Michelle Birkett, PhD
@michellebirkett.bsky.social
Associate Professor @ Department of Medical Social Sciences | Director @ Center for Computational and Social Sciences in Health (COMPASS) | NIH PI @ Northwestern University | HIV & Networks
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
🚨 I was close reading the UCLA deal with Trump & found this gem of a ‘typo’ 😮 about UCLA’s “Feinberg School of Medicine”…
THERE IS NO FEINNBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UCLA, they have the Geffen School of Medicine…
But there is a Feinberg School at Northwestern (I worked there!), meaning…(1/3)
THERE IS NO FEINNBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UCLA, they have the Geffen School of Medicine…
But there is a Feinberg School at Northwestern (I worked there!), meaning…(1/3)
October 25, 2025 at 7:21 AM
🚨 I was close reading the UCLA deal with Trump & found this gem of a ‘typo’ 😮 about UCLA’s “Feinberg School of Medicine”…
THERE IS NO FEINNBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UCLA, they have the Geffen School of Medicine…
But there is a Feinberg School at Northwestern (I worked there!), meaning…(1/3)
THERE IS NO FEINNBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UCLA, they have the Geffen School of Medicine…
But there is a Feinberg School at Northwestern (I worked there!), meaning…(1/3)
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
Join us for the 10th annual Data Jam on Oct. 27. @keyboardbiologist.bsky.social and @michellebirkett.bsky.social, Director of the I.AIM Center for Computational and Social Sciences in Health (COMPASS), are Northwestern organizational leads. www.surveymonkey.com/r/datajam2025
October 7, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Join us for the 10th annual Data Jam on Oct. 27. @keyboardbiologist.bsky.social and @michellebirkett.bsky.social, Director of the I.AIM Center for Computational and Social Sciences in Health (COMPASS), are Northwestern organizational leads. www.surveymonkey.com/r/datajam2025
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
The practical upshot is that justice delayed is justice denied; or to be more precise, a lab which had to fire all of its researchers and halt work on groundbreaking research isn't going to be able to ever restore itself to the same position it would have been without a multi-year pause in funding.
TL;DR: 5 justices say Trump doesn't have to immediately restore the funding, but 5 *also* signal that the underlying directives are unlawful.
That sends a fairly strong (if mixed) message that Trump will lose these cases *eventually,* but only once they're brought in the Court of Federal Claims.
That sends a fairly strong (if mixed) message that Trump will lose these cases *eventually,* but only once they're brought in the Court of Federal Claims.
Splitting 5-4 (with Chief Justice Roberts joining the three Democratic appointees in dissent), #SCOTUS grants *partial* stay to Trump administration in NIH funding case; holds that challenges to grant terminations (but *not* the underlying guidance) need to be filed in the Court of Federal Claims:
August 21, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The practical upshot is that justice delayed is justice denied; or to be more precise, a lab which had to fire all of its researchers and halt work on groundbreaking research isn't going to be able to ever restore itself to the same position it would have been without a multi-year pause in funding.
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
🔬 LAMBDA LEGAL WIN: Today, a preliminary injunction was granted in our lawsuit against the NIH’s termination of 100s of grants that funded critical LGBTQI+ health research.
Learn more: tinyurl.com/3u6xcmkh
Learn more: tinyurl.com/3u6xcmkh
August 1, 2025 at 7:59 PM
🔬 LAMBDA LEGAL WIN: Today, a preliminary injunction was granted in our lawsuit against the NIH’s termination of 100s of grants that funded critical LGBTQI+ health research.
Learn more: tinyurl.com/3u6xcmkh
Learn more: tinyurl.com/3u6xcmkh
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
“Over the last 20 years, there’s been a real recognition of the importance relationships have in our lives, whether that be in infectious disease, public health, information sharing.”
@michellebirkett.bsky.social on the success of Network Canvas
www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/ipham/...
@michellebirkett.bsky.social on the success of Network Canvas
www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/ipham/...
