Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
@nicolecoufal.bsky.social
Pediatric intensivist with research in translational neuroimmunology focused on neurodevelopmental and pediatric neurodegenerative disorders. #humanbrainmyeloidcells #microglia. Mom of 3 boys.
Universities and the government: Which needs the other more?
June 3, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Universities and the government: Which needs the other more?
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
STING deletion protects against amyloid β–induced Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis - Thanos - 2025 - Alzheimer's & Dementia - Wiley Online Library alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
STING deletion protects against amyloid β–induced Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis
INTRODUCTION While immune dysfunction has been increasingly linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression, many major innate immune signaling molecules have yet to be explored in AD pathogenesis us...
alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 24, 2025 at 2:03 PM
STING deletion protects against amyloid β–induced Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis - Thanos - 2025 - Alzheimer's & Dementia - Wiley Online Library alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
Excited to share our new work demonstrating a role for astrocytic inflammasome signaling in modulating hippocampal plasticity. @cp-immunity.bsky.social
All credit to Kristine Zengeler, who was the brains🧠 and muscle💪 behind this project and is a wonderful collaborator. www.cell.com/immunity/ful...
All credit to Kristine Zengeler, who was the brains🧠 and muscle💪 behind this project and is a wonderful collaborator. www.cell.com/immunity/ful...
Inflammasome signaling in astrocytes modulates hippocampal plasticity
The function of immune pathways in homeostatic neurobiology remains underexplored.
Zengeler et al. find that the inflammasome complex, typically associated with immune
responses, is involved in memory...
www.cell.com
May 3, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Excited to share our new work demonstrating a role for astrocytic inflammasome signaling in modulating hippocampal plasticity. @cp-immunity.bsky.social
All credit to Kristine Zengeler, who was the brains🧠 and muscle💪 behind this project and is a wonderful collaborator. www.cell.com/immunity/ful...
All credit to Kristine Zengeler, who was the brains🧠 and muscle💪 behind this project and is a wonderful collaborator. www.cell.com/immunity/ful...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
President Donald Trump today asked Congress to make massive and unprecedented cuts to the 2026 budgets of major federal science agencies. scim.ag/3Yszqnm
Trump’s proposed budget would mean ‘disastrous’ cuts to science
Key research budgets would shrink by one-third to one-half in 2026 spending plan
scim.ag
May 2, 2025 at 10:06 PM
President Donald Trump today asked Congress to make massive and unprecedented cuts to the 2026 budgets of major federal science agencies. scim.ag/3Yszqnm
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
NEW: An NIH policy coming in the next week will target — and at least temporarily stop — funding outside the US, threatening thousands of projects and collaborations on topics like infectious diseases and cancer.
Some NIH staff have already been told to hold all subaward funds for foreign labs.
Some NIH staff have already been told to hold all subaward funds for foreign labs.
Exclusive: NIH to suspend funds for research abroad as it overhauls policy
Move by US biomedical agency threatens thousands of projects on infectious diseases, cancer and more.
www.nature.com
April 30, 2025 at 11:28 PM
NEW: An NIH policy coming in the next week will target — and at least temporarily stop — funding outside the US, threatening thousands of projects and collaborations on topics like infectious diseases and cancer.
Some NIH staff have already been told to hold all subaward funds for foreign labs.
Some NIH staff have already been told to hold all subaward funds for foreign labs.
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
BREAKING: NSF has frozen all grant funding, as of yesterday. It's unclear when they will resume funding awards, or why the pause has been put in place. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Exclusive: NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones
US science funder also plans to screen grant applications for compliance with ‘agency priorities’.
www.nature.com
May 1, 2025 at 10:58 PM
BREAKING: NSF has frozen all grant funding, as of yesterday. It's unclear when they will resume funding awards, or why the pause has been put in place. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
Nearly half of CDC's developmental disabilities and birth defects center is now off the job
Secy Kennedy's layoffs included entire team working on sickle cell disease
www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-cut...
Secy Kennedy's layoffs included entire team working on sickle cell disease
www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-cut...
CDC faces backlash for cutting sickle cell, adult disability programs
Nearly half of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities was laid off.
www.cbsnews.com
April 10, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Nearly half of CDC's developmental disabilities and birth defects center is now off the job
Secy Kennedy's layoffs included entire team working on sickle cell disease
www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-cut...
