Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
@brookemckenna.bsky.social
Clinical Psychology Postdoc 🔬
epigenetics | trauma | disparities | development
Mass General Hospital, Dept of Psychiatry
Purdue University, Sociogenomics Center
Emory University & UNC-Chapel Hill alum
https://brookegmckenna.wixsite.com/my-site
🐕🏐🧘
epigenetics | trauma | disparities | development
Mass General Hospital, Dept of Psychiatry
Purdue University, Sociogenomics Center
Emory University & UNC-Chapel Hill alum
https://brookegmckenna.wixsite.com/my-site
🐕🏐🧘
Pinned
Strengthening Rigor and Reproducibility in Epigenome-Wide Association Studies of Social Exposures and Brain-Based Health Outcomes - Current Environmental Health Reports
Purpose of Review Studies examining the effects of social factors on the epigenome have proliferated over the last two decades. Social epigenetics research to date has broadly demonstrated that social...
link.springer.com
The #social #epigenetics field has seen major accomplishments, yet we continue to face challenges that limit our understanding of #brain #health. Our ✨new paper✨ discusses these challenges & offers four areas of #innovation to propel this research forward:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
“Ending a $5 million research study when it is 80% complete does not save $1 million, it wastes $4 million.”
apnews.com/article/nih-...
apnews.com/article/nih-...
NIH scientists publish declaration criticizing Trump's deep cuts in public health research
President Donald Trump’s National Institutes of Health director says some employees’ critical letter to him has “fundamental misconceptions about the policy directions the NIH has taken.”
apnews.com
June 13, 2025 at 3:12 PM
“Ending a $5 million research study when it is 80% complete does not save $1 million, it wastes $4 million.”
apnews.com/article/nih-...
apnews.com/article/nih-...
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
🧪 The NSF grant terminations hit women, racial & ethnic minorities, and those with disabilities the hardest.
E.g.:
--Female PIs were 58% of canceled grants (but 34% of all active grants)
--Black PIs were 17% of canceled grants (but 4% as base rate)
A closer look shows this is structural... 🧵
E.g.:
--Female PIs were 58% of canceled grants (but 34% of all active grants)
--Black PIs were 17% of canceled grants (but 4% as base rate)
A closer look shows this is structural... 🧵
Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF
Efforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress
www.science.org
May 13, 2025 at 11:04 PM
🧪 The NSF grant terminations hit women, racial & ethnic minorities, and those with disabilities the hardest.
E.g.:
--Female PIs were 58% of canceled grants (but 34% of all active grants)
--Black PIs were 17% of canceled grants (but 4% as base rate)
A closer look shows this is structural... 🧵
E.g.:
--Female PIs were 58% of canceled grants (but 34% of all active grants)
--Black PIs were 17% of canceled grants (but 4% as base rate)
A closer look shows this is structural... 🧵
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
You must watch the John Oliver show from last night about NIH.
Oliver rarely breaks his comedy routine but he did about NIH, RFK, and HHS.
Oliver stared the camera down after 30 minutes and just said with a grimace:
“RFK needs to go, now. By impeachment if necessary.” 1/
Oliver rarely breaks his comedy routine but he did about NIH, RFK, and HHS.
Oliver stared the camera down after 30 minutes and just said with a grimace:
“RFK needs to go, now. By impeachment if necessary.” 1/
April 28, 2025 at 11:43 AM
You must watch the John Oliver show from last night about NIH.
Oliver rarely breaks his comedy routine but he did about NIH, RFK, and HHS.
Oliver stared the camera down after 30 minutes and just said with a grimace:
“RFK needs to go, now. By impeachment if necessary.” 1/
Oliver rarely breaks his comedy routine but he did about NIH, RFK, and HHS.
Oliver stared the camera down after 30 minutes and just said with a grimace:
“RFK needs to go, now. By impeachment if necessary.” 1/
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
If you're wondering what the projected mortality and morbidity rates might look like in a future defunded of US investment in science and health, here's a preprint article of some very sobering findings.
The truth is heavy. That’s why it matters. ⬇️
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
The truth is heavy. That’s why it matters. ⬇️
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
April 25, 2025 at 2:25 PM
If you're wondering what the projected mortality and morbidity rates might look like in a future defunded of US investment in science and health, here's a preprint article of some very sobering findings.
