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Rachel Romeo

@rachelromeo.bsky.social

2.7K followers 700 following 52 posts

Asst Prof @ UMaryland | early childhood experiences and brain/cognitive/academic development | learning variability | SLP & language nerd | she/her 🏳️‍🌈 #FGLI education.umd.edu/leadlab

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · Jan 30

Very excited to share a new preprint from the LEAD lab on Inclusive Practices for fNIRS Research with Participants with Afro-Textured Hair, an amazing mixed methods study by Abria Simmons, @gavkhar-a.bsky.social & @elliektaylor.bsky.social! Check it out and share! osf.io/preprints/ps...

OSF

osf.io

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · Aug 16

This is so concerning. I believe it is our responsibility as developmental scientists to warn about the dangers of AI with young children. (And no I'm not a luddite -- Claude is my buddy! But I deeply think this is alarming for developing brains.)

Ellen Roche @ellroche.bsky.social · Aug 16

Thank you @amandahess.bsky.social & @nytimes.com for this critical commentary on AI toys marketed to young children. We have no evidence that these kinds of toys support healthy development, and so many reasons to be cautious. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/a...

They’re Stuffed Animals. They’re Also A.I. Chatbots.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Rachel Romeo

Lexi Decker @lexidecker.bsky.social · Jul 31

Thrilled to share our new @NatureComms
paper: "Exploration is associated with socioeconomic disparities in learning and academic achievement in adolescence." www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵1/7

Exploration is associated with socioeconomic disparities in learning and academic achievement in adolescence - Nature Communications

Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often show lower academic achievement, commonly linked to limited resources. Here, the authors show that reduced exploration–a behavior tuned for learning...

www.nature.com

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · Jul 24

We are looking to hire a new post-bac MRI tech! Great opportunity pre grad school! umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UMCP/job/Uni...

MRI Tech/Faculty Specialist

Job Description Summary Organization's Summary Statement: The Maryland Neuroimaging Center (MNC) is the home for neuroimaging research at the University of Maryland, www.mnc.umd.edu. The center brings...

umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

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Damien Fair @drdamienfair.bsky.social · Jun 29

Alert! ... for the child development world!

@fluxsociety.bsky.social @fitngin.bsky.social ‪

The Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study has released its first data wave - it’s massive.

Check here:
docs.hbcdstudy.org

and here:
nbdc-datahub.org

Here’s why it matters 🧠🍼

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Alexa McDorman @alexamcd.bsky.social · Jun 17

@angelicaalonso.bsky.social, @rachelromeo.bsky.social, and I wrote one of the top 10 papers (by citations) published in Child Development Perspectives in 2023! 🎉✨ How parent-child brain-to-brain synchrony can inform the study of child development: doi.org/10.1111/cdep...

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Adam Sternbergh @sternbergh.bsky.social · Jun 5

must be incredibly frustrating and disheartening to have federal funding that was promised to you for important work suddenly and arbitrarily ripped away

Best of Dying Twitter @bestofdyingtwit.bsky.social · Jun 5

“In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately”

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · May 23

Yesterday I had the immense honor of hooding my first PhD graduate! I only cried twice. Somehow I think this will never get old. Congrats Dr. McDorman @alexamcd.bsky.social !!

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Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · May 19

🧪 Basic science boosts the economy:

"The proposed dismantling of NSF [and NIH] raises an urgent question: do these cuts actually save money or merely delay spending until the bill gets larger?

The answer is clear: these cuts will cost the economy billions."

Trump’s NIH And NSF Cuts Estimated To Cost The U.S. Economy $10 Billion Annually

Economists find public R&D drives a quarter of U.S. productivity growth — and pays for itself

www.forbes.com

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Nature @nature.com · May 19

There are ways to keep crucial research going

https://go.nature.com/3GWY3m3

When the government cancels your research grant, here’s what you can do

The mass cancellation of US federal grants marks yet another escalation in political interference in science, but there are ways to keep crucial research going.

go.nature.com

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ACLU @aclu.org · May 9

Today, our client Rümeysa Öztürk was released on bail from ICE detention in Louisiana, and she will return to New England to continue her studies.

📸 Giancarlo D’Agostaro

Two woman walking and embracing each other in front of an ICE detention center. The woman on the left is wearing a black dress and heels. The woman on the right is smiling and wearing a white hijab, glasses, and a pink garment. Members of the press are in the background.