Social network influence in public health and how to map it
Scientists at Northwestern have developed Network Canvas, a free and open-source program to study the complex social drivers of disease.
www.feinberg.northwestern.edu
July 29, 2025 at 5:46 PM
“Over the last 20 years, there’s been a real recognition of the importance relationships have in our lives, whether that be in infectious disease, public health, information sharing.”
@michellebirkett.bsky.social on the success of Network Canvas
www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/ipham/...
@michellebirkett.bsky.social on the success of Network Canvas
www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/ipham/...
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
The full ruling explaining why NIH grant cuts are illegal came out today.
It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia.
Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵
It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia.
Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵
After ruling the NIH grant cuts were illegal yesterday, Judge Young, a Reagan appointee on the bench since 1985, ended the hearing with a blistering 15-minute speech.
I've cleaned up my notes — here are his remarks in full. 🧵
I've cleaned up my notes — here are his remarks in full. 🧵
Judge rules against NIH grant cuts — and calls them discriminatory
The decision means that the US biomedical agency has to restore funding to hundreds of research projects, but the government will likely appeal.
www.nature.com
July 2, 2025 at 11:55 PM
The full ruling explaining why NIH grant cuts are illegal came out today.
It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia.
Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵
It's just as blistering as the judge's oral remarks. And it uncovers fresh details in DOGE's role orchestrating the cuts — and on the cuts at Columbia.
Here are my top highlights from the 103-page ruling. 🧵
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
A huge congrats to the Network Canvas team on receiving the 2025 Richards award 🎉
Their free and open-source program allows researchers to easily design, capture, and export network data. networkcanvas.com (photo by Network Canvas)
Their free and open-source program allows researchers to easily design, capture, and export network data. networkcanvas.com (photo by Network Canvas)
June 30, 2025 at 7:57 PM
A huge congrats to the Network Canvas team on receiving the 2025 Richards award 🎉
Their free and open-source program allows researchers to easily design, capture, and export network data. networkcanvas.com (photo by Network Canvas)
Their free and open-source program allows researchers to easily design, capture, and export network data. networkcanvas.com (photo by Network Canvas)
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
Sometimes you don’t realize the full burden you’ve been carrying –of being implicitly treated as a second-class citizen whose life isn’t worth preserving, of people working to fix health inequalities in this country being persecuted, of the crushing *silence* around it – until someone calls it out.
MORE YOUNG: "It is palpably clear that these directives and the set of terminated grants here also are designed to frustrate, to stop, research that may bear on the health – we’re talking about health here, the health of Americans, of our LGBTQ community. That’s appalling."
June 16, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Sometimes you don’t realize the full burden you’ve been carrying –of being implicitly treated as a second-class citizen whose life isn’t worth preserving, of people working to fix health inequalities in this country being persecuted, of the crushing *silence* around it – until someone calls it out.
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are turning our government into their own slush fund.
Attempting to cut Medicaid and Social Security, all while chopping up essential departments and agencies — just to make themselves and their friends even richer.
Attempting to cut Medicaid and Social Security, all while chopping up essential departments and agencies — just to make themselves and their friends even richer.
May 2, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are turning our government into their own slush fund.
Attempting to cut Medicaid and Social Security, all while chopping up essential departments and agencies — just to make themselves and their friends even richer.
Attempting to cut Medicaid and Social Security, all while chopping up essential departments and agencies — just to make themselves and their friends even richer.
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
ISGMH Prof. “Michelle Birkett’s $3.8 million grant was ended in the first of its five years. The funding was awarded to understand — and ultimately address — disparities in HIV transmission and substance use among gay men and transgender women,” reports @bloomberg.com.
NIH Grant Cuts Aren't Saving Money. They're Wasting It.
The Trump administration says the canceled funding is about cost efficiency, but data shows that the opposite is happening.
www.bloomberg.com
April 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
ISGMH Prof. “Michelle Birkett’s $3.8 million grant was ended in the first of its five years. The funding was awarded to understand — and ultimately address — disparities in HIV transmission and substance use among gay men and transgender women,” reports @bloomberg.com.
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
🧵Trump is Russifying the American presidency and time of the essence.
Russia’s system of government is like a “crown-presidential” system, which makes the president a kind of elected king.
