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Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

@hpolymenis.bsky.social

870 followers 620 following 560 posts

Professor, microbiologist, veterinarian, teacher, daughter, wife, mother, fighter for social justice, 6 1/2 year pancreatic cancer thriver, and patient advocate.

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Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis @hpolymenis.bsky.social · Dec 3

By the casual comments of the admins nominees for top science posts- this is going to be super bad for US health, science and science infrastructure. I don’t see universities with plans in hand. It’s patently wrong to play the wait and see game here. They already told you they want to burn it down.

a baby yoda holding a blue wallet with the words plan you must written above it

ALT: a baby yoda holding a blue wallet with the words plan you must written above it

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social · 8h

Many thanks @mehdirhasan.bsky.social for hosting us on @zeteo.com re: our new book #ScienceUnderSiege @michaelemann.bsky.social @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social @publicaffairs1796.bsky.social

zeteo.com/p/science-un...

‘Science Under Siege’: Two Experts Sound the Alarm on Trump’s War on Science

Acclaimed scientists Michael E. Mann and Peter Hotez on how the MAGA antiscience movement threatens the entire planet, from the climate to pandemics, and how we fight back.

zeteo.com

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Drug Monkey @drugmonkey.bsky.social · 8h

Christ.

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 11h

RIF notices also sent to the CDC’s 2023 and 2024 class of civilian EIS officers known as its main disease detectives, per sources. These are the people who are typically the first responders in an outbreak. 4/4

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 21h

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

NPR @npr.org · 12h

Pope Leo XIV weighed in on U.S. politics, saying that Catholic politicians must be judged on the full range of their policy positions and suggesting that the country's immigration policy is "inhuman."

Pope Leo XIV says 'inhuman treatment of immigrants' in the U.S. isn't 'pro-life'

n.pr

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Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis @hpolymenis.bsky.social · 8h

For those following along at home, immunotherapy and a lot of radiation are kicking my ass this past week. NOT fun. I know it’s going to get easier if I can just wait out the side effects. Send pet pictures please!

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 4d

I wrote a thing about how this split the MMR up into monovalents is bullshit that Andrew Wakefield cooked up. It will be used to strip access to the MMR.

The MAHA movement continues to destroy public health.

open.substack.com/pub/rasmusse...

The Monovalent Mirage

A pretend alternative to the MMR exists, just ask Andrew Wakefield

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Fumiko Ladd Chino, MD FASCO @fumikochino.bsky.social · 4d

#Priorauthorization #UtilizationManagement for costly 2nd-line 💊 is understandable but nearly one-half of plans have quantity limits for generic ondansetron, a cheap ($16 for 60 8mg tabs) & effective 1st-line drug

Make this make sense.

#fixPriorAuth
@michaelannica.bsky.social
@jamanetworkopen.com

Prior Authorization, Quantity Limits, and Step Therapy for Antiemetics

This cross-sectional study evaluates whether antiemetic drugs for patients with cancer who have Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace or Medicaid plans are subject to utilizatio...

jamanetwork.com

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Let's Win Pancreatic Cancer @letswinpc.org · 4d

Social worker Lauren Shaffer provides tips and insights into managing scanxiety, the worry that accompanies follow-up scans and tests for cancer patients. https://bit.ly/3FTbV0J

Scanxiety—A Nearly Universal Experience Among Cancer Patients

Social worker Lauren Shaffer provides tips and insights into managing scanxiety about follow-up scans and tests for patients.

bit.ly

Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 5d

Vaccine disinformation/misinformation is as damaging as banning vaccines because it accomplishes the same thing i.e. fewer people get vaccinated as a result.
RFK. Jr's agenda doesn't need to explicitly take vaccines off shelves to meet its goals pseudoscience and misinformation are doing the job.

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 5d

PubMed Update (no pun intended)

Publications with Pub Date

8/1//24 62209
9/1/24 64765
10/1/24 68211

8/1/25 61610
9/1/25 63719

10/1/25 35936 (as of 10/2/25)
10/1/25 38673 (as of 10/6/25, 8:00 AM)

It appears that ~40% of the expected number of publications are missing for 10/1/25

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a man in a black vest says no bueno in front of mountains

ALT: a man in a black vest says no bueno in front of mountains

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 6d

Fun fact: Peyton Rous discovered the first cancer-causing virus in 1911– but didn’t receive the Nobel Prize until 1966, when he was 87 years old. It can be to be tough to be ahead of your time.

Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation @laskerfdn.bsky.social · 6d

#LaskerLaureate Peyton Rous born #OTD in 1879. He was recognized for his work on the causes of cancers, the source of antibodies, and the mechanism of blood cell generation and destruction. 🧪 ow.ly/zp3b50KH2pY

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 7d

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 8d

Great article by a polio survivor. Salk declined to patent the polio vaccine, saying “it belongs to the people.”

