Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Health and Medical Research Funding in a Divided America — How to Increase Support | NEJM

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 1d

Health and Medical Research Funding in a Divided America — How to Increase Support | New England Journal of Medicine www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

A majority of U.S. Republicans support withholding federal funding from “ultraliberal” universities — but maintaining medical research funding. A national campaign could boost advocacy for such a c...

www.nejm.org

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 2d

Join us on October 28 for a hybrid public workshop to discuss how AI is impacting translational #genomics research and genomics clinical care.
Register here: ow.ly/GC1x50WQlHm
#GenomicsRT

Exploring Applications of AI in Genomics and Precision Health: A Workshop

Register for this event from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

ow.ly

Opinion | America’s Pharmacist in Chief

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 3d

Many questions about Pfizer deal with Trump Administration to avoid tariffs. Why does the federal government need to become a drug marketer? Doesn’t it already do enough not very well? www.wsj.com/opinion/dona... via @WSJopinion

The President becomes a drug marketer, while Pfizer gets a tariff break.

www.wsj.com

Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 3d

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...

Intrusions into academic independence!

Remembering Drummond Rennie—Champion of Integrity in Science and Scientific Publication

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 11d

"The world of scientific research still needs a Drummond Rennie." Remembering Drummond Rennie—Champion of Integrity in Science and Scientific Publication jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Drummond Rennie, physician, scientist, editor, climber, tireless promoter of integrity and transparency in science, and mentor to many, died on September 12, 2025, at the age of 89.

jamanetwork.com

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 12d

Here's where behavioral economics and the great insights of Daniel Kahneman (who I learned so much from when I took his class at UC-Berkeley) could be useful....

Robert Califf @robcaliff.bsky.social · 16d

An opinion about the need to better understand the framing and decision making that impacts so much of preventive public health--"habits" and inconveniences to prevent low probability, but high impact future events in return for some up front risk.

substack.com/@robcaliff27...

Interventions for Low-Probability Events

Recently, I have been struggling to understand why so few people have taken the updated COVID booster when the benefit-risk calculation seems so straightforward.

substack.com

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Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 12d

Nicely nuanced discussion about balancing risk/benefit. This struck me “COVID vaccine decision is qualitatively different than vaccines such as polio... because the vaccines prevent transmission. With COVID vaccination, the benefit is to the individual, with modest effects on transmission.”

Robert Califf @robcaliff.bsky.social · 14d

Something we need to talk about more in my view.

substack.com/@robcaliff27...

Interventions for Low-Probability Events

Recently, I have been struggling to understand why so few people have taken the updated COVID booster when the benefit-risk calculation seems so straightforward.

substack.com

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 13d

Good description of nuances after court decision on LDTs: "leaves laboratories to trek through the middle, a Sahara-sized space complete with shifting, if metaphorical, sands." www.captodaymag.com/captoday/lib...

CAP TODAY - Where court’s LDT decision leaves labs

The Food and Drug Administration’s efforts to regulate laboratory-developed tests as medical devices came to a decisive halt this spring.

www.captodaymag.com

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 14d

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/h...

Debate Flares Over an Unproven Link Between Tylenol and Autism

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/h...

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 14d

Harvard Dean Was Paid $150,000 as an Expert Witness in Tylenol Lawsuits

www.wsj.com/health/healt...

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 15d

The Doctors Building a Public-Health Universe Outside the Government

A growing contingent of physicians and policymakers are breaking away from federal health guidance under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

www.wsj.com

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 15d

On the rare day that it's 85 degrees in San Francisco, one must eat soft serve on the Bay!

Trump administration makes demands for UCLA policy changes in exchange for funding - Daily Bruin

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 22d

Details on demands by Trump Administration to UCLA that could have far-reaching and long-lasting implications for entire UC system. dailybruin.com/2025/09/15/t...

The Trump administration is seeking to exert control over several of UCLA’s admissions, protest and health care policies in exchange for the university’s research funding, according to a draft settlem...

dailybruin.com

Startup Campus: How UC Berkeley Became an Unexpected Leader in Entrepreneurship and Startups | Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 23d

Interesting book about my alma mater @UCBerkeley's evolution from early backlash against corporate collaborations to current exuberance for entrepreneurs and startups. iande.berkeley.edu/startupcampus

iande.berkeley.edu

Under Trump, FDA Seeks To Abandon Expert Reviews of New Drugs - KFF Health News

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 24d

Sorry to hear that Drummond Rennie passed away. When he was @JAMA_current Deputy Editor based in SF, I benefited so much from his mentorship. He did not mince words in telling me when my work needed improvement - and indeed, he was right.

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Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · 24d

Several of my esteemed colleagues eg @robcaliff.bsky.social quoted re why approach creates more problems than solves. Under Trump, FDA Seeks To Abandon Expert Reviews of New Drugs kffhealthnews.org/MjA4NzEzMg via @kffhealthnews

Advisory committee meetings help FDA scientists make decisions and increase public understanding of drug regulation, and abandoning them doesn’t make sense, former officials said.

kffhealthnews.org

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · Sep 9

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/o...

Opinion | American Health Care Gets a Lot Wrong. Here’s What It Gets Right.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · Sep 6

Opinion | We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health

Judge rules Trump administration cannot withhold funding from Harvard

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · Sep 4

Judge rules Trump administration cannot withhold funding from Harvard

www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

The Trump administration illegally withheld federal funding for alleged antisemitism violations, a federal judge in Boston ruled.

www.washingtonpost.com

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · Aug 31

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/w...

Leading Nutrition Scientist Departs N.I.H., Citing Censorship

COVID-19 deaths | WHO COVID-19 dashboard

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · Aug 30

And we don't need covid-19 vaccines?! WHO now reports > 7Million deaths from the virus. data.who.int/dashboards/c...

The latest data for coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths from the WHO COVID-19 dashboard.

data.who.int

The Worst Piece of Health Care Legislation Ever

Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · Aug 30

An old adage is that US health care policymaking is so complex that even good ideas cannot get enacted. Alas, we have now the reverse: legislation so bad that even those who voted for it wish it was reversed.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

This JAMA forum discusses the cuts to US health care spending in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and their impacts on Medicare and Medicaid recipients, physicians, and hospitals, particularly those in ...

jamanetwork.com

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Kathryn A Phillips PhD @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social · Aug 29