Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
@fuzzyatelin.bsky.social
Associate Prof of Anthropology, Biology, and WGS at Boston University, queer 🏳️🌈, AAAG devotee, primate genetics/genomics and field biology. he/they.
Pinned
Boston University, Department of Biology
Job #AJO29783, Full-time Lecturer, Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, US
academicjobsonline.org
Join us as a Lecturer of Ecology & Marine Biology in the Boston University Department of Biology!
We’re especially eager for colleagues who support our commitment to ensuring BU is inclusive, equitable, and diverse.
Details:
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/29783
#AcademicJobs #HigherEdJobs
We’re especially eager for colleagues who support our commitment to ensuring BU is inclusive, equitable, and diverse.
Details:
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/29783
#AcademicJobs #HigherEdJobs
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
Opinion from a plant science PhD. student in Wisconsin who grew up in Sacramento, attended UC Davis, and is worried the Trump administration is killing science
"STEM careers at risk: NIH funding cuts impact the sciences | Sacramento Bee" share.google/BfnM7qnrFt1j...
"STEM careers at risk: NIH funding cuts impact the sciences | Sacramento Bee" share.google/BfnM7qnrFt1j...
I became a scientist, but I don’t know if my career will exist in five years | Opinion
“The opportunities I had as an aspiring researcher are gone. The path to a better life for kids in Sacramento is slipping away.”
share.google
July 7, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Opinion from a plant science PhD. student in Wisconsin who grew up in Sacramento, attended UC Davis, and is worried the Trump administration is killing science
"STEM careers at risk: NIH funding cuts impact the sciences | Sacramento Bee" share.google/BfnM7qnrFt1j...
"STEM careers at risk: NIH funding cuts impact the sciences | Sacramento Bee" share.google/BfnM7qnrFt1j...
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
not the main issue here but i'd really appreciate it if democratic politicians spoke out in support of big-city life and culture with the same energy and reverence that all politicians have for small towns
los angeles is "real america" and so are all the other big cities the president hates
los angeles is "real america" and so are all the other big cities the president hates
June 8, 2025 at 10:48 PM
not the main issue here but i'd really appreciate it if democratic politicians spoke out in support of big-city life and culture with the same energy and reverence that all politicians have for small towns
los angeles is "real america" and so are all the other big cities the president hates
los angeles is "real america" and so are all the other big cities the president hates
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
Reminder: Nobel-prize winning PCR (1983), used in basically all genetic tech today, was only possible because of extremophile bacterium discovered in 1964 in Yellowstone funded by a small ~$80k NSF grant with no obvious application at the time. #science 🧪
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
How a discovery in Yellowstone National Park led to the development of PCR - Richmond Scientific
A discovery in Yellowstone National Park led to the development of PCR, the gold-standard COVID-19 tests used to fight the global pandemic.
www.richmondscientific.com
June 8, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Reminder: Nobel-prize winning PCR (1983), used in basically all genetic tech today, was only possible because of extremophile bacterium discovered in 1964 in Yellowstone funded by a small ~$80k NSF grant with no obvious application at the time. #science 🧪
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
www.richmondscientific.com/how-a-discov...
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
My Canadian university, Queen's, is offering TWENTY 4-year funded PhDs (40k CAD/yr) for a student of ANY citizenship who has been accepted at a top 100 US university but have had offer rescinded OR are reconsidering offer due to US policy.
Details found here👇
www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc...
Details found here👇
www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc...
Queen’s Special U.S. Doctoral Recruitment Initiative | School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral AffairsDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown...
Queen’s University is a globally engaged, research-intensive institution dedicated to attracting and supporting exceptional PhD students who will significantly advance our research mission.
www.queensu.ca
June 5, 2025 at 3:31 PM
My Canadian university, Queen's, is offering TWENTY 4-year funded PhDs (40k CAD/yr) for a student of ANY citizenship who has been accepted at a top 100 US university but have had offer rescinded OR are reconsidering offer due to US policy.
Details found here👇
www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc...
Details found here👇
www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc...
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
I’ve been studying gene regulation in primates for over 20 years, and using RNA-seq since 2008 to compare expression across species. We thought we were being careful. We used curated orthologous exons to minimize alignment bias and focused on biologically meaningful comparisons.
We were wrong.
We were wrong.
June 7, 2025 at 12:07 AM
I’ve been studying gene regulation in primates for over 20 years, and using RNA-seq since 2008 to compare expression across species. We thought we were being careful. We used curated orthologous exons to minimize alignment bias and focused on biologically meaningful comparisons.
