Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Aug 13

Also thrilled to continue an awesome collaboration with
@camarapg.bsky.social (@penngenetics.bsky.social) using the #CAJAL algorithm to analyze >1000 DVB neuron reconstructions from the screen!! (original CAJAL paper = doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39424-2)

CAJAL enables analysis and integration of single-cell morphological data using metric geometry - Nature Communications

Cell morphology is one of the most described phenotypes in biology, yet systematic quantification and classification of morphology remains limited. Here, the authors present a computational approach f...

doi.org

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Aug 13

Stay tuned for follow-up mechanistic work exploring H4K20 methylation as a regulator of neuron remodeling involving set-4 (KMT5B), and a bunch of conserved synaptic genes!!

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Aug 13

Do you like neuronal #plasticity? #genetics? #Celegans? Check out 1st installment of work by Kristi Zoga in the lab. Kristi screened 20 conserved #autism genes for roles in experience-dependent #neuron remodeling and a related behavior.
doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyaf156

Multiple autism genes influence GABA neuron remodeling via distinct developmental trajectories

Abstract. Variation in over 100 genes are now associated with increased risk for autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions, but how this variation r

doi.org

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Aug 11

Awesome, excited to see it @ethanewe.bsky.social !!

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Aug 6

This all checks out. As a donor, the endless fundraising texts and emails I receive after donating make me donate LESS!!! Figure out a better way to not piss off unit supporters @housedemocrats.bsky.social

Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · Aug 3

The annoying spam texts destroying the Democratic brand:

$678M raised through those spam tactics

$282M to one consulting firm: Mothership Strategies.

$11M to actual campaigns (1.6%)

The party isn’t just treating donors like marks—it’s being fleeced itself yet continues to back Mothership.

The Mothership Vortex: An Investigation Into the Firm at the Heart of the Democratic Spam Machine

How a single consulting firm extracted $282 million from a network of spam PACs while delivering just $11 million to actual campaigns.

open.substack.com

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Jul 14

🔗 Check out the full paper:
www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltex...

📢 Read the Science coverage:
www.science.org/content/arti...

💙 Excited to keep pushing this conversation forward!

www.cell.com

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Jul 14

Feature article on latest work from @tdrivas.bsky.social Genetic testing of critically ill adults yields surprises—and reveals disparities in treatment of Black patients | Science www.science.org/content/arti...

www.science.org

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

Vote Save America @votesaveamerica.crooked.com · Jul 8

We're asking YOU to run for office and we're partnering with the best of the best to make it happen: Pipeline Fund, LEAD NC, Annie's List, Texas Leadership Pipeline, Instituto, Run for Something, and National Democratic Training Committee.

Learn more at votesaveamerica.com/run

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

Mallory Harris, PhD @malar0ne.bsky.social · Jun 23

The White House's proposed FY26 budget would cut NIH funding by >40%. Our new #SCIMaP report projects the budget would lead to economic losses throughout the US with $10M+ lost in almost every House district.
scienceimpacts.org/fy26

@joshuasweitz.bsky.social @asinclair.bsky.social @cl10.bsky.social

SCIMaP - Impacts of Federal Cuts to Science and Medical Research

Developed by an interdisciplinary research team, this website shows how funding cuts reduce economic activity and employment nationwide

scienceimpacts.org

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · Jun 9

(5/5)

🚨 It’s time to flood the zone.

NIH scientists just took a huge risk speaking out. Now it’s our turn.

📜 Read the Bethesda Declaration
✍️ Sign the Public Letter of Support
👯‍♀️Follow NIHers doing the work: @nihvigils.bsky.social

Read and sign here 👉 www.standupforscience.net/bethesda-dec...

www.standupforscience.net

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · May 13

"Women are PIs on 58% of the canceled grants, although they are PIs on only 34% of all active NSF grants.

Similarly, Blacks are PIs on 17% of the terminated grants, although they make only 4% of the total pool. Hispanic PIs and those with disabilities were twice as likely to lose a grant."

David Malakoff @davidmalakoff.bsky.social · May 13

Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3
www.science.org/content/arti...

Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF

Efforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress

www.science.org

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · May 13

Devastated by the loss of my amazing friend and colleague Laura Grafe (@grafelab.bsky.social, Bryn Mawr). She was beautiful, brilliant, and bursting with life! Her love and light burned so bright, it will forever be with everyone who was lucky enough to know her. Rest In Peace @pennngg.bsky.social

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · May 12

Beyond excited to host @dacolon.bsky.social today for the Distinguished Seminar Series at @pennmedicine.bsky.social @penngenetics.bsky.social!! Come see a terrific talk at noon!

