Gerald Denis
@gdenisboston.bsky.social
Cancer researcher dedicated to improving health equity. Canadian.
This page focuses on science, medicine and policy. On Threads I focus on my fitness journey: @gdenisboston
This page focuses on science, medicine and policy. On Threads I focus on my fitness journey: @gdenisboston
Appalling
Trump administration directs the State Dept to deny visas to immigrants with conditions such as diabetes, obesity & cardiovascular disease. www.latimes.com/california/s... wow the is is some vile lawless eugenics.
Imagine refusing to reunite families on this basis! Expect immediate injunction—but 🤮😱
Imagine refusing to reunite families on this basis! Expect immediate injunction—but 🤮😱
Trump adds new reasons to deny visas to immigrants: obesity and other health issues
The White House has directed visa officers to consider common health ailments, including obesity and diabetes, when deciding if immigrants can enter the U.S. The legality is questionable, experts say.
www.latimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Appalling
Reposted by Gerald Denis
The DOGE-triggered brain drain has destroyed government science, endangered research, and left America fading to black.
When it comes to Trump's brain drain, “the damage is already done”
How the DOGE-triggered attack on government research left America in the dark.
www.motherjones.com
August 26, 2025 at 5:55 PM
The DOGE-triggered brain drain has destroyed government science, endangered research, and left America fading to black.
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Excited to announce the most recent paper from my lab.
Ennis and coauthors model the breast cancer microenvironment in obesity-driven diabetes and show that anti-tumor immunity is profoundly suppressed compared to metabolically healthy #breastcancer.
Excited to announce the most recent paper from my lab.
Ennis and coauthors model the breast cancer microenvironment in obesity-driven diabetes and show that anti-tumor immunity is profoundly suppressed compared to metabolically healthy #breastcancer.
Plasma exosomes from individuals with type 2 diabetes drive breast cancer aggression in patient-derived organoids - Communications Biology
Exosomal signaling from type 2 diabetes alters tumor–immune crosstalk, driving immunosuppression and tumor aggressiveness in breast cancer organoids through expansion of dysfunctional T cells and activation of invasive programs.
www.nature.com
August 26, 2025 at 5:40 PM
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Excited to announce the most recent paper from my lab.
Ennis and coauthors model the breast cancer microenvironment in obesity-driven diabetes and show that anti-tumor immunity is profoundly suppressed compared to metabolically healthy #breastcancer.
Excited to announce the most recent paper from my lab.
Ennis and coauthors model the breast cancer microenvironment in obesity-driven diabetes and show that anti-tumor immunity is profoundly suppressed compared to metabolically healthy #breastcancer.
My new interview with WGBH just posted. I talk about the deepening crisis at #NIH in #medical research funding and the devastating impact on #cancer research of #Trump administration priorities. 
youtu.be/iKkum-pAoYA
youtu.be/iKkum-pAoYA
Science for the Public: Save Medical Science! Guest: Gerald Denis, PhD.
YouTube video by Belmont Media Center
youtu.be
August 7, 2025 at 9:42 PM
My new interview with WGBH just posted. I talk about the deepening crisis at #NIH in #medical research funding and the devastating impact on #cancer research of #Trump administration priorities. 
youtu.be/iKkum-pAoYA
youtu.be/iKkum-pAoYA
Reposted by Gerald Denis
Tsunami warning for most pacific coast nations; 8.8 earthquake reported in Russia. Stay informed, and stay safe out there.
July 30, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Tsunami warning for most pacific coast nations; 8.8 earthquake reported in Russia. Stay informed, and stay safe out there.
Reposted by Gerald Denis
Cherry farmers in my district in The Dalles are leaving hundreds of tons of cherries to rot because workers are too afraid of ICE raids to come harvest.
This is what happens when cruelty becomes policy. It hurts everyone.
#orpol #immigration #agriculture
www.kptv.com/2025/07/10/c...
This is what happens when cruelty becomes policy. It hurts everyone.
#orpol #immigration #agriculture
www.kptv.com/2025/07/10/c...
Cherry farmer in The Dalles says ICE raid fears costing him workforce, profits
One cherry farm in The Dalles has been forced to leave tons of fruit on the branches over the lack of workforce.
www.kptv.com
July 10, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Cherry farmers in my district in The Dalles are leaving hundreds of tons of cherries to rot because workers are too afraid of ICE raids to come harvest.
This is what happens when cruelty becomes policy. It hurts everyone.
#orpol #immigration #agriculture
www.kptv.com/2025/07/10/c...
This is what happens when cruelty becomes policy. It hurts everyone.
