Erika Calvo-Ochoa
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erikacalvophd.bsky.social
Erika Calvo-Ochoa
@erikacalvophd.bsky.social
230 followers 290 following 14 posts
Studying neural repair and regeneration in #zebrafish at Hope College
#LatiNeuro 🇲🇽 #LatinxinSTEM #LGTBQally #BLM
Opinions my own.

She/her/ella/Dr.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
Toxicity

@andrewwhitehead.bsky.social (Killifish/ Environmental toxicity)
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.10.637481v1

Neuroscience

@erikacalvophd.bsky.social (Olfactory dysfunction/ Neuroinflammation)
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.29.645796v1

(19/36)
May 26, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
mcopelov.bsky.social
Again, cancelling NSF & other federal competitive grants in higher education is massive contract breaking which undermines the most basic tenets of the rule of law & property rights in a democratic society.
mcopelov.bsky.social Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · Apr 18
👇🎯

They. Are. Breaking. Signed. Contracts. For. No. Legal. Reason.

You want to pass legislation not funding this stuff going forward? Fine. Epically idiotic, but legal.

This is something else. Shredding the basic foundations of the rule of law. Textbook authoritarianism.
mayasen.bsky.social Maya Sen @mayasen.bsky.social · Apr 18
Ok so yeah, this has quickly become the #1 misunderstanding about the canceled grants

the grants are not “subsidies” or “entitlements” to Harvard or Princeton or whatever

they aren’t going into universities’ endowments

they are competitive contracts won by these universities to do research
April 20, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
scott-delaney.bsky.social
🧪 Our Terminated NSF Grant Tracker is live 🧪

🔴 114 NSF grants listed so far

🔴 Cancelled grants focused on

→ Training scientists
→ Misinformation
→ AI
→ Climate change

Credit to @noamross.net for all the work to build this & to all PIs who submitted their info.

Link: airtable.com/appGKlSVeXni...
April 21, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
rebekahtromble.bsky.social
NSF has posted an “update on priorities.”

They’re canceling all “DEI and misinformation/disinformation” grants.

And the guidance on how to fulfill the longstanding, legally mandated Broadening Participation requirement is utterly incoherent.

www.nsf.gov/updates-on-p...
Updates on NSF Priorities
www.nsf.gov
April 18, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
davidimiller.bsky.social
🧪 Tip: You have the right to contest a grant termination, even though NSF says you don't. 🧵

On Friday, NSF terminated 402 grants (per Musk's DOGE).

The notification letters had one of the most egregious violations of fed regulations I've seen so far in these cases:

"not subject to appeal"
mzahneis.bsky.social Megan Zahneis @mzahneis.bsky.social · Apr 18
Here's a copy of an NSF grant termination notice that went out today. "NSF is issuing this termination to protect the interests of the government pursuant...on the basis that they no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities." Not subject to appeal. #HigherEd #AcademicSky
Text of email: Dear [redacted], The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has undertaken a review of its award portfolio. Each award was carefully and individually reviewed, and the agency has determined that termination of certain awards is necessary because they are not in alignment with current NSF priorities. Effective immediately, the following are terminated: [redacted] NSF is issuing this termination to protect the interests of the government pursuant to NSF Grant General Conditions (GC-1) term and condition entitled Termination and Enforcement; on the basis that they no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities. This is the final agency decision and not subject to appeal. Costs incurred as a result of this termination may be reimbursed, provided such costs would otherwise be allowable under the terms of the award and the governing cost principles. In accordance with your award terms and conditions, you have 30 days from the termination date to furnish a summary of progress under the award and an itemized accounting of allowable costs incurred prior to the termination date. Sincerely, [redacted] Division Director Office of Budget Finance and Award Management (BFA) Division of Grants and Agreements (DGA)
April 20, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
jeremymberg.bsky.social
ATTENTION

I am hearing from several sources that "NIH" sent out termination notices for most or all "diversity" awards yesterday to coincide with the new Notice.

If you were affected by this and are willing to share, please DM me or reach me on Signal (jeremymberg.78)

1/2
a person is holding a red object in their hand .
ALT: a person is holding a red object in their hand .
media.tenor.com
April 22, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
adamjkucharski.bsky.social
The White House has turned COVID.gov from a public health resource into a politically charged platform promoting the lab-leak theory and attacking specific scientists and the pandemic response in general. Let’s fact check its 5 headline claims… 🧵
The virus possesses a biological characteristic that is not found in nature. 2. Data shows that all COVID-19 cases stem from a single introduction into humans. This runs contrary to previous pandemics where there were multiple spillover events. 3. Wuhan is home to China’s foremost SARS research lab, which has a history of conducting gain-of-function research (gene altering and organism supercharging) at inadequate biosafety levels. 4. Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) researchers were sick with COVID-like symptoms in the fall of 2019, months before COVID-19 was discovered at the wet market. 5. By nearly all measures of science, if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced. But it hasn’t.
April 19, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
boghuma.bsky.social
What is the quickest way to destroy science?
- Discredit and demean expertise.
- Spread misinformation from official sources.
- Aggressively defund research
- Tie funding to ideological stances
- Threaten scientists with retribution and cultivate fear.
- Eliminate diversity of thought and ideas.
April 21, 2025 at 9:30 PM
erikacalvophd.bsky.social
Olfaction and taste folks, who’s going to #AChemS2025? I’m going! Excited to see you there! achems.org/2025/
AChemS XLVII | Bonita Springs
AChemS, the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, is a scientific research organization dedicated to understanding the
achems.org
April 22, 2025 at 2:39 PM
erikacalvophd.bsky.social
New preprint from the Calvo lab!
zebrafishrock.bsky.social Zebrafish Rock! @zebrafishrock.bsky.social · Apr 2
“This novel model of prodromal PD could offer valuable insights into the early stages and progression of this neurodegenerative disease and increase our understanding of the relationship between dopaminergic loss and olfactory dysfunction.”

