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Kim Cooper

@ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social

840 followers 330 following 290 posts

Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology in the School of Biological Sciences at UC San Diego. Director of the PhD program in Biological Sciences at UCSD and the Salk.

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · Nov 19

Please read and share this ⬇️

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

The case against simplistic genetic explanations of evolution

Summary: Extreme traits in animals, from the origin of limbs to the loss of tails, capture public attention. This Review argues that scientists should not seek simple explanations for how they evolved...

journals.biologists.com

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 2d

Noogie @jbwallingford.bsky.social for me if you see him :)

Reposted by Kim Cooper

Brian Soucek @brsoucek.bsky.social · 5d

Strong statement today from UC's Academic Senate:

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 12d

Because you're as astonished as I am that the limb is so marvelously complex that we still haven't figured it all out?

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 12d

And "Individuals enrolled in joint bachelor’s-master’s degree programs are considered graduate students. For GRFP, joint bachelor’s-master’s degrees are defined as degrees concurrently pursued and awarded."

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 12d

Under Eligibility: "First-year graduate student in their first graduate degree program with less than one academic year completed in the degree program (according to institution’s academic calendar)"

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 12d

Hugely problematic that 2nd year PhD students are no longer eligible. It also seems that concurrent BS/MS students are considered graduate students during their senior year of the BS and so would have one year of eligibility.

dr℮w @giantmolecular.cloud · 12d

It seems the GRFP solicitation is FINALLY released (like 5 minutes ago)! Due dates have also been pushed back, thankfully! 🧪 🔭

www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

www.nsf.gov

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 12d

I was pleased to hear my fourth grader's teacher challenged them to read 40 chapter books this academic year, but she's in an IB school...

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 12d

Signed. I was also a GRFP recipient.

Jason Williams @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social · 13d

Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io

Reposted by Kim Cooper

Alexa Sadier @aigverte.bsky.social · 18d

I was on H-1B after my J-1. This new fee is terrible. Forget going home for a family emergency. Forget fieldwork. Forget conferences. Living abroad on a job-tied visa is stressful enough already. I hardly recognize the country that was my home for 9 years.

eric lai @lucksmith.bsky.social · 19d

alert to all H1B holders, please share: Trump just banned H-1B employees from reentering US unless employer pays $100,000 "fee". Proclamation applies to both new H-1B entrants and current H-1B employees who are abroad. set to take effect tmrw sun sept 21. please return if you can. i am so sorry. 😢

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 22d

Current events are getting me back into the best shape of my life...

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 23d

So excited!!!

John Wallingford @jbwallingford.bsky.social · 23d

Side hustle level-up! My book, IN THE BEGINNING, will be published by @harperonebooks.bsky.social in 2027! It's about the human embryo, how it gets built, and what it means for where we come from and where we're going.
@harpercollins.bsky.social (1/2)
@socdevbio.bsky.social
#devbiol
#scicomm

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 27d

So proud of you!!

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

But look at how nicely all those letters line up

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

Oh, but I am writing a survey to try to get that info...

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

Not trying to

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

And UCSD Biology lecture courses currently get one graduate TA regardless of enrollment.

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

True but biomed programs rely on the undergrad campus for teaching opportunities, and we prioritize placing our own first.

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

But we haven't had this come up since the policy change...

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

No, the first advisor pays while the student completes short rotation to secure a new lab.

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

I mean, it was my preference. I didn't join the lab I thought I would...

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

And you did say "occasional"...we recently made the transition period the financial responsibility of the first advisor.

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

Director of the UCSD Biology PhD program here, and this is a bit of an exaggeration. All of our students have placed in labs, at least in recent years, and lab transitions are still relatively rare.

Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

Rotation programs were a luxury of the good NIH funding years.

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

But also year round teaching assistantships for graduate support are the norm in evolution and ecology and not (yet) in general/biomedical PhD programs...

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Kim Cooper @ucsdcooperlab.bsky.social · 28d

Correct, and in evolution and ecology this is the typical path of programs nation-wide. It is not (yet) in the general/biomedical sciences. So even the advantages and limitations are different and themselves complex.

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