Two powers are central to this role....
Russia’s system of government is like a “crown-presidential” system, which makes the president a kind of elected king.
Two powers are central to this role....
April 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
🧵Trump is Russifying the American presidency and time of the essence.
Russia’s system of government is like a “crown-presidential” system, which makes the president a kind of elected king.
Two powers are central to this role....
Russia’s system of government is like a “crown-presidential” system, which makes the president a kind of elected king.
Two powers are central to this role....
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
Congress Targets Northwestern Legal Clinics
The university’s legal clinics are under investigation after representing pro-Palestinian Chicago activists. The move raises questions about the fates of other clinical programs. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4ig3PMQ
The university’s legal clinics are under investigation after representing pro-Palestinian Chicago activists. The move raises questions about the fates of other clinical programs. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4ig3PMQ
Northwestern’s Legal Clinics Draw Scrutiny From Congress
The university’s legal clinics are under investigation after representing pro-Palestinian Chicago activists. The move raises questions about the fates of other clinical programs.
bit.ly
April 7, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Congress Targets Northwestern Legal Clinics
The university’s legal clinics are under investigation after representing pro-Palestinian Chicago activists. The move raises questions about the fates of other clinical programs. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4ig3PMQ
The university’s legal clinics are under investigation after representing pro-Palestinian Chicago activists. The move raises questions about the fates of other clinical programs. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4ig3PMQ
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
🚨 BREAKING: I'm suing #RFKJr @ #HHS & #JayBhattacharya @ #NIH
Canceling medical research grants threatens innovations benefiting ALL Americans, no matter your politics! 🇺🇸
Thanks to my lawyers @aclu.org @aclum.bsky.social @protectdemocracy.org & @cspi.bsky.social
Long 🧵 on why I'm suing 👇
1/
Canceling medical research grants threatens innovations benefiting ALL Americans, no matter your politics! 🇺🇸
Thanks to my lawyers @aclu.org @aclum.bsky.social @protectdemocracy.org & @cspi.bsky.social
Long 🧵 on why I'm suing 👇
1/
April 2, 2025 at 7:52 PM
🚨 BREAKING: I'm suing #RFKJr @ #HHS & #JayBhattacharya @ #NIH
Canceling medical research grants threatens innovations benefiting ALL Americans, no matter your politics! 🇺🇸
Thanks to my lawyers @aclu.org @aclum.bsky.social @protectdemocracy.org & @cspi.bsky.social
Long 🧵 on why I'm suing 👇
1/
Canceling medical research grants threatens innovations benefiting ALL Americans, no matter your politics! 🇺🇸
Thanks to my lawyers @aclu.org @aclum.bsky.social @protectdemocracy.org & @cspi.bsky.social
Long 🧵 on why I'm suing 👇
1/
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
New this evening (3/28): Major update in NIH grant termination numbers.
❌ 695 NIH grants now terminated (up from 429)
❌ 232 on HIV/AIDS
❌ 44 on cancer
❌ 28 on Alzheimer's
❌ 123 on Covid*
*And this doesn't count cancelled non-NIH Covid grants.
HUGE THANKS to @noamross.net for pushing the updates!
❌ 695 NIH grants now terminated (up from 429)
❌ 232 on HIV/AIDS
❌ 44 on cancer
❌ 28 on Alzheimer's
❌ 123 on Covid*
*And this doesn't count cancelled non-NIH Covid grants.
HUGE THANKS to @noamross.net for pushing the updates!
Airtable | Everyone's app platform
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airtable.com
March 28, 2025 at 10:07 PM
New this evening (3/28): Major update in NIH grant termination numbers.
❌ 695 NIH grants now terminated (up from 429)
❌ 232 on HIV/AIDS
❌ 44 on cancer
❌ 28 on Alzheimer's
❌ 123 on Covid*
*And this doesn't count cancelled non-NIH Covid grants.
HUGE THANKS to @noamross.net for pushing the updates!