The truth is heavy. That’s why it matters. ⬇️
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
The truth is heavy. That’s why it matters. ⬇️
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
🚨URGENT RESPONSE CALL🚨
You’ve seen the bad news. Now it’s time for us to flood the zone.
Over 400 NSF grants — gone. Trump’s cronies are cutting science funding and betting we won’t notice. But we’re not powerless. We’ve got 24 hours to make noise.
Here’s how 🧵(1/3) ➡️
You’ve seen the bad news. Now it’s time for us to flood the zone.
Over 400 NSF grants — gone. Trump’s cronies are cutting science funding and betting we won’t notice. But we’re not powerless. We’ve got 24 hours to make noise.
Here’s how 🧵(1/3) ➡️
@katrinamillerphd.bsky.social & I took a look at over 400 active National Science Foundation grants that got killed in the past few days. Here's our story (gift link) nyti.ms/4jp4aOx
National Science Foundation Terminates Hundreds of Active Research Awards (Gift Article)
The agency targeted grants focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as research on misinformation.
nyti.ms
April 23, 2025 at 4:01 PM
🚨URGENT RESPONSE CALL🚨
You’ve seen the bad news. Now it’s time for us to flood the zone.
Over 400 NSF grants — gone. Trump’s cronies are cutting science funding and betting we won’t notice. But we’re not powerless. We’ve got 24 hours to make noise.
Here’s how 🧵(1/3) ➡️
You’ve seen the bad news. Now it’s time for us to flood the zone.
Over 400 NSF grants — gone. Trump’s cronies are cutting science funding and betting we won’t notice. But we’re not powerless. We’ve got 24 hours to make noise.
Here’s how 🧵(1/3) ➡️
The #social #epigenetics field has seen major accomplishments, yet we continue to face challenges that limit our understanding of #brain #health. Our ✨new paper✨ discusses these challenges & offers four areas of #innovation to propel this research forward:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Strengthening Rigor and Reproducibility in Epigenome-Wide Association Studies of Social Exposures and Brain-Based Health Outcomes - Current Environmental Health Reports
Purpose of Review Studies examining the effects of social factors on the epigenome have proliferated over the last two decades. Social epigenetics research to date has broadly demonstrated that social...
link.springer.com
April 21, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The #social #epigenetics field has seen major accomplishments, yet we continue to face challenges that limit our understanding of #brain #health. Our ✨new paper✨ discusses these challenges & offers four areas of #innovation to propel this research forward:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Can confirm that my NSF grant "How False Beliefs Form & How to Correct Them" was cancelled today because it is "not in alignment with current NSF priorities" Shocking that understanding how people are misled by false information is now a forbidden topic. Our work will continue but at a smaller scale
NSF has posted an “update on priorities.”
They’re canceling all “DEI and misinformation/disinformation” grants.
And the guidance on how to fulfill the longstanding, legally mandated Broadening Participation requirement is utterly incoherent.
www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
They’re canceling all “DEI and misinformation/disinformation” grants.
And the guidance on how to fulfill the longstanding, legally mandated Broadening Participation requirement is utterly incoherent.
www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
Updates on NSF Priorities
www.nsf.gov
April 18, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Can confirm that my NSF grant "How False Beliefs Form & How to Correct Them" was cancelled today because it is "not in alignment with current NSF priorities" Shocking that understanding how people are misled by false information is now a forbidden topic. Our work will continue but at a smaller scale
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
🚨Report your NSF grant terminations! 🚨
We are starting to collect information on NSF grant terminations to create a shared resource as we have for NIH. The more information we collect, the more we can organize, advocate, and fight back! Please share widely!
airtable.com/appGKlSVeXni...
We are starting to collect information on NSF grant terminations to create a shared resource as we have for NIH. The more information we collect, the more we can organize, advocate, and fight back! Please share widely!
airtable.com/appGKlSVeXni...
April 19, 2025 at 12:11 AM
🚨Report your NSF grant terminations! 🚨
We are starting to collect information on NSF grant terminations to create a shared resource as we have for NIH. The more information we collect, the more we can organize, advocate, and fight back! Please share widely!
airtable.com/appGKlSVeXni...
We are starting to collect information on NSF grant terminations to create a shared resource as we have for NIH. The more information we collect, the more we can organize, advocate, and fight back! Please share widely!
airtable.com/appGKlSVeXni...
