Dr. Phil Rivera
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philrivera.bsky.social
Dr. Phil Rivera
@philrivera.bsky.social
Native (Natchez). Assistant professor at Macalester College studying behavioral neuroimmunology. Curious about drugs and immune signaling. Neuroscience, rocks, Legos. My own views.
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
'These results showed that HMGB1 inhibited IFN-γ–induced PD-L1 expression, thereby enhancing the antitumor effects of T cells, and confirmed the role of HMGB1 as a prognostic indicator for lung cancer treated with chimeric antigen receptor T cells.'
academic.oup.com/jimmunol/adv...
HMGB1 inhibits the IFN-γ–induced PD-L1 expression in NSCLC
Abstract. T cells are the most important cytotoxic cells involved in antitumor immune responses. After recognizing the major histocompatibility complex (MH
academic.oup.com
July 3, 2025 at 11:57 PM
This might be a long shot given the state of the world, but I have 2 amazing undergraduates that are *still* interested in graduate school. They are willing to take a 2yr gap before applying and are looking for research related positions. If anyone is able to hire either, please DM me!
February 27, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
"History never repeats, but it rhymes." Academics across the US are or will soon be grappling with how to maintain scholarly integrity under 🍊 rule. This essay, which pulls from the author's experience in E Germany, gives some helpful structure to what choices lay ahead substack.com/home/post/p-...
Scholarship Under Autocracy
We Have Been Here Before
substack.com
February 26, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Here’s the updated flyer for the Saturday March 1 flyer in Philadelphia (and with alt text). Please share widely on bsky but also post in your neighborhood, workplace, and school. See you there! @50501movement.bsky.social #NoKings #WeThePeople #CallYourReps
February 26, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
As someone who has spent the last 25 years studying sex differences in brain function and behavior and the last 10 advocating (loudly) for SABV and working to help my colleagues implement the policy into their work, this is utterly heartbreaking.
February 25, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Great write up at @thetransmitter.bsky.social on the seeming erasure of SABV in the new era of NIH. Gotta say The Transmitter is killing it the last few weeks, first to report on the Federal Register block and now this. Leading the charge! 💪 www.thetransmitter.org/policy/exclu...
Exclusive: NIH appears to archive policy requiring female animals in studies
Such a shift would “put us back in the dark ages in terms of our science,” says neuroscientist Anne Murphy, who helped to formulate the original policy.
www.thetransmitter.org
February 25, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Please share widely. DC and state capitols. And attend! 🧪
February 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Newsweek article on 50501: www.newsweek.com/50-states-an...
February 4, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
I’m teaching a new seminar this spring on sex differences on brain and behavior. I’m looking for recommendations for readings that address:
-SABV and policy
-sex outside the binary
-informing policy/policy informing research