New work from @erikacalvophd.bsky.social 🔥
biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social bioRxiv Neuroscience @biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · Apr 2
Olfactory dysfunction in a novel model of prodromal Parkinson's disease in adult zebrafish https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.29.645796v1
April 22, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social
Olfactory dysfunction in a novel model of prodromal Parkinson's disease in adult zebrafish https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.29.645796v1
April 2, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
gutmichaelbio.me
I'm very excited to share our preprint on @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social demonstrating environmentally contingent gut microbiota reponses to intestinal infection in #Zebrafish. 🧵 1/12

doi.org/10.1101/2025...

#MicrobiomeSky #MicroSky #MicrobialEcology #ClimateChange #Preprint
Cartoon remix I drew of the dog in a burning building meme featuring two zebrafish sitting at a table drinking coffee with a parasitic worm in the background. The room is filling with flames and smoke. One fish says "This is fine". The meme represents how we are ignoring the growing stressors of climate change.
March 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
charlotteclymer.bsky.social
If you think what happened to Rumeysa Ozturk can't happen to you because you're a citizen and she's not, you are sorely mistaken. Ozturk was snatched off the street not for being a national security threat but for having a wrong opinion. If we don't put a stop to this, it's coming for all of us.
March 27, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
zebrafishrock.bsky.social
One more query: Does anyone in the US have a Tg(myl7:Lifeact-FP) line and be willing to share embryos/adults? #AskZebrafish
March 27, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
wyden.senate.gov
This is one of the biggest threats to Americans' personal data in decades. If you're a 23andMe customer, I strongly urge you to delete your data to protect it from whoever the new buyer might be. Here’s how:
March 24, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
altnps.bsky.social
Trump administration fired nearly the entire civil rights branch of the Department of Homeland Security.
March 21, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
standupforscience.bsky.social
Hey SUFS Community!

If you fall into one of the following categories and are willing to talk to press (on or off the record), please comment/DM us:

1. Had a funded grant revoked
2. Are considering moving abroad to continue your research
3. Have been impacted by the stoppage of a clinical trial
March 21, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
keltonminor.bsky.social
There are days in life that shake you.

I’m shattered 💔 to share that I just found out that the US Government terminated my 2024 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (~$2 million), threatening my long-promised assistant professor job at Columbia University
& academic career... 1/🧵
March 18, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
apnews.com
BREAKING: A federal judge blocks the Trump administration from ending $14 billion in climate grants.
Judge blocks Trump administration from terminating $14 billion in 'green bank' grants
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from terminating $14 billion in grants awarded to three climate groups by the Biden administration.
bit.ly
March 19, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
aawayne.bsky.social
Exclusive: NIH officials have advised scientists to remove reference to mRNA vaccines from their grant applications, in expectation the Trump administration intends to abandon most research in the field.

By @arthurallen202.bsky.social

kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants - KFF Health News
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promis...
kffhealthnews.org
March 16, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
altnih4science.bsky.social
This is an authoritarian takeover of the US government.
The battle is not in the courts.
The courts are a tool. But the real battle is for public opinion.

And science and medical research can and should be at the front lines of that battle. People care about the takeover harming cancer research.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Mar 16
Fox News is now displaying photos of judges who rule against Trump while hosts and Republicans attack them live on air
March 17, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
maxkozlov.bsky.social
NEW: The NIH has begun terminating grants for active projects studying gender identity, DEI, environmental justice, climate change, among other topics.

At least 16 termination letters have already been sent — and hundreds more are coming, people inside NIH tell me.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Exclusive: NIH to terminate hundreds of active research grants
Studies that touch on LGBT+ health, gender identity and DEI in the biomedical workforce could be terminated, according to documents obtained by Nature.
www.nature.com
March 6, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
Working on a story for @sfchronicle.com about the administration's impacts to science, including #NIH and #NSF funding. Hoping to chat with early-career scientists, especially grad students and postdocs, about how you've been affected. Thanks!

Signal: jacklee.55
March 4, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
davelevitan.bsky.social
Per a source, NIH grant staff have told some funding recipients that they shouldn't count on active grants actually providing money due to them later in the year. Meaning, nothing to do with *new* grants or anything, but ones that have already been rewarded and previous years paid out.
March 4, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by Erika Calvo-Ochoa
marisakabas.bsky.social
Trump thinks anyone protesting must be from another country when the right and will to protest our own government is a foundational American value.
Donald J. Trump @realDonald Trump 6m All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.
March 4, 2025 at 1:16 PM