Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · 12d

I’ve gotten really into needle felting… my fingers look like pin cushions but it’s been great for maintaining my attention during virtual meetings.

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Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · 12d

I would love that! 🤩

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Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · 12d

I’m stoked to be in closer proximity to you and I hope our paths cross again soon! And yes, this department is FABULOUS 🥰

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Jason Williams @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social · 13d

Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io

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Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · 12d

Thank you, Karen! Please come visit — we can wrangle ectos. Miss you!

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Alex Ip 葉清霖 @alexip718.com · 13d

Here we go!

Over 13,000 H-1B workers have joined 200+ land-grant, sea-grant, and R1 research institutions so far this fiscal year.

I also found that public institutions in large, Republican states are disproportionately affected by Trump's $100,000 H1-B fee.

Find your state or your school:

The Xylom @thexylom.com · 13d

EXCLUSIVE: A new analysis by The Xylom's @alexip718.com shows for the first time just how much America’s top research institutions have grown to depend on H-1B skilled workers — and how this delicate balance might be disrupted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s crackdown on legal immigration.

The Most Detailed Maps of H-1B Visa Holders Joining America's Top Research Institutions

A new analysis by The Xylom shows for the first time just how much America’s top research institutions have grown to depend on the specialized knowledge of H-1B skilled workers — and how this…

www.thexylom.com

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Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · 21d

Hey fellow PIs! 👋 What’s the single piece of advice that saved you when you first started your lab?

Drop it below—let’s start a coffee table book! 🧠 🧪

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Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · 23d

Thrilled to be getting settled at my new scientific home in the ISU College of Vet Med! 🧬 @iowastateu.bsky.social
#iowastate

vetmed.iastate.edu/article/dr-a...

Dr. Anna Fagre New Faculty Spotlight – News Articles

vetmed.iastate.edu

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Black Microbiologists Assoc (Black In Micro) @blackinmicro.bsky.social · 27d

Today is a great day to register for #BiM2025 #BlackInMicro Week. Get ready to join our online celebration: linktr.ee/BlackInMicro (or see link in bio)

The summarised schedule of Black in Micro Week 2025, October 14-16. All times are in Eastern Standard Time. Mon 14: Pathways for Change. Welcome and Keynote Address 12pm. Marian Johnson-Thompson, PhD. Panel Discussion: Finding Black Spaces in STEM, 1:15-2:15 PM. Weds 15, Careers & Research: ECR Symposium 9-12 PM. Panel discussion: Navigating Careers in Microbiology 2-3 PM. Thurs 16, Community: Panel Discussion - Empowering Your Science 12-1:15 PM. Workshop: Science in Action

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Entomological Society of America @entsocamerica.bsky.social · Aug 28

In a survey of nearly 1,400 scientists released this week, 83% said federal government policies since January 20, 2025, had caused an "extremely negative impact" or "irreparable harm" on their field of science.

Entomologists, Fellow Scientists Report Negative Impacts of Government Actions

In a survey of nearly 1,400 scientists, 83% said government policies in 2025 had caused an "extremely negative impact" or "irreparable harm" on their field of science.

entomologytoday.org

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Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · Aug 28

This is so cool! Thank you for sharing and for supporting our work. @sicbjournals.bsky.social is the best 🤓

a cat wearing glasses is sitting on top of an open book on a table .

ALT: a cat wearing glasses is sitting on top of an open book on a table .

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · Aug 28

“I am not able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponization of public health.” Firings and resignations of top CDC leadership today. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/h...

New C.D.C. Director Is Fired, White House Says

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

STAT @statnews.com · Aug 26

The Department of Health and Human Services is terminating a National Institutes of Health grant program that supports students from marginalized backgrounds in the biomedical sciences. www.statnews.com/2025/08/25/n...

HHS terminates NIH program aimed at diversifying biomedical workforce

HHS is terminating a National Institutes of Health grant program that supports students from marginalized backgrounds in the biomedical sciences.

www.statnews.com

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Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · Aug 26

Obligatory new faculty selfie outside the campanile. Thrilled to be starting this chapter at Iowa State University! 🔔❤️

#NewFaculty #IowaState #NewPI #ISUVetMed #VetMed

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · Aug 25

Amidst all the daily bad news, here is some good news to lift up your week!

Botswana eliminates paediatric HIV

www.nature.com/articles/d44...

