Lauren Laifer
@laurenlaifer.bsky.social
T32 Postdoctoral Scholar @ Pitt Psychiatry
Perinatal mental health and trauma, parenting, and early child socioemotional outcomes
Perinatal mental health and trauma, parenting, and early child socioemotional outcomes
Pinned
Lauren Laifer
@laurenlaifer.bsky.social
· Aug 20
And just like that, a mere 7 years later, I officially earned my PhD and had the privilege of being hooded by my dad, the OG Dr. Laifer. I cannot thank my wonderful mentors, labmates, family, and friends enough for their guidance and never ending support ❤️
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
The Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at UNL is hiring a Research Assistant Professor! Work with my wonderful colleague Tim Nelson on NIH-funded developmental/health projects and grow your own line of research. The DCN Lab is an amazing team with lots of opportunities and support.
November 19, 2025 at 5:14 PM
The Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at UNL is hiring a Research Assistant Professor! Work with my wonderful colleague Tim Nelson on NIH-funded developmental/health projects and grow your own line of research. The DCN Lab is an amazing team with lots of opportunities and support.
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
Pennsylvania has an important Supreme Court race coming up on Tuesday, November 4. If you live in the Keystone State, or know someone who does, vote YES to retain three justices who will protect your fundamental rights and freedoms.
October 29, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Pennsylvania has an important Supreme Court race coming up on Tuesday, November 4. If you live in the Keystone State, or know someone who does, vote YES to retain three justices who will protect your fundamental rights and freedoms.
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
Are you applying to a PhD in Clinical or Counseling Psychology? Here is a list of mentors who are taking students. Please circulate widely (and on X) so all applicants can benefit 😀. If you are mentoring please do add your name!
#clinicalpsychology @abctnow.bsky.social
#clinicalpsychology @abctnow.bsky.social
Accepting Clinical or Counselling Psychology Grad Student?
docs.google.com
September 23, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Are you applying to a PhD in Clinical or Counseling Psychology? Here is a list of mentors who are taking students. Please circulate widely (and on X) so all applicants can benefit 😀. If you are mentoring please do add your name!
#clinicalpsychology @abctnow.bsky.social
#clinicalpsychology @abctnow.bsky.social
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
Are you accepting PhD applications in Clinical Psychology for Fall 2026 (U.S.)?
If so, please consider adding your name to the document linked in the comments. Our hope is to help reduce the load on applicants.
Please share widely and on X! #clinicalpsychology @abctnow.bsky.social
If so, please consider adding your name to the document linked in the comments. Our hope is to help reduce the load on applicants.
Please share widely and on X! #clinicalpsychology @abctnow.bsky.social
September 4, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Are you accepting PhD applications in Clinical Psychology for Fall 2026 (U.S.)?
If so, please consider adding your name to the document linked in the comments. Our hope is to help reduce the load on applicants.
Please share widely and on X! #clinicalpsychology @abctnow.bsky.social
If so, please consider adding your name to the document linked in the comments. Our hope is to help reduce the load on applicants.
Please share widely and on X! #clinicalpsychology @abctnow.bsky.social
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
This is a VERY important read about the status of NIH funding & how funding works. Labs all over the country are feeling the effects of this policy change. Last year, 10% of grants got funded.
The number will be reduced this year & beyond. 🧵
🧪 scienceandfreedomalliance.substack.com/p/a-quiet-po...
The number will be reduced this year & beyond. 🧵
🧪 scienceandfreedomalliance.substack.com/p/a-quiet-po...
A Quiet Policy Shift That Could Devastate American Science
Why NIH’s sudden move to multi-year grant funding should alarm every principal investigator and university
scienceandfreedomalliance.substack.com
August 21, 2025 at 3:47 PM
This is a VERY important read about the status of NIH funding & how funding works. Labs all over the country are feeling the effects of this policy change. Last year, 10% of grants got funded.
The number will be reduced this year & beyond. 🧵
🧪 scienceandfreedomalliance.substack.com/p/a-quiet-po...
The number will be reduced this year & beyond. 🧵
🧪 scienceandfreedomalliance.substack.com/p/a-quiet-po...
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
The ideological cancellation of $800 million of scientific research grants because they supposedly focused on DEI was just backed by the Supreme Court. This is horrific on so many levels.
Supreme Court allows NIH to stop making nearly $800M in research grants for now
But the court, in its emergency docket order, also left in place by a 5-4 order a lower court ruling that threw out NIH memos that enforced the administration's policies.
www.npr.org
August 21, 2025 at 11:11 PM
The ideological cancellation of $800 million of scientific research grants because they supposedly focused on DEI was just backed by the Supreme Court. This is horrific on so many levels.
