Hiten Madhani
@hitenmadhani.bsky.social
Gene regulation in health and disease | Professor/Vice-Chair @UCSF Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysic | via Stanford, UCSF and MIT | https://madhanilab.ucsf.edu
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
I would ask people to call or message their senators about this and specifically that Vinay Prasad needs to be out at FDA. Even the Wall Street Journal has said as much. There is push back. Companies won’t fund clinical trials if they can’t trust the FDA.
If Moderna is no longer bringing vaccine trials for Epstein-Barr virus (good evidence that EB causes Multiple Sclerosis), herpes, and shingles because of Trump appointees, I want prison time for those appointees.
This might be dooming millions to disease they don’t have to experience.
This might be dooming millions to disease they don’t have to experience.
February 13, 2026 at 1:52 AM
I would ask people to call or message their senators about this and specifically that Vinay Prasad needs to be out at FDA. Even the Wall Street Journal has said as much. There is push back. Companies won’t fund clinical trials if they can’t trust the FDA.
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
NIH, CDC, HHS, and all of US cancer research and public health needed and still needs protection from Russell Vought and the P2025 White House.
The defining feature of 2025 at NIH was not merely grant changes.
It was unprecedented levels of presidential interference with NIH decision-making.
1/
The defining feature of 2025 at NIH was not merely grant changes.
It was unprecedented levels of presidential interference with NIH decision-making.
1/
"The White House is looking to exercise tighter control over [HHS] ...restructuring HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s senior-most ranks, installing four new senior counselors who will be charged with more closely managing the department..."
www.cnn.com/2026/02/12/p... @cnn.com
www.cnn.com/2026/02/12/p... @cnn.com
White House seeks to tighten control over HHS with personnel shakeup | CNN Politics
The White House is looking to exercise tighter control over key areas of the Health and Human Services Department, planning a shakeup of top personnel as the administration looks ahead to the midterm ...
www.cnn.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:58 PM
NIH, CDC, HHS, and all of US cancer research and public health needed and still needs protection from Russell Vought and the P2025 White House.
The defining feature of 2025 at NIH was not merely grant changes.
It was unprecedented levels of presidential interference with NIH decision-making.
1/
The defining feature of 2025 at NIH was not merely grant changes.
It was unprecedented levels of presidential interference with NIH decision-making.
1/
“For starters, we need to reverse the cuts that Mr. Trump has made to investments in science and other areas. “
I Just Returned From China. We Are Not Winning. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/o...
I Just Returned From China. We Are Not Winning. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/o...
Opinion | I Just Returned From China. We Are Not Winning.
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:39 AM
“For starters, we need to reverse the cuts that Mr. Trump has made to investments in science and other areas. “
I Just Returned From China. We Are Not Winning. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/o...
I Just Returned From China. We Are Not Winning. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/o...
Nice day for a pre-Super Bowl stroll!
February 7, 2026 at 7:55 PM
Nice day for a pre-Super Bowl stroll!
But the impact of MYF will make paylines crater nonetheless.
Everything has been so bleak lately, I missed this piece of good news!
jm-aq.com/congress-rej...
jm-aq.com/congress-rej...
Congress Rejects Cuts to NIH, Increases Budget for FY26
Citing Research and Innovation Priorities, Congress Pushes Back on Trump Administration’s NIH Budget Proposal On February 3, 2026, the President signed...
jm-aq.com
February 7, 2026 at 12:38 AM
But the impact of MYF will make paylines crater nonetheless.
Nice to see some yeast genetics in a Cell paper, where the authors test models based on single-molecule in vitro analysis. The combination of genetics and biochemistry often addresses questions most effectively.
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
A non-catalytic role for RFC in PCNA-mediated processive DNA synthesis
The RFC clamp loader remains associated with PCNA beyond the loading step, supporting
processive DNA replication by stabilizing the inherently unstable PCNA-polymerase
ẟ complex.
www.cell.com
February 6, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Nice to see some yeast genetics in a Cell paper, where the authors test models based on single-molecule in vitro analysis. The combination of genetics and biochemistry often addresses questions most effectively.
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Meanwhile in China…
We're launching a research lab at SMART. Shenzhen Medical Academy for Research and Translation is a newly established institute with long-term funding mechanisms for internal and external investigators. At full capacity SMART aims to support up to 400 labs.
www.scmp.com/news/china/s...
www.scmp.com/news/china/s...
Structural biologist Alexey Amunts launches new research lab in Shenzhen
‘Shenzhen adds another dimension; it is a place where ideas do not remain ideas for long,’ Amunts says of new position.
www.scmp.com
February 6, 2026 at 7:04 AM
Meanwhile in China…
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
BREAKING: Over 680 members of the National Academy of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering have endorsed articles of impeachment against RFK Jr.
(1/2 🧵)
(1/2 🧵)
February 5, 2026 at 9:08 PM
BREAKING: Over 680 members of the National Academy of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering have endorsed articles of impeachment against RFK Jr.
