Marina Watowich
@marinawatowich.bsky.social
Postdoc @VanderbiltU | genomics + lifestyle + aging | she/her
Reposted by Marina Watowich
This is excellent; a very clear explanation of what’s at stake at Columbia.
academeblog.org/2025/03/20/a.... Extremely important statement by Constitutional law scholars. Please share if you can.
A Statement from Constitutional Law Scholars on Columbia
POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN The following extraordinary statement was published today in the New York Review of Books and is reposted here with their permission. The statement’s signatories incl…
academeblog.org
March 21, 2025 at 4:04 PM
This is excellent; a very clear explanation of what’s at stake at Columbia.
Reposted by Marina Watowich
🚨 Everyone needs to call their Dem Senator right now. They are starting to cave.
Tell them:
1. Vote NO on Cloture
AND
2. Vote NO on the Republican spending bill.
Don’t let them pivot to reconciliation. GOP doesn’t need Dem votes on that and they know it.
TODAY is the showdown.
🤳🏽: (202) 224-3121
Tell them:
1. Vote NO on Cloture
AND
2. Vote NO on the Republican spending bill.
Don’t let them pivot to reconciliation. GOP doesn’t need Dem votes on that and they know it.
TODAY is the showdown.
🤳🏽: (202) 224-3121
March 12, 2025 at 2:19 PM
🚨 Everyone needs to call their Dem Senator right now. They are starting to cave.
Tell them:
1. Vote NO on Cloture
AND
2. Vote NO on the Republican spending bill.
Don’t let them pivot to reconciliation. GOP doesn’t need Dem votes on that and they know it.
TODAY is the showdown.
🤳🏽: (202) 224-3121
Tell them:
1. Vote NO on Cloture
AND
2. Vote NO on the Republican spending bill.
Don’t let them pivot to reconciliation. GOP doesn’t need Dem votes on that and they know it.
TODAY is the showdown.
🤳🏽: (202) 224-3121
Reposted by Marina Watowich
House Republicans just voted to gut Medicaid, which covers 1 in 5 Americans overall, including 41% of births and 63% of nursing home care.
They also just voted to gut SNAP, on which 41 million food insecure Americans rely.
This won’t just harm people. This will kill people.
They own this.
They also just voted to gut SNAP, on which 41 million food insecure Americans rely.
This won’t just harm people. This will kill people.
They own this.
February 26, 2025 at 1:22 AM
House Republicans just voted to gut Medicaid, which covers 1 in 5 Americans overall, including 41% of births and 63% of nursing home care.
They also just voted to gut SNAP, on which 41 million food insecure Americans rely.
This won’t just harm people. This will kill people.
They own this.
They also just voted to gut SNAP, on which 41 million food insecure Americans rely.
This won’t just harm people. This will kill people.
They own this.
Reposted by Marina Watowich
If you're looking for details for your calls, House Dems produced this tool where you can how many people in your district are at risk of losing jobs, health care, and food on the table from the House GOP budget.
"For the sake of the X people in CA-54 who will lose their Medicaid, please vote no."
"For the sake of the X people in CA-54 who will lose their Medicaid, please vote no."
February 25, 2025 at 5:42 PM
If you're looking for details for your calls, House Dems produced this tool where you can how many people in your district are at risk of losing jobs, health care, and food on the table from the House GOP budget.
"For the sake of the X people in CA-54 who will lose their Medicaid, please vote no."
"For the sake of the X people in CA-54 who will lose their Medicaid, please vote no."
Reposted by Marina Watowich
Dear scientists at US universities: Trump/Musk continue to freeze your grants. NIH is not reviewing grants nor funding them in council. This is a backhanded, legal method to effectively stop NIH grants.
See thread and linked article.
Are we going to “keep our heads down” about this?
See thread and linked article.
Are we going to “keep our heads down” about this?
This is a five-alarm fire 🔥 for US science 🧪.
(We keep saying that, but it keeps being true 😭.)
Trump and Musk are blocking *ALL* NIH grants ‼️ by "exploiting a loophole in the process"—stopping study sections & council meetings.
Every biomedical researcher in the country should be screaming. 1/
(We keep saying that, but it keeps being true 😭.)
Trump and Musk are blocking *ALL* NIH grants ‼️ by "exploiting a loophole in the process"—stopping study sections & council meetings.
Every biomedical researcher in the country should be screaming. 1/
NEW: The Trump administration is exploiting a loophole to keep funding frozen at the NIH - a move that some legal scholars say is illegal.
Federal Register notices are blocked, so no grant-review sessions can be scheduled.
All the gritty details here, and a short 🧵:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Federal Register notices are blocked, so no grant-review sessions can be scheduled.
All the gritty details here, and a short 🧵:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
February 21, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Dear scientists at US universities: Trump/Musk continue to freeze your grants. NIH is not reviewing grants nor funding them in council. This is a backhanded, legal method to effectively stop NIH grants.
See thread and linked article.
Are we going to “keep our heads down” about this?
See thread and linked article.
Are we going to “keep our heads down” about this?
Reposted by Marina Watowich
I wrote an op-ed for voters in a red state about how devastating NIH indirect cuts are. This type of writing isn’t my comfort zone, but I think we as scientists need to get the word out. Happy to chat with others looking to do the same in their communities!
www.tennessean.com/story/opinio...
www.tennessean.com/story/opinio...