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
Yes it's actually good that we have fMRI to know this, because men's parental bond has been understudied & essentialist narratives continue to insist that only women have "maternal instinct." Showing how the male brain responds to infant stimuli helps us appreciate human adaptations to fatherhood!
Whew, glad we have fMRI to know this.
First-time fathers show distinct brain responses to their own babies
August 21, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Yes it's actually good that we have fMRI to know this, because men's parental bond has been understudied & essentialist narratives continue to insist that only women have "maternal instinct." Showing how the male brain responds to infant stimuli helps us appreciate human adaptations to fatherhood!
And just like that, a mere 7 years later, I officially earned my PhD and had the privilege of being hooded by my dad, the OG Dr. Laifer. I cannot thank my wonderful mentors, labmates, family, and friends enough for their guidance and never ending support ❤️
August 20, 2025 at 5:34 PM
And just like that, a mere 7 years later, I officially earned my PhD and had the privilege of being hooded by my dad, the OG Dr. Laifer. I cannot thank my wonderful mentors, labmates, family, and friends enough for their guidance and never ending support ❤️
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
THIS IS VERY BAD.
Trump just signed an EO giving political appointees the job of approving all federal grants.
There is a lot to unpack in this, so sit tight. But it’s decidedly very bad.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential... Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking – The White House
Trump just signed an EO giving political appointees the job of approving all federal grants.
There is a lot to unpack in this, so sit tight. But it’s decidedly very bad.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential... Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking – The White House
Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to improve the process of Federal
www.whitehouse.gov
August 7, 2025 at 9:44 PM
THIS IS VERY BAD.
Trump just signed an EO giving political appointees the job of approving all federal grants.
There is a lot to unpack in this, so sit tight. But it’s decidedly very bad.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential... Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking – The White House
Trump just signed an EO giving political appointees the job of approving all federal grants.
There is a lot to unpack in this, so sit tight. But it’s decidedly very bad.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential... Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking – The White House
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
American Psychological Foundation released a call for applications for crisis funding to support early career researchers who had grants terminated. Looks like a great opportunity!
ampsychfdn.org/funding/dacf/
ampsychfdn.org/funding/dacf/
Direct Action Crisis Funding - American Psychological Foundation
The APF Direct Action Crisis Funding grants are for activities to address immediate needs following grant cancellations, including completing a wave of data collection, analyzing already collected dat...
ampsychfdn.org
July 24, 2025 at 9:51 PM
American Psychological Foundation released a call for applications for crisis funding to support early career researchers who had grants terminated. Looks like a great opportunity!
ampsychfdn.org/funding/dacf/
ampsychfdn.org/funding/dacf/
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
Our paper with guidance for mental health researchers, clinicians, and advocates in the current era of abortion restrictions is officially published online. This paper is for everyone, including folks who don’t actively study or treat reproductive mental health. journals.sagepub.com/eprint/NZWIK...
July 1, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Our paper with guidance for mental health researchers, clinicians, and advocates in the current era of abortion restrictions is officially published online. This paper is for everyone, including folks who don’t actively study or treat reproductive mental health. journals.sagepub.com/eprint/NZWIK...
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
🚨 Postdoc Opportunity!!!
The Toronto Early Cognition Lab (@UofT) is hiring a postdoc to study early optimism in infants & young children.
Work w/ multi-method approach, amazing undergrads & grads.
Start: Fall 2025 or later.
Details: jessica.sommerville@utoronto.ca
RTs appreciated 💫
The Toronto Early Cognition Lab (@UofT) is hiring a postdoc to study early optimism in infants & young children.
Work w/ multi-method approach, amazing undergrads & grads.
Start: Fall 2025 or later.
Details: jessica.sommerville@utoronto.ca
RTs appreciated 💫
June 26, 2025 at 2:48 PM
🚨 Postdoc Opportunity!!!
The Toronto Early Cognition Lab (@UofT) is hiring a postdoc to study early optimism in infants & young children.
Work w/ multi-method approach, amazing undergrads & grads.
Start: Fall 2025 or later.
Details: jessica.sommerville@utoronto.ca
RTs appreciated 💫
The Toronto Early Cognition Lab (@UofT) is hiring a postdoc to study early optimism in infants & young children.
Work w/ multi-method approach, amazing undergrads & grads.
Start: Fall 2025 or later.
Details: jessica.sommerville@utoronto.ca
RTs appreciated 💫
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
What? Some good news on a Friday?
