John Higgins
@jhigginswriter.bsky.social
Science writer, Fred Hutch News, covering the Basic Sciences and Human Biology research divisions of Fred Hutch Cancer Center @fredhutch.bsky.social. Frmr @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social, Akron Beacon Journal, soljourno.bsky.social, @ksjatmit.bsky.social.
"Who knows what secrets the banded panther worm, African spiny mouse, axolotl, or organisms yet to be found contain?"
Sharing this important article... for no reason whatsoever.
"We must also continue to deepen and refine our understanding of fundamental biological processes because these details frequently hold the keys to major advances in applied research."
elifesciences.org/articles/102...
"We must also continue to deepen and refine our understanding of fundamental biological processes because these details frequently hold the keys to major advances in applied research."
elifesciences.org/articles/102...
November 23, 2025 at 4:44 PM
"Who knows what secrets the banded panther worm, African spiny mouse, axolotl, or organisms yet to be found contain?"
Reposted by John Higgins
Viral immunologist @pgtimmune.bsky.social, who recently joined Fred Hutch's Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, aims to harness the "incredible potential" of the immune system to advance diagnostics, vaccines and cancer therapies. bit.ly/3WJVpos
Viral immunologist taps ‘incredible potential’ of immune system
New Fred Hutch Cancer Center viral immunologist Dr. Paul Thomas is working to turn the "incredible potential" of the immune system into real-life diagnostic and therapeutic applications. He studies ho...
bit.ly
November 7, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Viral immunologist @pgtimmune.bsky.social, who recently joined Fred Hutch's Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, aims to harness the "incredible potential" of the immune system to advance diagnostics, vaccines and cancer therapies. bit.ly/3WJVpos
Reposted by John Higgins
I’m all up for a scare on Halloween like the next gal, but this is just taking the gore too far! 🎃💀
October 31, 2025 at 6:33 PM
I’m all up for a scare on Halloween like the next gal, but this is just taking the gore too far! 🎃💀
Reposted by John Higgins
Congrats to Steven Henikoff, PhD, of @basicsci.fredhutch.org on receiving the 55th Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research! @brandeisuniversity.bsky.social recognized Henikoff with this prestigious award for his innovative studies on gene expression.
Brandeis University honors Fred Hutch molecular biologist
Dr. Steven Henikoff, a molecular biologist at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, has won the prestigious Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research from Brandeis University recognizing h...
www.fredhutch.org
October 31, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Congrats to Steven Henikoff, PhD, of @basicsci.fredhutch.org on receiving the 55th Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research! @brandeisuniversity.bsky.social recognized Henikoff with this prestigious award for his innovative studies on gene expression.
Reposted by John Higgins
Dr. Steven Henikoff receives the 55th Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research.
www.brandeis.edu/rosenstiel/r...
(Personal note: I continue to be inspired and astonished by my postdoctoral mentor & current colleague)
www.brandeis.edu/rosenstiel/r...
(Personal note: I continue to be inspired and astonished by my postdoctoral mentor & current colleague)
Brandeis University honors Fred Hutch molecular biologist
Dr. Steven Henikoff, a molecular biologist at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, has won the prestigious Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research from Brandeis University recognizing h...
www.fredhutch.org
October 31, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Dr. Steven Henikoff receives the 55th Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research.
www.brandeis.edu/rosenstiel/r...
(Personal note: I continue to be inspired and astonished by my postdoctoral mentor & current colleague)
www.brandeis.edu/rosenstiel/r...
(Personal note: I continue to be inspired and astonished by my postdoctoral mentor & current colleague)
Reposted by John Higgins
@kakape.bsky.social KSJ '24, shares actionable tips for journalists seeking to reduce the harm of misinformation.
ksj.mit.edu/news/2025/10...
ksj.mit.edu/news/2025/10...
The Lies Have It: Advice for Journalists Approaching Misinformation
Kai Kupferschmidt, KSJ '24, shares actionable tips for journalists seeking to reduce the harm of misinformation.
ksj.mit.edu
October 30, 2025 at 1:29 PM
@kakape.bsky.social KSJ '24, shares actionable tips for journalists seeking to reduce the harm of misinformation.
ksj.mit.edu/news/2025/10...
ksj.mit.edu/news/2025/10...
