Dr. Sarah Thomas
@sarahathomasphd.bsky.social
Clinical psychologist. Asst. Professor (Research) at Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Psychiatry and Human Behavior. I study adolescent cannabis use, reward, mental health, the brain, and parent-adolescent interactions. Views are my own
Pinned
I'm excited to share our new article on the link between resting state connectivity and out-of-scanner cognitive flexibility performance in children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study 🧠 🧲💻🧒
authors.elsevier.com/a/1i0GA6TBF%...
authors.elsevier.com/a/1i0GA6TBF%...
👋 I research adolescent cannabis use in the context of brain development, and how it poses risk for depression, suicidality, sleep disruption, and addiction. I also work with the ABCD Study dataset 👇
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👇 Our latest preprint, currently under review, and the first paper from my NIDA K23 study! 🧠
The role of subcortical brain tissue iron as an indicator of dopamine neurophysiology in adolescent cannabis use: https://osf.io/rfh6k
November 3, 2025 at 1:24 PM
👇 Our latest preprint, currently under review, and the first paper from my NIDA K23 study! 🧠
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
Ozempic, MRI machines and flat screen televisions all emerged out of fundamental research decades earlier — the very types of study being slashed by the US government
go.nature.com/47hn0n5
go.nature.com/47hn0n5
7 basic science discoveries that changed the world
Ozempic, MRI machines and flat screen televisions all emerged out of fundamental research decades earlier — the very types of study being slashed by the US government.
go.nature.com
November 1, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Ozempic, MRI machines and flat screen televisions all emerged out of fundamental research decades earlier — the very types of study being slashed by the US government
go.nature.com/47hn0n5
go.nature.com/47hn0n5
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
nyti.ms
October 8, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
In this review, @lucinauddin.bsky.social and Hugh Garavan examine how task and resting-state fMRI can reveal brain-behavior relationships in youth, highlighting current controversies and challenges, outlining solutions, and proposing future directions in developmental neuroscience research.
Task and resting state fMRI modelling of brain-behavior relationships in developmental cohorts
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data are often used to inform individual
differences in cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric phenotypes. These so-called
“brain-behavior” association stu...
www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com
October 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
In this review, @lucinauddin.bsky.social and Hugh Garavan examine how task and resting-state fMRI can reveal brain-behavior relationships in youth, highlighting current controversies and challenges, outlining solutions, and proposing future directions in developmental neuroscience research.
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
NEW: $8M for Bradley Hospital’s dedicated mental health professionals to boost research & strengthen services.
This federal grant will help build a new facility to improve pediatric psychiatric research & make it easier to access top-notch services in one centralized, modern facility.
This federal grant will help build a new facility to improve pediatric psychiatric research & make it easier to access top-notch services in one centralized, modern facility.
September 12, 2025 at 6:47 PM
NEW: $8M for Bradley Hospital’s dedicated mental health professionals to boost research & strengthen services.
This federal grant will help build a new facility to improve pediatric psychiatric research & make it easier to access top-notch services in one centralized, modern facility.
This federal grant will help build a new facility to improve pediatric psychiatric research & make it easier to access top-notch services in one centralized, modern facility.
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
this ends with a description of what YOU can do.
Please get involved now.
Everyone can take one of these actions.
Please get involved now.
Everyone can take one of these actions.
July 28, 2025 at 3:05 PM
this ends with a description of what YOU can do.
Please get involved now.
Everyone can take one of these actions.
Please get involved now.
Everyone can take one of these actions.
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
We’re heading in to Day 2 of our pre-college summer course at Brown 🧬 🧠 Conducting Research at the Forefront of Science: Mental Health, Policy, and Social Implications of Cannabis Use in the U.S.
It’s always a blast teaching with @sarahathomasphd.bsky.social
It’s always a blast teaching with @sarahathomasphd.bsky.social
July 1, 2025 at 6:50 PM
We’re heading in to Day 2 of our pre-college summer course at Brown 🧬 🧠 Conducting Research at the Forefront of Science: Mental Health, Policy, and Social Implications of Cannabis Use in the U.S.
It’s always a blast teaching with @sarahathomasphd.bsky.social
It’s always a blast teaching with @sarahathomasphd.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
So important! Please contact your Republican senators, especially Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), and Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA). 🙏 amplify!
As Robert Kuttner writes, the NIH will need support from Republican Senators to avoid draconian cuts to its FY2026 budget.
prospect.org/politics/202...
prospect.org/politics/202...
Will the Senate Save NIH?
Rescuing biomedical research is every bit as important as saving Medicaid.
prospect.org
June 25, 2025 at 1:01 AM
So important! Please contact your Republican senators, especially Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), and Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA). 🙏 amplify!