Parent Fellowship Notices of Funding Opportunities are up!
F30, F31, F32, F33
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Parent Fellowship Notices of Funding Opportunities are up!
F30, F31, F32, F33
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
PA-25-422: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31)
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31) PA-25-422. NI...
grants.nih.gov
June 13, 2025 at 11:06 PM
What? Some good news on a Friday?
Parent Fellowship Notices of Funding Opportunities are up!
F30, F31, F32, F33
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Parent Fellowship Notices of Funding Opportunities are up!
F30, F31, F32, F33
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
NEW: The Trump administration said their research did not "enhance health, lengthen life, or reduce illness."
Thousands of scientists disagreed.
We heard from +150 researchers impacted by the NIH grant terminations on what is being lost in the cuts. 🧵👇
projects.propublica.org/nih-cuts-res...
Thousands of scientists disagreed.
We heard from +150 researchers impacted by the NIH grant terminations on what is being lost in the cuts. 🧵👇
projects.propublica.org/nih-cuts-res...
Shattered Science: The Research Lost as Trump Targets NIH Funding
The Trump administration cut research funding that sought cures for future pandemics, examined the causes of dementia and tried to prevent HIV transmission. More than 150 researchers shared with ProPu...
projects.propublica.org
June 12, 2025 at 12:30 PM
NEW: The Trump administration said their research did not "enhance health, lengthen life, or reduce illness."
Thousands of scientists disagreed.
We heard from +150 researchers impacted by the NIH grant terminations on what is being lost in the cuts. 🧵👇
projects.propublica.org/nih-cuts-res...
Thousands of scientists disagreed.
We heard from +150 researchers impacted by the NIH grant terminations on what is being lost in the cuts. 🧵👇
projects.propublica.org/nih-cuts-res...
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
"It's a horror show. We're under attack in every way all the time," says Sarah Kobrin, who has worked at the National Cancer Institute for more than 21 years. "We're told we're worthless. We're told we're cheats.… They're breaking things that won't be repairable."
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
NIH scientists call on director to protect biomedical research
In a public letter, hundreds of scientists expressed their dissent to the Trump administration's policies affecting the National Institutes of Health and called on its director to support the agency.
www.npr.org
June 9, 2025 at 7:24 PM
"It's a horror show. We're under attack in every way all the time," says Sarah Kobrin, who has worked at the National Cancer Institute for more than 21 years. "We're told we're worthless. We're told we're cheats.… They're breaking things that won't be repairable."
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
I’m thrilled to share this preprint with a brilliant co-author team.
We describe several crises mental health science faces in the current sociopolitical context, as well as new and previously-overlooked opportunities to make non-incremental progress.
https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/nz42x_v1
We describe several crises mental health science faces in the current sociopolitical context, as well as new and previously-overlooked opportunities to make non-incremental progress.
https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/nz42x_v1
June 10, 2025 at 2:01 PM
I’m thrilled to share this preprint with a brilliant co-author team.
We describe several crises mental health science faces in the current sociopolitical context, as well as new and previously-overlooked opportunities to make non-incremental progress.
https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/nz42x_v1
We describe several crises mental health science faces in the current sociopolitical context, as well as new and previously-overlooked opportunities to make non-incremental progress.
https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/nz42x_v1
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
🙋♀️ 👋🚨 Two of my grad students had their NIH Diversity Supplements abruptly cancelled. We plan to appeal. We'd love to coordinate with other folks w/ cancelled grants. Does this already exist? If not, could we start a Slack, email or text thread, or shared Google Drive to share appeals & strategize?
June 6, 2025 at 9:49 PM
🙋♀️ 👋🚨 Two of my grad students had their NIH Diversity Supplements abruptly cancelled. We plan to appeal. We'd love to coordinate with other folks w/ cancelled grants. Does this already exist? If not, could we start a Slack, email or text thread, or shared Google Drive to share appeals & strategize?
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
New powerful article up in the New York Times on cancelled and delayed grants
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Here Are the Nearly 2,500 Medical Research Grants Canceled or Delayed by Trump (Gift Article)
Some cuts have been starkly visible, but the country’s medical grant-making machinery has also radically transformed outside the public eye.
www.nytimes.com
June 4, 2025 at 3:01 PM
New powerful article up in the New York Times on cancelled and delayed grants
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
Important read from @darbysaxbe.bsky.social about her clinical psychology PhD student’s NIH grant getting cancelled:
darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/my-student...
@uscpsychology.bsky.social
darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/my-student...
