Mark Namba, PhD
@mdnamba.bsky.social
Postdoc w/ @jbarkerlab.bsky.social
Neurobiology of Addiction, HIV, and Glia 🧠🦠💊
Neurobiology of Addiction, HIV, and Glia 🧠🦠💊
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
Thank you to everyone who came out yesterday for SPINE 2025! Special shoutout to our Fellows, who all had amazing talks and fascinating science to share!
October 2, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Thank you to everyone who came out yesterday for SPINE 2025! Special shoutout to our Fellows, who all had amazing talks and fascinating science to share!
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
We are excited to announce our 2025 SPINE Fellows! We also appreciate everyone who submitted applications this year - it was great to read about everyone's awesome science! If you have not already, please register for SPINE by 9/24 and submit poster abstracts by 9/22 (extended) at spinephilly.org!
September 8, 2025 at 4:46 PM
We are excited to announce our 2025 SPINE Fellows! We also appreciate everyone who submitted applications this year - it was great to read about everyone's awesome science! If you have not already, please register for SPINE by 9/24 and submit poster abstracts by 9/22 (extended) at spinephilly.org!
Sharing this to remind my fellow neuro postdocs to consider applying! This is a great opportunity to share your work and network with a super talented and diverse neuroscience community spanning the greater philly area! Please share with anyone you know who might be interested!
🚨Attention Philly Postdocs!🚨
The deadline to apply for P-SPINE 2025 is extended to Friday, 8/22! If you are a senior postdoc that is interested in sharing your work with the Philly neuroscience community, please apply! Please share with anyone who you think might be interested in this opportunity!
The deadline to apply for P-SPINE 2025 is extended to Friday, 8/22! If you are a senior postdoc that is interested in sharing your work with the Philly neuroscience community, please apply! Please share with anyone who you think might be interested in this opportunity!
August 6, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Sharing this to remind my fellow neuro postdocs to consider applying! This is a great opportunity to share your work and network with a super talented and diverse neuroscience community spanning the greater philly area! Please share with anyone you know who might be interested!
My hot take on this Friday - you’re not a real scientist unless you have a graveyard of sticky notes on your desk that you’ll definitely never use but can’t throw away because they obviously have super crucial information on them that you’ll definitely need as soon as you throw them away.
July 11, 2025 at 7:21 PM
My hot take on this Friday - you’re not a real scientist unless you have a graveyard of sticky notes on your desk that you’ll definitely never use but can’t throw away because they obviously have super crucial information on them that you’ll definitely need as soon as you throw them away.
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
🧪 BREAKING (good news): Senate subcommittee says NO! to Trump's proposed slashes to NASA & NSF funding.
Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24.
See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it.
🧵 1/3
Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24.
See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it.
🧵 1/3
Subcommittee Markup of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
www.appropriations.senate.gov
July 10, 2025 at 12:23 AM
🧪 BREAKING (good news): Senate subcommittee says NO! to Trump's proposed slashes to NASA & NSF funding.
Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24.
See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it.
🧵 1/3
Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24.
See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it.
🧵 1/3
Never thought I would feel such a sense of relief to receive an NoA for year 2 of my F32. Shout out to all of the super hard working and dedicated folks at the #NIH who are doing the best they can in these uncertain times.
July 10, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Never thought I would feel such a sense of relief to receive an NoA for year 2 of my F32. Shout out to all of the super hard working and dedicated folks at the #NIH who are doing the best they can in these uncertain times.
🚨Attn philly neuro postdocs🚨Philadelphia SPINE is hosting its annual postdoc symposium again this year and we are looking for applications (due 7/25)! We are seeking applicants with well-developed projects who want to share their work and make new connections! See the link below for more info!
Philadelphia SPINE
www.spinephilly.org
July 8, 2025 at 9:20 PM
🚨Attn philly neuro postdocs🚨Philadelphia SPINE is hosting its annual postdoc symposium again this year and we are looking for applications (due 7/25)! We are seeking applicants with well-developed projects who want to share their work and make new connections! See the link below for more info!