Secy Kennedy's layoffs included entire team working on sickle cell disease
www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-cut...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
Nobel Prizes by country and year.
The dominance of Germany is striking every time. Before 1933, that is. And the utter dominance of America (and the UK) after 1945.
The dominance of Germany is striking every time. Before 1933, that is. And the utter dominance of America (and the UK) after 1945.
March 28, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Nobel Prizes by country and year.
The dominance of Germany is striking every time. Before 1933, that is. And the utter dominance of America (and the UK) after 1945.
The dominance of Germany is striking every time. Before 1933, that is. And the utter dominance of America (and the UK) after 1945.
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
In fiscal year 2024, the report found, NIH awarded more than $36.9 billion to researchers, supporting more than 408,000 jobs and generating over $94.5 billion in new economic activity nationwide.
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
NIH funding delivers exponential economic returns — Harvard Gazette
Report finds all 50 states reap gains in patient health, job creation, research resources, business development.
news.harvard.edu
March 12, 2025 at 11:49 PM
In fiscal year 2024, the report found, NIH awarded more than $36.9 billion to researchers, supporting more than 408,000 jobs and generating over $94.5 billion in new economic activity nationwide.
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
This message needs to be heard widely.
NIH funding delivers exponential economic returns — Harvard Gazette
Report finds all 50 states reap gains in patient health, job creation, research resources, business development.
news.harvard.edu
March 12, 2025 at 11:51 AM
This message needs to be heard widely.
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
This is a great piece on how acting NIH Director Matthew Memoli and his MAGA cronies at HHS are twisting the story on indirect costs. @insidehighered.com www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
Why the NIH cuts are so wrong (opinion)
Christopher Newfield writes that higher ed has a better counternarrative to share.
www.insidehighered.com
March 9, 2025 at 10:50 AM
This is a great piece on how acting NIH Director Matthew Memoli and his MAGA cronies at HHS are twisting the story on indirect costs. @insidehighered.com www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
Microglial mechanisms drive amyloid-β clearance in immunized patients with Alzheimer’s disease @naturemedicine.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Microglial mechanisms drive amyloid-β clearance in immunized patients with Alzheimer’s disease - Nature Medicine
Spatial transcriptomics reveals distinct microglial mechanisms driving amyloid-β clearance in both passively and actively immunized patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
www.nature.com
March 6, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Microglial mechanisms drive amyloid-β clearance in immunized patients with Alzheimer’s disease @naturemedicine.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
This article about what is going on at NIH is insightful. It details why the fight over the indirect rates are existential and show how the administration is trying to seize power that is directly given to Congress by the constitution www.sensible-med.com/p/the-nih-is...
The NIH is Being Slashed and Burned, not “Reformed”
A strong and well-argued rebuttal to NIH criticism
www.sensible-med.com
March 3, 2025 at 11:37 AM
This article about what is going on at NIH is insightful. It details why the fight over the indirect rates are existential and show how the administration is trying to seize power that is directly given to Congress by the constitution www.sensible-med.com/p/the-nih-is...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
Today, a broad coalition of scientific professional societies who represent over 92,000 scientists are speaking out against the politicization and demonization of Federally funded science and government scientist jobs.
It was an honor to help the Union of Concerned Scientists with this! 🧪🌎
It was an honor to help the Union of Concerned Scientists with this! 🧪🌎
48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science
48 scientific societies representing almost 100,000 scientists signed on to a letter asking Congress to protect the future of science
www.ucsusa.org
March 3, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Today, a broad coalition of scientific professional societies who represent over 92,000 scientists are speaking out against the politicization and demonization of Federally funded science and government scientist jobs.
