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Dr Rebecca Shepherd

@special-stains.bsky.social

420 followers 330 following 88 posts

Senior Lecturer (Anatomy) at University of Bristol. HCPC Biomedical Scientist (Cellular Pathology). Researches 🦴 biology and 🦣 🐘 tusks - absolutely loves microscopes and lasers.

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · May 3

New (last author for me!) paper published in Scientific Reports!!! Huge congratulations to current PhD student Agil who did the work for this alongside his MSc - a very talented data scientist! @drjemmakerns.bsky.social l doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Transfer learning from inorganic materials to ivory detection - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Transfer learning from inorganic materials to ivory detection

doi.org

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Reposted by Dr Rebecca Shepherd

Dr Alana Sharp @acsharp.bsky.social · Aug 11

Last day to apply! 📣
Come and join my lab in Liverpool @livevobiomech.bsky.social for a PhD on the skulls of giant mammals! Full funding for 4 years (UK Home rates) 🐘🦌🦘🐂🐪🦏
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Building giants: tissue relationships during skull growth in large mammals at University of Liverpool on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - Building giants: tissue relationships during skull growth in large mammals at University of Liverpool, listed on FindAPhD.com

www.findaphd.com

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Jul 16

Had a lovely time at #AnatSocSummer25.

Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Jul 3

I really hope that computer updates are included in my workload allocation model… 😣

Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Jul 2

Got to perform stand up at the @royalsociety.org last night! What an amazing venue, and I got to catch up with my lovely former colleagues @katedoingscience.bsky.social and @sanahannan.bsky.social - Lancaster clearly makes very funny scientists! Huge thanks to @drstevex.bsky.social for inviting me.

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Jun 21

A potential career change…

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · May 29

Lab afternoon trialling a @brukercorporation.bsky.social Bravo handheld Raman spectrometer. My ‘I ❤️ Raman’ t-shirt is getting lots of wear lately! #Ramanspectroscopy #IvoryIdentification

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · May 26

No secret, I’m a massive #eurovision fan. Best song this year wasn’t an entry but the remix of Baby Lasagna and Käärijä #eurodab. Not going to admit how many times I’ve had it on repeat! 🫣

Reposted by Dr Rebecca Shepherd

Dr Lindsey Fitzharris @drlindseyfitz.bsky.social · May 26

This walking stick with skull pommel and emerald eyes once belonged to Charles Darwin. Yep, you read that right! I bet you didn't know Darwin was such a badass. It's now on display at the Wellcome Collection in London, and I think you'll agree it's pretty amazing. #MementoMoriMonday

A long walking stick. On the top is a skull with emerald green eyes and a wicked grin.

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · May 23

I’m joining the hilarious Steve Cross and a bunch of other funny scientists for stand-up comedy at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition!
🗓️ Tuesday 1st July 2025
🎟️ FREE – select the Lates (18+ only) option
👉https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/summer-science-exhibition/

Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · May 22

Looking forward to learning about Atomic Force Microscopy today! @brukercorporation.bsky.social @renishaw.bsky.social

Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · May 21

I left Lancaster two years ago, and definitely miss the place. ☺️

Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · May 21

Attended a really interesting lecture on graduate outcomes for autistic students given by @jmvincent.bsky.social. Lots to think about in supporting our graduates going forwards. Also always lovely to see a Lancaster logo on a presentation!

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · May 3

To summarise - one of the problems with using Raman spectroscopy to identify ivory species is the lack of reference data. As tusks have a mineral component, we trained machine learning on Raman spectra from a geological database and then fine tuned on ivory data to get high accuracy identification!

Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · May 3

Transfer learning from inorganic materials to ivory detection - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Transfer learning from inorganic materials to ivory detection

doi.org

1 1 5

Reposted by Dr Rebecca Shepherd

Steve Cross @drstevex.bsky.social · Apr 28

I'm on a hunt for freelance work. Lots of free time in my diary and looking to fill it up with projects. Use me for:

Training
Facilitation
Consultancy
Comedy
Hosting events
Photos, videos & podcasts

(photo by @ianbowkett.bsky.social the UK's best theatre photographer)

drstevecross.com

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Apr 25

Booked to attend #AnatSocSummer25! Who else is going? #anatomy

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Apr 15

Papers are like buses, one published yesterday and one accepted today! I really need to get round to writing up my PhD papers now.

Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Apr 14

The turkey tendon paper is out! @jghardylab.bsky.social @drjemmakerns.bsky.social @adatomy.bsky.social
🦃 🦃 🦃
doi.org/10.1002/open...

Analysis of Interactions Between Pyomelanin and the Extracellular Matrix in an Ex Vivo Turkey Tendon Model

Polymerization of homogentisic acid in the presence of extracellular matrix (ECM) components (an ex vivo turkey tendon model) yields simplified versions of biologically generated melanins in the ECM,...

doi.org

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Apr 13

Bumped into an old school friend today. It had to be right after swimming with the kids, & I’d forgotten to pack a hairbrush. On the plus side, the boys were cleaner than usual. She’s lovely and doubt she cares, but just once I’d like to give the air of someone vaguely presentable!

Reposted by Dr Rebecca Shepherd

Tori Herridge @toriherridge.bsky.social · Apr 8

Nitin Sekar says mammoth “de-extinction” is bad for conservation.

He’s the former lead for elephant conservation at WWF India and member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission

arstechnica.com/science/2025...

Editorial: Mammoth de-extinction is bad conservation

Ecosystems are inconveniently complex, and elephants won’t make good surrogates.

arstechnica.com

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Apr 6

I thought it looked cold, so I went in—and yes, it was indeed cold. 🥶

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Mar 26

As the teaching year comes to a close (but exam period is looming!), my students have been so kind and thoughtful. Flowers, chocolates, and four teaching award nominations — with some truly lovely words included. Feeling very grateful! 🥰

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Reposted by Dr Rebecca Shepherd

Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · Mar 25

Great to see the Guardian highlighting amazing trailblazing women scientists

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Royal Society honours pioneering scientists who were first female members

A year-long series of events marks 80 years since admission of Marjory Stephenson and Kathleen Lonsdale in 1945

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Dr Rebecca Shepherd

Physicians for a Healthy Democracy @physiciandemocracy.medsky.social · Mar 1

Sign of the day…

Russia can stop the war any time by leaving Ukrainian land.

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Dr Rebecca Shepherd @special-stains.bsky.social · Feb 28

😍