reposted by April Houston
24 Hours to Save AIDS Research is happening! Tune in NOW to learn why we should all care about HIV research with Greg Millett, Moses Supercharger, and Shashika Bandara. bit.ly/45Qftts #saveAIDSresearch #HIV #HIVresearch
September 16, 2025 at 3:11 PM
24 Hours to Save AIDS Research is happening! Tune in NOW to learn why we should all care about HIV research with Greg Millett, Moses Supercharger, and Shashika Bandara. bit.ly/45Qftts #saveAIDSresearch #HIV #HIVresearch
TODAY TODAY TODAY!
Stay up all day and all night with us (or, you know, drop by for a few minutes) as researchers and advocates talk about recent developments in HIV research and what we stand to lose. We won't stop fighting to #SaveAIDSResearch!
@saveaidsresearch.bsky.social
Stay up all day and all night with us (or, you know, drop by for a few minutes) as researchers and advocates talk about recent developments in HIV research and what we stand to lose. We won't stop fighting to #SaveAIDSResearch!
@saveaidsresearch.bsky.social
September 16, 2025 at 12:06 PM
TODAY TODAY TODAY!
Stay up all day and all night with us (or, you know, drop by for a few minutes) as researchers and advocates talk about recent developments in HIV research and what we stand to lose. We won't stop fighting to #SaveAIDSResearch!
@saveaidsresearch.bsky.social
Stay up all day and all night with us (or, you know, drop by for a few minutes) as researchers and advocates talk about recent developments in HIV research and what we stand to lose. We won't stop fighting to #SaveAIDSResearch!
@saveaidsresearch.bsky.social
ALMOST GO TIME!! A lot of folks have spent a lot of time pulling together a killer lineup for this and we really want a good crowd to be there to appreciate it! Join us on YouTube from 11am Sept 16-11am Sept 17 to join the fight to #saveAIDSresearch.
Join us for 24 Hours to Save AIDS Research in TWO days to hear from Annette Sohn, Trevor Hoppe, Larry Corey, Kara Chew, and many more! Register bit.ly/45U1keO. #HIV #saveAIDSresearch #HIVresearch
September 15, 2025 at 1:30 AM
ALMOST GO TIME!! A lot of folks have spent a lot of time pulling together a killer lineup for this and we really want a good crowd to be there to appreciate it! Join us on YouTube from 11am Sept 16-11am Sept 17 to join the fight to #saveAIDSresearch.
Reposted by April Houston
Donald Trump thinks he has found a diabolical loophole through which he can rescind billions in foreign aid without congressional approval, and the chief justice gave us an ominous signal that the Supreme Court will agree. slate.com/news-and-pol...
Trump Thinks He’s Found a Way Around a Clear Constitutional Limit. SCOTUS Seems to Agree.
This showdown at SCOTUS marks the administration’s latest effort to seize authority it does not have.
slate.com
September 10, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Donald Trump thinks he has found a diabolical loophole through which he can rescind billions in foreign aid without congressional approval, and the chief justice gave us an ominous signal that the Supreme Court will agree. slate.com/news-and-pol...
Share your story! The @saveaidsresearch.bsky.social team is collecting video testimonials from researchers, advocates, patients, and community members about why #HIV research is crucial. Submit yours ASAP so we can use them in the livestream on Sept. 16-17! saveaidsresearch.org/share-your-s...
Share Your Story | 24 Hours to Save AIDS Research
saveaidsresearch.org
September 8, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Share your story! The @saveaidsresearch.bsky.social team is collecting video testimonials from researchers, advocates, patients, and community members about why #HIV research is crucial. Submit yours ASAP so we can use them in the livestream on Sept. 16-17! saveaidsresearch.org/share-your-s...