Reposted by John Higgins
@jhigginswriter.bsky.social wrote an article about my lab and our frog 🐸 at the Hutch! Thank you!
Dr. @yarimura.bsky.social brings frogs back to Fred Hutch after a long absence to study the structure of DNA-linked molecular complexes that change during the cell cycle and malfunction in cancer and other diseases. bit.ly/3J8S5Ae
Frogs help Fred Hutch find the shape of small things
Frogs have made significant contributions to Fred Hutch science over the years as a model organism that shares much of our biology, but they've been absent from the menagerie for about two decades. Dr...
bit.ly
October 29, 2025 at 6:29 AM
@jhigginswriter.bsky.social wrote an article about my lab and our frog 🐸 at the Hutch! Thank you!
I wanted to write this story as soon as I heard we were getting frogs again. Our photographer/videographer Robert Hood really brought it to life. Purely coincidental that frogs (or at least folks dressed up as frogs) are having a moment.
Dr. @yarimura.bsky.social brings frogs back to Fred Hutch after a long absence to study the structure of DNA-linked molecular complexes that change during the cell cycle and malfunction in cancer and other diseases. bit.ly/3J8S5Ae
Frogs help Fred Hutch find the shape of small things
Frogs have made significant contributions to Fred Hutch science over the years as a model organism that shares much of our biology, but they've been absent from the menagerie for about two decades. Dr...
bit.ly
October 28, 2025 at 12:59 AM
I wanted to write this story as soon as I heard we were getting frogs again. Our photographer/videographer Robert Hood really brought it to life. Purely coincidental that frogs (or at least folks dressed up as frogs) are having a moment.
The pride of Edmonds, WA and as true a patriot as you'll ever meet.
October 16, 2025 at 1:53 AM
The pride of Edmonds, WA and as true a patriot as you'll ever meet.
Looking forward to reading about this work from one of the premiere labs figuring out how this incredible, complex machine gets built every time a cell divides (and what happens when it doesn't get built correctly.)
Excited that our latest paper is out! Congrats to Changkun Hu! This work revealed dependencies between kinetochore proteins for assembly that we didn't know about before and will be interesting to understand
⭐ NAR Breakthrough! ⭐
🔬 How do #kinetochores rebuild each #cellcycle?
A new study reveals the order of assembly, hidden interdependencies, and a new regulatory mechanism.
🧬 Read more: academic.oup.com/nar/article/... @suebiggins.bsky.social @fredhutch.org
#NARbreakthrough #ChromosomeSegregation
🔬 How do #kinetochores rebuild each #cellcycle?
A new study reveals the order of assembly, hidden interdependencies, and a new regulatory mechanism.
🧬 Read more: academic.oup.com/nar/article/... @suebiggins.bsky.social @fredhutch.org
#NARbreakthrough #ChromosomeSegregation
October 15, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Looking forward to reading about this work from one of the premiere labs figuring out how this incredible, complex machine gets built every time a cell divides (and what happens when it doesn't get built correctly.)
Big congrats to Claudia Rowe, National Book Award Finalist!
What a journey. From a Seattle courtroom to the National Book Awards! An honor I would not have dared to imagine. Thank you, literary agent superstar @stephanierostan.bsky.social.
www.nationalbook.org/2025-nationa...
www.nationalbook.org/2025-nationa...
2025 National Book Awards Finalists Announced
Twenty-five Finalists to contend for National Book Awards in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature
www.nationalbook.org
October 7, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Big congrats to Claudia Rowe, National Book Award Finalist!
