Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
@profriggins.bsky.social
she/her. Full Prof, AD Educ & Training @LombardiCancer. #lobular, HER2+/ER+ BrCa, #nuclearreceptors, #GBM. Co-founder @nrimpact.bsky.social. When not sciencing, I'm enjoying ⛵️⛺️🏋🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️🥃 Skeets my own
Pinned
I make the final career leap to Professor today 🤗 I wouldn't be here without the incredible support of lab members, colleagues, mentors, friends, and family. Thank you so much! #academicsky 🧪🧬👩🔬
This is paywalled for me, so maybe it is mentioned, but I wish they had asked how many are not accepting students or fellows into their groups, or are only taking 'volunteer' students who don't need to be paid a stipend.
In our new poll with the Boston Globe of NIH funded scientists in Mass ...
- 72% say they have delayed or cancelled projects
- 66% reduced research scope
- 56% paused experiments or students.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
- 72% say they have delayed or cancelled projects
- 66% reduced research scope
- 56% paused experiments or students.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/09/m...
February 11, 2026 at 2:07 PM
This is paywalled for me, so maybe it is mentioned, but I wish they had asked how many are not accepting students or fellows into their groups, or are only taking 'volunteer' students who don't need to be paid a stipend.
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
Happy to share this new, very intentional chapter. I have left UCLA after 14 years to join the University of Colorado Anschutz as Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Neurosurgery and the inaugural Marsico Chair in Excellence in Functional Precision Medicine/n
news.cuanschutz.edu/dbmi/cu-ansc...
news.cuanschutz.edu/dbmi/cu-ansc...
CU Anschutz Recruits National Leader to Launch Functional Personalized Medicine Initiative
CU Anschutz welcomes Alice Soragni to launch a Functional Personalized Medicine Initiative using rapid tumor organoid testing to guide treatment decisions.
news.cuanschutz.edu
February 10, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Happy to share this new, very intentional chapter. I have left UCLA after 14 years to join the University of Colorado Anschutz as Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Neurosurgery and the inaugural Marsico Chair in Excellence in Functional Precision Medicine/n
news.cuanschutz.edu/dbmi/cu-ansc...
news.cuanschutz.edu/dbmi/cu-ansc...
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
"In this cohort study..., heightened cumulative lifespan stress and elevated inflammation were associated with shorter survival among Black participants, suggesting these pathways may represent plausible mechanisms mediating racial disparities in mortality among Black and White US individuals."
Cumulative Lifespan Stress, Inflammation, and Racial Disparities in Mortality
This cohort study examines whether greater cumulative lifespan stress exposure and elevated inflammation are associated with increased mortality risk among Black compared with White individuals in the...
jamanetwork.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:30 AM
"In this cohort study..., heightened cumulative lifespan stress and elevated inflammation were associated with shorter survival among Black participants, suggesting these pathways may represent plausible mechanisms mediating racial disparities in mortality among Black and White US individuals."
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
In triple-negative breast cancer, sensory neurons activate cancer-associated fibroblasts to secrete collagen, thus stimulating a dense extracellular matrix that drives immune exclusion @cellcellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
February 5, 2026 at 8:35 PM
In triple-negative breast cancer, sensory neurons activate cancer-associated fibroblasts to secrete collagen, thus stimulating a dense extracellular matrix that drives immune exclusion @cellcellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
I am SO incredibly excited to announce the launch of a global list of Inspiring Black Scientists. You can use this list to nominate and connect with researchers. Please share and join us in highlighting these outstanding scientists for #BlackHistoryMonth and beyond!
www.wiley.com/en-us/resear...
www.wiley.com/en-us/resear...
February 5, 2026 at 5:36 PM
I am SO incredibly excited to announce the launch of a global list of Inspiring Black Scientists. You can use this list to nominate and connect with researchers. Please share and join us in highlighting these outstanding scientists for #BlackHistoryMonth and beyond!
www.wiley.com/en-us/resear...
www.wiley.com/en-us/resear...
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
The ways I had to unlearn some of these responses to be able to both mentor and parent appropriately
Is it possible that the reason we struggle to create a world that prioritizes the health and safety of every child is directly related to most adults (and parents) being formerly unprotected children, conditioned to make excuses, or be grateful for, the abuse and neglect they endured in childhood?