We were wrong.
We were wrong.
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
🧪 White nose syndrome in North American bats appears to have been introduced from a cave system in the Ukraine back in 2006. Fantastic new research shows that European bats are affected by two separate clads of the fungus, but only one clade has (so far) been introduced to N-America: rdcu.be/epN7x
Two distinct host-specialized fungal species cause white-nose disease in bats
Nature - The identification of two cryptic species of the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose disease in bats highlights the need to integrate studies of genetic variability in pathogens into...
rdcu.be
June 7, 2025 at 3:26 AM
🧪 White nose syndrome in North American bats appears to have been introduced from a cave system in the Ukraine back in 2006. Fantastic new research shows that European bats are affected by two separate clads of the fungus, but only one clade has (so far) been introduced to N-America: rdcu.be/epN7x
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
We're thrilled to announce that the FIRST International Conference on Palaeogenomics will happen in Stockholm, Sweden, June 23-26 2026!
Topics will span from humans to wildlife and sediments 🧬🦣💀🦠 bring it on!
Save the dates!
Follow @palaeogenomics.bsky.social for news
👉icp2026.palaeogenomics.org
Topics will span from humans to wildlife and sediments 🧬🦣💀🦠 bring it on!
Save the dates!
Follow @palaeogenomics.bsky.social for news
👉icp2026.palaeogenomics.org
May 27, 2025 at 8:53 AM
We're thrilled to announce that the FIRST International Conference on Palaeogenomics will happen in Stockholm, Sweden, June 23-26 2026!
Topics will span from humans to wildlife and sediments 🧬🦣💀🦠 bring it on!
Save the dates!
Follow @palaeogenomics.bsky.social for news
👉icp2026.palaeogenomics.org
Topics will span from humans to wildlife and sediments 🧬🦣💀🦠 bring it on!
Save the dates!
Follow @palaeogenomics.bsky.social for news
👉icp2026.palaeogenomics.org
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
Marvel could pay for my healthcare for the rest of my life for a fraction of 1% of profit from Spider-Man Noir, a character whose original comics I edited. For Peter David to die in medical debt, co-creator of Spider-Man 2099 and writer of countless seminal Hulk and X-Factor comics—that's a disgrace
May 26, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Marvel could pay for my healthcare for the rest of my life for a fraction of 1% of profit from Spider-Man Noir, a character whose original comics I edited. For Peter David to die in medical debt, co-creator of Spider-Man 2099 and writer of countless seminal Hulk and X-Factor comics—that's a disgrace
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
We're looking for TWO lecturers (in Conservation Biology & Evolutionary Ecology) to join us in this beautiful corner of the world! Come join our pretty awesome (if I do say so myself!) department! 💚 @zoologyotago.bsky.social
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...
May 21, 2025 at 8:04 PM
We're looking for TWO lecturers (in Conservation Biology & Evolutionary Ecology) to join us in this beautiful corner of the world! Come join our pretty awesome (if I do say so myself!) department! 💚 @zoologyotago.bsky.social
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...
otago.taleo.net/careersectio...
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
tl;dr — this EO co-opts the language of open science to implement a system of political control wherein presidential appointees are given broad latitude to designate any number of reasonable scientific activities and inferences as scientific misconduct, and to penalize those involved accordingly.
Restoring Gold Standard Science
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 7301 of title 5, United
www.whitehouse.gov
May 24, 2025 at 9:28 PM
tl;dr — this EO co-opts the language of open science to implement a system of political control wherein presidential appointees are given broad latitude to designate any number of reasonable scientific activities and inferences as scientific misconduct, and to penalize those involved accordingly.
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
As of yesterday using publicly available data via Grant Watch grant-watch.us/nih-data.html:
05/24/2025 word cloud depicting 165 unique words or phrases, flagged 10904 times, within 2118 terminated NIH grants.
@standupforscience.bsky.social
@altnih4science.bsky.social
05/24/2025 word cloud depicting 165 unique words or phrases, flagged 10904 times, within 2118 terminated NIH grants.
@standupforscience.bsky.social
@altnih4science.bsky.social
May 25, 2025 at 1:03 PM
As of yesterday using publicly available data via Grant Watch grant-watch.us/nih-data.html:
05/24/2025 word cloud depicting 165 unique words or phrases, flagged 10904 times, within 2118 terminated NIH grants.
@standupforscience.bsky.social
@altnih4science.bsky.social
05/24/2025 word cloud depicting 165 unique words or phrases, flagged 10904 times, within 2118 terminated NIH grants.