#orpol #immigration #agriculture
www.kptv.com/2025/07/10/c...
Thrilled to report new findings from our #NIH supported research on breast cancer.
Obesity/ #diabetes are common and increasing across America. We report that blood #exosomes in #obesity drive progression and metastasis of triple negative #breastcancer.
bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Obesity/ #diabetes are common and increasing across America. We report that blood #exosomes in #obesity drive progression and metastasis of triple negative #breastcancer.
bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Plasma exosomes in insulin resistant obesity exacerbate progression of triple negative breast cancer - BMC Cancer
Breast cancer, the most common cancer among women worldwide, continues to pose significant public health challenges. Among the subtypes of breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is partic...
bmccancer.biomedcentral.com
July 9, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Thrilled to report new findings from our #NIH supported research on breast cancer.
Obesity/ #diabetes are common and increasing across America. We report that blood #exosomes in #obesity drive progression and metastasis of triple negative #breastcancer.
bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Obesity/ #diabetes are common and increasing across America. We report that blood #exosomes in #obesity drive progression and metastasis of triple negative #breastcancer.
bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
Reposted by Gerald Denis
I missed that Jeff Bezos sold the Post to Donald Trump directly.
Planes roared over D.C. on Saturday, tanks rolled along the National Mall, brass bands resounded and thousands of soldiers marched past cheering crowds, as the Army put on the largest show of military might in the capital in more than three decades. wapo.st/4dYFOck
June 15, 2025 at 12:55 AM
I missed that Jeff Bezos sold the Post to Donald Trump directly.
Reposted by Gerald Denis
81 years ago, America's bravest generation stormed the beaches of Normandy in hopes of freeing Europe from the clutches of a brutal authoritarian.
Today, we face authoritarianism on our shores. We owe it to ourselves, our country, and that great generation to fight for freedom here at home.
Today, we face authoritarianism on our shores. We owe it to ourselves, our country, and that great generation to fight for freedom here at home.
The Boys of Pointe du Hoc
YouTube video by The Lincoln Project
www.youtube.com
June 6, 2025 at 12:10 PM
81 years ago, America's bravest generation stormed the beaches of Normandy in hopes of freeing Europe from the clutches of a brutal authoritarian.
Today, we face authoritarianism on our shores. We owe it to ourselves, our country, and that great generation to fight for freedom here at home.
Today, we face authoritarianism on our shores. We owe it to ourselves, our country, and that great generation to fight for freedom here at home.
Reposted by Gerald Denis
Two Harvard economists forecast the impact of the administration’s proposed NIH budget cuts- stunning losses in new therapies, life expectancy, and economic output with a “social cost 16 times greater than the savings the administration is attempting to achieve."
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Cutting the NIH—The $8 Trillion Health Care Catastrophe
This JAMA Forum discusses the recent budget cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH), the effects of these cuts on scientific research and health of individuals in the US, and the prospects for cha...
jamanetwork.com
May 29, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Two Harvard economists forecast the impact of the administration’s proposed NIH budget cuts- stunning losses in new therapies, life expectancy, and economic output with a “social cost 16 times greater than the savings the administration is attempting to achieve."
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Reposted by Gerald Denis
NPR is suing Trump.
Why? Because he slashed their funding just for doing their job—which is political retaliation.
He’s trying to silence public media because they don’t bow down to his ego.
News flash: the First Amendment doesn’t disappear just because you don’t like the coverage, Donnie.
Why? Because he slashed their funding just for doing their job—which is political retaliation.
He’s trying to silence public media because they don’t bow down to his ego.
News flash: the First Amendment doesn’t disappear just because you don’t like the coverage, Donnie.
BREAKING: NPR and three Colorado public radio stations are suing the Trump administration over the president's executive order seeking to ban the use of federal money for NPR and PBS.
NPR and Colorado public radio stations sue Trump White House
NPR and three Colorado public radio stations are suing the Trump administration over the president's executive order seeking to ban the use of federal money for NPR and PBS.
www.npr.org
May 27, 2025 at 8:52 PM
NPR is suing Trump.
Why? Because he slashed their funding just for doing their job—which is political retaliation.
He’s trying to silence public media because they don’t bow down to his ego.
News flash: the First Amendment doesn’t disappear just because you don’t like the coverage, Donnie.
Why? Because he slashed their funding just for doing their job—which is political retaliation.
He’s trying to silence public media because they don’t bow down to his ego.
News flash: the First Amendment doesn’t disappear just because you don’t like the coverage, Donnie.
Reposted by Gerald Denis
"We condemn the US government's use of extortion to coerce independent institutions to act in accordance with the administration's preferences. . . it's punishing of researchers unrelated to the charges against their universities. . . (and) its short-sighted and senseless cuts to basic research."