Reposted by April Houston
"We are gravely concerned that American people will needlessly suffer and die as a result of policies that turn away from sound interventions. After careful consideration, we insist on Kennedy’s resignation to restore the integrity, credibility and science-driven mission of HHS and all its agencies"
Joint statement calling for Secretary Kennedy resignation
www.idsociety.org
September 4, 2025 at 12:35 PM
"We are gravely concerned that American people will needlessly suffer and die as a result of policies that turn away from sound interventions. After careful consideration, we insist on Kennedy’s resignation to restore the integrity, credibility and science-driven mission of HHS and all its agencies"
Reposted by April Houston
Announcing 24 Hours to Save AIDS Research! Join us September 16 starting at 11am ET as we come together in community, share insights, answer questions, and inspire action! Register bit.ly/45U1keO and join us on YouTube bit.ly/45Qftts #saveAIDSresearch
August 29, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Announcing 24 Hours to Save AIDS Research! Join us September 16 starting at 11am ET as we come together in community, share insights, answer questions, and inspire action! Register bit.ly/45U1keO and join us on YouTube bit.ly/45Qftts #saveAIDSresearch
Reposted by April Houston
A1 above the fold in the @nytimes.com. The message is getting through. Keep pushing everyone. We can save the #CDC, save the #NIH from the clutches of #RussellVought #StephenMiller and #DonaldTrump. Keep the pressure up on your members of Congress and the media (letters to editors, op-eds).
September 2, 2025 at 12:07 PM
A1 above the fold in the @nytimes.com. The message is getting through. Keep pushing everyone. We can save the #CDC, save the #NIH from the clutches of #RussellVought #StephenMiller and #DonaldTrump. Keep the pressure up on your members of Congress and the media (letters to editors, op-eds).
Reposted by April Houston
#NIH is hanging by a thread. The #CDC has been decimated. #RFK Jr. and Russell #Vought are psychopaths--I don't say this frivolously--they are cold, calculating, inflicting violence on millions through public policy. It is where we are right now. These men are not normal. 1/
August 28, 2025 at 9:55 AM
"The AIDS epidemic taught us that until we are personally touched by the truth, we’re not likely to care; and until we care, we’ll stand by, hands in pockets, looking the other way." time.com/7310516/aids...
The AIDS Crisis Offers a Warning About Trump's Research Cuts
Trump's “policies are a reflection of a broader belief that some lives are more valuable than others,” writes Fisher.
time.com
August 20, 2025 at 2:42 PM
"The AIDS epidemic taught us that until we are personally touched by the truth, we’re not likely to care; and until we care, we’ll stand by, hands in pockets, looking the other way." time.com/7310516/aids...
Reposted by April Houston
A must-read, must-share piece - clearly deconstructing the shoddy science of the Geiers (who are inexplicably in charge of studies at HHS).
Consider this an early warning for what lies ahead. 🛟🩺🧪
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Consider this an early warning for what lies ahead. 🛟🩺🧪
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | The Playbook Used to ‘Prove’ Vaccines Cause Autism (Gift Article)
Data can easily be manipulated to show a causation that doesn’t exist.
www.nytimes.com
August 19, 2025 at 12:40 PM
A must-read, must-share piece - clearly deconstructing the shoddy science of the Geiers (who are inexplicably in charge of studies at HHS).
Consider this an early warning for what lies ahead. 🛟🩺🧪
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Consider this an early warning for what lies ahead. 🛟🩺🧪
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by April Houston
⁉️How can someone build a solid professional network within the HIV research community? ⁉️
Share your advice - help out your colleagues! ⚡️
Comment your answer, or email us: admin at midwestdcfar.org.
Share your advice - help out your colleagues! ⚡️
Comment your answer, or email us: admin at midwestdcfar.org.
August 14, 2025 at 1:57 PM
⁉️How can someone build a solid professional network within the HIV research community? ⁉️
Share your advice - help out your colleagues! ⚡️
Comment your answer, or email us: admin at midwestdcfar.org.
Share your advice - help out your colleagues! ⚡️
Comment your answer, or email us: admin at midwestdcfar.org.
Reposted by April Houston
On Friday, my phone lit up with urgent texts. First: gunshots, lockdown. Then the photos—bullet holes punched through windows, shell casings scattered across the floor, videos echoing with “pop pop pop.” The CDC campus was under attack. Dozens of my friends and colleagues were inside.
August 11, 2025 at 3:17 PM
On Friday, my phone lit up with urgent texts. First: gunshots, lockdown. Then the photos—bullet holes punched through windows, shell casings scattered across the floor, videos echoing with “pop pop pop.” The CDC campus was under attack. Dozens of my friends and colleagues were inside.
