Melissa Herman
@melissaherman.bsky.social
Scientist, dog-lover, mom. Whiskey lover. Research on alcohol, nicotine, and psychedelics. Stubborn optimist, even now.
Reposted by Melissa Herman
“Another week survived is another week won.”
November 16, 2025 at 4:49 PM
“Another week survived is another week won.”
Superstar rotation student Ericka got her FIRST CELL on only her second day 👀👀👀👀🎇🎇🎇🎇
November 12, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Superstar rotation student Ericka got her FIRST CELL on only her second day 👀👀👀👀🎇🎇🎇🎇
Reposted by Melissa Herman
Student and faculty pressure compelled UNC and Chancellor Roberts to reject Trump's Compact
Good. Now let's keep their feet to the fire. @unc-ch-aaup.bsky.social @aaup.org #highered www.wral.com/news/educati...
Chancellor says UNC won’t sign Trump’s higher education compact ‘as written’
A few dozen people gathered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus to protest the Trump administration's proposed "Compact for Academic Excellence." Chancellor Lee Roberts said the ...
www.wral.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Student and faculty pressure compelled UNC and Chancellor Roberts to reject Trump's Compact
Reposted by Melissa Herman
Incredible new altas of the developing human brain out now in @nature.com, funded by the NIH BRAIN Initiative!
The landmark #OpenScience maps are the result of a global consortium of researchers. The project is supported by the NIH #studyBRAIN Initiative.
Browse the paper package out now in Nature: www.nature.com/collections/...
Browse the paper package out now in Nature: www.nature.com/collections/...
BICAN: A cell census of the developing human brain
Building on their landmark efforts to create cell-type atlases of adult brains using single-cell and spatial genomics technologies, researchers in the BRAIN ...
www.nature.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Incredible new altas of the developing human brain out now in @nature.com, funded by the NIH BRAIN Initiative!
Reposted by Melissa Herman
Full speech here. Is...is that hope I'm feeling this morning? I'd forgotten what that feels like
youtu.be/JC1h6rJQBvs?...
youtu.be/JC1h6rJQBvs?...
November 5, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Full speech here. Is...is that hope I'm feeling this morning? I'd forgotten what that feels like
youtu.be/JC1h6rJQBvs?...
youtu.be/JC1h6rJQBvs?...
Super proud of the amazing coven my lab put together for the BCAS Halloween on Fri. Let's hope our spell to Protect NIH and Save Science starts working soon....🎃🧠👻
November 4, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Super proud of the amazing coven my lab put together for the BCAS Halloween on Fri. Let's hope our spell to Protect NIH and Save Science starts working soon....🎃🧠👻
Annual lab pumpkin carving as fun as always🎃🎃😭🎃🎃
November 1, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Annual lab pumpkin carving as fun as always🎃🎃😭🎃🎃
October highlights.... PHCO retreat featuring an impromptu science themed game of codenames, a talk by Sarah Mott, and poster by Mia Keller.
November 1, 2025 at 5:05 PM
October highlights.... PHCO retreat featuring an impromptu science themed game of codenames, a talk by Sarah Mott, and poster by Mia Keller.
Reposted by Melissa Herman
Nothing like a good cry over my morning coffee as Wei heads out 💔. The US is crazy to not do everything possible to keep and treasure people like her. I know she will do wonderful things where ever she lands - this is our loss
After 13 years in the US, I’ve made the difficult decision to leave. Having packed up everything and rethought about priorities, rather painstakingly, while I’m sad to leave the life I’ve made here, I’m also relieved that I won’t have to plan my life around immigration policies anymore.
October 31, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Nothing like a good cry over my morning coffee as Wei heads out 💔. The US is crazy to not do everything possible to keep and treasure people like her. I know she will do wonderful things where ever she lands - this is our loss
Reposted by Melissa Herman
ATTN: Two faculty positions are available in my department (neuroscience) at the University of Minnesota. This is a general search with no topic focus. November 20th application deadline.