Skytte prize winners speak out www.ft.com/content/939b...
Letter: Prize-winning political scientists speak out
From Francis Fukuyama and others
www.ft.com
May 23, 2025 at 8:48 PM
"We condemn the US government's use of extortion to coerce independent institutions to act in accordance with the administration's preferences. . . it's punishing of researchers unrelated to the charges against their universities. . . (and) its short-sighted and senseless cuts to basic research."
Reposted by Gerald Denis
If a foreign adversary snuck into our Federal budget and cut science research and education the way we’re cutting it ourselves — strategically undermining America’s long-term health, wealth, and security — we would likely consider it an act of war.
May 19, 2025 at 7:36 PM
If a foreign adversary snuck into our Federal budget and cut science research and education the way we’re cutting it ourselves — strategically undermining America’s long-term health, wealth, and security — we would likely consider it an act of war.
Reposted by Gerald Denis
Marjorie, I know the truth confuses you and facts ain’t your strong suit—so let me break it down real slow:
George Floyd didn’t die from drugs. He died because Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 minutes. That’s called murder.
George Floyd didn’t die from drugs. He died because Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 minutes. That’s called murder.
May 14, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Marjorie, I know the truth confuses you and facts ain’t your strong suit—so let me break it down real slow:
George Floyd didn’t die from drugs. He died because Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 minutes. That’s called murder.
George Floyd didn’t die from drugs. He died because Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 minutes. That’s called murder.
Excited to share new #NIH funded research showing that #insulin resistance drives aggressiveness of #breastcancer.
Women with #obesity and metabolic complications have higher risk of #metastasis. Model systems show we should consider this risk in #TNBC.
#NCI
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Women with #obesity and metabolic complications have higher risk of #metastasis. Model systems show we should consider this risk in #TNBC.
#NCI
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Plasma Exosomes in Insulin Resistant Obesity Exacerbate Progression of Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Breast cancer, the most common cancer among women worldwide, continues to pose significant public health challenges. Among the subtypes of breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is partic...
www.biorxiv.org
May 10, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Excited to share new #NIH funded research showing that #insulin resistance drives aggressiveness of #breastcancer.
Women with #obesity and metabolic complications have higher risk of #metastasis. Model systems show we should consider this risk in #TNBC.
#NCI
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Women with #obesity and metabolic complications have higher risk of #metastasis. Model systems show we should consider this risk in #TNBC.
#NCI
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Gerald Denis
From Twitter
"You know how they say the 3rd generation to inherit wealth squanders it? That is what we are doing with public health right now. People living with all the benefits of it are dismantling it because they think it's just natural to not have constant disease..."
OP: x.com/wonderartsy/...
"You know how they say the 3rd generation to inherit wealth squanders it? That is what we are doing with public health right now. People living with all the benefits of it are dismantling it because they think it's just natural to not have constant disease..."
OP: x.com/wonderartsy/...
May 9, 2025 at 3:06 AM
From Twitter
"You know how they say the 3rd generation to inherit wealth squanders it? That is what we are doing with public health right now. People living with all the benefits of it are dismantling it because they think it's just natural to not have constant disease..."
OP: x.com/wonderartsy/...
"You know how they say the 3rd generation to inherit wealth squanders it? That is what we are doing with public health right now. People living with all the benefits of it are dismantling it because they think it's just natural to not have constant disease..."
OP: x.com/wonderartsy/...
A placebo arm for a randomized clinical trial of measles vaccine is profoundly unethical and wrong because it will cause avoidable harm.
Such a no brainer.
We are being led by an amoral idiot.
Such a no brainer.
We are being led by an amoral idiot.
"Vaccines for new pathogens are often tested this way. But for well-researched diseases...public health experts say it makes little sense to do that and can be unethical, because the placebo group would not receive a known effective intervention."
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
RFK Jr. will require shift in how new vaccines are tested, HHS says
The potential change outlined in a statement would require all new vaccines to undergo placebo testing, sparking concerns among medical experts.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 1, 2025 at 10:56 PM
A placebo arm for a randomized clinical trial of measles vaccine is profoundly unethical and wrong because it will cause avoidable harm.
Such a no brainer.
We are being led by an amoral idiot.
Such a no brainer.
We are being led by an amoral idiot.
Reposted by Gerald Denis
🚨🚨🚨
This is serious.
PLEASE READ:
🚨🚨🚨
RFK Jr plans to EXPERIMENT ON OUR CHILDREN.
