Benjamin Finander
bfinander.bsky.social
Benjamin Finander
@bfinander.bsky.social
Hello, world! I'm interested in teaching, and I study neurodevelopment in the Walsh lab at Harvard | NSF Graduate Research Fellow | He/Him/His
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
The recording of "Somatic Mutations and Human Health" by @bfinander.bsky.social is now available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0ce.... This talk is part of @broadinstitute's MPG Primer series. For more info, check out broad.io/MPGPrimer
MPG: Somatic Mutations and Human Health (2025)
YouTube video by Broad Institute
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Our latest work is out in Nature today. In this paper, we introduce an improved version of NanoSeq, a duplex sequencing protocol with <5 errors per billion bp in single DNA molecules, and use it to study the somatic mutation landscape of oral epithelium in >1000 people www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Somatic mutation and selection at population scale - Nature
A new version of nanorate DNA&nbsp;sequencing, with an&nbsp;error rate&nbsp;lower than five errors&nbsp;per billion base pairs&nbsp;and compatible with whole-exome and targeted capture, enables epidemiological-scale studies of somatic mutation and selection&nbsp;and&nbsp;the generation of high-resolution&nbsp;selection&nbsp;maps across coding and non-coding sites for many genes.
www.nature.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Just saw this comment with regard to Pete Hegseth's love for fun socks.

I will tell you why fun socks are bad in a tailored outfit. 🧵
October 1, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
a new mRNA therapy apparently can cut the rate of Huntington's disease progression by ~75%. yet more miracle shit www.bbc.com/news/article...
Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time
One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.
www.bbc.com
September 24, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Not sure how many scientists here have tried Claude Code or similar command line coding assistants. I had a complicated family property tax problem that was best solved by a brute force Monte Carlo simulation approach, so I spent a few days coding up and analyzing a model with Claude Code.
August 12, 2025 at 12:47 PM
When I was a kid, a local charity wanted to raise money for school music programs by putting on a concert with kid musicians and one big headliner. Idk how exactly they picked but they needed to be quick, so my sister, some strangers and I were lucky enough to be openers for Sara Bareilles
Share a piece of lore about yourself

Yes I stole this from musky folks site…I feel like we’ll get better answers here lol
July 8, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
1/27 We have a new paper out! Turns out that snowflake yeast have been hiding a secret from us - they've evolved a (very!) crude circulatory system. Not with blood vessels or a heart, but through spontaneous fluid flows powered by their metabolism. 🧪🔬

www.science.org/doi/full/10....
June 24, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
I'm thrilled to share that I will be starting my independent lab this winter as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the new BRIDGE Center at CHOP and @pennmedicine.bsky.social Grateful for the support from mentors, collaborators, and friends—excited for what's ahead! 🧠✨
May 19, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Delighted to share this timely article in Boston magazine on our local C. elegans community and the effects of NIH freezes.

"There might be no group more enthusiastic, self-aware, or life-affirming than the worm people."

www.bostonmagazine.com/news/c-elega...
Boston Has Worms (The Good Kind)
Inside the world of C. elegans worms and the scientists who know them best.
www.bostonmagazine.com
May 16, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Today in @nature.com , we report a spatial single-cell atlas of human cortical development, revealing surprisingly early specification of human cortical layers and areas.
We built an interactive browser to explore the spatial data: walshlab.org/research/cor...
Paper link below 👇
May 14, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Harvard University is rejecting Trump administration demands to adopt policy and curriculum changes to keep billions in federal grants, saying it would not accept requirements that violate its constitutional rights. www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
Harvard University rejects Trump administration demands to change policies
The university notified the administration that it will not comply with the list of demands, putting $9B at risk.
www.politico.com
April 14, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
So long, NIH. The place I grew up in and discovered my passion for science communication.

I found a true calling to help take innovative genomics research and make it accessible, interesting and fun for wider audiences.

