Tamara Stawicki, PhD
@tamarastawicki.bsky.social
I study hair cells & cilia genes in zebrafish and disappear into the woods in my free time. Views are my own and do not represent those of my employer.
Pinned
It seems we're doing intros given all the people either coming over or returning here from the bad place. So here's a little about new followers. I'm a Neuroscience Faculty member at Lafayette College, a small liberal arts college in eastern PA.
First concert in forever and forgot to bring hearing protection. Hair cell researcher fail.
November 22, 2025 at 12:32 AM
First concert in forever and forgot to bring hearing protection. Hair cell researcher fail.
Reposted by Tamara Stawicki, PhD
It's PhD application season. If you are applying for a PhD in neuroscience or biomedical field or are mentoring someone who is applying, please check out our @storiesofwin.bsky.social episode with advice! www.storiesofwin.org/profiles/202...
Neuroscience PhD applications — Stories of WiN
Dr. Nancy Padilla-Coreano chats with Dr. Ben Giasson, the director of the neuroscience PhD program at the University of Florida, to demystify the PhD application process.
www.storiesofwin.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:50 PM
It's PhD application season. If you are applying for a PhD in neuroscience or biomedical field or are mentoring someone who is applying, please check out our @storiesofwin.bsky.social episode with advice! www.storiesofwin.org/profiles/202...
Reposted by Tamara Stawicki, PhD
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
Another fall in the books. It may not have been the most colorful ever, but it had its moments. Fingers crossed one of these years we get a nondrought fall. #FallFolliage
November 19, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Another fall in the books. It may not have been the most colorful ever, but it had its moments. Fingers crossed one of these years we get a nondrought fall. #FallFolliage
A wonderful letter to the editor from one of the board members of DeSales: bsky.app/profile/bach...
“You can hear a world-class string quartet at Lafayette, a choral masterwork at Moravian, a provocative play at DeSales, an edgy student film at Muhlenberg or a public lecture at Lehigh on artificial intelligence, election law... These are not cloistered perks for insiders; they are open doors”
Opinion: How higher education now powers the Lehigh Valley
Opinion: Colleges and universities function as anchor institutions in the Lehigh Valley
www.mcall.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:33 PM
A wonderful letter to the editor from one of the board members of DeSales: bsky.app/profile/bach...
Reposted by Tamara Stawicki, PhD
Adding more signs of how NIH science is/was broken: my lab team could not show up for 3 more accepted talks at scientific conferences, totaling 9 for the year now. If you interview current NIH trainees for grad or med schools please understand that we are giving them the best experience we can.
While the government was shut down, 379 NIH study section meetings (containing 24,380 grant applications) were postponed. NIH is committed to getting these reviewed, but please be patient and understanding with staff, as this is a complex and heavy lift.
November 13, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Adding more signs of how NIH science is/was broken: my lab team could not show up for 3 more accepted talks at scientific conferences, totaling 9 for the year now. If you interview current NIH trainees for grad or med schools please understand that we are giving them the best experience we can.
Given we’re in the middle of our second 12+ hour power failure in about a week maybe we should figure out powering the now first
November 10, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Given we’re in the middle of our second 12+ hour power failure in about a week maybe we should figure out powering the now first
I was going to order a new UV bulb for my fish rack from Aquaneering and it looks like the shipping alone is going to be $212. I don't know how universal UV bulbs are if I could order it from some other random source to get around this. Do others know? #zebrafish
November 6, 2025 at 5:55 PM
I was going to order a new UV bulb for my fish rack from Aquaneering and it looks like the shipping alone is going to be $212. I don't know how universal UV bulbs are if I could order it from some other random source to get around this. Do others know? #zebrafish
I live in a swing district in a swing state. Democrats won every race they were in... Our two Republican incumbent township supervisors...replaced with Democrats, 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans had terms ending on the County Council...5 Democrats won. Judicial races at all levels...the Democrats won.
November 5, 2025 at 7:10 PM
I live in a swing district in a swing state. Democrats won every race they were in... Our two Republican incumbent township supervisors...replaced with Democrats, 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans had terms ending on the County Council...5 Democrats won. Judicial races at all levels...the Democrats won.
Well I was able to rock my sticker for about 10 minutes before it fell off. Make sure to get out and vote today everyone!
November 4, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Well I was able to rock my sticker for about 10 minutes before it fell off. Make sure to get out and vote today everyone!
Don’t love that are campus power issues are such that now when I type “the power is out on campus” I my phone autofills with AGAIN
November 1, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Don’t love that are campus power issues are such that now when I type “the power is out on campus” I my phone autofills with AGAIN
A great resource to folks on the job market. Though I'll note to the point of only applying for jobs you fit, my current position was looking for someone doing "behavioral research" and that is not me, but it otherwise seemed like a great position and here I am. www.storiesofwin.org/profiles/202...
Applying to faculty jobs 101 — Stories of WiN
This episode features Dr. Monique Smith (Assistant Professor, UCSD) discussing faculty job applications with host Dr. Nancy Padilla-Coreano.
www.storiesofwin.org
October 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
A great resource to folks on the job market. Though I'll note to the point of only applying for jobs you fit, my current position was looking for someone doing "behavioral research" and that is not me, but it otherwise seemed like a great position and here I am. www.storiesofwin.org/profiles/202...