How Botswana eliminated paediatric HIV

Political will, free maternity care and digital health tools helped Botswana achieve high standards for ending mother-to-child transmission.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · Aug 9

We knew in our guts while hiding that the shooter was targeting us. This violence is driven by anti-vaccine propaganda. And the rot start at the top.

Just this week RFK Jr canceled all mRNA vaccine research while lying about the technologies safety and effectiveness.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · Aug 9

“The shooter was either sick or believed he was sick, and blamed his illness on COVID vaccine — which is why he was targeting the CDC.”

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Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · Aug 8

New EO mandates *codification* of a process allowing termination of AWARDED grants at any time “for convenience, including when the award no longer advances agency priorities or the national interest.”

I can’t fathom the number of ways this will hurt trainees, ECRs, and TT faculty.💔

Jonathan Wosen @jonathanwosen.bsky.social · Aug 8

A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants. Story via @mmolteni.bsky.social, @aniloza.bsky.social, @angusrohan.bsky.social and me for @statnews.com
www.statnews.com/2025/08/08/t...

Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees

A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants

www.statnews.com

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Brittany Trang @brittanytrang.com · Aug 8

New EO puts political appointees like Russell Vought in charge of grant funding.

“This turns science into an instrument for partisan gain. Now we have Republican science and Democrat science. The EO formalizes a system that burrows government censors into the roots of the scientific enterprise.”

Jonathan Wosen @jonathanwosen.bsky.social · Aug 8

A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants. Story via @mmolteni.bsky.social, @aniloza.bsky.social, @angusrohan.bsky.social and me for @statnews.com
www.statnews.com/2025/08/08/t...

Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees

A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants

www.statnews.com

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · Aug 8

UPDATE: The Smithsonian's American History Museum has restored information about Trump's two impeachments to its display on U.S. presidential impeachments.

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · Jul 29

A quick update re NIH and NSF terminated grant tracking:

Grant Watch has a new name!

We're now called **Grant Witness**

You can find us at grant-witness.us

Please update your bookmarks and spread the word! 🙏

(And no, this wasn't our preference, but trademarks are a thing. 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️)

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Sébastien Pfeffer @sebpfeffer.bsky.social · Jul 28

🚨Preprint alert! Kind of a late notice, but here is our latest work on bat Dicer and viral infection. Work led by @leagaucherand.bsky.social and Hugo Marie in the lab. @cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @unistra.fr @frm-officiel.bsky.social

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Dicer accumulates in cytoplasmic foci upon alphavirus infection and plays a proviral role in Myotis myotis bat cells

Bats are reservoirs for many viruses that frequently cause epidemics in humans and animals. It is thus critical to better understand their immune system and mechanisms of antiviral immunity. Despite a...

www.biorxiv.org

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Anna C. Fagre @annafagre.bsky.social · Jul 24

👀global mapping of veterinary care 'coldspots'
🐮access to veterinary care = zoonotic surveillance capacity
👉(i.e., many spillover events linked to domestic/farmed animals as intermediary hosts (e.g., Nipah virus 🐷))
doi.org/10.1038/s414...

A global map of travel time to access veterinarians - Nature Communications

Veterinary care is unevenly distributed globally, limiting access to care. Our maps show that 93.8% of isolated animals (>1h travel time) are in low- and middle-income countries. A 5% targeted incr...

doi.org

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · Jul 19

As Jay said, many of the #BethesdaDeclaration signers will meet with him on Monday. And oh boy are we prepared!

While not every signer was invited, we worked together and with our colleagues across #NIH to bring our concerns—and evidence to back them up.

Buckle up, this will be a long thread. 🧵

Greg Folkers @gregfolkers.bsky.social · Jul 19

bit.ly/4kJeCQz

Dr Bhattacharya opines on on why #BethesdaDeclaration signers "don't understand", on Colins and Fauci, on NIH-Bangladeshi third-gender research and so on

Wow

‬
‪@jenna-m-norton.bsky.social

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist @princess-vimentin.bsky.social · Jul 19

It is no longer about the science.

Hundreds of chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists will be laid off.

🧪🎁🔗
apnews.com/article/epa-...

EPA eliminates research and development office, begins layoffs

The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is eliminating its research and development arm and reducing agency staff by thousands of employees.

apnews.com

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Reposted by Anna C. Fagre

Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · Jul 20

Sad realities of early career scientists in the United States these days

share.google/aI1yj1j045xV...

My academic job offer was rescinded. I’ll keep going—but U.S. researchers are running out of road

Despite an uncertain future, this postdoc will “keep doing the science I love while I still have a bench”

share.google

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