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
🏥HHS ELIMINATIONS💀
We have created a list of all agency and program eliminations proposed in the HHS 2026 Budget.
Feds: Please let us know if you have any clarity to share.
The cuts are massive. Reach out if you would like a PDF or xlsx
@alt-hhs.altgov.info
@altfda.altgov.info
We have created a list of all agency and program eliminations proposed in the HHS 2026 Budget.
Feds: Please let us know if you have any clarity to share.
The cuts are massive. Reach out if you would like a PDF or xlsx
@alt-hhs.altgov.info
@altfda.altgov.info
April 18, 2025 at 8:32 PM
🏥HHS ELIMINATIONS💀
We have created a list of all agency and program eliminations proposed in the HHS 2026 Budget.
Feds: Please let us know if you have any clarity to share.
The cuts are massive. Reach out if you would like a PDF or xlsx
@alt-hhs.altgov.info
@altfda.altgov.info
We have created a list of all agency and program eliminations proposed in the HHS 2026 Budget.
Feds: Please let us know if you have any clarity to share.
The cuts are massive. Reach out if you would like a PDF or xlsx
@alt-hhs.altgov.info
@altfda.altgov.info
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
A reminder that NSF is explicitly breaking the law if/when they attempt to cancel grants that focus on promoting participation in science by underrepresented groups on that basis, incl women in science programs like NSF ADVANCE. Congress expressly directs the NSF to grant funds for this purpose. 🧪
LAWLESS NSF:
Every NSF employee who is following the director on this funding freeze and fishing expedition is in violation of US code.
per the post below, this language has been reauthorized twice, most recently by Biden in 2022 as the CHIPS Act.
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...
🧪
Every NSF employee who is following the director on this funding freeze and fishing expedition is in violation of US code.
per the post below, this language has been reauthorized twice, most recently by Biden in 2022 as the CHIPS Act.
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...
🧪
April 18, 2025 at 11:51 PM
A reminder that NSF is explicitly breaking the law if/when they attempt to cancel grants that focus on promoting participation in science by underrepresented groups on that basis, incl women in science programs like NSF ADVANCE. Congress expressly directs the NSF to grant funds for this purpose. 🧪
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
We’re proud to represent members of the public health and science community in suing NIH over its illegal, unscientific, and undemocratic cancellation of research on now-forbidden topics like gender identity and DEI. Here are 5 things you can do to #KilltheCuts & #SaveOurScience ⬇️ @apha.org
April 14, 2025 at 6:36 PM
We’re proud to represent members of the public health and science community in suing NIH over its illegal, unscientific, and undemocratic cancellation of research on now-forbidden topics like gender identity and DEI. Here are 5 things you can do to #KilltheCuts & #SaveOurScience ⬇️ @apha.org
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Coinciding with it's "No" letter Harvard has refashioned its university homepage into essentially an advertisement for the social benefits of university research. This is the current front page.
April 14, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Coinciding with it's "No" letter Harvard has refashioned its university homepage into essentially an advertisement for the social benefits of university research. This is the current front page.
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
The NSF's flagship fellowship program typically gives offers to 2,000+ young scientists. This year, in the face of looming budget cuts, that number was halved: only 1,000 received an offer. Our story on what that means for the science talent pipeline: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
NSF slashes prestigious PhD fellowship awards by half
US National Science Foundation announces lowest number of Graduate Research Fellowship Programme recipients in 15 years.
www.nature.com
April 8, 2025 at 10:15 PM
The NSF's flagship fellowship program typically gives offers to 2,000+ young scientists. This year, in the face of looming budget cuts, that number was halved: only 1,000 received an offer. Our story on what that means for the science talent pipeline: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Happy to share that our article “Human lifespan changes in the brain’s functional connectome” is now published online at Nature Neuroscience @natureneuro.bsky.social !
Many thanks to all collaborators & data contributors, and the editor team & reviewers!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Many thanks to all collaborators & data contributors, and the editor team & reviewers!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Human lifespan changes in the brain’s functional connectome - Nature Neuroscience
Sun et al. report human lifespan changes in the brain’s functional connectome in 33,250 individuals, which highlights critical growth milestones and distinct maturation patterns and offers a normative...
www.nature.com
April 4, 2025 at 5:48 AM
Happy to share that our article “Human lifespan changes in the brain’s functional connectome” is now published online at Nature Neuroscience @natureneuro.bsky.social !