@uscpsychology.bsky.social
My student's funding just got axed
How the administration's attacks on science are hurting trainees
darbysaxbe.substack.com
June 4, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Important read from @darbysaxbe.bsky.social about her clinical psychology PhD student’s NIH grant getting cancelled:
darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/my-student...
@uscpsychology.bsky.social
darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/my-student...
@uscpsychology.bsky.social
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
Scientists,
I am asking us to do something that goes against our nature:
Step away from fine-grained, nuanced arguments. Zoom WAY out. Share the big picture. Don’t soften the seriousness of this moment with “xxx may be ok in xxx circumstances” talk.
It’s uncomfortable AND necessary.
I am asking us to do something that goes against our nature:
Step away from fine-grained, nuanced arguments. Zoom WAY out. Share the big picture. Don’t soften the seriousness of this moment with “xxx may be ok in xxx circumstances” talk.
It’s uncomfortable AND necessary.
May 25, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Scientists,
I am asking us to do something that goes against our nature:
Step away from fine-grained, nuanced arguments. Zoom WAY out. Share the big picture. Don’t soften the seriousness of this moment with “xxx may be ok in xxx circumstances” talk.
It’s uncomfortable AND necessary.
I am asking us to do something that goes against our nature:
Step away from fine-grained, nuanced arguments. Zoom WAY out. Share the big picture. Don’t soften the seriousness of this moment with “xxx may be ok in xxx circumstances” talk.
It’s uncomfortable AND necessary.
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
How bad will it be? Catastrophic.
Proposed cuts to #NSF, #NIH, and #NASA will set the US R&D landscape back 25 yrs+, cause economic and job loss now, and undermine innovations to come.
But, this is the WH's *proposed* budget.
Speak up now before it is too late.
(inflation adjusted $-s below)
Proposed cuts to #NSF, #NIH, and #NASA will set the US R&D landscape back 25 yrs+, cause economic and job loss now, and undermine innovations to come.
But, this is the WH's *proposed* budget.
Speak up now before it is too late.
(inflation adjusted $-s below)
May 31, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
ASSIGNMENT: COMMENT ON SCHEDULE F
1 week left to comment about Schedule F, potentially making NIH institute and center director essentially political appointees.
www.regulations.gov/commenton/OP...
1/n
1 week left to comment about Schedule F, potentially making NIH institute and center director essentially political appointees.
www.regulations.gov/commenton/OP...
1/n
Regulations.gov
www.regulations.gov
May 31, 2025 at 1:48 PM
ASSIGNMENT: COMMENT ON SCHEDULE F
1 week left to comment about Schedule F, potentially making NIH institute and center director essentially political appointees.
www.regulations.gov/commenton/OP...
1/n
1 week left to comment about Schedule F, potentially making NIH institute and center director essentially political appointees.
www.regulations.gov/commenton/OP...
1/n
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
To put these top-line budget numbers in context, cuts of this magnitude would effectively mean no new grants in FY2026. The entire extramural budget would go to existing, continuing grants.
An abject failure of American ambition. And a betrayal of our global leadership in health science innovation.
An abject failure of American ambition. And a betrayal of our global leadership in health science innovation.
#BREAKING: New HHS document details deep NIH cuts as part of Trump budget request
www.statnews.com/2025/05/30/n...
www.statnews.com/2025/05/30/n...
New HHS document details deep NIH cuts as part of Trump budget request
Budget documents for Congress provide the most detailed look yet at how the Trump Administration hopes to reshape the National Institutes of Health.
www.statnews.com
May 31, 2025 at 12:23 AM
To put these top-line budget numbers in context, cuts of this magnitude would effectively mean no new grants in FY2026. The entire extramural budget would go to existing, continuing grants.
An abject failure of American ambition. And a betrayal of our global leadership in health science innovation.
An abject failure of American ambition. And a betrayal of our global leadership in health science innovation.
Reposted by Lauren Laifer
Are you a PI of a federal grant cancelled by the Trump administration?
Please share your info with the Democratic Staff of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who launched this portal yesterday to track funding cancellations 🔭🧪
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
Please share your info with the Democratic Staff of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who launched this portal yesterday to track funding cancellations 🔭🧪
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
May 29, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Are you a PI of a federal grant cancelled by the Trump administration?
Please share your info with the Democratic Staff of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who launched this portal yesterday to track funding cancellations 🔭🧪
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
Please share your info with the Democratic Staff of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who launched this portal yesterday to track funding cancellations 🔭🧪
forms.office.com/pages/respon...