National Insitutes of Health funding cuts by Trump administration benefit no one | Opinion
Indirect funds are essential for supporting the research infrastructure needed to develop innovative solutions to the most pressing health challenges.
www.tennessean.com
February 15, 2025 at 4:01 PM
I wrote an op-ed for voters in a red state about how devastating NIH indirect cuts are. This type of writing isn’t my comfort zone, but I think we as scientists need to get the word out. Happy to chat with others looking to do the same in their communities!
www.tennessean.com/story/opinio...
www.tennessean.com/story/opinio...
Reposted by Marina Watowich
Private equity acquisitions of US hospitals have increased over the past decade, and such acquisitions were associated with a worsening of patient care experience compared to non-acquired hospitals.
ja.ma/4hQZu2L
#MedSky
ja.ma/4hQZu2L
#MedSky
February 11, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Private equity acquisitions of US hospitals have increased over the past decade, and such acquisitions were associated with a worsening of patient care experience compared to non-acquired hospitals.
ja.ma/4hQZu2L
#MedSky
ja.ma/4hQZu2L
#MedSky
Reposted by Marina Watowich
This. Which is why I'm even more upset about the idea of clinical trials grinding to a halt—including ones that might help my mother fight mesothelioma—than the fact that my own job will likely disappear by September.
#FundScience #FightCancer
#FundScience #FightCancer
From cancers to asthma to diabetes to heart disease to Alzheimer's to tooth decay, NIH-funded research has advanced, improved, & accelerated treatment.
While industry was getting folks INTENTIONALLY HOOKED ON OPIOIDS, health scientists were working through nights & weekends to make people safer.
While industry was getting folks INTENTIONALLY HOOKED ON OPIOIDS, health scientists were working through nights & weekends to make people safer.
a man in a lab coat stands in a lab with the words " good job " on his back
Alt: a man in a lab coat stands in a lab with the words " good job " on his back
media.tenor.com
February 8, 2025 at 6:37 PM
This. Which is why I'm even more upset about the idea of clinical trials grinding to a halt—including ones that might help my mother fight mesothelioma—than the fact that my own job will likely disappear by September.
#FundScience #FightCancer
#FundScience #FightCancer
Reposted by Marina Watowich
Scientists and journalists need to figure out right quick how to explain to the average person how a massive change in research indirects will impact the medical care they and their children get (eg at the local children’s hospital), the education their children will get, the price of tuition, etc.
February 8, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Scientists and journalists need to figure out right quick how to explain to the average person how a massive change in research indirects will impact the medical care they and their children get (eg at the local children’s hospital), the education their children will get, the price of tuition, etc.
Reposted by Marina Watowich
LGBTQIA minors make up 40% of the endangered minor runaway population. They are 120% more likely to be unhoused. They are also uniquely at risk for exploitation and trafficking.
This is breathtakingly evil.
This is breathtakingly evil.
New — The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) was told this week by DOJ that they'd lose their funding if the org didn't remove any mentions of LGBTQIA+ issues from their public materials, I've learned. Staff were told they need to deadname trans kids in their reports to comply.
February 7, 2025 at 4:00 AM
LGBTQIA minors make up 40% of the endangered minor runaway population. They are 120% more likely to be unhoused. They are also uniquely at risk for exploitation and trafficking.
This is breathtakingly evil.
This is breathtakingly evil.
Reposted by Marina Watowich
If anyone has the resources to resist, its HHMI. Ending this program with no notice and literally scrubbing evidence it ever existed from the website is shocking and dosappointing
February 5, 2025 at 8:46 PM
If anyone has the resources to resist, its HHMI. Ending this program with no notice and literally scrubbing evidence it ever existed from the website is shocking and dosappointing
Reposted by Marina Watowich
It’s RFK Jr Week!
If your senator is below, call them (202) 224-3121
• Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Joni Ernst (R-IA)
• Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
• Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
• Susan Collins (R-ME)
• Thom Tillis (R-NC)
• James Lankford (R-OK)
• John Cornyn (R-TX)
• John Curtis (R-UT)
• Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
If your senator is below, call them (202) 224-3121
• Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Joni Ernst (R-IA)
• Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
• Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
• Susan Collins (R-ME)
• Thom Tillis (R-NC)
• James Lankford (R-OK)
• John Cornyn (R-TX)
• John Curtis (R-UT)
• Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
January 27, 2025 at 4:47 PM
It’s RFK Jr Week!
If your senator is below, call them (202) 224-3121
• Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Joni Ernst (R-IA)
• Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
• Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
• Susan Collins (R-ME)
• Thom Tillis (R-NC)
• James Lankford (R-OK)
• John Cornyn (R-TX)
• John Curtis (R-UT)
• Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
If your senator is below, call them (202) 224-3121
• Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Joni Ernst (R-IA)
• Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
• Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
• Susan Collins (R-ME)
• Thom Tillis (R-NC)
• James Lankford (R-OK)
• John Cornyn (R-TX)
• John Curtis (R-UT)
• Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
Reposted by Marina Watowich
Today the Trump admin abruptly and indefinitely terminated many of the activities of the National Institutes of Health, the $50B/year collection of agencies that power the US biotech and health ecosystems. Even if these orders were lifted tomorrow, the disruption would be enormous.
Why care? 🧵
Why care? 🧵
Why should the public care about the freeze on the NIH? Aside from the need for scientific pursuits to make our society better…
-For every dollar we invest in NIH research, there is a $2.5 return.
-Research dollars help fund universities that employ non-academics. (1/)
-For every dollar we invest in NIH research, there is a $2.5 return.
-Research dollars help fund universities that employ non-academics. (1/)
January 23, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Today the Trump admin abruptly and indefinitely terminated many of the activities of the National Institutes of Health, the $50B/year collection of agencies that power the US biotech and health ecosystems. Even if these orders were lifted tomorrow, the disruption would be enormous.
Why care? 🧵
Why care? 🧵