Many thanks to all collaborators & data contributors, and the editor team & reviewers!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Many thanks to all collaborators & data contributors, and the editor team & reviewers!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Cultivating interdisciplinary research is more important than ever. The Dunn Lab at #Purdue is hiring:
▶️ Program Director
▶️ Data Analysts
▶️ Post Docs
Make the #NextGiantLeap with us at the forefront of mental health research!
Learn more & apply: tinyurl.com/885xpkec
#SciJobs #neurojobs #HiSciSky
▶️ Program Director
▶️ Data Analysts
▶️ Post Docs
Make the #NextGiantLeap with us at the forefront of mental health research!
Learn more & apply: tinyurl.com/885xpkec
#SciJobs #neurojobs #HiSciSky
April 4, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Cultivating interdisciplinary research is more important than ever. The Dunn Lab at #Purdue is hiring:
▶️ Program Director
▶️ Data Analysts
▶️ Post Docs
Make the #NextGiantLeap with us at the forefront of mental health research!
Learn more & apply: tinyurl.com/885xpkec
#SciJobs #neurojobs #HiSciSky
▶️ Program Director
▶️ Data Analysts
▶️ Post Docs
Make the #NextGiantLeap with us at the forefront of mental health research!
Learn more & apply: tinyurl.com/885xpkec
#SciJobs #neurojobs #HiSciSky
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Breaking news: A new lawsuit seeks to challenge the National Institutes of Health’s decisions to abruptly terminate hundreds of grants, totaling more than $2.4 billion, over the past month. scim.ag/3DZnylL
Lawsuit aims to broadly overturn NIH’s grant terminations
Multiple groups and NIH-funded scientists challenge agency’s decision as arbitrary and capricious
scim.ag
April 2, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Breaking news: A new lawsuit seeks to challenge the National Institutes of Health’s decisions to abruptly terminate hundreds of grants, totaling more than $2.4 billion, over the past month. scim.ag/3DZnylL
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Stand up.
Today I join with >1900 members of the US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine signing this letter, as individuals, decrying the assault on #science by the GOP and Trump administration.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Today I join with >1900 members of the US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine signing this letter, as individuals, decrying the assault on #science by the GOP and Trump administration.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Public Statement on Supporting Science for the Benefit of All Citizens
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE We all rely on science. Science gave us the smartphones in our pockets, the navigation systems in our cars, and life-saving medical care. We count on engineers when we drive acr...
docs.google.com
March 31, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Stand up.
Today I join with >1900 members of the US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine signing this letter, as individuals, decrying the assault on #science by the GOP and Trump administration.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Today I join with >1900 members of the US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine signing this letter, as individuals, decrying the assault on #science by the GOP and Trump administration.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
🧪 NSF GRFP update!
New graduate NSF fellowships will likely be announced this week for the GRFP (see bottom of 🧵 for why).
First off, I'm *very* glad to hear of those going forward, given the otherwise bleak year so far for graduate training.
Some observations... 1/12
New graduate NSF fellowships will likely be announced this week for the GRFP (see bottom of 🧵 for why).
First off, I'm *very* glad to hear of those going forward, given the otherwise bleak year so far for graduate training.
Some observations... 1/12
March 31, 2025 at 12:32 AM
🧪 NSF GRFP update!
New graduate NSF fellowships will likely be announced this week for the GRFP (see bottom of 🧵 for why).
First off, I'm *very* glad to hear of those going forward, given the otherwise bleak year so far for graduate training.
Some observations... 1/12
New graduate NSF fellowships will likely be announced this week for the GRFP (see bottom of 🧵 for why).
First off, I'm *very* glad to hear of those going forward, given the otherwise bleak year so far for graduate training.
Some observations... 1/12
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Need to explain (or understand) linear mixed effects regressions, random intercepts, and random slopes? Look no further than "A Visual Introduction to Hierarchical Models" by Michael Freeman, 2017. It's a banger!
A Visual Introduction to Hierarchical Models
A visual explanation of multi-level modeling
mfviz.com
March 27, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Need to explain (or understand) linear mixed effects regressions, random intercepts, and random slopes? Look no further than "A Visual Introduction to Hierarchical Models" by Michael Freeman, 2017. It's a banger!