Reposted by John Higgins
Millions of Americans--especially those who work for or own small businesses, live in rural areas, or retired early--will be forced to make tough choices if enhanced subsidies for ACA plans expire. The health of the nation will suffer for it. My latest @opinion.bloomberg.com (gift link):
This Shutdown Fight Has Life-or-Death Consequences
At the heart of the fight over the government shutdown is the fate of health insurance for millions of Americans who may soon face an impossible choice: accept a significant increase in their premiums...
www.bloomberg.com
October 1, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Millions of Americans--especially those who work for or own small businesses, live in rural areas, or retired early--will be forced to make tough choices if enhanced subsidies for ACA plans expire. The health of the nation will suffer for it. My latest @opinion.bloomberg.com (gift link):
Reposted by John Higgins
Looking for your next step in fly genetics? The Rajan Lab at Fred Hutch is hiring a staff scientist + postdoc for projects on fat–brain signals, immunity, and brain aging. Stable, long-term role in a collaborative lab. Apply: careers-fhcrc.icims.com/jobs/30062/j...
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Fred Hutch is dedicated to the elimination of cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death.
careers-fhcrc.icims.com
September 16, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Looking for your next step in fly genetics? The Rajan Lab at Fred Hutch is hiring a staff scientist + postdoc for projects on fat–brain signals, immunity, and brain aging. Stable, long-term role in a collaborative lab. Apply: careers-fhcrc.icims.com/jobs/30062/j...
"This effort to amp up your political side in times of extreme emotion, to not just condemn the individual act but to slander all your political opposition at once, is the kind of thing you see in societies in open civil warfare."
this piece is really important and sharp, in my opinion. historically grounded in a way most analysis is not, and sober about the stakes. captures my feeling almost perfectly, particularly the attached two paragraphs. it is going to be very difficult to arrest this cycle
September 11, 2025 at 3:04 PM
"This effort to amp up your political side in times of extreme emotion, to not just condemn the individual act but to slander all your political opposition at once, is the kind of thing you see in societies in open civil warfare."
Such an important point. Writing as diagnostic. Where it's muddled, where the tension is slack,the rhythm off, there lies the thing that is difficult to think or feel...the real gold that doesn't glitter until you put the words down.
Confused writing is usually a symptom of confused thinking. As we struggle to clarify writing, we clarify our thoughts. AI writing aids rob us of that struggle, leaving clean-looking text and thoughts still confused for lack of inspection. Writing is not just a product; it is a diagnostic tool.
September 6, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Such an important point. Writing as diagnostic. Where it's muddled, where the tension is slack,the rhythm off, there lies the thing that is difficult to think or feel...the real gold that doesn't glitter until you put the words down.
Such a privilege and joy to tell some of the incredible story that is this place and these people, always striving to do hard things.
In just 50 years, Fred Hutch evolved from a regional cancer center into a global leader in biomedical research and clinical care, renowned for its work in molecular biology, tumor virology, infectious diseases and large-scale clinical studies. Read more: www.fredhutch.org/content/www/...
50 years of doing hard things
In just 50 years, Fred Hutch grew from a regional cancer center into a world-class biomedical research and clinical care institution known for its expertise in molecular biology, tumor virology and in...
www.fredhutch.org
September 5, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Such a privilege and joy to tell some of the incredible story that is this place and these people, always striving to do hard things.
This all day and twice on election day.
Just your daily reminder that Trump voters don't deserve measles or cancer or to lose their health insurance. We all deserve a government that protects and promotes our health. Shaming and blaming, pushes people away, pushes away the people we most need to reach.
A kind reminder that a "politics of you deserved this" (cancer, vaccine-preventable disease, natural disaster, etc) has no place in public health. We can hold bad actors to account without punching down on the groups most harmed by their actions and/or resorting to shame, blame, and stigma.
September 3, 2025 at 3:36 PM
This all day and twice on election day.
Reposted by John Higgins
We're glad to see this new, free resource, which curates some of @theopennotebook.bsky.social's instructive essays, features, and interviews on science journalism craft into a "101" curriculum that anyone can use — from university professors to independent journalists.