Reposted by April Houston
The Supreme Court is reviewing a vitally important NIH case on its shadow docket.
It is likely that the Court will back Trump, and say his (illegal) grant terminations are ok.
We must speak up now.
1/
It is likely that the Court will back Trump, and say his (illegal) grant terminations are ok.
We must speak up now.
1/
Tell the Supreme Court: No Stay. Hands off NIH
The Supreme Court is poised to allow Trump to illegally terminate NIH grants. Let's speak out. There is not much time.
scienceandfreedomalliance.substack.com
August 7, 2025 at 8:25 PM
The Supreme Court is reviewing a vitally important NIH case on its shadow docket.
It is likely that the Court will back Trump, and say his (illegal) grant terminations are ok.
We must speak up now.
1/
It is likely that the Court will back Trump, and say his (illegal) grant terminations are ok.
We must speak up now.
1/
Reposted by April Houston
Too often, science is presented as if it offers one clear answer. But evidence rarely speaks in absolutes.
In my latest piece, I explore how we can communicate science more effectively by being honest, humble, and respectful of complexity.
Trust in science depends on it: wapo.st/4orhd4Y
In my latest piece, I explore how we can communicate science more effectively by being honest, humble, and respectful of complexity.
Trust in science depends on it: wapo.st/4orhd4Y
Opinion | This phrase was meant to increase trust in science. It backfired.
Here’s where “follow the science” went wrong.
wapo.st
August 5, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Too often, science is presented as if it offers one clear answer. But evidence rarely speaks in absolutes.
In my latest piece, I explore how we can communicate science more effectively by being honest, humble, and respectful of complexity.
Trust in science depends on it: wapo.st/4orhd4Y
In my latest piece, I explore how we can communicate science more effectively by being honest, humble, and respectful of complexity.
Trust in science depends on it: wapo.st/4orhd4Y
Reposted by April Houston
I saw this ad in today’s NYT and had to share it. The U.S. is spending more to destroy taxpayer-funded contraceptives than it would to deliver them. The result? More unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and preventable deaths. This is cruelty, not savings.
August 4, 2025 at 5:35 AM
I saw this ad in today’s NYT and had to share it. The U.S. is spending more to destroy taxpayer-funded contraceptives than it would to deliver them. The result? More unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and preventable deaths. This is cruelty, not savings.
Reposted by April Houston
This is really good!
Why is pronatalism dumb? Great explanation of some of its more egregious demographic errors here! From @lesja.bsky.social and @karenguzzo.bsky.social theconversation.com/fears-that-f...
Fears that falling birth rates in US could lead to population collapse are based on faulty assumptions
While the changes in population structure that accompany low birth rates are real, the impact of these changes has been dramatically overstated.
theconversation.com
July 25, 2025 at 1:11 PM
This is really good!
Reposted by April Houston
"Institutional science writers are in a unique position to characterize and respond to policies that threaten the public’s interest as it relates to science." must-read from @shiplives.bsky.social
and Abigail Eisenstadt. scicomm.plos.org/2025/07/21/r...
and Abigail Eisenstadt. scicomm.plos.org/2025/07/21/r...
Research Is Being Undermined — What Does That Mean for Science Writers at Research Institutions? - PLOS SciComm
By Abigail Eisenstadt and Matt Shipman The Trump administration has made policy changes and funding decisions that have wide-reaching ramifications for scientific…
scicomm.plos.org
July 21, 2025 at 8:31 PM
"Institutional science writers are in a unique position to characterize and respond to policies that threaten the public’s interest as it relates to science." must-read from @shiplives.bsky.social
and Abigail Eisenstadt. scicomm.plos.org/2025/07/21/r...
and Abigail Eisenstadt. scicomm.plos.org/2025/07/21/r...
Reposted by April Houston
"How is it possible to feel both unlucky&fortunate at the same time? How can suffering & compassion coexist in the same environment? This narrative of human suffering, set in 2025, is filled with tears and resilience. It is a story of women. It is our story. It could very well be your story too."
On a Tuesday in March, Rümeysa Öztürk writes, “I was thrust into a nightmare.”
For VF, the Fulbright scholar details what she witnessed in the six and a half weeks she spent inside a South Louisiana ICE detention center.