Apply here: hr.umn.edu/jobs/Find-Job
Assistant Prof job code: 364920
Associate/Full Prof job code: 364921
Apply here: hr.umn.edu/jobs/Find-Job
Assistant Prof job code: 364920
Associate/Full Prof job code: 364921
October 30, 2025 at 3:59 PM
ATTN: Two faculty positions are available in my department (neuroscience) at the University of Minnesota. This is a general search with no topic focus. November 20th application deadline.
Apply here: hr.umn.edu/jobs/Find-Job
Assistant Prof job code: 364920
Associate/Full Prof job code: 364921
Apply here: hr.umn.edu/jobs/Find-Job
Assistant Prof job code: 364920
Associate/Full Prof job code: 364921
Reposted by Melissa Herman
People outside of science think this is nothing that concerns them. "Oh, it's harder to get grants now? Big deal."
But everyone deserves the rapid pace of advancements in science, medicine, and technology that our parents enjoyed. The Trump Administration's actions are taking that from everyone.
But everyone deserves the rapid pace of advancements in science, medicine, and technology that our parents enjoyed. The Trump Administration's actions are taking that from everyone.
Well reported story on the PBS News Hour about science cuts and the ongoing and potential brain drain.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: 'The science world is ending'
YouTube video by PBS NewsHour
www.youtube.com
October 30, 2025 at 5:53 PM
People outside of science think this is nothing that concerns them. "Oh, it's harder to get grants now? Big deal."
But everyone deserves the rapid pace of advancements in science, medicine, and technology that our parents enjoyed. The Trump Administration's actions are taking that from everyone.
But everyone deserves the rapid pace of advancements in science, medicine, and technology that our parents enjoyed. The Trump Administration's actions are taking that from everyone.
Reposted by Melissa Herman
yes a million times yes
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
October 28, 2025 at 3:32 PM
yes a million times yes
Why is Scott so mad at me? 🤣🤣🤣🎃🎃🎃
October 24, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Why is Scott so mad at me? 🤣🤣🤣🎃🎃🎃
Reposted by Melissa Herman
Very proud of Dr Tracy Bale’s @thebalelab.bsky.social induction into the National Academy of Medicine yesterday evening! A brilliant impactful scientist, a champion of women, and a tireless advocate for global neuroscience at @ibroorg.bsky.social! Congratulations!
October 19, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Very proud of Dr Tracy Bale’s @thebalelab.bsky.social induction into the National Academy of Medicine yesterday evening! A brilliant impactful scientist, a champion of women, and a tireless advocate for global neuroscience at @ibroorg.bsky.social! Congratulations!
Reposted by Melissa Herman
Reposted by Melissa Herman
🚨 New science alert! Our cross-species study, now in Nature Neuroscience, demonstrates psychedelics distort how we should interpret functional brain imaging.
👇🧵
nature.com/articles/s41...
#Neuroscience #Psychedelics #BrainImaging
👇🧵
nature.com/articles/s41...
#Neuroscience #Psychedelics #BrainImaging
Psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonism alters neurovascular coupling and differentially affects neuronal and hemodynamic measures of brain function
Nature Neuroscience - Padawer-Curry et al. show that the hallucinogenic 5-HT2A receptor agonist DOI alters neurovascular coupling in mice, with implications for the interpretation of human fMRI...
nature.com
October 15, 2025 at 8:18 PM
🚨 New science alert! Our cross-species study, now in Nature Neuroscience, demonstrates psychedelics distort how we should interpret functional brain imaging.
👇🧵
nature.com/articles/s41...
#Neuroscience #Psychedelics #BrainImaging
👇🧵
nature.com/articles/s41...
#Neuroscience #Psychedelics #BrainImaging
Reposted by Melissa Herman
Excited to share recent collaborative work led by Hayley Thorpe published in Molecular Psychiatry: Genome-wide association studies of lifetime and frequency of cannabis use in 131,895 individuals www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Genome-wide association studies of lifetime and frequency of cannabis use in 131,895 individuals - Molecular Psychiatry
Molecular Psychiatry - Genome-wide association studies of lifetime and frequency of cannabis use in 131,895 individuals
www.nature.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Excited to share recent collaborative work led by Hayley Thorpe published in Molecular Psychiatry: Genome-wide association studies of lifetime and frequency of cannabis use in 131,895 individuals www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Melissa Herman
My friend and colleague @nabarund.bsky.social !!!! www.npr.org/2025/10/08/n...