❌ 695 NIH grants now terminated (up from 429)
❌ 232 on HIV/AIDS
❌ 44 on cancer
❌ 28 on Alzheimer's
❌ 123 on Covid*
*And this doesn't count cancelled non-NIH Covid grants.
HUGE THANKS to @noamross.net for pushing the updates!
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
NIH terminated grants for a program studying how to diagnose, treat, and prevent HIV and AIDS in adolescents
NIH cuts halt 24-year program to prevent HIV/AIDS in adolescents and young adults
NIH terminated grants for a program studying how to diagnose, treat, and prevent HIV and AIDS in adolescents and young adults.
buff.ly
March 25, 2025 at 6:34 PM
NIH terminated grants for a program studying how to diagnose, treat, and prevent HIV and AIDS in adolescents
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
The purging of peer review at NIH has begun drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/t...
The purging of peer review at NIH has begun
A report in STAT by Molteni and Mast reports that “Prominent outside scientists who help the National Institutes of Health evaluate its internal research programs are being abruptly removed&#…
drugmonkey.wordpress.com
March 25, 2025 at 7:12 PM
The purging of peer review at NIH has begun drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/03/25/t...
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
This is what breaks my heart. These young people who are so eager and full of promise and who are the next generation of Nobel Prize winners, scientists inventors, teachers. #Trump and #Musk have destroyed it all. www.wired.com/story/the-ch...
The Chaos of NIH Cuts Has Left Early-Career Scientists Scrambling
As graduate programs lose spots and labs face shutdowns following Trump administration cuts to science funding, the path to a science career for students and researchers just got a whole lot harder.
www.wired.com
March 24, 2025 at 11:23 PM
This is what breaks my heart. These young people who are so eager and full of promise and who are the next generation of Nobel Prize winners, scientists inventors, teachers. #Trump and #Musk have destroyed it all. www.wired.com/story/the-ch...
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
And then there were none…
My advisor just lost their last remaining federal research grant. All were cancelled for being inclusive of #trans and #nonbinary people. People like us.
These grants supported critical research into #LGBTQIA aging, dementia, and caregiving—and funded a staff of 7.
My advisor just lost their last remaining federal research grant. All were cancelled for being inclusive of #trans and #nonbinary people. People like us.
These grants supported critical research into #LGBTQIA aging, dementia, and caregiving—and funded a staff of 7.
All of my federal funding has now been stripped away from me. I went from a nearly $5 million federally supported portfolio to nothing.
March 24, 2025 at 7:35 PM
And then there were none…
My advisor just lost their last remaining federal research grant. All were cancelled for being inclusive of #trans and #nonbinary people. People like us.
These grants supported critical research into #LGBTQIA aging, dementia, and caregiving—and funded a staff of 7.
My advisor just lost their last remaining federal research grant. All were cancelled for being inclusive of #trans and #nonbinary people. People like us.
These grants supported critical research into #LGBTQIA aging, dementia, and caregiving—and funded a staff of 7.
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
Information Silos exist for very good reasons.
Do you want your medical data, tax data, social media days, etc combined in one place and made available to anyone in the federal government?
Do you want your medical data, tax data, social media days, etc combined in one place and made available to anyone in the federal government?
March 22, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Information Silos exist for very good reasons.
Do you want your medical data, tax data, social media days, etc combined in one place and made available to anyone in the federal government?
Do you want your medical data, tax data, social media days, etc combined in one place and made available to anyone in the federal government?
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
We've been tracking unlawful NIH grant terminations for 3 weeks. Spread the word👇!
Fellow PIs: what can you do upon termination?
✅ Email PO + document questions
✅ Submit FOIA
✅ Advocate to your OCG/OSP for appeal + litigation
✅ Consider outside litigation
✅ Donate to state AGs + legal orgs
1/🧵
Fellow PIs: what can you do upon termination?
✅ Email PO + document questions
✅ Submit FOIA
✅ Advocate to your OCG/OSP for appeal + litigation
✅ Consider outside litigation
✅ Donate to state AGs + legal orgs
1/🧵
Cancelled NIH grant information submission form
Please use this form to submit information identifying specific NIH grants that have been cancelled for any reason after January 20, 2025.