January 30, 2026 at 3:05 PM
The ways I had to unlearn some of these responses to be able to both mentor and parent appropriately
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
Palbociclib for Hormone-Receptor–Positive, HER2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
phase 3 trial, adding palbociclib to maintenance HER2-targeted🎯 &ET significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with HR+, HER2-+🧬 metastatic #BreastCancer
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
phase 3 trial, adding palbociclib to maintenance HER2-targeted🎯 &ET significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with HR+, HER2-+🧬 metastatic #BreastCancer
January 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Palbociclib for Hormone-Receptor–Positive, HER2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
phase 3 trial, adding palbociclib to maintenance HER2-targeted🎯 &ET significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with HR+, HER2-+🧬 metastatic #BreastCancer
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
phase 3 trial, adding palbociclib to maintenance HER2-targeted🎯 &ET significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with HR+, HER2-+🧬 metastatic #BreastCancer
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
I am trying to do all the work I can during whatever space-time I have left. I don’t know how much that is, but I know it’s shrinking. I hope to leave behind work that is useful to the future.
January 20, 2026 at 10:19 PM
I am trying to do all the work I can during whatever space-time I have left. I don’t know how much that is, but I know it’s shrinking. I hope to leave behind work that is useful to the future.
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
House Appropriations minibus bill funding NIH is out now.
- $400M increase
- Multiyear funding of new awards capped at 2025 levels.
- No line item for BRAIN Initiative
text here: docs.house.gov/billsthiswee...
Screenshots from Dem summary and Sec 240 (multiyear funding text).
- $400M increase
- Multiyear funding of new awards capped at 2025 levels.
- No line item for BRAIN Initiative
text here: docs.house.gov/billsthiswee...
Screenshots from Dem summary and Sec 240 (multiyear funding text).
January 20, 2026 at 2:29 PM
House Appropriations minibus bill funding NIH is out now.
- $400M increase
- Multiyear funding of new awards capped at 2025 levels.
- No line item for BRAIN Initiative
text here: docs.house.gov/billsthiswee...
Screenshots from Dem summary and Sec 240 (multiyear funding text).
- $400M increase
- Multiyear funding of new awards capped at 2025 levels.
- No line item for BRAIN Initiative
text here: docs.house.gov/billsthiswee...
Screenshots from Dem summary and Sec 240 (multiyear funding text).
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
Good Sunday, all! Here is the curated weekly collection of papers in #cancermetabolism and #mitochondrialbiology. Don't miss it; find it here: biomed.news/bims-camemi/... Biomed News #keepreading
"It's very simple to be happy. But it's very difficult to be simple." - Rabindranath Tagore
"It's very simple to be happy. But it's very difficult to be simple." - Rabindranath Tagore
January 18, 2026 at 6:40 AM
Good Sunday, all! Here is the curated weekly collection of papers in #cancermetabolism and #mitochondrialbiology. Don't miss it; find it here: biomed.news/bims-camemi/... Biomed News #keepreading
"It's very simple to be happy. But it's very difficult to be simple." - Rabindranath Tagore
"It's very simple to be happy. But it's very difficult to be simple." - Rabindranath Tagore
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
'We engineered breast cancer cells with broad metastatic potential to be auxotrophic for specific nutrients and assessed their ability to colonize different tissue sites. We then asked how tumour growth in different tissues relates to nutrient availability and tumour biosynthetic activity.'
Nutrient requirements of organ-specific metastasis in breast cancer - Nature
How the complex interplay between multiple nutrients within the microenvironment dictates potential sites of metastatic cancer growth is explored.
www.nature.com
January 18, 2026 at 8:42 AM
'We engineered breast cancer cells with broad metastatic potential to be auxotrophic for specific nutrients and assessed their ability to colonize different tissue sites. We then asked how tumour growth in different tissues relates to nutrient availability and tumour biosynthetic activity.'
Waiting to board a small regional plane with, then sitting two rows away from, Muhammad Ali.
Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction
December 30, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Waiting to board a small regional plane with, then sitting two rows away from, Muhammad Ali.
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
Excellent news. The NIGMS Building Undergraduate Research Training (BURT) T34 NOFO is published. First due is Feb 25th, for December 26 funding. This condenses previous UG NOFOs so reach out to email/previous PO if you have Qs. files.simpler.grants.gov/opportunitie...
PAR-26-033: NIGMS Institutional Biomedical Undergraduate Research Training (BURT) Program (T34)
files.simpler.grants.gov
December 29, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Excellent news. The NIGMS Building Undergraduate Research Training (BURT) T34 NOFO is published. First due is Feb 25th, for December 26 funding. This condenses previous UG NOFOs so reach out to email/previous PO if you have Qs. files.simpler.grants.gov/opportunitie...