“…Would subject all new vaccines, including vaccines for children & vaccines for WELL RESEARCHED DISEASES like measles & polio to placebo testing…they would take a bunch of kids, divide them into two groups
1/3
This is serious.
PLEASE READ:
🚨🚨🚨
RFK Jr plans to EXPERIMENT ON OUR CHILDREN.
“…Would subject all new vaccines, including vaccines for children & vaccines for WELL RESEARCHED DISEASES like measles & polio to placebo testing…they would take a bunch of kids, divide them into two groups
1/3
May 1, 2025 at 7:30 PM
🚨🚨🚨
This is serious.
PLEASE READ:
🚨🚨🚨
RFK Jr plans to EXPERIMENT ON OUR CHILDREN.
“…Would subject all new vaccines, including vaccines for children & vaccines for WELL RESEARCHED DISEASES like measles & polio to placebo testing…they would take a bunch of kids, divide them into two groups
1/3
This is serious.
PLEASE READ:
🚨🚨🚨
RFK Jr plans to EXPERIMENT ON OUR CHILDREN.
“…Would subject all new vaccines, including vaccines for children & vaccines for WELL RESEARCHED DISEASES like measles & polio to placebo testing…they would take a bunch of kids, divide them into two groups
1/3
Excited to share a revised pre-print of Christina Ennis‘s work: obesity-driven #diabetes reveals immune dysfunction and tumor aggressiveness in #breastcancer patient-derived #organoids.
We preserved primary tumor immune infiltrates for the first time.
Thanks to #NCI.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We preserved primary tumor immune infiltrates for the first time.
Thanks to #NCI.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Plasma exosomes from individuals with type 2 diabetes drive breast cancer aggression in patient-derived organoids
Women with obesity-driven diabetes (T2D) are predisposed to more aggressive breast cancers, yet patient metabolic status does not fully inform current standards of care. We previously identified plasm...
www.biorxiv.org
May 1, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Excited to share a revised pre-print of Christina Ennis‘s work: obesity-driven #diabetes reveals immune dysfunction and tumor aggressiveness in #breastcancer patient-derived #organoids.
We preserved primary tumor immune infiltrates for the first time.
Thanks to #NCI.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We preserved primary tumor immune infiltrates for the first time.
Thanks to #NCI.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Gerald Denis
Raskin: Our chairman… How does one go from a libertarian railing about the deep state and the fbi and the doj coming down on the rights of the people to becoming a supine submissive authoritarian who votes against providing basic due process rights for the people against the government?
April 30, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Raskin: Our chairman… How does one go from a libertarian railing about the deep state and the fbi and the doj coming down on the rights of the people to becoming a supine submissive authoritarian who votes against providing basic due process rights for the people against the government?
Reposted by Gerald Denis
The architect of #NIH cuts is Russell Vought whose own daughter is alive today because of advances in treating cystic fibrosis, brought to us, to the Vought family, by NIH. 1/
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Project 2025 is gutting medical funding that helped Russell Vought's own kid
Its architect's daughter has cystic fibrosis—and benefits from a "miracle drug" backed by an agency he's attacking.
www.motherjones.com
April 30, 2025 at 3:51 PM
The architect of #NIH cuts is Russell Vought whose own daughter is alive today because of advances in treating cystic fibrosis, brought to us, to the Vought family, by NIH. 1/
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
“The cruelty is the point.”
NEW: Farmers are dying by suicide at the third-highest rate by vocation in Utah.
But after a federal program offering mental health support ran out of money, the state did not continue it.
By @jessicamiller.bsky.social, with @sltrib.com
But after a federal program offering mental health support ran out of money, the state did not continue it.
By @jessicamiller.bsky.social, with @sltrib.com
Utah Farmers Signed Up for Federally Funded Therapy. Then the Money Stopped.
Farmers are dying by suicide at the third-highest rate by vocation in Utah. But after a federal program offering mental health support ran out of money, the state did not continue it.
www.propublica.org
April 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
“The cruelty is the point.”
Reposted by Gerald Denis
A compelling letter from Nobel Laureate, William Kaelin, MD about the looming loss of US leadership in science and innovation. 🧪
www.amjmed.com/article/S000...
www.amjmed.com/article/S000...
Killing the Science Golden Goose
In the 1970’s I was probably one of the last American high school students who was
told that if you wanted to go to medical school, you should learn to speak German.
This was because in the late 19th ...
www.amjmed.com
April 20, 2025 at 3:32 AM
A compelling letter from Nobel Laureate, William Kaelin, MD about the looming loss of US leadership in science and innovation. 🧪
www.amjmed.com/article/S000...
www.amjmed.com/article/S000...