Also empirical articles exemplifying the importance of studying sex…
January 6, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Apply for the #IBRO Rising Star Award by April 15, 2025 if you're starting an independent position in #neuroscience in 2025 & looking for support in establishing your lab! 🧠 See more here 🔗 ow.ly/SeAQ50UrIlg
IBRO Rising Stars Awards - IBRO
ow.ly
December 18, 2024 at 4:11 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
What Banksy says…
December 4, 2024 at 8:59 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Are you interested in MS programs in ecology or evolution and want to be paid for it? Check out these fully funded programs (stipend + tuition is provided). It's been a looong time since I updated the list, so as always, check with the program for the latest info. docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Funded Organismal Biology MS Programs
docs.google.com
December 3, 2024 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Timescales in Cell Biology
December 1, 2024 at 1:35 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
We're hiring! My dept at CCNY is looking to hire a computationally minded cognitive neuroscientist at the Full Professor level. Ad here: cuny.jobs/new-york-ny/.... We'll start reviewing apps soon, but position is open until filled.
#neuroscience #psychskisky #academicsky #neuroimaging #compneuro
Jobs | City University of New York
cuny.jobs
November 27, 2024 at 3:51 AM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
1/✨ New paper in #eNeuro! We looked at how dominance behaviors vary across mouse strains—turns out, it’s not one-size-fits-all!
Comparing CD1 & C57 male mice, we found strain-specific dominance behaviors that could change how we study social hierarchy in the lab…🧵
Paper here: tinyurl.com/bdeuf6s9
November 25, 2024 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Once more for reviewers in the back: sex differences in behavioral outcomes are very often NOT a product of the estrous cycle and demanding that scientists build estrous metrics into experimental design only shows your own biases about how females (but not males) are primarily hormone-driven.
November 22, 2024 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
"These results add to a growing understanding among anthropologists that Indigenous people in the region managed so-called forest gardens that fed large numbers of people without domesticated crops." … #FoodForesting www.science.org/content/arti...
Indigenous tribes engineered British Columbia’s modern hazelnut forests more than 7000 years ago
Genetic analysis of hazelnut trees could help First Nations secure land rights in Canadian courts
www.science.org
November 21, 2024 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
It's rec letter writing season, so I thought I'd share a tiny hack I learned from someone on that other app a while back: Create a signature to respond to requests, so you're not writing the same email over & over (same for other regular requests). Here's mine. #AcademicSky
November 21, 2024 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
This is us! We're an educational resource with a bsky account. Content will be all about open educational resources in neuro, including but not limited to this book. #neuroscience #neuroskyence #openneuroscience #openscience
Announcing a new open access textbook for entry level behavioral neuro. Funded by NSF. Written by a collection of 26 neuro experts. Method demonstration videos and author interviews too. Consider using it in your courses to reduce financial barriers to education.

openstax.org/details/book...
November 18, 2024 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Mentoring is the most important thing most of us can do. Here is a 🧵about what I've learned as a PI running an academic research lab. I hope some of the advice is helpful to those who are just starting their labs and to folks hitting the academic job market in search of an independent position 🧪 1/n
November 18, 2024 at 11:24 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
I am ***absurdly*** excited to announce the launch of a new funding opportunity through Experiment dot com!!! You have one month to pitch something wonderful in the realm of plant biology/biotech research and education. $10,000 max grant. PLEASE RE-POST + SHARE!!! 1/3

experiment.com/programs/pla...
Plant Biology Exploratory Research Microgrant | Experiment
For Science!
experiment.com
November 18, 2024 at 10:54 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
If you don’t all go and vote for this lego mineral display set I will have no choice but to sign everyone on Bsky up for more dem fundraiser texts.
Minerals Display
A couple of years ago I submitted to Ideas my Minerals and, to my astonishment, made it to 10k. It has been an amazing journey which brought me to ...
ideas.lego.com
December 17, 2023 at 11:59 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Reading re: perineuronal nets this Sunday (as one does 🤓). Chronic stress
& alcohol increase PFC PNN density while chronic pain decreases it. Opposing effects on extracellular matrix in potentially comorbid conditions: convergent vs divergent mechanisms? 🧪🧠 #neuroskyence #neuroscience 1/6
Modulation of stress-, pain-, and alcohol-related behaviors by perineuronal nets
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are a special form of central nervous system extracellular matrix enriched in hyaluronan, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, …
www.sciencedirect.com
November 17, 2024 at 1:39 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Can I ask you to share a PhD advert at Bristol Uni please? Rhomboid proteases play a role in neurons that is essential for life- but it is not characterised. Got a student interested in cell biology, electrophysiology and neurobiology? Send them our way! tinyurl.com/56f24f7c
November 15, 2024 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Dr. Phil Rivera
Hey professors, I'm helping a lot of students write ✨personal statements✨ for PhD programs...

what is the number one thing you look for in a personal statement?

and what should students steer clear of when writing these?
#neuroskyence #academia
November 12, 2024 at 9:25 PM