@standupforscience.bsky.social
@altnih4science.bsky.social
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
🚨 A new rule would let career scientists like NSF/NIH program officers be replaced by political appointees
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
May 21, 2025 at 5:39 PM
🚨 A new rule would let career scientists like NSF/NIH program officers be replaced by political appointees
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
The @upshot.nytimes.com has put together a vivid illustration of how the Trump administration has hollowed out American science. Gift link: nyti.ms/4kBTVql
Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades (Gift Article)
The lag in funding extends far beyond D.E.I. initiatives, affecting almost every area of science: chemistry, computing, engineering, materials and more.
nyti.ms
May 22, 2025 at 7:20 PM
The @upshot.nytimes.com has put together a vivid illustration of how the Trump administration has hollowed out American science. Gift link: nyti.ms/4kBTVql
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
New paper from the lab: Our teeth arose as sensory organs on the outside of the body of ancient jawless fish.!! Congrats to Yara Haridy and the team!
Background and video: phys.org/news/2025-05...
Open Access Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
News and Views: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Background and video: phys.org/news/2025-05...
Open Access Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
News and Views: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Teeth first evolved as sensory tissue in the armored exoskeletons of ancient fish, fossil scans find
Anyone who has ever squirmed through a dental cleaning can tell you how sensitive teeth can be. This sensitivity gives important feedback about temperature, pressure—and yes, pain—as we bite and chew ...
phys.org
May 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
New paper from the lab: Our teeth arose as sensory organs on the outside of the body of ancient jawless fish.!! Congrats to Yara Haridy and the team!
Background and video: phys.org/news/2025-05...
Open Access Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
News and Views: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Background and video: phys.org/news/2025-05...
Open Access Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
News and Views: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
Who's calling the shots at NIH?
Sworn testimonies and internal e-mails reveal for the first time the breadth of DOGE's control over the world's largest public biomedical funder.
DOGE has provided lists of hundreds of grants to cut, and DOGE is now reviewing ALL NIH awards before they're released
Sworn testimonies and internal e-mails reveal for the first time the breadth of DOGE's control over the world's largest public biomedical funder.
DOGE has provided lists of hundreds of grants to cut, and DOGE is now reviewing ALL NIH awards before they're released
NIH killed grants on orders from Elon Musk’s DOGE
Court documents and internal correspondence show the cost-cutting force has broad control over the world’s largest public biomedical funder.
www.nature.com
May 21, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Who's calling the shots at NIH?
Sworn testimonies and internal e-mails reveal for the first time the breadth of DOGE's control over the world's largest public biomedical funder.
DOGE has provided lists of hundreds of grants to cut, and DOGE is now reviewing ALL NIH awards before they're released
Sworn testimonies and internal e-mails reveal for the first time the breadth of DOGE's control over the world's largest public biomedical funder.
DOGE has provided lists of hundreds of grants to cut, and DOGE is now reviewing ALL NIH awards before they're released
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
The Trump administration is pausing NSF’s 15% overhead restriction pending the results of a lawsuit filed by AAU. Waste of everyone’s time.
Policy Notice: Implementation of Standard 15% Indirect Cost Rate
www.nsf.gov
May 21, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The Trump administration is pausing NSF’s 15% overhead restriction pending the results of a lawsuit filed by AAU. Waste of everyone’s time.
Happy 21st birthday to same-sex marriage in Massachusetts (and thank you)! 🏳️🌈🍾🍻
May 18, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Happy 21st birthday to same-sex marriage in Massachusetts (and thank you)! 🏳️🌈🍾🍻
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
It's official.
I filed a Senate Resolution of Disapproval.
RFK is CLEARLY in violation of his constitutional oath. He must resign.
I filed a Senate Resolution of Disapproval.
RFK is CLEARLY in violation of his constitutional oath. He must resign.
May 13, 2025 at 8:19 PM
It's official.
I filed a Senate Resolution of Disapproval.
RFK is CLEARLY in violation of his constitutional oath. He must resign.
I filed a Senate Resolution of Disapproval.
RFK is CLEARLY in violation of his constitutional oath. He must resign.