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
I am hiring a clinical research assistant for a project on adolescent cannabis use that will use MRI 🧠 and behavioral tasks 🎮 More information is available in the link below, and applicants can send a CV and cover letter to me. Please share—thank you!
tinyurl.com/msn8h2ce
tinyurl.com/msn8h2ce
Thomas_TEDS Lab RA Position.pdf
tinyurl.com
June 4, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I am hiring a clinical research assistant for a project on adolescent cannabis use that will use MRI 🧠 and behavioral tasks 🎮 More information is available in the link below, and applicants can send a CV and cover letter to me. Please share—thank you!
tinyurl.com/msn8h2ce
tinyurl.com/msn8h2ce
I am hiring a clinical research assistant for a project on adolescent cannabis use that will use MRI 🧠 and behavioral tasks 🎮 More information is available in the link below, and applicants can send a CV and cover letter to me. Please share—thank you!
tinyurl.com/msn8h2ce
tinyurl.com/msn8h2ce
Thomas_TEDS Lab RA Position.pdf
tinyurl.com
June 4, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I am hiring a clinical research assistant for a project on adolescent cannabis use that will use MRI 🧠 and behavioral tasks 🎮 More information is available in the link below, and applicants can send a CV and cover letter to me. Please share—thank you!
tinyurl.com/msn8h2ce
tinyurl.com/msn8h2ce
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
Here's the NIH's proposed budget - from $48 billion to $27 billion. NIAID, current ~$7 billion cut to ~$4.2 billion.
The proposed 15% cap on indirect costs remains.
Again, these budgets are passed, and our leadership in science, technology, and innovation is gone.
www.hhs.gov/sites/defaul...
The proposed 15% cap on indirect costs remains.
Again, these budgets are passed, and our leadership in science, technology, and innovation is gone.
www.hhs.gov/sites/defaul...
May 30, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Here's the NIH's proposed budget - from $48 billion to $27 billion. NIAID, current ~$7 billion cut to ~$4.2 billion.
The proposed 15% cap on indirect costs remains.
Again, these budgets are passed, and our leadership in science, technology, and innovation is gone.
www.hhs.gov/sites/defaul...
The proposed 15% cap on indirect costs remains.
Again, these budgets are passed, and our leadership in science, technology, and innovation is gone.
www.hhs.gov/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
The original deadline for comments of May 23 has been extended to June 7 in response to requests from the public for more time to weigh in, an OMB spokesperson told STAT.
4/n
4/n
May 23, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The original deadline for comments of May 23 has been extended to June 7 in response to requests from the public for more time to weigh in, an OMB spokesperson told STAT.
4/n
4/n
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
Please comment. The Administration is trying to turn the NIH IC Directors and program staff roles into political appointees that serve at the whim of the President. Imagine if each change in administration brought sweeping changes in professional NIH staff across your favorite ICs.
Here are details about OPM-2025-0004. This would replace NIH Directors (non-partisan civil servants) with political appointees. Jeremy Berg has quick text to use: bsky.app/profile/jere.... A direct link for your comments is at: www.federalregister.gov/documents/20.... Cite Docket ID OPM-2025-0004
Improving Performance, Accountability and Responsiveness in the Civil Service
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing a rule to increase career employee accountability. Agency supervisors report great difficulty removing employees for poor performance or misconduc...
www.federalregister.gov
May 23, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Please comment. The Administration is trying to turn the NIH IC Directors and program staff roles into political appointees that serve at the whim of the President. Imagine if each change in administration brought sweeping changes in professional NIH staff across your favorite ICs.
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
If you do in fact want Covid boosters for yourself or anyone, you can submit public comment to the FDA here: www.regulations.gov/commenton/FD...
May 22, 2025 at 3:50 PM
If you do in fact want Covid boosters for yourself or anyone, you can submit public comment to the FDA here: www.regulations.gov/commenton/FD...
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
🚨 A new rule would let career scientists like NSF/NIH program officers be replaced by political appointees
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
May 21, 2025 at 5:39 PM
🚨 A new rule would let career scientists like NSF/NIH program officers be replaced by political appointees
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday
📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful
Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj
I hope this isn’t true. We all need to contact our elected officials and get them to do more to support research right now
@joshtpm.bsky.social reports today that defenders of science research have proposed that senators visit the NIH (and invite the media) to hear about the research on cures being shut down there. Yet Democratic Senate staff have declined, saying it doesn't fit with their comms strategy. [head desk]
Fight or Don’t Fight and Take the Consequences
It’s become almost commonplace in recent years, and especially in the last...
talkingpointsmemo.com
May 20, 2025 at 3:29 AM
I hope this isn’t true. We all need to contact our elected officials and get them to do more to support research right now
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
A Path Forward to Save American Bio-Medical Research talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-pat...