Two women standing, smiling, and embracing each other with grass, water, and the sky in the background. The woman on the left is wearing a white hijab, glasses, and a pink garment. The woman on the right is wearing a black dress.

Two woman stand next to each other and hold onto one another. The woman on the left is wearing a black dress. The woman on the right is smiling and wearing a white hijab, glasses, and a pink garment. In the background is the fence of an ICE detention center.

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Reposted by Rachel Romeo

Emily Finn @esfinn.bsky.social · May 9

Despite everything going on, I may have funds to hire a postdoc this year 😬🤞🧑‍🔬 Open to a wide variety of possible projects in social and cognitive neuroscience. Get in touch if you are interested! Reposts appreciated.

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · May 9

I had a great time sharing my work today at the @upenn.bsky.social Center for Neuroscience and Society! I forgot to take a picture so instead here’s my freshman dorm that I passed on my way over from the train station. 😂

Reposted by Rachel Romeo

Lisa Fazio @lkfazio.bsky.social · May 7

I spend a lot of time disparaging those who are failing us in this moment - but today I want to shine a light on all of those who are helping to make the threats to science and universities legible for other scientists and the public🧪 1/

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · May 3

The dinner ended with lots of fire. Mixed reactions 😂

Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · May 3

So proud of the @umdleadlab.bsky.social (and GARD lab adoptees) for crushing their #SRCD2025 presentations! I’m so lucky to work with this amazing team!!

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Lisa Fazio @lkfazio.bsky.social · May 1

Have been moving full steam ahead and trying to take action since the first round of NSF grant cancellations hit on April 18th and I just finally broke down in front of our dean of research when talking about the early career researchers affected by these terminations 😭

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · May 1

So good to see you!

Jason Chow @jchow.bsky.social · May 1

Nice catch up with Rachel go terps ✌️ #SRCD25 @rachelromeo.bsky.social

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · Apr 30

Amidst all the turmoil, I’m excited to be heading to #SRCD2025 to see friends and share the joy and fascination of working in our field. Can’t wait to see folks!

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Nature @nature.com · Apr 29

In 100 days in office, US President Donald Trump has destabilized eight decades of government support for science.

This has included terminating more than 1,000 grants in areas such as climate change, cancer, and HIV prevention.

Will US science survive Trump 2.0?

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

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Pam Davis-Kean, PhD @umpamdk.bsky.social · Apr 27

Sending lots of support to the NSF and NIH program officers who have been serving the science community in so many ways. Thank you 🙏

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Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Apr 20

🧪 Tip: You have the right to contest a grant termination, even though NSF says you don't. 🧵

On Friday, NSF terminated 402 grants (per Musk's DOGE).

The notification letters had one of the most egregious violations of fed regulations I've seen so far in these cases:

"not subject to appeal"

Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · Apr 18

Here's a copy of an NSF grant termination notice that went out today. "NSF is issuing this termination to protect the interests of the government pursuant...on the basis that they no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities." Not subject to appeal. #HigherEd #AcademicSky

Text of email: Dear [redacted],

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has undertaken a review of its award portfolio. Each award was carefully and individually reviewed, and the agency has determined that termination of certain awards is necessary because they are not in alignment with current NSF priorities. Effective immediately, the following are terminated: [redacted]

NSF is issuing this termination to protect the interests of the government pursuant to NSF Grant General Conditions (GC-1) term and condition entitled Termination and Enforcement; on the basis that they no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities. This is the final agency decision and not subject to appeal. Costs incurred as a result of this termination may be reimbursed, provided such costs would otherwise be allowable under the terms of the award and the governing cost principles. In accordance with your award terms and conditions, you have 30 days from the termination date to furnish a summary of progress under the award and an itemized accounting of allowable costs incurred prior to the termination date.

Sincerely, [redacted] Division Director
Office of Budget Finance and Award Management (BFA)
Division of Grants and Agreements (DGA)

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · Apr 22

this is infuriating! I'm so sorry Linda.

Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · Apr 22

oooh thank you! (fyi, calendars still say 2024... though I do still have incomplete goals from then 🫠)

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Rachel Romeo @rachelromeo.bsky.social · Apr 19

I’m heartbroken not just for this grant and our research, but for what this says about our values as a country. Information and knowledge should be prevalent, accessible, and celebrated. Without it, we are doomed. 7/7

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