Sherry Pagoto, PhD
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drsherrypagoto.bsky.social
Sherry Pagoto, PhD
@drsherrypagoto.bsky.social
Professor, psychologist, NIH-funded scientist. Digital health, social media, healthy lifestyle. Past prez @behavioralmed. Occasional writer about relationships and health.
Harvard has slashed PhD admissions drastically in response to the funding crisis.

Science PhD admissions are down >75%! www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles | News | The Harvard Crimson
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for th...
www.thecrimson.com
October 22, 2025 at 4:14 PM
I'm feeling grateful the Huff Post published this essay I wrote about the year that followed my lifelong best friend's passing from an aggressive lymphoma. 🙏

www.huffpost.com/entry/death-...
My Best Friend Of 35 Years Died. I Didn't Expect Him To Leave Me A New Best Friend: His Wife.
"Robyn and I were both left without the man who steadied us — she as his wife, me as his best friend."
www.huffpost.com
October 14, 2025 at 12:23 PM
"Homo sapiens is by far the most intelligent species on the planet, and it simultaneously is the most deluded species. We are now creating a superintelligence, and there is every reason to think that it will be super deluded."

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...
How to live a good life in difficult times: Yuval Noah Harari, Rory Stewart and Maria Ressa in conversation
From superintelligent AI to the climate and democracy, three leading thinkers discuss how to navigate the future
www.theguardian.com
October 7, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Survey by the American Association of Professors shows nearly 1 in 4 professors in the US South are considering leaving their state due to the political climate.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘Fear and hopelessness’: study finds one in four professors consider leaving US south
Survey by American Association of Professors shows nearly quarter of respondents are switching due to states’s politics
www.theguardian.com
September 24, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Meta-analysis of twin studies reveals autism is largely genetic. This was published 10 years ago, and yet here we are.

"We demonstrate that ASD is due to strong genetic effects. The meta‐analytic heritability estimates were substantial: 64–91%."

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Heritability of autism spectrum disorders: a meta‐analysis of twin studies
The etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been recently debated due to emerging findings on the importance of shared environmental influences. However, two recent twin studies do not support ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
September 23, 2025 at 4:50 PM
The Coalition of Autism Scientists have entered the chat:

“The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope where there is no simple answer.”

www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/aut...
Autism experts question HHS statements on Tylenol, leucovorin
Concerns include the administration’s reliance on weak, correlational evidence rather than established research…
www.thetransmitter.org
September 23, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Study in @jama.com reveals no link between Tylenol and autism:

"Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in sibling control analyses."

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability
This nationwide cohort study with sibling control analysis examines the association of acetaminophen use during pregnancy with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.
jamanetwork.com
September 22, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Glad to see the NYT covering the undertreatment of obesity in men. This is a longstanding issue.

We are currently recruiting for a clinical trial of a digital weight loss program. Sign up here if interested: uchredcap.uchc.edu/redcap/surve...

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/w...
Obesity Is Killing American Men
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Sherry Pagoto, PhD
BREAKING: CDC's ACIP just voted 8-3 to change vaccine recomendation and stop recommending MMRV to children as their first dose.
September 18, 2025 at 9:26 PM
California proposes $23B plan to fund scientific research at its universities.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
California’s $23 Billion Plan to Restore Federal Cuts to Scientific Research
www.nytimes.com
September 13, 2025 at 12:58 PM
I was excited to be part of this @aljazeera.com documentary on the harms of social media influencer culture.

It is in a 4-part docuseries on social media. Worth a watch!

Also great viewing for teens to help them avoid going down the social media rabbit hole.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl3K...
A new form of capitalism: The Influencer Culture | Al Jazeera Untangles
YouTube video by Al Jazeera English
www.youtube.com
September 8, 2025 at 2:55 PM
In this podcast episode, three CDC leaders who resigned sit down for a discussion with MAHA supporters.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
A Conversation With The Three CDC Leaders Who Resigned In Protest & MAHA Supporters
Podcast Episode · Why Should I Trust You? · 09/04/2025 · 1h 59m
podcasts.apple.com
September 4, 2025 at 1:30 PM
This morning 9 former CDC Directors, whose tenures date back to 1977, published this warning in the NYT:

RFK Jr is a danger to public health.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...
Opinion | We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health
www.nytimes.com
September 1, 2025 at 10:45 AM
I have a headache.