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
Academic workers across the country are calling 📞 Legislators to ask them to sign on to bipartisan letters ✉️ in support of robust NIH funding and opposing the 15% indirect cost caps. Take 5 minutes to call your legislators today. Deadline is May 19th.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
May 15, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Academic workers across the country are calling 📞 Legislators to ask them to sign on to bipartisan letters ✉️ in support of robust NIH funding and opposing the 15% indirect cost caps. Take 5 minutes to call your legislators today. Deadline is May 19th.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Nothing like a panic-inducing eRA Commons email erroneously notifying me that I supposedly don’t have reference letters to go with my K99 application to get the blood pumping on a Monday morning. 🫠
May 12, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Nothing like a panic-inducing eRA Commons email erroneously notifying me that I supposedly don’t have reference letters to go with my K99 application to get the blood pumping on a Monday morning. 🫠
To my neuro people out there - does anyone have a recommendation for good mGlu2/mglu3 antibodies? Preferably ones that work well with mouse tissue for western blots!
April 10, 2025 at 6:03 PM
To my neuro people out there - does anyone have a recommendation for good mGlu2/mglu3 antibodies? Preferably ones that work well with mouse tissue for western blots!
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
Keep in mind: When Trump and White House officials talk about tariffs generating $6 trillion in revenue, they're talking about a massive transfer of wealth from U.S. consumers to the federal government, which plans to use the money for tax cuts for the rich
April 3, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Keep in mind: When Trump and White House officials talk about tariffs generating $6 trillion in revenue, they're talking about a massive transfer of wealth from U.S. consumers to the federal government, which plans to use the money for tax cuts for the rich
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
Defunding SAMHSA won’t make mental health and substance use challenges magically disappear. This isn’t peekaboo. It’s real people with real problems and in a country without other social and health safety nets they are cutting it to provide tax cuts to billionaires.
"By the end of this week, the staff of the agency, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, could be cut by 50 percent, according to senior staff members at the agency and congressional aides who attended briefings by Trump officials."
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/h...
Federal Agency Dedicated to Mental Illness and Addiction Faces Huge Cuts (Gift Article)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has already closed offices and could see staff numbers reduced by 50 percent.
www.nytimes.com
March 13, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Defunding SAMHSA won’t make mental health and substance use challenges magically disappear. This isn’t peekaboo. It’s real people with real problems and in a country without other social and health safety nets they are cutting it to provide tax cuts to billionaires.
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
I was hoping that my first bsky post would be more cheerful. I recently joined NIH (NIEHS) as a PO. I fought hard for this position and was so excited to support health science from a new vantage point… I picked up my life and moved to NC. Unfortunately, my time at NIEHS was short lived.
February 16, 2025 at 3:49 PM
I was hoping that my first bsky post would be more cheerful. I recently joined NIH (NIEHS) as a PO. I fought hard for this position and was so excited to support health science from a new vantage point… I picked up my life and moved to NC. Unfortunately, my time at NIEHS was short lived.
It’s been hard lately to focus on doing my job as a postdoc, which is under daily threat at this point. But we are persisting. Out now: “Dissociating the incubation of appetitive and consummatory behavior in a model of oral cocaine self-administration”. Very thankful to all who helped get this done!
www.biorxiv.org
February 13, 2025 at 10:12 PM
It’s been hard lately to focus on doing my job as a postdoc, which is under daily threat at this point. But we are persisting. Out now: “Dissociating the incubation of appetitive and consummatory behavior in a model of oral cocaine self-administration”. Very thankful to all who helped get this done!
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
BREAKING: 22 states sue NIH over Trump administration's new 15% cap on overhead for federal research grants. Suit filed federal court in Boston contends lifesaving research 'will grind to a halt' under the policy. Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
February 10, 2025 at 4:52 PM
BREAKING: 22 states sue NIH over Trump administration's new 15% cap on overhead for federal research grants. Suit filed federal court in Boston contends lifesaving research 'will grind to a halt' under the policy. Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Plugging the ASPET Washington Fellows program here. Applications due May 1st. I was a past fellow and mentor in the program and am happy to share my thoughts and experiences. There is no greater time than now to get involved in advocacy, and this is a fantastic way to do so for trainees.
