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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith

@awormwelcome.bsky.social

1.5K followers 720 following 170 posts

Planarians in the Peach State. UGA. Biologist, public servant, & mom. Interests: regeneration, development, neurobio, books, printmaking, spiders, & chocolate. Opinions my own. (She/Her) Lab website: robertsgalbraithlab.org

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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Nov 9

By way of (re)introduction here, I am a newly minted associate professor at University of Georgia in the Department of Cellular Biology. My lab uses planarians to study regeneration. We work at the intersection of neuroscience, stem cell biology, developmental biology, & organismal biology. 1/5

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Reposted by Rachel Roberts-Galbraith

Alyssa Johnson @alyssajohnson.bsky.social · 14d

In our newest paper, we show that expression of a familial natural short sleep mutation in flies extends lifespan through enhanced mitochondrial physiology. First first-author paper for former graduate student Pritika Pandey! @pritika26.bsky.social
@lsuscience.bsky.social @lsu.bsky.social

A familial natural short sleep mutation in dec2 extends healthspan and lifespan in Drosophila

Biological sciences; Genetics; Neuroscience

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Rachel Roberts-Galbraith

Dr Madeleine Pownall @maddipow.bsky.social · Sep 4

So jealous that I'm not at #PRC10 (because I haven't yet figured out how to clone myself and be in two places at once) but the programme looks so brilliant. I really hope there's some discussion about how framing peer review as pedagogy may be a useful way forward too
wonkhe.com/blogs/peer-r...

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Reposted by Rachel Roberts-Galbraith

Ginger Hunter @flysci.bsky.social · Sep 2

🧪🪰We are hiring, please help us get the word out! The official ads will be up very soon & I'll link to them later.
My lab is looking to recruit/hire at all levels:
1. A technician/post-bacc researcher to start ~fall 2026
2. A postdoc to start sometime in 2026
3. At least one graduate student (RA)

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Reposted by Rachel Roberts-Galbraith

Development @dev-journal.bsky.social · Sep 1

📢Call for papers. Submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – The Extracellular Environment in Development, Regeneration and Stem Cells

Guest Editors: Alex Hughes and Rashmi Priya

📅 Deadline: 1 March 2026

journals.biologists.com/dev/pages/ex...

#DevBio

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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Aug 21

These innexins are critical for regeneration, as well as stem cell differentiation and maintenance. We conclude that abraçada cells are important contributors to stem cell function in planarians, serving as a bona fide niche. Such a fun discovery and lots to do next! 6/6

Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Aug 21

But are abraçada cells important? When preparing for her qualifying exam, Skylar came to me and showed me some EM data (from before she was born) that indicated that planarian stem cells form gap junctions with their neighbors. We found several innexins in the right place, and (drumroll)... 5/6

Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Aug 21

This neighbor, which we have called abraçada cells for the Catalan word for "hugging" (shout out to our planarian colleagues in Barcelona!), neighbors stem cells frequently in homeostasis and in regeneration, but neighbors stem cells less often upon their exit from the stem cell program. 4/6

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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Aug 21

But our main goal was to define the differentiated cells that "neighbor" planarian stem cells, in search of the elusive niche for these cells. We find that stem cells do likely have a variety of cells nearby, but that the dominant differentiated neighbor is a cathepsin+, phagocytic cell type. 3/6

Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Aug 21

One thing that Skylar found is that planarian stem cells' most common neighbor is other stem cells, an observation that raises new and interesting questions about how planarian stem cells influence each other. 2/6

Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Aug 21

Happy to highlight our recent preprint by the amazing Skylar Settles, with her undergrad student, Kathleen. Skylar started with the goal of carefully (& tediously) describing the in vivo cellular environment of planarian stem cells, unusual for their adult pluripotency. 1/6
doi.org/10.1101/2025...

A parenchymal niche regulates pluripotent stem cell function in planarians

Harnessing the extraordinary potential of stem cells requires exquisite control in vitro , in vivo , and in the context of potential therapies. Adult stem cells are commonly housed within a microenvir...

doi.org

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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Aug 11

My 9 year old has recently been asking a lot more questions about the books I'm reading. Last week, I read aloud the cursing dolphins passage of Starter Villain and now she wants to read your book. We're both going to find it quite amusing when that is the turning point of her becoming a SF fan.

Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Aug 10

Last CBIO retreat and departmental presentation (until defense) for Taylor! Bittersweet! @taylormlanier.bsky.social

Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Aug 8

☠️

Bob Kopp @bobkopp.net · Aug 8

“A legitimate PhD-level expert in anything,” they said.

“Show me a diagram of the US presidents since FDR, with their names and years in office under their photos,” I said.

A GPT-5 generated diagram of US presidents since Franklin D. “Roesevelt” to “Goorge W Bush”, “Baruck Obama” and Donald Trump. No George HW Bush (though Ronald Reagan looks a fair bit like him), LBJ, or Joe Biden.

Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Jul 28

Plus a very fast zebra swallowtail, variegated fritillary with a photobombing clearwing moth, and purple passionflower (one of my favorites). We also had a double rainbow yesterday evening!

Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Jul 28

Spicebush swallowtail for our 3rd challenging swallowtail ID of the week!

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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Jul 27

Very grounding to focus on an ID of something you think you know fairly well (but actually don’t).

Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Jul 27

Easier to ID the lighter eastern tiger swallowtail (male I think?) as well as a Monarch and Great Spangled Fritillary!

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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Jul 27

Up at the parents’ farm for Poppy/Deedee camp (M) and a pre-semester meditative/writing trip (me). Today I spent a while making sure I can tell apart pipevine swallowtails and dark female eastern tiger swallowtails.

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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Jul 24

Woohoo! Congrats and thank you for sharing some good news. Made my day! :)

Reposted by Rachel Roberts-Galbraith

Anny Chung (鍾彥儀) @yyachung.bsky.social · Jul 22

Cluster hire in ecosystem ecology at UGA! Come join us! 🌎🌱

John Wares @johnwares.bsky.social · Jul 21

FOUR TT positions in ecosystem ecology at Odum School of Ecology, 2 aquatic 2 terrestrial, over next 2 years! visit www.ugajobsearch.com/postings/439... for more info.

Assistant Professor in Ecosystem Ecology

The Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia invites applications for four tenure-track positions in Ecosystem Ecology at the Assistant Professor level. These are academic year, 9-month app...

www.ugajobsearch.com

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Reposted by Rachel Roberts-Galbraith

Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · Jul 18

"As the demographics of our Nation evolve, ensuring individuals from underrepresented communities across the country can enter and sustain a career as part of the STEM workforce is essential to securing the workforce going forward...

Paul Voosen @voosen.me · Jul 18

The Senate just posted the report language of its FY26 science appropriations bill. This text lays out what they want done and carries the force of law if it is included in the final spending bill.

It's a line-by-line refutation of Trump's proposed budget for NASA and NOAA.

www.appropriations.senate.gov

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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Jul 18

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Rachel Roberts-Galbraith @awormwelcome.bsky.social · Jul 14

Sounds super fun - GRC in Neural Dev is one of my favorites and I need to bookmark this for next year!

Siegenthaler Lab @siegenthalerlab.bsky.social · Jul 14

Bassem Hassan @bassemh.bsky.social, Corey Harwell & yours truly are co-chairs for 2026 Neural Development #GRC August 2-7, 2026 in Newport, RI 🇺🇸 - if you are interested in updates on the conference & to hear about our 🤩 line-up of speakers...follow @neuraldevgrc.bsky.social!
🧠🪰🐭🐙🐸🦎🧒🏻🧫🧪🧠

image of web page for Neural Development GRC - go to https://www.grc.org/neural-development-conference/2026/

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Reposted by Rachel Roberts-Galbraith

@LaBonneLaB @labonnelab.bsky.social · Jul 11

Dear all, PLEASE add comments on the importance of model organism research at this link:

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Reposted by Rachel Roberts-Galbraith

Mark Niesse @markniesse.bsky.social · Jul 10

One of the largest voter registration cancellations in history began Thursday with 478,000 letters mailed to Georgia voters whose registrations will be removed unless they respond within 40 days. #gapol www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Nearly 500,000 inactive Georgia voter registrations planned for cancellation

Georgia is notifying 478,000 people their inactive voter registrations could soon be canceled. It will be one of the largest mass removals in U.S. history.

www.ajc.com

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