I'm so devastated that my whole team got laid off today.
April 1, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
We just posted two preprints on uncovering the genetic bases of species-specific differences in neural progenitors, excitatory neurons, and upon neuronal stimulation using the human-chimpanzee tetraploid system. Please check them out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Human-chimpanzee tetraploid system defines mechanisms of species-specific neural gene regulation
A major challenge in human evolutionary biology is to pinpoint genetic differences that underlie human-specific traits, such as increased neuron number and differences in cognitive behaviors. We used human-chimpanzee tetraploid cells to distinguish gene expression changes due to cis -acting sequence variants that change local gene regulation, from trans expression changes due to species differences in the cellular environment. In neural progenitor cells, examination of both cis and trans changes – combined with CRISPR inhibition and transcription factor motif analyses – identified cis -acting, species-specific gene regulatory changes, including to TNIK , FOSL2 , and MAZ , with widespread trans effects on neurogenesis-related gene programs. In excitatory neurons, we identified POU3F2 as a key cis -regulated gene with trans effects on synaptic gene expression and neuronal firing. This study identifies cis -acting genomic changes that cause cascading trans gene regulatory effects to contribute to human neural specializations, and provides a general framework for discovering genetic differences underlying human traits. ### Competing Interest Statement C.A.W. is on the SAB of Bioskyrb Genomics (cash, equity) and Mosaica Therapeutics (cash, equity), and is an advisor to Maze Therapeutics (equity), but these have no relevance to this work. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.
www.biorxiv.org
April 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Awwww yeah, check this out: snowflake yeast making their cover debut!

www.nature.com/nature/volum...

We have two papers in this issue:
1) A paper examining whole genome duplication in the MuLTEE

2) A review of long-term experiments in evolutionary biology led by @jameststroud.bsky.social 🧪
March 19, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
We uncovered a shared pattern of neuronal somatic mutations across ALS, FTD, and AD.
🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Huge thanks to co-first authors Joe Luquette & @guanlandong.bsky.social , and everyone in the Park, Lagier-Tourenne, Lee, and Walsh labs!
Recurrent patterns of widespread neuronal genomic damage shared by major neurodegenerative disorders
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are common neurodegenerative disorders for which the mechanisms driving neuronal death remain unclear. ...
doi.org
March 13, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on Mahmoud Khalil.
March 11, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
The ad-hoc termination of training grants, PhD fellowships, and center grants at Columbia is catastrophic and sends a message.

The WH will:
* Seek revenge at all costs
* Destroy science & higher ed, if it can
* Risk lives, careers and the economy.

Rest assured: they will not stop w/Columbia
March 11, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Calling all California-based ocean champions! 🌊🏆

We need Californians to call Gov. Newsom and tell him you “want SB 54 regulations to move forward without delay, so California can continue to be a global leader in addressing the plastic pollution problem.”
March 5, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Teaching citizens about science
🤝
Teaching students about being a citizen
February 19, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Happy International Day of Women in Science. The National Science Foundation’s list of flagged words includes both “Women” and “Female.”
February 11, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
The NIH’s new imposed standard indirect cost rate threatens life-saving brain & behavior research that benefits millions of Americans. SfN, with other scientific organizations,urge reversal of this policy & implore Congress to protect critical research infrastructure.

Full statement: bit.ly/4jVJnCL
Statement on the NIH Imposed Standard Indirect Cost Rate
bit.ly
February 11, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Petition to Reverse the NIH Indirect Cost Cap.

Sign and Circulate.
Mobilize. Organize.

chng.it/LS57Nk7r6k
This campaign needs you now
Petition to Reverse the NIH Indirect Cost Cap (NOT-OD-25-068)
chng.it
February 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
I see some of this already, especially on Twitter. Right now we need to reach deep inside and remember WHY so many of wanted to do science: We want help people, we want to cure diseases, we want to make people’s lives, ALL people’s lives, easier and healthier.
Fear might make you speak in contempt, freeze, revert to defensive language. This will never work. You are NOT trying to convince someone to value something they don't value. You ARE educating someone, collaboratively, about the fact that this will get them to what they DO value.
February 8, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
Another assault on US competitiveness at a time when biomedicine is roaring with innovation, an own-goal in a high-stakes international tournament. Of course the real losers are American people needing medicines and cures.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
NIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately
The move halts a large slice of money for most universities and research institutions virtually overnight, imperiling vital research in everything from cancer to heart disease.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 8, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Finander
While on clinical service recently, I saw many children who were severely ill due to cancer, flu, and other causes. Sadly this move will mean that healthcare access for many children will be lost, as our institutions suffer from the loss of this critical support:
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
NOT-OD-25-068: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Supplemental Guidance to the 2024 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Cost Rates NOT-OD-25-068. OD
grants.nih.gov
February 8, 2025 at 3:18 PM