Rachel N. Arey
@rnareylab.bsky.social
Assistant Professor. Learning/memory/Behavioral Neuroscience. Brain Enthusiast. Worm Evangelist. Food and drink Fanatic. Views my own. She/her.
Website: https://www.areylab.com/
Website: https://www.areylab.com/
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
When people celebrate the individual genius of folks in science, they should also
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
November 7, 2025 at 11:43 PM
When people celebrate the individual genius of folks in science, they should also
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
mourn the collective loss of genius of folks who were actively discouraged or disadvantaged from a career in science because of the same person(s)
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
In #GENETICS, @jsrinivasanwpi.bsky.social and the team present a rescue-by-feeding approach, showing that feeding engineered E. coli containing neuropeptides to #Celegans mutants can successfully rescue behavior defects in worms. buff.ly/Qdw9Nsq
October 13, 2025 at 1:04 PM
In #GENETICS, @jsrinivasanwpi.bsky.social and the team present a rescue-by-feeding approach, showing that feeding engineered E. coli containing neuropeptides to #Celegans mutants can successfully rescue behavior defects in worms. buff.ly/Qdw9Nsq
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
Started in Jan 2020 and haven’t caught a break since. But you can bet P&T committees don’t care - taking any world circumstances into account is “lowering the bar.” I’ve been told all standards for grants and publication remain the same. And I have too much service.
A couple of related-unrelated thoughts that have swirling in my head:
1. This is a bad time to become a new PI in the US. Probably the worst since WWII. If you're negotiating for a position, know your road is way harder than it was for the people on your TT committee. Negotiate accordingly.
1. This is a bad time to become a new PI in the US. Probably the worst since WWII. If you're negotiating for a position, know your road is way harder than it was for the people on your TT committee. Negotiate accordingly.
October 4, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Started in Jan 2020 and haven’t caught a break since. But you can bet P&T committees don’t care - taking any world circumstances into account is “lowering the bar.” I’ve been told all standards for grants and publication remain the same. And I have too much service.
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
This may be the most important paper ever published about NIH funded research.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
What if NIH had been 40% smaller?
Replaying history with less NIH funding shows widespread impacts on drug-linked research
www.science.org
September 25, 2025 at 9:20 PM
This may be the most important paper ever published about NIH funded research.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
Just did this for a Y5 that's 2.5 months late. It supports 60% of my (90% soft money) salary, so for the past few months I've been wondering if I still have a job or not.
So much riding on such absurd, cruel, and opaque practices with overworked NIH staff caught in the middle doing their best.
So much riding on such absurd, cruel, and opaque practices with overworked NIH staff caught in the middle doing their best.
Here is a word cloud of the words that were missing from the noncompetitive renewal awards but had been present in the parent award.
3/4
3/4
September 10, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Just did this for a Y5 that's 2.5 months late. It supports 60% of my (90% soft money) salary, so for the past few months I've been wondering if I still have a job or not.
So much riding on such absurd, cruel, and opaque practices with overworked NIH staff caught in the middle doing their best.
So much riding on such absurd, cruel, and opaque practices with overworked NIH staff caught in the middle doing their best.
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
New #postdoc position focused on ALS/FTD available in the Hart lab! Join the collaborative Brown Univ. #neuroscience community! Experience with invertebrate genetics (like #Celegans) and/or neurodegenerative disease is welcome, but not required. Details at apply.interfolio.com/172914
September 4, 2025 at 8:55 PM
New #postdoc position focused on ALS/FTD available in the Hart lab! Join the collaborative Brown Univ. #neuroscience community! Experience with invertebrate genetics (like #Celegans) and/or neurodegenerative disease is welcome, but not required. Details at apply.interfolio.com/172914
Oh perfect. I was waiting to get the NoA for renewal funding that would sustain my lab. I am most certainly not alone here.
NEW
The White House is blocking the NIH from awarding new research grants for the rest of the fiscal year
Chokes off billions in research funding
Gift link www.wsj.com/politics/pol... with @nidhisubs.bsky.social
The White House is blocking the NIH from awarding new research grants for the rest of the fiscal year
Chokes off billions in research funding
Gift link www.wsj.com/politics/pol... with @nidhisubs.bsky.social
Trump Administration Puts New Chokehold on Billions in Health-Research Funding
The National Institutes of Health can’t award grants to outside researchers under a new White House restriction.
www.wsj.com
July 30, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Oh perfect. I was waiting to get the NoA for renewal funding that would sustain my lab. I am most certainly not alone here.