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
🚨 Alarm!!! 🚨
AI/ML course for microscopy image analysis!!! 🧐
In 2026 at Janelia (@hhmijanelia.bsky.social), no tuition, housing and meals provided! Isn’t that borderline unbelievable?!?
20 students, ~14 TAs and lecturers
🗓️ June 4-18 2026
✍️ Jan 15 2026 ✍️
🔁 pls!!
www.janelia.org/you-janelia/...
AI/ML course for microscopy image analysis!!! 🧐
In 2026 at Janelia (@hhmijanelia.bsky.social), no tuition, housing and meals provided! Isn’t that borderline unbelievable?!?
20 students, ~14 TAs and lecturers
🗓️ June 4-18 2026
✍️ Jan 15 2026 ✍️
🔁 pls!!
www.janelia.org/you-janelia/...
Deep Learning for Microscopy Image Analysis
Topics The following will be covered extensively during lectures, exercises, and project work: Image denoising and restoration (fully supervised and self-supervised) Image translation (e.g.,
www.janelia.org
December 28, 2025 at 7:06 PM
🚨 Alarm!!! 🚨
AI/ML course for microscopy image analysis!!! 🧐
In 2026 at Janelia (@hhmijanelia.bsky.social), no tuition, housing and meals provided! Isn’t that borderline unbelievable?!?
20 students, ~14 TAs and lecturers
🗓️ June 4-18 2026
✍️ Jan 15 2026 ✍️
🔁 pls!!
www.janelia.org/you-janelia/...
AI/ML course for microscopy image analysis!!! 🧐
In 2026 at Janelia (@hhmijanelia.bsky.social), no tuition, housing and meals provided! Isn’t that borderline unbelievable?!?
20 students, ~14 TAs and lecturers
🗓️ June 4-18 2026
✍️ Jan 15 2026 ✍️
🔁 pls!!
www.janelia.org/you-janelia/...
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
My new ImageJ / Fiji toolkit is out 🔥! The goal is to make image handling & visualization easy, with an intuitive interface! Install it on Fiji with the "Image Viewer" update site
#microscopy #ImageJ #FluorescenceFriday #microscopyMonday
imagej.net/plugins/imag...
#microscopy #ImageJ #FluorescenceFriday #microscopyMonday
imagej.net/plugins/imag...
November 4, 2025 at 10:40 PM
My new ImageJ / Fiji toolkit is out 🔥! The goal is to make image handling & visualization easy, with an intuitive interface! Install it on Fiji with the "Image Viewer" update site
#microscopy #ImageJ #FluorescenceFriday #microscopyMonday
imagej.net/plugins/imag...
#microscopy #ImageJ #FluorescenceFriday #microscopyMonday
imagej.net/plugins/imag...
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
We wrote two reviews on cell migration, published today in Nature Methods.
They provides practical guidelines how to select a cell-migration assay and how to analyze cell-migration data
Review 1: nature.com/articles/s41...
Review 2: nature.com/articles/s41...
They provides practical guidelines how to select a cell-migration assay and how to analyze cell-migration data
Review 1: nature.com/articles/s41...
Review 2: nature.com/articles/s41...
December 18, 2025 at 1:03 PM
We wrote two reviews on cell migration, published today in Nature Methods.
They provides practical guidelines how to select a cell-migration assay and how to analyze cell-migration data
Review 1: nature.com/articles/s41...
Review 2: nature.com/articles/s41...
They provides practical guidelines how to select a cell-migration assay and how to analyze cell-migration data
Review 1: nature.com/articles/s41...
Review 2: nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
It is Friday. Time for a new edition of #Autism: the #evidence. After spending some time talking about the consensus on what is behind the increase in #prevalence, and what does NOT cause autism, this week I am going to talk about what does, starting with #genetics
December 13, 2025 at 3:19 AM
It is Friday. Time for a new edition of #Autism: the #evidence. After spending some time talking about the consensus on what is behind the increase in #prevalence, and what does NOT cause autism, this week I am going to talk about what does, starting with #genetics
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
Nice writeup on Dr. Julie Pollock of University of Richmond's 2025 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award!
https://news.richmond.edu/releases/article/-/27331/university-of-richmond-chemistry-professor-julie-pollock-receives-national-award-for-excellence-in-teaching-and-research.html
https://news.richmond.edu/releases/article/-/27331/university-of-richmond-chemistry-professor-julie-pollock-receives-national-award-for-excellence-in-teaching-and-research.html
University of Richmond Chemistry Professor Julie Pollock Receives National Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research
Pollock is a recipient of the 2025 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award.
news.richmond.edu
December 11, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Nice writeup on Dr. Julie Pollock of University of Richmond's 2025 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award!
https://news.richmond.edu/releases/article/-/27331/university-of-richmond-chemistry-professor-julie-pollock-receives-national-award-for-excellence-in-teaching-and-research.html
https://news.richmond.edu/releases/article/-/27331/university-of-richmond-chemistry-professor-julie-pollock-receives-national-award-for-excellence-in-teaching-and-research.html
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
One of the things I was most excited about 1yr ago was joining 1 of the MOSIAC UE5s as a project scientist to work with those ECRs assigned to it. The opportunity to serve our greater communities.