ASPET Washington Fellows Program
www.aspet.org
February 10, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Plugging the ASPET Washington Fellows program here. Applications due May 1st. I was a past fellow and mentor in the program and am happy to share my thoughts and experiences. There is no greater time than now to get involved in advocacy, and this is a fantastic way to do so for trainees.
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
Hi Bluesky! Glad to be here.
February 10, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Hi Bluesky! Glad to be here.
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
Get in Dorks, we are going protesting.
STAND UP FOR SCIENCE. MARCH 7th 12-4pm. DC AND YOUR STATE CAPITALS.
More information to come.
STAND UP FOR SCIENCE. MARCH 7th 12-4pm. DC AND YOUR STATE CAPITALS.
More information to come.
February 9, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Get in Dorks, we are going protesting.
STAND UP FOR SCIENCE. MARCH 7th 12-4pm. DC AND YOUR STATE CAPITALS.
More information to come.
STAND UP FOR SCIENCE. MARCH 7th 12-4pm. DC AND YOUR STATE CAPITALS.
More information to come.
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
When cities clear homeless encampments, workers often take people’s belongings — including important documents, survival gear and irreplaceable mementos.
Over and over, people across the U.S. told ProPublica they were devastated by such losses: https://propub.li/3WScD3g
Over and over, people across the U.S. told ProPublica they were devastated by such losses: https://propub.li/3WScD3g
February 8, 2025 at 11:00 PM
When cities clear homeless encampments, workers often take people’s belongings — including important documents, survival gear and irreplaceable mementos.
Over and over, people across the U.S. told ProPublica they were devastated by such losses: https://propub.li/3WScD3g
Over and over, people across the U.S. told ProPublica they were devastated by such losses: https://propub.li/3WScD3g
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, with more than 770,000 people counted as homeless.
December 27, 2024 at 4:54 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, with more than 770,000 people counted as homeless.
Another perk of traveling to AZ for ACNP this year: my partner and I had the chance to catch up with my (bluesky-less) mentor Janet Neisewander and some lab mates for a cute little happy hour. Love these gals to pieces ❤️🥰
December 13, 2024 at 3:29 AM
Another perk of traveling to AZ for ACNP this year: my partner and I had the chance to catch up with my (bluesky-less) mentor Janet Neisewander and some lab mates for a cute little happy hour. Love these gals to pieces ❤️🥰
Had a lovely time connecting with old and new friends @acnporg.bsky.social! I always get the best feedback on my work at this meeting. Looking forward to the next one!
December 12, 2024 at 5:54 PM
Had a lovely time connecting with old and new friends @acnporg.bsky.social! I always get the best feedback on my work at this meeting. Looking forward to the next one!
If anyone here finds this exciting, I will also be at ACNP @acnporg.bsky.social presenting work on chemogenetic modulation of mPFC astrocytes in a model of HIV and their role in inhibitory learning!
December 3, 2024 at 5:43 PM
If anyone here finds this exciting, I will also be at ACNP @acnporg.bsky.social presenting work on chemogenetic modulation of mPFC astrocytes in a model of HIV and their role in inhibitory learning!
Reposted by Mark Namba, PhD
Excited to share new work from Qiaowei Xie's thesis! Qiaowei identified increased cocaine locomotor sensitization in the EcoHIV mouse model of HIV infection, and further demonstrated that it could be reversed by chemogenetically modulating NAc astrocytes.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Astrocytic Regulation of Cocaine Locomotor Sensitization in EcoHIV Infected Mice
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is highly comorbid with HIV infection and worsens HIV outcomes. Preclinical research on the outcomes of HIV infection may y…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 2, 2024 at 11:43 PM
Excited to share new work from Qiaowei Xie's thesis! Qiaowei identified increased cocaine locomotor sensitization in the EcoHIV mouse model of HIV infection, and further demonstrated that it could be reversed by chemogenetically modulating NAc astrocytes.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...