Science journalists often learn the tricks of the trade by trial and error. But we firmly believe the basics of covering science, and covering it well, can also be taught. So, we’ve rounded up years of insights from The Open Notebook into an easy-to-reference sample course syllabus. And it’s free! 🧪
Presenting Our First Sample Course Syllabus: Introduction to Science Writing - The Open Notebook
We're excited to announce a new resource for journalism teachers, students, and professionals. Whether you’re officially enrolled or a student at heart, this free resource rounds up years of insights ...
www.theopennotebook.com
September 3, 2025 at 2:44 PM
We're glad to see this new, free resource, which curates some of @theopennotebook.bsky.social's instructive essays, features, and interviews on science journalism craft into a "101" curriculum that anyone can use — from university professors to independent journalists.
Reposted by John Higgins
This is worth sharing far and wide. Federal Employees and contractors oral history project. Im not involved in this. Just got the link, idea seems to be to create a record of the assault on the American Repuvlic after Jan 2025. www.fecohp.org
FECOHP – Federal Employees and Contractors Oral History Project
www.fecohp.org
August 31, 2025 at 6:14 PM
This is worth sharing far and wide. Federal Employees and contractors oral history project. Im not involved in this. Just got the link, idea seems to be to create a record of the assault on the American Repuvlic after Jan 2025. www.fecohp.org
Moment of bliss from the Pando aspen grove near Fish Lake, Utah, The detour from I-70 was soooo worth it.
August 20, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Moment of bliss from the Pando aspen grove near Fish Lake, Utah, The detour from I-70 was soooo worth it.
Reposted by John Higgins
The @rwjf.org Rapid Response Research funding is available to applicants who have received federal funding for their health equity research, but have had it partially or fully rescinded due to federal administrative actions. Deadline is 10/1/25. Details in the link:
www.rwjf.org/en/grants/ac...
www.rwjf.org/en/grants/ac...
Rapid Response: Reinvesting in Racial and Indigenous Health Equity Research
The purpose of this call for proposals is to meet the current moment by supporting timely, actionable health equity research that has been interrupted by shifts in federal funding.
www.rwjf.org
August 20, 2025 at 3:02 PM
The @rwjf.org Rapid Response Research funding is available to applicants who have received federal funding for their health equity research, but have had it partially or fully rescinded due to federal administrative actions. Deadline is 10/1/25. Details in the link:
www.rwjf.org/en/grants/ac...
www.rwjf.org/en/grants/ac...
This is such cool work. In a story for Hutch News last year, I likened the RBD up/down motion to a submarine's periscope - up for cell attack, down for stealthy escape from antibodies. www.fredhutch.org/content/www/...
August 20, 2025 at 2:05 PM
This is such cool work. In a story for Hutch News last year, I likened the RBD up/down motion to a submarine's periscope - up for cell attack, down for stealthy escape from antibodies. www.fredhutch.org/content/www/...
This is the site of an American concentration camp. The National Park Service has done a terrific job here, sharing the stories of survivors of WW2 incarceration. Extremely relevant for our troubled times.
August 17, 2025 at 5:25 PM
This is the site of an American concentration camp. The National Park Service has done a terrific job here, sharing the stories of survivors of WW2 incarceration. Extremely relevant for our troubled times.
So true. Thanks, Katie and all the other smart, creative and talented folks I follow on this still decent platform.
"PhD-level experts in your back pocket" is a completely nonsensical description of AI but a pretty good description of social media if you follow the right people
August 10, 2025 at 2:00 AM
So true. Thanks, Katie and all the other smart, creative and talented folks I follow on this still decent platform.
Not quite a miracle. Difficult, diligent, damn hard work but as close to a miracle as anything we've seen this century...or will again in this country if this attack on reason stands.
We’ve discovered a literal miracle with almost unlimited potential and it’s being scrapped for *no reason whatsoever*. This isn’t even nihilism, it’s outright worship of death and human suffering.
"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the beginning of a coordinated wind-down of its mRNA vaccine development activities...."
cc: Sen. Bill Cassidy
cc: Sen. Bill Cassidy
August 5, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Not quite a miracle. Difficult, diligent, damn hard work but as close to a miracle as anything we've seen this century...or will again in this country if this attack on reason stands.