Normally this is the kind of thing I’d text my best friend, but he died last year. He was the rare person who wouldn’t see that as annoying but instead would respond: 😞🤕

This is all to say you’re really gonna miss the person you can text about a headache.
August 29, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Congrats to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce! 😍💍

As a psychologist, I have been impressed by their mutual respect for each other's careers.

Check out my piece on how these two have written the playbook for balancing love and careers: www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
What Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Get Right About Love
What Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce can teach us about relationships.
www.psychologytoday.com
August 26, 2025 at 6:14 PM
"Forty years ago more than 60% of children diagnosed with cancer would have died within five years of diagnosis. Today there is a 90% survival rate." - @labonnelab.bsky.social

This is why we cannot take our foot off the gas of cancer research funding.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘Impossible to rebuild’: NIH scientists say Trump cuts will imperil life-saving research
Researchers say scientific community is in state of whiplash and accuse president of trying to ‘destroy’ vital work
www.theguardian.com
August 7, 2025 at 10:31 PM
When we talk about healthy lifestyle we usually mean diet and exercise, but that is too narrow. Healthy relationships matter too.

In my latest @psychologytoday.com piece, I discuss a healthy habit that can improve your relationship AND your heart health.

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
This Habit Can Improve Your Love Life and Your Heart Health
The type of relationships that protect our hearts has one key ingredient: Co-regulation. Partners who co-regulate know how to effectively reduce each other’s stress.
www.psychologytoday.com
August 7, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Yes but cancer is definitely a chemo deficiency 😑
July 28, 2025 at 12:46 AM
It's almost like money and power cannot buy you peace. 🤔
You don’t see articles like this about moms with three jobs who still manage to take care of their kids.
July 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM
In these divisive times, why does it seem like so many people lack empathy?

In my latest Psychology Today post, I discuss:

🔬 The science of empathy
🥸 Why people capable of empathy sometimes lack it
✍ Tips for maximizing empathy

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
Why Does It Seem Like So Many People Lack Empathy?
We’re all guilty of low empathy from time to time, but that doesn’t mean that we are incapable of empathy. These five strategies can maximize your capacity for empathy.
www.psychologytoday.com
July 21, 2025 at 1:01 PM
You guys, I gave ChatGPT a talking to about all the hallucinated references. Looks like he's gonna try to do better. 😂
July 18, 2025 at 1:30 PM
⚠️ NIH now limits PIs to 6 applications per year. That includes resubmissions.

grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
July 18, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Reposted by Sherry Pagoto, PhD
25% of men have dated someone 10+years or younger vs 14% of women. For women partnered w/ a much older man, that can eventually mean still being employed & caregiving for children, parents & an elderly husband--"a daunting load." @drsherrypagoto.bsky.social
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
Why the Golden Bachelor's Age Preference Hit a Nerve
"Golden Bachelor" fans are up in arms about its new star's refusal to date women over 60. The research on age-gap relationships shows they have a point.
www.psychologytoday.com
July 8, 2025 at 5:05 PM
The new Golden Bachelor, Mel Owens, age 66, broke the internet last week when he announced he plans on cutting all women over 60. 😲

Check out my piece in @psychologytoday.com on how age gap relationships can disadvantage the younger partner.

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
The Golden Bachelor's Age Preference Is Hitting a Nerve
"Golden Bachelor" fans are up in arms about its new star's refusal to date women over 60. The research on age-gap relationships shows they have a point.
www.psychologytoday.com
July 7, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Reposted by Sherry Pagoto, PhD
People always ask me : “Cristi, how do you manage parenting a baby while going up for tenure?”

It’s easy. The secret is *flow-based-scheduling*. Here are its three core strategies for new academic parents:

Sleep when the baby sleeps
Cry when the baby cries
Publish when the baby publishes
July 4, 2025 at 5:04 PM