Truly a program that supported people across broad institutions, unlike the parent.
Truly a program that supported people across broad institutions, unlike the parent.
December 8, 2025 at 1:43 PM
One of the things I was most excited about 1yr ago was joining 1 of the MOSIAC UE5s as a project scientist to work with those ECRs assigned to it. The opportunity to serve our greater communities.
Truly a program that supported people across broad institutions, unlike the parent.
Truly a program that supported people across broad institutions, unlike the parent.
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Sea turtles
Black tip sharks
Moray eels
Conch
Flying fish
Sea turtles
Black tip sharks
Moray eels
Conch
Flying fish
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Moose
Humpback whales
Giraffes
African Elephants
West African or Nile monitor lizard
Moose
Humpback whales
Giraffes
African Elephants
West African or Nile monitor lizard
November 28, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Sea turtles
Black tip sharks
Moray eels
Conch
Flying fish
Sea turtles
Black tip sharks
Moray eels
Conch
Flying fish
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
Australia recorded ZERO cases of cervical cancer in women under 25 for the first time since they started tracking the cancer in the 80s.
This is the power of vaccines.
The HPV vaccine is extremely effective at preventing cancer.
Viruses can be oncogenic. Get your vaccines and protect yourself!
This is the power of vaccines.
The HPV vaccine is extremely effective at preventing cancer.
Viruses can be oncogenic. Get your vaccines and protect yourself!
newsGP - Australia set for world-first cervical cancer elimination
Vaccination programs have played a key role, and GPs remain ‘instrumental’ in boosting screening rates to reach the 2035 target.
www1.racgp.org.au
November 27, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Australia recorded ZERO cases of cervical cancer in women under 25 for the first time since they started tracking the cancer in the 80s.
This is the power of vaccines.
The HPV vaccine is extremely effective at preventing cancer.
Viruses can be oncogenic. Get your vaccines and protect yourself!
This is the power of vaccines.
The HPV vaccine is extremely effective at preventing cancer.
Viruses can be oncogenic. Get your vaccines and protect yourself!
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
Interested in Zebrafish brain imaging? We released a 3D printed mold that's is super helpful for us. Check it out
Customizable FDM-based zebrafish embryo mold for live imaging
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Work by Marcela and Jaakko in the lab
Customizable FDM-based zebrafish embryo mold for live imaging
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Work by Marcela and Jaakko in the lab
November 27, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Interested in Zebrafish brain imaging? We released a 3D printed mold that's is super helpful for us. Check it out
Customizable FDM-based zebrafish embryo mold for live imaging
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Work by Marcela and Jaakko in the lab
Customizable FDM-based zebrafish embryo mold for live imaging
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Work by Marcela and Jaakko in the lab
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
Thats 216 biomedical PhD students for their whole degree, or 140 2 year R21 grants, or 30 5 year R01 grants, or one fired football coach...
FIFTY FOUR MILLION DOLLARS, to fire a football coach at a state university
SOURCE: LSU has given Brian Kelly formal written notice that he has been terminated without cause and that it will fulfill the obligation of his nearly $54 million buyout.
November 27, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Thats 216 biomedical PhD students for their whole degree, or 140 2 year R21 grants, or 30 5 year R01 grants, or one fired football coach...
Reposted by Becca Riggins 🇻🇮 ⛵️🧪
A great intro to academic conferencing.
Not sure how I missed this one.
scienceforeveryone.science/getting-the-...
Not sure how I missed this one.
scienceforeveryone.science/getting-the-...
Getting the most of out a scientific conference
A slightly unconventional guide to your first time
scienceforeveryone.science
November 26, 2025 at 4:47 AM
A great intro to academic conferencing.
Not sure how I missed this one.
scienceforeveryone.science/getting-the-...
Not sure how I missed this one.
scienceforeveryone.science/getting-the-...
November 21, 2025 at 9:44 PM