(1/2 🧵)
(1/2 🧵)
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
My weekly update on NIH funding.
This is for all projects.
The breakdown for competing and non-competing awards will follow.
1/4
This is for all projects.
The breakdown for competing and non-competing awards will follow.
1/4
February 4, 2026 at 3:35 PM
My weekly update on NIH funding.
This is for all projects.
The breakdown for competing and non-competing awards will follow.
1/4
This is for all projects.
The breakdown for competing and non-competing awards will follow.
1/4
Not good. I don’t understand why dems acquiesced on this.
It is limited in statute with teeth. But only to FY25 levels (39%) - the same level that contributed substantially to a 25% decrease in new science funding from NIH last year.
So it's not toothless but it is ineffective.
So it's not toothless but it is ineffective.
February 4, 2026 at 6:54 AM
Not good. I don’t understand why dems acquiesced on this.
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
Bhattacharya, a moment ago: "What you've been seeing in the press is that there have been funding cuts. There haven't been funding cuts. What there has been is a change in agency priorities."
Our year in numbers begs to differ
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
Our year in numbers begs to differ
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
January 30, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Bhattacharya, a moment ago: "What you've been seeing in the press is that there have been funding cuts. There haven't been funding cuts. What there has been is a change in agency priorities."
Our year in numbers begs to differ
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
Our year in numbers begs to differ
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
Important update: a federal judge has ruled that Russ Vought & OMB were breaking the law & must tell the public exactly how they are spending (or not spending) funds appropriated by Congress.
I wrote this law years ago to ensure transparency and accountability.
I wrote this law years ago to ensure transparency and accountability.
BREAKING: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reveal how it apportions taxpayer money, including information it apparently tried to hide through spend plans in footnotes.
This is a huge win for transparency and accountability!
This is a huge win for transparency and accountability!
Court once again shuts down OMB attempts to keep spending secret - CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
A federal judge ordered the Trump admin to reveal legally binding plans to spend congressionally appropriated funds today in a lawsuit brought by CREW against OMB and OMB's Director Russell Vought.
www.citizensforethics.org
January 30, 2026 at 12:33 AM
Important update: a federal judge has ruled that Russ Vought & OMB were breaking the law & must tell the public exactly how they are spending (or not spending) funds appropriated by Congress.
I wrote this law years ago to ensure transparency and accountability.
I wrote this law years ago to ensure transparency and accountability.
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
Help us get the word out!!!
GET IN, DORKS!
The stakes are high and we have a LOT to stand up for in 2026.
Join us on March 7th, 2026! www.standupforscience.net/march7
Want to host an event in your area? Sign up here: fight2win.standupforscience.net/sign_up/14434/
#Standupforscience #takebackourscience
The stakes are high and we have a LOT to stand up for in 2026.
Join us on March 7th, 2026! www.standupforscience.net/march7
Want to host an event in your area? Sign up here: fight2win.standupforscience.net/sign_up/14434/
#Standupforscience #takebackourscience
January 29, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Help us get the word out!!!
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
🧬 Meet Sni445, a newly discovered #Yeast ribosome assembly factor! Ynl050c/Sni445 recruits specialized snoRNPs (snR4 & snR45) that guide precise rRNA acetylation during ribosome synthesis. Another piece of the puzzle solved!
🧪 #YeastResearch #SGD
www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S1...
🧪 #YeastResearch #SGD
www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S1...
January 29, 2026 at 11:19 PM
🧬 Meet Sni445, a newly discovered #Yeast ribosome assembly factor! Ynl050c/Sni445 recruits specialized snoRNPs (snR4 & snR45) that guide precise rRNA acetylation during ribosome synthesis. Another piece of the puzzle solved!
🧪 #YeastResearch #SGD
www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S1...
🧪 #YeastResearch #SGD
www.yeastgenome.org/reference/S1...
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
We could have 4 JWST’s or a science mission at every planet. The NIH could be funded for two years. Or 1.5 years or so of USAID funding, if it still existed.
This is how they’re spending our tax dollars. This is our money.
This is how they’re spending our tax dollars. This is our money.
Personally I think this is too much money for Donald trumps untrained heavily armed militia
January 29, 2026 at 2:30 AM
We could have 4 JWST’s or a science mission at every planet. The NIH could be funded for two years. Or 1.5 years or so of USAID funding, if it still existed.
This is how they’re spending our tax dollars. This is our money.
This is how they’re spending our tax dollars. This is our money.
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
The Senate should pass all 5 bills to fund cancer research, child care, and more THIS WEEK. Senate Democrats are ready to do just that.
Meanwhile, we need to keep negotiating DHS funding to bring sanity and due process to our immigration enforcement.
No Republican shutdown.
Meanwhile, we need to keep negotiating DHS funding to bring sanity and due process to our immigration enforcement.
No Republican shutdown.
January 27, 2026 at 1:31 AM
The Senate should pass all 5 bills to fund cancer research, child care, and more THIS WEEK. Senate Democrats are ready to do just that.