This. 100%.
We've been writing frantically to replace funding losses. It's been a bleak process to pivot (NCI lol my b) or shore up ongoing work.
While it's always been an exercise in effort + luck, putting so much time into good science when it's likely never to be funded (if it even reaches review) is awful.
While it's always been an exercise in effort + luck, putting so much time into good science when it's likely never to be funded (if it even reaches review) is awful.
With news that NIH grant success rates are now below 5%, consider the effort that goes into one of these grants (apart from you, who submitted 60 AI-written grants)- why would you put in that much effort knowing your chances are only slightly better than winning a lottery? 1/
July 29, 2025 at 4:35 PM
This. 100%.
Spending a few extra days in NorCal for fun post #worm25. What an awesome meeting as always, full of old friends, new connections, and great science!
July 3, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Spending a few extra days in NorCal for fun post #worm25. What an awesome meeting as always, full of old friends, new connections, and great science!
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
Great catching up with everyone at #worm25!
If you're planning tomorrow's schedule, consider our workshop: @giosg.bsky.social & I have invited 5 folks who think differently about health and aging (incl @rnareylab.bsky.social & @scharflab.bsky.social). We promise you'll leave with new ideas! 🪱
If you're planning tomorrow's schedule, consider our workshop: @giosg.bsky.social & I have invited 5 folks who think differently about health and aging (incl @rnareylab.bsky.social & @scharflab.bsky.social). We promise you'll leave with new ideas! 🪱
June 29, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Great catching up with everyone at #worm25!
If you're planning tomorrow's schedule, consider our workshop: @giosg.bsky.social & I have invited 5 folks who think differently about health and aging (incl @rnareylab.bsky.social & @scharflab.bsky.social). We promise you'll leave with new ideas! 🪱
If you're planning tomorrow's schedule, consider our workshop: @giosg.bsky.social & I have invited 5 folks who think differently about health and aging (incl @rnareylab.bsky.social & @scharflab.bsky.social). We promise you'll leave with new ideas! 🪱
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
Pretty patriotic today. Lots of American flags, and a member of the military is leading the crowd in The Pledge of Allegiance. "We took an oath to this country, not to a king."
June 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Pretty patriotic today. Lots of American flags, and a member of the military is leading the crowd in The Pledge of Allegiance. "We took an oath to this country, not to a king."
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
That is 54, 5-year NIH biomedical research grants.
Or 270 years worth of biomedical research.
Or 270 years worth of biomedical research.
Trump’s deployment of troops to Los Angeles amid mass deportation protests will likely cost $134 million, the Pentagon’s acting budget chief said.
Troops deployed to LA will cost $134M, Pentagon official says
The acting budget chief said the estimate covers costs such as travel, housing and food.
www.politico.com
June 10, 2025 at 5:19 PM
That is 54, 5-year NIH biomedical research grants.
Or 270 years worth of biomedical research.
Or 270 years worth of biomedical research.
Yesterday's wonderful visit to @mdibiolab.bsky.social was capped off with a hike with my host Dr. Emily Spaulding! Her science is fabulous - can't wait to catch up again soon in Davis at Worm Meeting!
June 4, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Yesterday's wonderful visit to @mdibiolab.bsky.social was capped off with a hike with my host Dr. Emily Spaulding! Her science is fabulous - can't wait to catch up again soon in Davis at Worm Meeting!
I was already psyched about my visit to @mdibiolab.bsky.social to give a talk tomorrow. The fact that my journey here included a golden hour flight up the Maine Coast was just icing on the cake!
June 3, 2025 at 1:39 AM
I was already psyched about my visit to @mdibiolab.bsky.social to give a talk tomorrow. The fact that my journey here included a golden hour flight up the Maine Coast was just icing on the cake!
Buck is the type of PI you want to work for! Apply to join the team!
Opening for a #postdoc in the lab available immediately. Please spread the word.