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
Postdoc job opportunity! We're looking for ECR in evolutionary genomics to study the relation between intra-specific gene expression variability, polymorphism, and macro-evolutionary rates. We have the data in 3 fishes & amphioxus, just waiting for your expertise and enthusiasm!
tinyurl.com/3aewk286
tinyurl.com/3aewk286
Opportunités de carrière : Postdoctoral position in evolutionary genomics (22280)
Saisissez une liste de termes, que nous allons rechercher dans le titre du poste et sa description. \nAstuces\xa0:\n\nNous rechercherons tous les mots figurant dans la recherche.\nLes r\xe9sultats…
tinyurl.com
May 13, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Postdoc job opportunity! We're looking for ECR in evolutionary genomics to study the relation between intra-specific gene expression variability, polymorphism, and macro-evolutionary rates. We have the data in 3 fishes & amphioxus, just waiting for your expertise and enthusiasm!
tinyurl.com/3aewk286
tinyurl.com/3aewk286
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
Teachers, we've partnered with Evolutionary Studies at Vanderbilt (@evolutionvu.bsky.social) to offer a workshop on evolution in celebration of the Scopes Trial 100th Anniversary. Please join us in Nashville on July 11! forms.gle/wECR4X2q5KCQ... #ScopesSymposium #iteachbio #EduSky #edchat
May 8, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Teachers, we've partnered with Evolutionary Studies at Vanderbilt (@evolutionvu.bsky.social) to offer a workshop on evolution in celebration of the Scopes Trial 100th Anniversary. Please join us in Nashville on July 11! forms.gle/wECR4X2q5KCQ... #ScopesSymposium #iteachbio #EduSky #edchat
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
THE NSB (NSF Board) announced the existence and exploration of a pilot program to privatize the GRFP graduate fellowship (my wording). This includes branding opportunities for the companies sponsoring fellowships. This is short sighted and self-destructive, and threatens the mission of the NSF. 1/
The NSB’s 494th meeting (5/7/25) resurrected a proposal (from the National Defense Education Act of 1958) to solicit public-private partners to provide funds to HMs, “NDEA 2.0” The >3,000 GRFP HMs certainly deserve funding, but it would be far better to convert some of them to NSF GRFP awards. 3/4
May 9, 2025 at 12:31 AM
THE NSB (NSF Board) announced the existence and exploration of a pilot program to privatize the GRFP graduate fellowship (my wording). This includes branding opportunities for the companies sponsoring fellowships. This is short sighted and self-destructive, and threatens the mission of the NSF. 1/
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
I am so heartened to this seriously AWESOME #SaveNSF website go up today!!!!
Has a take action toolkit with:
1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points
Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.
www.savensf.com
Has a take action toolkit with:
1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points
Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.
www.savensf.com
May 2, 2025 at 10:08 PM
I am so heartened to this seriously AWESOME #SaveNSF website go up today!!!!
Has a take action toolkit with:
1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points
Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.
www.savensf.com
Has a take action toolkit with:
1. Press outreach templates
2. Social media toolkit
3. Elected official outreach
4. Talking points
Check it out and share widely!!!! Likely more to come.
www.savensf.com
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
FYI “Spencer Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, William T. Grant Foundation and Kapor Foundation are providing quick turnaround grants of up to $25k for education scholars impacted by the abrupt NSF grant cancellations.” www.spencer.org/news/meeting...
Meeting the Moment Together
We are returning from the AERA Annual Meeting in Denver reinvigorated and with a deep appreciation for all that scholars and higher education leaders are holding in this moment. Rapid shifts in fed...
www.spencer.org
May 2, 2025 at 11:10 PM
FYI “Spencer Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, William T. Grant Foundation and Kapor Foundation are providing quick turnaround grants of up to $25k for education scholars impacted by the abrupt NSF grant cancellations.” www.spencer.org/news/meeting...
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
BREAKING: NSF has frozen all grant funding, as of yesterday. It's unclear when they will resume funding awards, or why the pause has been put in place. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Exclusive: NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones
US science funder also plans to screen grant applications for compliance with ‘agency priorities’.
www.nature.com
May 1, 2025 at 10:58 PM
BREAKING: NSF has frozen all grant funding, as of yesterday. It's unclear when they will resume funding awards, or why the pause has been put in place. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Christopher Schmitt, Ph.D
NIH cancels participation in Safe to Sleep campaign that decreased infant deaths. Exclusive via Ismael M. Belkoura for @statnews.com www.statnews.com/2025/04/30/n...
NIH cancels participation in Safe to Sleep campaign that decreased infant deaths
NIH has cancelled its participation in Safe to Sleep, a 30-year campaign to prevent babies from dying in their sleep
www.statnews.com
April 30, 2025 at 11:26 PM
NIH cancels participation in Safe to Sleep campaign that decreased infant deaths. Exclusive via Ismael M. Belkoura for @statnews.com www.statnews.com/2025/04/30/n...