A Path Forward to Save American Bio-Medical Research
Over the past four months I’ve spoken to dozens of biomedical researchers...
talkingpointsmemo.com
May 16, 2025 at 5:32 PM
A Path Forward to Save American Bio-Medical Research talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-pat...
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
New from me: Everything feels overwhelming. But here is a tangible thing you can do: write a comment to oppose Trump's plan to convert 50,000 career civil servants into political appointees. Deadline is May 23. Please share!
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/here-is-a-...
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/here-is-a-...
Here is a specific thing you can do to fight Trump's politicization of public services
Plus: what I wrote in Science about the revised Schedule F
donmoynihan.substack.com
May 9, 2025 at 12:33 PM
New from me: Everything feels overwhelming. But here is a tangible thing you can do: write a comment to oppose Trump's plan to convert 50,000 career civil servants into political appointees. Deadline is May 23. Please share!
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/here-is-a-...
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/here-is-a-...
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
Contact your Representative and Senators & urge them to support investments in NSF and NIH.
The Administration’s proposed cuts to these vital agencies will harm #science and hinder our prosperity, health, and well-being.
www.psychologicalscience.org/act-now
The Administration’s proposed cuts to these vital agencies will harm #science and hinder our prosperity, health, and well-being.
www.psychologicalscience.org/act-now
Act Now: Share your Concerns with Your Representative and Senators
It does not matter whether your Representative or Senators agree with you. They must hear from you to understand how federal policy changes are influencing the people they were elected to represent.
www.psychologicalscience.org
May 2, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Contact your Representative and Senators & urge them to support investments in NSF and NIH.
The Administration’s proposed cuts to these vital agencies will harm #science and hinder our prosperity, health, and well-being.
www.psychologicalscience.org/act-now
The Administration’s proposed cuts to these vital agencies will harm #science and hinder our prosperity, health, and well-being.
www.psychologicalscience.org/act-now
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
“However bad everyone on the outside thinks it is, it is a million times worse. They’re dismantling and destroying everything.”
Read, share, respond. Call your representatives.
The health and well-being of Americans & America's innovation economy are at stake.
www.science.org/content/arti...
Read, share, respond. Call your representatives.
The health and well-being of Americans & America's innovation economy are at stake.
www.science.org/content/arti...
NIH insiders: Trump is ‘dismantling and destroying everything’
After just 100 days, agency scientists say U.S. health institutes are demoralized and have lost essential staff and funding
www.science.org
May 1, 2025 at 1:03 AM
“However bad everyone on the outside thinks it is, it is a million times worse. They’re dismantling and destroying everything.”
Read, share, respond. Call your representatives.
The health and well-being of Americans & America's innovation economy are at stake.
www.science.org/content/arti...
Read, share, respond. Call your representatives.
The health and well-being of Americans & America's innovation economy are at stake.
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
A 50% cut to science funding (which is close to what Trump is proposing for NIH) would result in huge negative long-term economic outcomes:
*7.6% cut in GDP
*8.6% cut in federal revenues
*equivalents of making the average American $10,000 poorer
*7.6% cut in GDP
*8.6% cut in federal revenues
*equivalents of making the average American $10,000 poorer
"If you look at a long period of time, a lot of our increase in living standards seems to be coming from public investment in scientific research."
The devastating cuts to science funding aren't just academic, they threaten our livelihoods and wellbeing. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/b...
The devastating cuts to science funding aren't just academic, they threaten our livelihoods and wellbeing. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/b...
Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Could Hurt U.S. Economy, Study Shows (Gift Article)
Reducing federal support for research and development could cause long-run economic damage and reduce government revenue.
www.nytimes.com
April 30, 2025 at 12:54 PM
A 50% cut to science funding (which is close to what Trump is proposing for NIH) would result in huge negative long-term economic outcomes:
*7.6% cut in GDP
*8.6% cut in federal revenues
*equivalents of making the average American $10,000 poorer
*7.6% cut in GDP
*8.6% cut in federal revenues
*equivalents of making the average American $10,000 poorer
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
Reposted by Dr. Sarah Thomas
A scientist who is used to organizing data starts tracking scientific meetings that seem to exist only on paper. The NIH website shows one reality; the empty conference rooms tell another story. link.podtrac.com/2ly1unpx
Chaos Graph
People immersed in chaos try to solve for what it all adds up to. Prologue: A scientist who is used to organizing data starts tracking scientific meetings that seem to exist only on paper—meetings…
link.podtrac.com
April 28, 2025 at 1:30 AM
A scientist who is used to organizing data starts tracking scientific meetings that seem to exist only on paper. The NIH website shows one reality; the empty conference rooms tell another story. link.podtrac.com/2ly1unpx