Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
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drcurlytop.bsky.social
Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
@drcurlytop.bsky.social
280 followers 720 following 32 posts
Scientist by training, creative by nature | Science & Tech Policy & Communications | Storyteller | Editor | Writer | Speaker | Dancer | Co-founder building a circular economy @Communitique | opinions mine | PhD Biochemistry & Biophysics 🏳️‍🌈 she/her/dr
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Welcome! 👋 on this page, we’re excited about
- science + comms + policy 🌎
- art + dance 🪩 🎨
- community building 👩🏻‍🤝‍👩🏼👩🏿‍🤝‍👨🏽👨🏻‍🤝‍👨🏿
- sustainability ♻️
- baking 🍰

#science #dance #scicomm #sciencepolicy #policy #community #sustainability #baking
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
🚨 A proposed policy would reclassify career civil servants as political appointees, fundamentally altering how the government, and science, works.

TAKE ACTION!

You can submit a public comment to stop this by May 23rd ⬇️

www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

What you can do & why it matters: 🧵
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
#DCClimateWeek we’re celebrating launch of our clothes swap app, Communitique, TOMORROW! (Friday!) with a competition with the best prize — local art! #SwapDC #Sustainablefashion
Sneak peak of local DC art you could win TOMORROW! Join our Communitique clothes swap competition and find us at Friday’s swap event! Tell your friends and find more details here: linktr.ee/communitique
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
We kicked off DC Climate Week with doughnuts, coffee, sustainable fashion convo, and friends!
Our #DCClimateWeek clothes swap competition is on NOW!
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
How firm is the hold of antivax beliefs?

From the parents of the 6 year old unvaccinated child who died of measles:

“Don’t do the shots,” the girl’s mother said. Measles, she added, is “not as bad as they’re making it out to be.” She noted that her four other children all recovered…
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end - which you can never afford to lose - with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they may be.” ADM James Stockdale
Eliminating or reducing refrigeration needs will allow protein-based medications like insulin, and vaccines to reach more people, bring down costs of storage, remove the potential for lost product in the event of refrigeration failure, AND bring down energy use and cost (and environmental impacts).
Can speak from personal experience that the fear of losing protein samples during power outages, even in research lab settings, is REAL 🙈 so I look forward to seeing how this tech progresses!
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
With new tariffs, shopping is about to get even more expensive. In 2022, the U.S. imported more than $79 BILLION worth of textiles and clothing, mostly from China.

Sure would be a shame if someone built a free clothes swapping app…

Is anyone doing that?? Oh wait, ITS ME! 🙂‍↔️
Our mobile clothes swapping app is coming to an App Store near you soon! 😍
SNEAK PEAK! 🤫 We’re SO EXCITED! Mobile app dropping soon! Tell your friends! And make sure you sign up in our link in bio to be the first to know! 💛🩷♻️
#slowfashion #sustainable #sustainability #fashion #startup #appdevelopment #tech #womenintech #sustainablefashion #clothesswap #community
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
Almost all of NSF’s budget is pushed out the door, put in the hands of researchers breaking scientific barriers in every sector, innovators building local economies, and educators shepherding the next generation. Nothing efficient about removing this depth of expertise from US federal service.
A small but tearful and powerful joy was found yesterday at NSF’s exit where we gathered in solidarity for those unexpectedly leaving.

To those who signed off and walked out yesterday, thank you for your science and your service. 💙🧬🌳🦋🔭🧪🧫💻🤖✊
No words to describe how difficult yesterday was at NSF. 10% of our employees gone. World-leading experts across science, technology, and education. Skilled workers dedicated to using their talents for public service. It is a devastating loss for those who remain and for the American people.
Please share with them! Hope they get to the bottom of it soon! Thoughts and prayers!
Very concerned for Google. Are they not hiring quality AI engineers? Have they been hacked? two extra descriptive words shouldn’t throw off such advanced, forward-thinking tech for a simple list that a 19year old TikTok vlogger could generate without millions of dollars invested.
Prompt: “List of most affordable cities gay friendly near nature activities”
Response: “I’m a text based AI and that is outside my capabilities”

New prompt: “list of most affordable cities near nature activities”
Response: WOW! Looks like it could handle that one!
ALL STATES rely on NSF and NIH for millions-to-billions of dollars to flow in. This money supports essential and lifesaving health initiatives, research, and interventions. Plus lays the ground for emerging technologies, scientific breakthroughs, startups and education.
www.axios.com/2025/01/29/f...
Which states get the most federal health and science funding
NSF grant reviews and NIH funding for new projects are at least temporarily paused.
www.axios.com
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
Research universities are often the largest employers in their region. They are often the primary health care providers to communities. This funding shift will not only reduce US research leadership, it will put working people out of work and reduce healthcare access.
Excellent 🧵 on this evening's NIH announcement of a dramatic reduction in indirect rates for research institutions, which amounts to a generational restructuring of the US research and development ecosystem. These cuts are effective immediately, not just for new grants but for existing ones.
6. The policy does not just affect funding going forward. All existing NIH grants will have their indirect rates cut to 15% as of today, the date of issuance.

For a large university, this creates a sudden and catastrophic shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars against already budgeted funds.
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
Here's a proposed solution
The 1st world's recycling plant in the UK, with an ambitious goal
www.nature.com/articles/d41... @nature.com feature
Reposted by Heather Masson-Forsythe, Ph.D.
I logged into SSA.gov and downloaded the history of social security and Medicare payments associated with my account, because who knows what is going to happen to government security.
The United States Social Security Administration | SSA
Official website of the U.S. Social Security Administration.
SSA.gov