Meanwhile, we need to keep negotiating DHS funding to bring sanity and due process to our immigration enforcement.
No Republican shutdown.
Meanwhile, we need to keep negotiating DHS funding to bring sanity and due process to our immigration enforcement.
No Republican shutdown.
If you are looking for a distraction, this seems cool. Sticky ends++. If it works as advertised, seems like it could be a game-changer.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Construction of complex and diverse DNA sequences using DNA three-way junctions - Nature
Sidewinder enables high-fidelity DNA assembly by separating the information that guides assembly from the final assembled sequence.
www.nature.com
January 26, 2026 at 9:20 PM
If you are looking for a distraction, this seems cool. Sticky ends++. If it works as advertised, seems like it could be a game-changer.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
I am excited to offer a postdoctoral research position in my lab in Oxford studying the distribution of small RNAs during plant sexual reproduction. shorturl.at/7Goxt
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
January 26, 2026 at 4:31 PM
I am excited to offer a postdoctoral research position in my lab in Oxford studying the distribution of small RNAs during plant sexual reproduction. shorturl.at/7Goxt
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
Reposts appreciated!
Obligatory cat video to brighten your day. :-)
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
It's time to identify those 23 people and begin the pressure on them. This administration will not stop, even if the courts order it. That much is clear.
Reminder: All it would take to end the murder of American citizens by an untrained government goon squad is 16 Republicans in Congress voting with Dems to defund ICE (or 23 to impeach and remove Trump — 3 in House & 20 in Senate). That’s it. 23 Americans can vote for the public and end all of this.
January 24, 2026 at 7:01 PM
It's time to identify those 23 people and begin the pressure on them. This administration will not stop, even if the courts order it. That much is clear.
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
California just joined the World Health Organization.
I love it.
I love it.
California joins WHO public health network following US exit, marking a first for any state
California joined WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, countering federal withdrawal from the organization.
www.abc10.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:30 PM
California just joined the World Health Organization.
I love it.
I love it.
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
Important story from Max Kozlov. Loss without replacement of council members is a serious concerns which could be a huge problem in the future, but this is uncertain.
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026
Thirteen of the agency’s advisory councils, which must review grant applications before funding is awarded, are on track to have no voting members.
www.nature.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Important story from Max Kozlov. Loss without replacement of council members is a serious concerns which could be a huge problem in the future, but this is uncertain.
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
The language on multiyear funding (MYF) is ineffective.
Final bill anchors MYF to 2025 instead of 2024. This means MYF will likely continue at the same rate we saw last year, where NCI's payline from ~10% to 4%.
This is incredibly harmful to the US research workforce - especially early career.
Final bill anchors MYF to 2025 instead of 2024. This means MYF will likely continue at the same rate we saw last year, where NCI's payline from ~10% to 4%.
This is incredibly harmful to the US research workforce - especially early career.
The final LHHS bill with funding for Health and Human Services is out this morning! At first glance, it looks similar to the Senate bill with a roughly 1% increase in total funding for the NIH. While it doesn't match inflation, it avoids many of the problems in the presidential budget request. 1/n
January 20, 2026 at 3:25 PM
The language on multiyear funding (MYF) is ineffective.
Final bill anchors MYF to 2025 instead of 2024. This means MYF will likely continue at the same rate we saw last year, where NCI's payline from ~10% to 4%.
This is incredibly harmful to the US research workforce - especially early career.
Final bill anchors MYF to 2025 instead of 2024. This means MYF will likely continue at the same rate we saw last year, where NCI's payline from ~10% to 4%.
This is incredibly harmful to the US research workforce - especially early career.
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
YES! A step in the right direction. After a horrendous year for science & the #NIH, it is imperative to protect it from political interference. NIH's success is due to decisions based on science, not political ideology.
Science does not belong to politicians.
🧪 degette.house.gov/media-center...
Science does not belong to politicians.
🧪 degette.house.gov/media-center...
DeGette Introduces Bill to Protect NIH From Political Interference
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, introduced the Follow the Science Act to shield the National Institutes...
degette.house.gov
January 22, 2026 at 8:37 PM
YES! A step in the right direction. After a horrendous year for science & the #NIH, it is imperative to protect it from political interference. NIH's success is due to decisions based on science, not political ideology.
Science does not belong to politicians.
🧪 degette.house.gov/media-center...
Science does not belong to politicians.
🧪 degette.house.gov/media-center...
Reposted by Hiten Madhani
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
Exclusive: key NIH review panels due to lose all members by the end of 2026
Thirteen of the agency’s advisory councils, which must review grant applications before funding is awarded, are on track to have no voting members.
www.nature.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:46 PM
🚨 New from me: Grant review at more than half of NIH's institutes could be frozen by the end of the year.
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵
That's because crucial NIH grant-review panels are slated to be empty at those institutes by Jan 2027.
A wonky bureaucratic problem with big implications.
A short 🧵