Scientist on front lines of overdose crisis receives MacArthur 'genius' award
Nabarun Dasgupta was recognized with a MacArthur "genius" award for work studying the deadly overdose crisis. He's also a front-line organizer, helping people survive.
www.npr.org
October 9, 2025 at 1:36 AM
My friend and colleague @nabarund.bsky.social !!!! www.npr.org/2025/10/08/n...
This is a fantastic program and a great opportunity 👇👇👇👇👇
Cool Postdoc opportunity alert! UNC SPIRE (Seeding Postdoctoral Innovators in Research & Education)-it provides scholars with both high quality research training & the opportunity to develop research based teaching skills that will inspire students across the sciences 1/n
spire.unc.edu/program-info/
spire.unc.edu/program-info/
October 2, 2025 at 12:44 PM
This is a fantastic program and a great opportunity 👇👇👇👇👇
Reposted by Melissa Herman
This moment from our latest episode with science writer @edyong209.bsky.social is 🔥
We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪
Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇
open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...
We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪
Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇
open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...
October 1, 2025 at 2:56 PM
This moment from our latest episode with science writer @edyong209.bsky.social is 🔥
We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪
Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇
open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...
We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪
Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇
open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...
Reposted by Melissa Herman
@deffinger.bsky.social and @melissaherman.bsky.social argue that, though many human psychedelic clinical trials are underway, preclinical studies remain our best bet to answer fundamental questions about the neurobiology of psychedelics.
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/psychedelics...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/psychedelics...
Why we need basic science to better understand the neurobiology of psychedelics
Despite the many psychedelics clinical trials underway, there is still much we don’t know about how these drugs work. Preclinical studies represent our best viable avenue to answer these lingering…
www.thetransmitter.org
October 1, 2025 at 2:11 PM
@deffinger.bsky.social and @melissaherman.bsky.social argue that, though many human psychedelic clinical trials are underway, preclinical studies remain our best bet to answer fundamental questions about the neurobiology of psychedelics.
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/psychedelics...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/psychedelics...
So excited for this piece by me and @deffinger.bsky.social to be out! It was inspired by science and discussion from many venues from @sfn.org to #GRCPsychedelics 🧠
@deffinger.bsky.social and @melissaherman.bsky.social argue that, though many human psychedelic clinical trials are underway, preclinical studies remain our best bet to answer fundamental questions about the neurobiology of psychedelics.
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/psychedelics...
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/psychedelics...
Why we need basic science to better understand the neurobiology of psychedelics
Despite the many psychedelics clinical trials underway, there is still much we don’t know about how these drugs work. Preclinical studies represent our best viable avenue to answer these lingering…
www.thetransmitter.org
October 1, 2025 at 3:24 PM
So excited for this piece by me and @deffinger.bsky.social to be out! It was inspired by science and discussion from many venues from @sfn.org to #GRCPsychedelics 🧠
Reposted by Melissa Herman
Nothing has disappointed me more than watching institutions cave to ending programs they KNOW have an impact and bring in talented and qualified scientists from different backgrounds. Someday we will have to face what was done here and what we lost.
October 1, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Nothing has disappointed me more than watching institutions cave to ending programs they KNOW have an impact and bring in talented and qualified scientists from different backgrounds. Someday we will have to face what was done here and what we lost.
Reposted by Melissa Herman
I would not be here without the programs (like PREP) and the mentors that cheered for me and helped me to understand the climate. Yes, I was smart, but when you come from places with almost no exposure to STEM careers, that’s just not enough.
October 1, 2025 at 11:53 AM
I would not be here without the programs (like PREP) and the mentors that cheered for me and helped me to understand the climate. Yes, I was smart, but when you come from places with almost no exposure to STEM careers, that’s just not enough.