Data from this form will be used to update the Rescinded NIH...
docs.google.com
March 21, 2025 at 10:38 AM
We've been tracking unlawful NIH grant terminations for 3 weeks. Spread the word👇!
Fellow PIs: what can you do upon termination?
✅ Email PO + document questions
✅ Submit FOIA
✅ Advocate to your OCG/OSP for appeal + litigation
✅ Consider outside litigation
✅ Donate to state AGs + legal orgs
1/🧵
Fellow PIs: what can you do upon termination?
✅ Email PO + document questions
✅ Submit FOIA
✅ Advocate to your OCG/OSP for appeal + litigation
✅ Consider outside litigation
✅ Donate to state AGs + legal orgs
1/🧵
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
The crush of new grant cancellations hasn't let up.
If your grant was terminated (or your app was pulled) please use this Google Form👇 to submit details for tracking purposes.
Multiple advocacy efforts are moving forward, but we must must must know more about what grants were cancelled and why.
If your grant was terminated (or your app was pulled) please use this Google Form👇 to submit details for tracking purposes.
Multiple advocacy efforts are moving forward, but we must must must know more about what grants were cancelled and why.
Cancelled NIH grant information submission form
Please use this form to submit information identifying specific NIH grants that have been cancelled for any reason after January 20, 2025.
Data from this form will be used to update the Rescinded NIH...
forms.gle
March 21, 2025 at 3:32 AM
The crush of new grant cancellations hasn't let up.
If your grant was terminated (or your app was pulled) please use this Google Form👇 to submit details for tracking purposes.
Multiple advocacy efforts are moving forward, but we must must must know more about what grants were cancelled and why.
If your grant was terminated (or your app was pulled) please use this Google Form👇 to submit details for tracking purposes.
Multiple advocacy efforts are moving forward, but we must must must know more about what grants were cancelled and why.
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
The editor of AIDS and Behavior has a message:
In a World Gone Mad -- Nothing is Changing at AIDS and Behavior.
"We will persist, with elevated scrutiny, filtering, and yes censoring, pseudoscience and denialism."
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
In a World Gone Mad -- Nothing is Changing at AIDS and Behavior.
"We will persist, with elevated scrutiny, filtering, and yes censoring, pseudoscience and denialism."
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
In a World Gone Mad -- Nothing is Changing at AIDS and Behavior - AIDS and Behavior
AIDS and Behavior -
link.springer.com
March 14, 2025 at 1:06 AM
The editor of AIDS and Behavior has a message:
In a World Gone Mad -- Nothing is Changing at AIDS and Behavior.
"We will persist, with elevated scrutiny, filtering, and yes censoring, pseudoscience and denialism."
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
In a World Gone Mad -- Nothing is Changing at AIDS and Behavior.
"We will persist, with elevated scrutiny, filtering, and yes censoring, pseudoscience and denialism."
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
If the government can do this to universities, we don't live in a free society. Five alarm fire.
I’m told this is a real letter. It basically says, “We’ll destroy Columbia unless you destroy it first.”
March 14, 2025 at 1:50 AM
If the government can do this to universities, we don't live in a free society. Five alarm fire.
Reposted by Michelle Birkett, PhD
A timber industry lobbyist & exec now head of US Forest Service.
The privatization/sell public lands thugs found their guy.
First time in Forest Service history chief wasn’t a career employee.
This thug is about to sell off our public lands to create Trump's sovereign wealth fund.
The privatization/sell public lands thugs found their guy.
First time in Forest Service history chief wasn’t a career employee.
This thug is about to sell off our public lands to create Trump's sovereign wealth fund.
March 4, 2025 at 12:35 AM
A timber industry lobbyist & exec now head of US Forest Service.
The privatization/sell public lands thugs found their guy.
First time in Forest Service history chief wasn’t a career employee.
This thug is about to sell off our public lands to create Trump's sovereign wealth fund.
The privatization/sell public lands thugs found their guy.
First time in Forest Service history chief wasn’t a career employee.
This thug is about to sell off our public lands to create Trump's sovereign wealth fund.