Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · Aug 8

I just said yes to one because 🤷🏼‍♀️

Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

Rebecca Pompano @pompanolab.bsky.social · Jun 29

It seems that only the science community is noticing that NIH and NSF budgets are cut 40% and 55% in the budget bill, respectively. If you live in Maine, West Va, Pennsylvania, Alabama, or Louisiana, CALL YOUR SENATOR as they could make a difference. See below.

prospect.org/politics/202...

Will the Senate Save NIH?

Rescuing biomedical research is every bit as important as saving Medicaid.

prospect.org

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Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · Jun 17

I just finished Las Madres by Esmeralda Santiago and loved it. Also really enjoyed The Frozen River, Good Dirt, and One Summer in Savannah.

Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

ACLU @aclu.org · Jun 16

BREAKING: A federal judge reversed National Institutes of Health's terminations of hundreds of critical research grants that were canceled because of their alleged connection to disfavored topics, including diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender identity.

This is a major win for public health.

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

Brittany Charlton @britshmit.bsky.social · Jun 16

📢BREAKING: Just left the courthouse for our NIH grant termination case

Judge ruled terminations are “VOID & ILLEGAL”

As a plaintiff, I felt a wave of relief & hope; he acknowledged the discrimination & harm

Closed by asking, ‘Have we fallen so low? Have we no shame?’

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · Jun 16

After issuing his rulings, Judge Young has some absolutely stark words for the Trump administration.

"This represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America's LGBTQ community. That's what this is. I would be blind to not to call it out. My duty is to call it out."

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

Emily R Smith, ScD, MPH @dremilyrsmith.bsky.social · Jun 6

Measles infection during pregnancy is dangerous! It’s linked to early pregnancy loss, preterm labor and other pregnancy complications, increased risk of stillbirth, and neonatal mortality.

In this recent case, a newborn with congenital measles has died.

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · Jun 5

Ontario’s large #measles outbreak claims the life of a child. If you let measles spread, preventable harms will happen. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Infant who contracted measles virus before birth is 1st recorded death in current Ontario outbreak | CBC News

Ontario's Ministry of Health has announced the first recorded death of a measles patient from the outbreak that started in October. The newborn contracted the virus before birth from the mother, the c...

www.cbc.ca

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Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 22

I’m an actual expert (no quotes) volunteering my time to debate (mostly) good ideas with other experts. There fixed it.

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · May 21

Who's calling the shots at NIH?

Sworn testimonies and internal e-mails reveal for the first time the breadth of DOGE's control over the world's largest public biomedical funder.

DOGE has provided lists of hundreds of grants to cut, and DOGE is now reviewing ALL NIH awards before they're released

NIH killed grants on orders from Elon Musk’s DOGE

Court documents and internal correspondence show the cost-cutting force has broad control over the world’s largest public biomedical funder.

www.nature.com

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Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 22

If by “paying” you mean a $400 honorarium which works out to less than minimum wage but ok - tell me more about how you have no idea how this works 🙄

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · May 21

A White House spokesperson framed DOGE's involvement as a positive: “Paying so-called ‘experts’ to deliberate bad ideas for hundreds of hours is exactly the kind of waste that DOGE is eliminating.”

“Paying so-called ‘experts’ to deliberate bad ideas for hundreds of hours is exactly the kind of waste that DOGE is eliminating. You don’t need a PhD in biology or extensive due diligence to realize funding transgender hormone treatment in mice and other nonsensical research grants is a terrible use of taxpayer dollars.” – WH Spokesman Kush Desai

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

travis gerke @travisgerke.bsky.social · May 16

The grant that funded a large part of my doctoral work - a 40 year cohort study which has been running successfully and learning all sorts of things about disease and wellbeing - was just terminated. Surreal.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health @hsph.harvard.edu · May 16

With nearly all of Harvard Chan School’s direct federal grants terminated, we are relying on philanthropy to power our research and support our educational programs. Every gift, regardless of size, advances our vision of health, dignity, and justice for every human. Support our work: hsph.me/whygive

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Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 16

@ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social @hsph.harvard.edu

Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 16

😭😭

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Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 16

I’m not letting them take the joy of seeing the next generation of scientists celebrate today (including 9 new UCSF-trained PhD epidemiologists!) I’m repping the institution that trained me, a public health intervention that has saved millions of lives, and sharing joy today.