For VF, the Fulbright scholar details what she witnessed in the six and a half weeks she spent inside a South Louisiana ICE detention center.
“Even God Cannot Hear Us Here”: What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison
Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk opens up about her 45 days in a South Louisiana processing facility—and the generous and compassionate women she met.
www.vanityfair.com
July 17, 2025 at 6:44 PM
"How is it possible to feel both unlucky&fortunate at the same time? How can suffering & compassion coexist in the same environment? This narrative of human suffering, set in 2025, is filled with tears and resilience. It is a story of women. It is our story. It could very well be your story too."
Reposted by April Houston
What a damn shame. And let's be clear: this rescissions package was merely a test. A start.
🧪 Science folks: Expect a similar bill coming soon for codifying cuts to this year's budget for NSF, NIH, etc.
🧵 Brief thread 1/3
🧪 Science folks: Expect a similar bill coming soon for codifying cuts to this year's budget for NSF, NIH, etc.
🧵 Brief thread 1/3
Breaking News: The Senate approved a White House request to cancel $9 billion for foreign aid and public broadcasting. The House is expected to pass the bill.
Senate Approves Trump’s Bid to Cancel Foreign Aid and Funds for NPR and PBS Stations
The bill to claw back $9 billion in congressionally approved spending passed over the objections of Republicans who said it abdicated the legislative branch’s power of the purse.
trib.al
July 17, 2025 at 2:33 PM
What a damn shame. And let's be clear: this rescissions package was merely a test. A start.
🧪 Science folks: Expect a similar bill coming soon for codifying cuts to this year's budget for NSF, NIH, etc.
🧵 Brief thread 1/3
🧪 Science folks: Expect a similar bill coming soon for codifying cuts to this year's budget for NSF, NIH, etc.
🧵 Brief thread 1/3
Reposted by April Houston
"Five months into its unprecedented dismantling of foreign-aid programs, the Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people who need it"
@hana-kiros.bsky.social, on spending $130,000 to burn food worth $800,000
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
@hana-kiros.bsky.social, on spending $130,000 to burn food worth $800,000
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
The Trump Administration Is About to Incinerate 500 Tons of Emergency Food
Federal workers warned for months that the high-energy biscuits would go to waste.
www.theatlantic.com
July 15, 2025 at 5:31 AM
"Five months into its unprecedented dismantling of foreign-aid programs, the Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people who need it"
@hana-kiros.bsky.social, on spending $130,000 to burn food worth $800,000
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
@hana-kiros.bsky.social, on spending $130,000 to burn food worth $800,000
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
Reposted by April Houston
This gap in biomedical research funding between FY24 and FY25, it's new therapies that won't see the light of day, researchers moving away from science, and the evisceration of American research universities, which were until recently the envy and a model for the world.
Update on funding curves and late non-competitive renewals.
First, funding curves for new and competitive renewals.
1/n
First, funding curves for new and competitive renewals.
1/n
July 15, 2025 at 12:37 PM
This gap in biomedical research funding between FY24 and FY25, it's new therapies that won't see the light of day, researchers moving away from science, and the evisceration of American research universities, which were until recently the envy and a model for the world.
Reposted by April Houston
Trump destroyed 60 years of American generosity—
aid that fed families, kept girls in school, saved 26 million from AIDS, and now puts 14 million lives at risk.
He wants your tax dollars for raids, cages and terrorizing our communities.
If you mean it, don’t just like it.
Repost it!
aid that fed families, kept girls in school, saved 26 million from AIDS, and now puts 14 million lives at risk.
He wants your tax dollars for raids, cages and terrorizing our communities.
If you mean it, don’t just like it.
Repost it!
July 14, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Trump destroyed 60 years of American generosity—
aid that fed families, kept girls in school, saved 26 million from AIDS, and now puts 14 million lives at risk.
He wants your tax dollars for raids, cages and terrorizing our communities.
If you mean it, don’t just like it.
Repost it!
aid that fed families, kept girls in school, saved 26 million from AIDS, and now puts 14 million lives at risk.
He wants your tax dollars for raids, cages and terrorizing our communities.
If you mean it, don’t just like it.
Repost it!