It was an honor to help the Union of Concerned Scientists with this! 🧪🌎
It was an honor to help the Union of Concerned Scientists with this! 🧪🌎
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
CLEC16A in astrocytes promotes mitophagy and limits pathology in a multiple sclerosis mouse model @NatureNeuro
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
CLEC16A in astrocytes promotes mitophagy and limits pathology in a multiple sclerosis mouse model - Nature Neuroscience
The mechanisms of pathological astrocyte responses during multiple sclerosis remain unclear. Kadowaki et al. found in MS mouse models that CLEC16A suppresses astrocyte pathogenic activities related to...
www.nature.com
March 3, 2025 at 2:24 PM
CLEC16A in astrocytes promotes mitophagy and limits pathology in a multiple sclerosis mouse model @NatureNeuro
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
In this #rarediseaseday2025 we cannot remain silent. We must fight on the beach and the bench. Share. Tell your stories. Call your elected officials. Call your unelected officials. #fightonthebench
March 1, 2025 at 1:05 AM
In this #rarediseaseday2025 we cannot remain silent. We must fight on the beach and the bench. Share. Tell your stories. Call your elected officials. Call your unelected officials. #fightonthebench
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
"officials at the Dept. of HHS... have pressed staff at the agency to ignore court orders, according to nearly a dozen former and current NIH officials I spoke with. Even advice from NIH lawyers to resume business as usual was dismissed by the agency’s acting director, those officials said."
Inside the Collapse at the NIH
Administration officials pressured the NIH to avoid clear advice from the agency’s own lawyers to restart grant funding now.
www.theatlantic.com
February 27, 2025 at 7:44 PM
"officials at the Dept. of HHS... have pressed staff at the agency to ignore court orders, according to nearly a dozen former and current NIH officials I spoke with. Even advice from NIH lawyers to resume business as usual was dismissed by the agency’s acting director, those officials said."
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
Despite court order, NIH grants remain frozen. Newly awarded grants, grants with fundable scores, & funds for a new budget cycle of a current project are all *FROZEN*🥶 and not being released. US research is being choked to death & is on life support right now www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
NIH is again throttling research funding in defiance of a federal court order
A freeze on "new and continuation awards" will "remain in place" pending DEI review, states a new internal memo.
www.motherjones.com
February 26, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Despite court order, NIH grants remain frozen. Newly awarded grants, grants with fundable scores, & funds for a new budget cycle of a current project are all *FROZEN*🥶 and not being released. US research is being choked to death & is on life support right now www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
PCCM article by Christina Rufener & team. Congratulations!
#pedsICU @nicolecoufal.bsky.social @sapnakmd.bsky.social @helenharvey3.bsky.social
journals.lww.com/pccmjournal/...
#pedsICU @nicolecoufal.bsky.social @sapnakmd.bsky.social @helenharvey3.bsky.social
journals.lww.com/pccmjournal/...
Extubation Practices and Outcomes During Pediatric... : Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
ional database of all ECMO centers in the ELSO registry.
Patients:
Patients between 30 days and 18 years old receiving pulmonary ECMO support.
Interventions:
None.
Measurements and Main Results...
journals.lww.com
February 23, 2025 at 7:37 AM
PCCM article by Christina Rufener & team. Congratulations!
#pedsICU @nicolecoufal.bsky.social @sapnakmd.bsky.social @helenharvey3.bsky.social
journals.lww.com/pccmjournal/...
#pedsICU @nicolecoufal.bsky.social @sapnakmd.bsky.social @helenharvey3.bsky.social
journals.lww.com/pccmjournal/...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
“There’s going to be a missing age class of researchers that will reverberate for years.” scim.ag/3ERRLDo
U.S. early-career researchers struggling amid chaos
Uncertain funding, government firings, and distressed universities hit vulnerable groups especially hard
scim.ag
February 24, 2025 at 2:59 PM
“There’s going to be a missing age class of researchers that will reverberate for years.” scim.ag/3ERRLDo
Sent to all of HHS/NIH as well. It’s purely meant to intimidate and to make them question their self worth.
apple.news/An1zUSES4QKq...
apple.news/An1zUSES4QKq...
Feds must answer email on what they did last week — or lose jobs, Musk says — The Washington Post
Musk says on X that feds must explain what they did last week — or resign
apple.news
February 23, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Sent to all of HHS/NIH as well. It’s purely meant to intimidate and to make them question their self worth.
apple.news/An1zUSES4QKq...
apple.news/An1zUSES4QKq...
Reposted by Nicole Coufal, MD, PhD
Glad to see this post getting some traction, because the Federal Register is the WHOLE ballgame, folks. To drive this point home, a recent EO declares that all posts to FR now must be approved by the White House. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
February 20, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Glad to see this post getting some traction, because the Federal Register is the WHOLE ballgame, folks. To drive this point home, a recent EO declares that all posts to FR now must be approved by the White House. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...