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

Megan Ranney MD MPH @meganranney.bsky.social · May 16

… and Molly is not alone. More than $2.6B of ongoing research has been canceled (with much more this week, at Harvard).

With each cancellation: We are losing so much knowledge. Losing the next generation of scientists. Losing our ability to protect our health, both now & for the future. 🧪🩺😷

Molly Franke @mollyfranke.bsky.social · May 15

All 4 of my NIH research grants are terminated. These were grants on MDR-TB treatment & strategies for supporting adolescents living w/ HIV. This is a massive waste of resources. I am heartbroken for my Harvard team, my partners in Peru, the next generation of scientists & our country. Shame.

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Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 16

They told me graduation is a formal event, I’m ready. #vaccinescauseadults

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · May 13

2.7Billion in NIH research funding cuts in the first three months of 2025.
This is not abstract
No NIH funding = fewer new treatments for cancer, fewer new vaccines, fewer discoveries for chronic diseases, lower retention of scientific talent, more brain drain.
www.cnn.com/2025/05/13/h...

First on CNN: Trump administration cut $2.7 billion in NIH research funding through March, Senate committee minority report says | CNN

A Senate committee report by minority staff, and obtained by CNN, slams the Trump administration for terminating some funding for research, firing thousands of federal workers and removing certain sci...

www.cnn.com

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · May 3

An enslaved man, Onesimus, was very likely the person who introduced the lifesaving procedure of inoculation to the US. www.history.com/articles/sma...

How an Enslaved African Man in Boston Helped Save Generations from Smallpox | HISTORY

In the early 1700s, Onesimus shared a revolutionary way to prevent smallpox.

www.history.com

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · May 4

Insane is exactly the phrase I would have used!

‘This is insane:’ New NIH policy on funding foreign scientists stirs outrage

www.science.org/content/arti...

‘This is insane:’ New NIH policy on funding foreign scientists stirs outrage

Agency will make researchers outside United States seek grants of their own rather than “subawards” from U.S. scientists

www.science.org

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Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 2

I have an 8th percentile R01 that cleared council in Sept 2024 in limbo but has a foreign sub so dead in the water now. Not spending seems to be the point.

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · May 2

Bluetorial: Timing of getting grants out the door at NIH

The pauses and low rate of releasing awards may be a problem in terms of getting the NIH appropriation spent by September 30, 2025

a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on

ALT: a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Catie Oldenburg, ScD

BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · May 2

More insanity.
1. Collaborative research gave us vaccines for Ebola
2. Drugs for HIV
3. Malaria vaccines
4. Researched and enhanced tracking of emerging infectious disease threats.
And much more
This is another damaging own goal.
www.statnews.com/2025/05/01/n...

NIH halts funding for new projects with foreign collaborators, citing national security concerns

NIH announced it will no longer allow subawards to foreign institutions, as part of a national security-minded overhaul to how it manages research funding

www.statnews.com

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Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 2

I’d love that - I’ll text you

Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 2

Thank you for making me laugh on a day where all I’ve wanted to do is cry 😂

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Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 2

😭😭

Catie Oldenburg, ScD @catieoldenburg.bsky.social · May 2

This is a disaster for global public health. I think moving to a model where the IC funds directly could be a not-bad thing, esp if it allows for capacity building re: admin for NIH grants and empowering institutions to lead them, but destroying everything first is not how you achieve that.

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · May 1

New NIH Guide Notice about foreign subawards

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

NOT-OD-25-104: Updated NIH Policy on Foreign Subawards

NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Updated NIH Policy on Foreign Subawards NOT-OD-25-104. NIH

grants.nih.gov

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