Reposted by Tamara Stawicki, PhD
No words
May 30, 2025 at 12:23 PM
No words
I voted!! Remember PA folks control of the State Supreme Court is on the ballot and PA’s richest man is trying to buy the election. Vote yes to retain all 3 justices if you don’t want him to succeed.
October 10, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I voted!! Remember PA folks control of the State Supreme Court is on the ballot and PA’s richest man is trying to buy the election. Vote yes to retain all 3 justices if you don’t want him to succeed.
It seems every time I log onto Bluesky there is a new story of video of ICE doing something horrible. Its all so horrific and I can't help but feel hopeless, having no idea how to stop it. So I'll do one of the few things I can, share some of what is happening to make sure folks are aware.
October 3, 2025 at 9:04 PM
It seems every time I log onto Bluesky there is a new story of video of ICE doing something horrible. Its all so horrific and I can't help but feel hopeless, having no idea how to stop it. So I'll do one of the few things I can, share some of what is happening to make sure folks are aware.
I shall never understand the obsession with mums when we have such spectacular fall blooming #nativeplants
September 28, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I shall never understand the obsession with mums when we have such spectacular fall blooming #nativeplants
I missed World Dense Breast Day. I have a family history of breast/ovarian cancer & extremely dense tissue. I am lucky to have insurance that covers supplemental screening with no copay/deductible. Though we recently switched to self insured which exempts us from state law, so 🤞 that remains true.
Proud to be featured on WTAE-TV Pittsburgh: DBI's @drwendieberg.bsky.social on #WorldDenseBreastDay & why breast density awareness matters.
🎥 Watch here: www.wtae.com/article/pitt...
🎥 Watch here: www.wtae.com/article/pitt...
Pittsburgh doctor designates Sept. 24 as World Dense Breast Day
About 40% of cancers are missed on the mammogram in dense breasts, and it's a risk factor for developing breast cancer. That's about four times as much risk if you have a dense breast compared to the ...
www.wtae.com
September 26, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I missed World Dense Breast Day. I have a family history of breast/ovarian cancer & extremely dense tissue. I am lucky to have insurance that covers supplemental screening with no copay/deductible. Though we recently switched to self insured which exempts us from state law, so 🤞 that remains true.
Supposed to be talking about DNA cloning in my Gene Editing FYS tomorrow, but... students are working on a misinformation paper, so how do we not talk about Autism and Tylenol?!?!? Then the Huntington's Gene Therapy news dropped, and how amazing is that... So much to talk about, so little time.
September 25, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Supposed to be talking about DNA cloning in my Gene Editing FYS tomorrow, but... students are working on a misinformation paper, so how do we not talk about Autism and Tylenol?!?!? Then the Huntington's Gene Therapy news dropped, and how amazing is that... So much to talk about, so little time.
Would normally wait until later in fall but didn’t want to chance ACIP further restricting COVID vaccine access so got my flu and COVID shots today. They came with free goodies and now I want snacks with shots to be a regular thing.
September 15, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Would normally wait until later in fall but didn’t want to chance ACIP further restricting COVID vaccine access so got my flu and COVID shots today. They came with free goodies and now I want snacks with shots to be a regular thing.
I am at a PUI where faculty have limited funds to pay for publications. That fact has not caused our institution to consider alternatives to peer reviewed publication when reviewing our scholarship, rather we're expected to find a way to publish anyway. bsky.app/profile/prac...
Right now is the best chance the scientific community has ever had to end the artificial scarcity of academic journals.
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September 15, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I am at a PUI where faculty have limited funds to pay for publications. That fact has not caused our institution to consider alternatives to peer reviewed publication when reviewing our scholarship, rather we're expected to find a way to publish anyway. bsky.app/profile/prac...
What I did over summer vacation... Part 1. A 4 day mule-supported trek through the Sierras.
September 13, 2025 at 7:53 PM
What I did over summer vacation... Part 1. A 4 day mule-supported trek through the Sierras.
What a week to have been teaching about the horror of the eugenics movement, and whether its still alive and well...Though, as far as I know, I'm not being cancelled. I feel grateful to be at a place where we can have difficult conversations in the classroom.
September 13, 2025 at 2:05 PM
What a week to have been teaching about the horror of the eugenics movement, and whether its still alive and well...Though, as far as I know, I'm not being cancelled. I feel grateful to be at a place where we can have difficult conversations in the classroom.
We've reached the week where I teach eugenics in my FYS. I always poll the students to see how many have learned about the US eugenics movement prior to our class...only 1 student had this semester, and she came upon it on her own working on a research project. It's always only been 1 or 2 if that.
September 10, 2025 at 11:57 AM
We've reached the week where I teach eugenics in my FYS. I always poll the students to see how many have learned about the US eugenics movement prior to our class...only 1 student had this semester, and she came upon it on her own working on a research project. It's always only been 1 or 2 if that.
I made the mistake of going off script and managed to reach the voicemail length limit because I had things to say bsky.app/profile/bach...
Here is a script. Please, please call. We cannot sit by and we cannot let our representatives sit by as our nation’s public health infrastructure is destroyed.
Stop the Anti-Vaccine Takeover of the CDC ⭑ 5 Calls
The Trump administration is continuing to undermine public health and scientific integrity by firing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) …
5calls.org
August 29, 2025 at 8:18 PM
I made the mistake of going off script and managed to reach the voicemail length limit because I had things to say bsky.app/profile/bach...