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

NPR @npr.org · Apr 16

Researchers and advocates have pushed back at what they consider inaccurate and stigmatizing comments made by the health secretary, and note the causes of autism are complex.

RFK pushes to find 'environmental' cause of autism, calls rising rates an 'epidemic'

Researchers and advocates have pushed back at what they consider inaccurate and stigmatizing comments made by the health secretary, and note the causes of autism are complex.

www.npr.org

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Apr 16

Ire isn't the right word... he is wrong and is stigmatizing 1 in ~40 children. 'Kennedy called research into the genetic factors in whether a child will develop autism “a dead end.” “Genes don’t cause epidemics,” he said. “You need an environmental toxin.”" www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/u...

RFK Jr. Calls Autism ‘Preventable,’ Drawing Ire From Researchers

The health secretary said he would prioritize studies into environmental causes while harshly discounting other factors scientists say are likely contributing to rising rates of the condition.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · Apr 15

"After nearly five hours, he and his wife were released. They are now pursuing legal action.

"It's not about the immigrants," his sister, told NBC10 Boston. "It's coming to us Americans, and it's going to go after all of us."

www.nbcboston.com/news/politic...

‘Treated like a criminal': US citizen says he was detained returning from Canada

Bachir Atallah, a real estate attorney from New Hampshire, says he and his wife, Jessica Fakhri, were stopped crossing from Canada into Vermont

www.nbcboston.com

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Apr 8

So excited to host @singhvilabglia.bsky.social (One of my favorite scientists to spend time with!!) tomorrow for the @pennngg.bsky.social and MINS seminar!! Come learn about glia!!

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

Teddy Drivas 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @tdrivas.bsky.social · Apr 2

Patience, collaboration, and perseverance pay off! Our investigation of the population prevalence of NF1 pathogenic variants is out today in @naturecomms.bsky.social! We find these variants are much more common than anticipated and confer increased risk for cancer.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A genotype-first approach identifies high incidence of NF1 pathogenic variants with distinct disease associations - Nature Communications

Our current understanding of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is based on patients ascertained through phenotype-first approaches, which estimate a low prevalence at 1 in 3,000. Here, the authors levera...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

callista yee @csybio.bsky.social · Mar 25

attention worm peeps! we need YOU to help recruit more mentees for the C. elegans Community Mentor Match program! 🪱🧪 mentees of all stages are welcome to join!

Please help us sign up more mentees by sharing this this slide with your lab in your next lab meeting!

docs.google.com/presentation...

Join the C. elegans Community Mentor Match Program!

Join the C. elegans Community Mentor Match Program! sign up for mentors sign up for mentees and to join peer-mentoring groups https://forms.gle/DpGTWRMrNGL96wHy8 https://forms.gle/pVBD5DYGXyLT4waLA

docs.google.com

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Mar 7

Amazing support for SCIENCE with so many familiar faces! (Dog, sign, and picture courtesy of @glennislogsdon.bsky.social) @tdrivas.bsky.social @korblab.bsky.social @standupforscience.bsky.social #standupforscience2025

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

Genetics Society of America @genetics-gsa.bsky.social · Mar 4

Wonder what it would be like to present your research at a conference attended by #NobelPrize recipients? See them in the hallway & have a chance to chat? Hear about their illustrious work that earned them this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine? This is your chance!

1/3🧵

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Feb 26

Not great… not great
whyy.org/articles/pen...

Philly-area lawmakers walk out of meeting with Penn president over DEI cuts

A Pennsylvania state senator and state representative left the meeting after they say a university administrator referred to diversity as a “lightning rod.”

whyy.org

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Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him) @michaelphart1.bsky.social · Feb 26

Philadelphia Stand Up For Science! #standupforscience2025

Friday, March 7 · 11am - 1pm
Philadelphia City Hall

standupforscience2025.org

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

Genetics Society of America @genetics-gsa.bsky.social · Feb 25

Join the @standupforscience.bsky.social rally on March 7 to help protect the American scientific enterprise & defend science as a public good that drives social, political, & economic progress. Learn more & find your local site: https://buff.ly/3EWhSZM #standupforscience2025 #scienceforall

STAND UP FOR SCIENCE

March 7, 2025. Washington DC and nationwide. Because science is for everyone.

buff.ly

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Reposted by Michael P Hart 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)

American Society for Cell Biology @ascbiology.bsky.social · Feb 5

Your Action Is Needed!

Congress needs to hear from scientists. Call your representatives to oppose funding freezes and restrictions on research. Find contact info at govtrack.us and make your voice heard today! #SciencePolicy

www.ascb.org/science-poli...

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