DETAILS HERE: jobrxiv.org/job/baylor-c...
cc: #academicJobs #postdocJobs #microbiome #Celegans #organoids #IBD #PathSky #Medsky #AcademicSky 🧪 🧬 🦠
DETAILS HERE: jobrxiv.org/job/baylor-c...
cc: #academicJobs #postdocJobs #microbiome #Celegans #organoids #IBD #PathSky #Medsky #AcademicSky 🧪 🧬 🦠
Postdoctoral Associate in IBD genetics in C. elegans and organoids
Post a job in 3min, or find thousands of job offers like this one at jobRxiv!
jobrxiv.org
May 31, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Buck is the type of PI you want to work for! Apply to join the team!
Looks like the wave of terminations is finally coming from the NIA. My excellent student, who was supposed to be funded until August of 2026, just received notice of termination complete with the trash language that has been coming along with them. It is so unfair to these exceptional young people.
May 28, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Looks like the wave of terminations is finally coming from the NIA. My excellent student, who was supposed to be funded until August of 2026, just received notice of termination complete with the trash language that has been coming along with them. It is so unfair to these exceptional young people.
I commented and you should too!
The comment period for this ends in 3 DAYS. Please leave a comment telling them EVERYONE should be able to get covid boosters.
www.regulations.gov/commenton/FD...
www.regulations.gov/commenton/FD...
May 20, 2025 at 11:14 PM
I commented and you should too!
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
Just imagine, folks, if you:
a) busted your ass to make it to grad school
b) developed a research program incredible enough to earn a F31, only to see it terminated b/c you are URM
c) applied for a HHMI Hannah Gray, only to see the program canceled
This is evil, hurtful, resegregation of science
a) busted your ass to make it to grad school
b) developed a research program incredible enough to earn a F31, only to see it terminated b/c you are URM
c) applied for a HHMI Hannah Gray, only to see the program canceled
This is evil, hurtful, resegregation of science
May 16, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Just imagine, folks, if you:
a) busted your ass to make it to grad school
b) developed a research program incredible enough to earn a F31, only to see it terminated b/c you are URM
c) applied for a HHMI Hannah Gray, only to see the program canceled
This is evil, hurtful, resegregation of science
a) busted your ass to make it to grad school
b) developed a research program incredible enough to earn a F31, only to see it terminated b/c you are URM
c) applied for a HHMI Hannah Gray, only to see the program canceled
This is evil, hurtful, resegregation of science
Deciding to keep myself in the dark about Sinners as much as possible until I was able to go watch it today was the right choice. Great movie. Go see it on the big screen if you can.
May 11, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Deciding to keep myself in the dark about Sinners as much as possible until I was able to go watch it today was the right choice. Great movie. Go see it on the big screen if you can.
Supposedly temporary, but I will believe it when I see it reposted, likely with some awful nonsense updates. I would love to be proven wrong on this one.
Decided to ruin my Friday by confirming that the parent F funding announcements really did expire yesterday.
May 9, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Supposedly temporary, but I will believe it when I see it reposted, likely with some awful nonsense updates. I would love to be proven wrong on this one.
Decided to ruin my Friday by confirming that the parent F funding announcements really did expire yesterday.
May 9, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Decided to ruin my Friday by confirming that the parent F funding announcements really did expire yesterday.
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
As a follow-up to the Kaiser interview, here is my exchange with Dr. Bhattacharya starting Sunday evening...
1/n
1/n
May 6, 2025 at 12:33 PM
As a follow-up to the Kaiser interview, here is my exchange with Dr. Bhattacharya starting Sunday evening...
1/n
1/n
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
Gave a talk at my parents’ retirement community to describe how science is done, and what is at stake. There was a ton of interest, and anyone can do this. Get the word out about how science affects everyone. I’m happy to share slides with anyone who asks- just get in touch! youtu.be/BY_SFgi-Cig
Kara Marshall PHD-History of Science in America - Trilogy at Tehaleh 04/27/25
YouTube video by Steve Lawson
youtu.be
May 3, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Gave a talk at my parents’ retirement community to describe how science is done, and what is at stake. There was a ton of interest, and anyone can do this. Get the word out about how science affects everyone. I’m happy to share slides with anyone who asks- just get in touch! youtu.be/BY_SFgi-Cig
Reposted by Rachel N. Arey
Fetch the Bolt Cutters.
May 1, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Fetch the Bolt Cutters.