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 8d

"Physician-scientists are the artisans working through the night, arguing, racing, debating seemingly crazy ideas, all the while taking on complex questions to find a cure to benefit all of humankind. Vaccines are manmade miracles among us." www.thebulwark.com/p/polio-vacc...

The Polio Vaccine Was a Miracle—and We Must Not Forget It

As a polio survivor, I am a dinosaur today. My great hope is that our country’s living memory of the disease ends with my generation.

www.thebulwark.com

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Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis @hpolymenis.bsky.social · 9d

First evening since my first immunotherapy tx (7 days in) and I’m learning to manage the fever. Tylenol and Advil in my car, in my office and in my nightstand. 😂

a man in a yellow suit is making a chemical experiment and the caption says better living through chemistry

ALT: a man in a yellow suit is making a chemical experiment and the caption says better living through chemistry

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Eric Feigl-Ding @drericding.bsky.social · 9d

Shutdown fight—to save the average American family $13k in Obamacare health insurance subsidies. GOP want to dissolve this and then allow rates to rise to any amount.

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 11d

Very concerned about this...

"A shutdown will allow a 'backdoor impoundment'. OMB could gut the government’s capacity to administer programs it opposes. The administration could kill programs unilaterally without the inconvenience of Congress-- all perfectly legal."

www.govexec.com/management/2...

www.govexec.com

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Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis @hpolymenis.bsky.social · 11d

Radiation to eye day 10 today! Last treatment- then we have sbrt to my pelvis and continuing immunotherapy. So far worst side effect is fever and it’s not so bad. Btw our fundraiser for #letswinpc! Had raised $4600!!! You can still donate to help us reach 5k! letswinpc.kindful.com

Let's Win Pancreatic Cancer | Kindful

letswinpc.kindful.com

Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Benoit Bruneau @benoitbruneau.bsky.social · 12d

thank you to all the NIH staff who stand by their duty and put in heroic efforts to get it done. I'll never forget it and will be eternally grateful.

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 12d

The fiscal year ends tomorrow.

Here are results from NIH Reporter downloaded an hour ago.

The total amount of funding committed for FY2025 at this point is 99.0% of that for FY2024. The same difference could be due to a variety of technical factors.

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$A graph showing the fraction of annual grant funding committed for NIH for fiscal years 2015 to 2025. The fiscal year 2025 lagged behind but then caught up over the last two months.$

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 13d

Today is the 97th anniversary of penicillin's discovery!

Many know the story of Fleming's serendipitous find. But fewer know that the antibiotic-producing mold drifted in from a nearby lab where it was being studied during an unusually cool period that allowed it to grow.
apnews.com/today-in-his...

Today in History: September 28, Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1924: First round-the-world flight 2020: Global COVID death toll reaches 1 million 2022: Hurricane Ian strikes Florida

apnews.com

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social · 13d

Tuesday Sept 30 in Baltimore MD

publichealth.jhu.edu/events/2025/...

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Brendel @brendelbored.bsky.social · 14d

It is really funny that Jimmy Kimmel Live showed more moral fortitude and adherence to a system of values than Columbia University

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Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis @hpolymenis.bsky.social · 15d

Immunotherapy started yesterday… so far only side effect is a low grade fever.

Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · 15d

In reporting this piece on the new trial for a Huntington's treatment, I was struck by one thing in particular:

The joy.

One of my sources wept for joy. He has spent his entire career studying this disease, he said it was the happiest day. www.sciencenews.org/article/hunt...

Huntington's progression slowed by experimental gene therapy

An experimental gene therapy slowed Huntington’s by up to 75 percent in a small clinical trial. While not a cure, it may give patients longer lives.

www.sciencenews.org

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 15d

Great article.

"We’ve come too far to go back to a time when autism was stigmatized and defined solely in terms of deficits; when mothers were made to feel guilty; when people whose well-being was at stake were excluded from shaping narratives and policies that alter their lives and happiness."

J. Offir, PhD @joffirphd.bsky.social · 15d

Gift 🎁 link. A great piece by a dad & cultural anthropologist who teaches about mental health.

Two excerpts:

🔹️"The administration’s project is built on the premise that an autism diagnosis is a terrible tragedy and that scientists and doctors have failed to...

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/o...

Opinion | Autism Has Always Existed. We Haven’t Always Called It Autism.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Dr.Dr. Helene Andrews-Polymenis

Ferric Fang, MD @fangferric.bsky.social · 15d

Lifestyles of the small and circular.

Researchers at the UK's Sanger Institute reveal how plasmid microevolution and recombination have allowed antibiotic resistance genes to rapidly disseminate on mobile DNA elements.

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Pre- and postantibiotic epoch: The historical spread of antimicrobial resistance

Plasmids are now the primary vectors of antimicrobial resistance, but our understanding of how human industrialisation of antibiotics influenced their evolution is limited by a paucity of data predati...

www.science.org

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