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Working with an interdisciplinary team, we have developed a website to communicate how the White House's proposed cuts to health research would cause losses of $16B and 68,500 jobs.
Find out how your community may be impacted.
Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org
a 🧵
Find out how your community may be impacted.
Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org
a 🧵
March 28, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Working with an interdisciplinary team, we have developed a website to communicate how the White House's proposed cuts to health research would cause losses of $16B and 68,500 jobs.
Find out how your community may be impacted.
Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org
a 🧵
Find out how your community may be impacted.
Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org
a 🧵
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Last Friday, 1,000 more NIH biomedical research projects were defunded with no notice
Here’s a word cloud of canceled grants, based on their titles
Here’s a word cloud of canceled grants, based on their titles
my word cloud on these titles (minus Columbia) - any patterns emerge?
March 23, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Last Friday, 1,000 more NIH biomedical research projects were defunded with no notice
Here’s a word cloud of canceled grants, based on their titles
Here’s a word cloud of canceled grants, based on their titles
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
🧵Yesterday, I received notice that my #NIH grant, on the social environment, lifecourse, epigenetics & #birthoutcomes in Black families, was terminated. This grant represented a critical effort to address the ⬆️ rates of maternal & infant mortality in the US, particularly among Black mothers & babies
March 22, 2025 at 7:11 PM
🧵Yesterday, I received notice that my #NIH grant, on the social environment, lifecourse, epigenetics & #birthoutcomes in Black families, was terminated. This grant represented a critical effort to address the ⬆️ rates of maternal & infant mortality in the US, particularly among Black mothers & babies
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
🚀 Big reveal! Introducing our interactive table on NIH grant terminations, supercharged from the original Google tracker! 📊👇
Help us uncover which NIH grants are tagged for termination and why! 🕵️🔍
1 / 🧵
#HealthEquity #MedSky #PublicHealth
Help us uncover which NIH grants are tagged for termination and why! 🕵️🔍
1 / 🧵
#HealthEquity #MedSky #PublicHealth
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airtable.com
March 25, 2025 at 10:21 AM
🚀 Big reveal! Introducing our interactive table on NIH grant terminations, supercharged from the original Google tracker! 📊👇
Help us uncover which NIH grants are tagged for termination and why! 🕵️🔍
1 / 🧵
#HealthEquity #MedSky #PublicHealth
Help us uncover which NIH grants are tagged for termination and why! 🕵️🔍
1 / 🧵
#HealthEquity #MedSky #PublicHealth
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
Today I lost an NIH grant training clinicians to do research about intimate partner violence with perinatal women.
More women are murdered in the perinatal period than die of obstetric complications.
I didn't just lose a grant. We lost an entire cohort of people building careers to prevent that.
More women are murdered in the perinatal period than die of obstetric complications.
I didn't just lose a grant. We lost an entire cohort of people building careers to prevent that.
March 22, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Today I lost an NIH grant training clinicians to do research about intimate partner violence with perinatal women.
More women are murdered in the perinatal period than die of obstetric complications.
I didn't just lose a grant. We lost an entire cohort of people building careers to prevent that.
More women are murdered in the perinatal period than die of obstetric complications.
I didn't just lose a grant. We lost an entire cohort of people building careers to prevent that.
Reposted by Brooke McKenna, Ph.D.
If you have a federal grant, I *highly* recommend going to this Friday's webinar on responding to grant terminations.
Lisa Brown, former general counsel at Dept of Ed, will present along with other lawyers.
Friday, March 21, 2-3 pm. More info & register here: www.linkedin.com/pulse/regist...
Lisa Brown, former general counsel at Dept of Ed, will present along with other lawyers.
Friday, March 21, 2-3 pm. More info & register here: www.linkedin.com/pulse/regist...
March 18, 2025 at 4:37 PM
If you have a federal grant, I *highly* recommend going to this Friday's webinar on responding to grant terminations.
Lisa Brown, former general counsel at Dept of Ed, will present along with other lawyers.
Friday, March 21, 2-3 pm. More info & register here: www.linkedin.com/pulse/regist...
Lisa Brown, former general counsel at Dept of Ed, will present along with other lawyers.
Friday, March 21, 2-3 pm. More info & register here: www.linkedin.com/pulse/regist...