Join @washugenetics.bsky.social next Thursday April. 16 at Noon in Connor Auditorium when Elizabeth Pollina, PhD presents, “Dynamic Genome Control Mechanisms in Nervous System Longevity”, hosted by Drs. Lijuan Feng and Gabor Egervari!

(left out the part about this happening in Vienna)

Unfortunately I cannot advise, but I did bond with a stranger bc of my Ologies windbreaker just the other day 🥲

Very excited that this is now publicly available in #eNeuro! 🍸🧠🧬
And very grateful for my co-authors & their contributions.
#neuroepigenetics #transcriptomics

ACSS2 mediates prenatal alcohol exposure-related morphological and behavioral phenotypes The metabolic enzyme Acetyl-CoA Synthetase 2 (ACSS2) recently emerged as an unexpected regulator of molecular and behavioral changes associated with a…

The peer-reviewed publication is now available in Neurobiology of Disease! Big congratulations to Kala on her first first-author paper, and special shoutout to her outstanding dedication and leadership throughout this work 🙂
#neuroepigenetics

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

This compound enhances long-term memory of mice — but only in females Acetate helps the female rodents form memories but is less effective in males.

A common metabolic by-product produced when the body breaks down alcohol, glucose and food high in fibre can enhance memory, at least in females

go.nature.com/4tV61QN

Mine in this week’s @newyorker.com

The image is a colored transmission electron micrograph of a section through a myelin (red)-ensheathed nerve axon (blue), which is regenerating within a Schwann cell (light brown) located within the basement membrane (pink) of an old Schwann cell.

Scientists discover memory-enhancing properties of acetate unique to female mice, a new Review explores the latest discoveries about metabolic reprogramming after traumatic nerve injury, and more this week in #ScienceSignaling. https://scim.ag/4qWS0PU

It's been an honor to lead this work & its development from start to end. I extend my deepest appreciation to my co-authors and their invaluable dedication & contributions.
I hope this work is enjoyed by & sparks scientific curiosity for its readers✨ #neuroepigenetics #ScienceSignaling @science.org

These molecular signatures shine the spotlight on the histone variant H2A.Z, highlighting the role of H2A.Z acetylation and genes regulated by this histone variant in the female dHPC in the learning & memory context.

We show that acetate treatment facilitates memory in female mice, and this is accompanied by chromatin & gene expression signatures that were distinct to the female dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), particularly in the context of learning & memory.

Acetate enhances long-term memory in female mice by sex-, context-, and brain region–specific epigenetic and transcriptional remodeling The metabolite acetate supports memory recall in female mice.

It's an absolute pleasure to share that my first first-author paper was published today in Science Signaling!🧠🧬

Acetate enhances long-term memory in female mice by sex-, context-, and brain region–specific epigenetic and transcriptional remodeling | Science Signaling www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

From the lab so far this month!

Gabor's final postdoc paper: alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Collaborative work with Ashrafi & Klyachko labs: www.cell.com/cell-reports...

happy (belated) international day of women and girls in science!!!!

big ups to #eneuro @sfnjournals.bsky.social for Reviewer Consultation. Peer review is essential to generating rigorous science and communicating it clearly. Yet authors get bogged down with many requests. #eneuro's approach to address this using reviewer consultation and consensus is a win for all.

Newest preprint from the lab! It's been very cool contributing to this project and seeing everyone's hard work come together 👩🏻‍💻

leaving after the evening pool sharks :/ iykyk

Investigating pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorder using Drosophila melanogaster This study validates Drosophila melanogaster as a powerful model for alcohol use disorder (AUD) drug discovery. A pipeline to test drug effects on acute alcohol response, alcohol consumption, and mem...

Ever wonder how fruit flies can be used to help uncover novel therapies for #AlcoholUseDisorder? My new paper with @karlakaun.bsky.social describes a behavioral assay pipeline using #Drosophila that can be used to screen new treatments and to investigate the mechanism of currently available drugs.

Screenshot of notice displayed on NCBI briefly notifying users that lapse in government funding may affect website functionality and resource availability

Always a delight guessing what the next realized nightmare will be

Poster image with an upside-down image of the US capitol in red. Text reads: What does a government shutdown mean for science?

2/ Poster image with heading: The shutdown fight is over healthcare. Bubble 1: The government shutdown is driven by Republicans in Congress and the White House refusing to extend funding for Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, and restore Medicaid funding slashed in the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Bubble 2: The “Big Beautiful Bill” is set to strip Americans of $880 billion in Medicaid funding — driving up our healthcare premiums, lowering healthcare access and quality, and making us sicker and weaker. Bottom title: This would be a crisis for public health.

3/ Poster image with heading: The shutdown fight is over staff cuts. Bubble 1: A shutdown will force critical agencies responsible for our nation’s health, safety, and environment to suspend or reduce essential services. OMB Director Russel Vought has openly threatened mass firings of career civil servants. Bubble 2: The administration has already cut or retaliated against agency staff, from the CDC and NIH to FEMA and the EPA. This represents dire losses in scientific expertise and manpower for daily and emergency work. Bottom title: This would be a crisis for public safety

4/ Poster image with heading: The shutdown fight is over research. Bubble 1: Republicans in Congress are also refusing to restore funding cuts to research across our scientific agencies. Pending the shutdown, research will also be stalled and scientific facilities and instruments might be suspended or shut down. Bubble 2: Right now, the Big Beautiful Bill aims to slash grant funding for the NIH by nearly 40%, and the CDC by half. This stalls critical medical and health research, shuts down labs and projects, and kills scientific progress. Bottom text: This would be a crisis for innovation

With a shutdown looming, one thing is clear: this is a standoff over the future of science. Everything from science funding and research, to public health and wellness, to managing emergency situations will be affected by what our leaders decide to put first: people or politics.

#Standupforscience

feel the need to publicly document that this week commemorated my 2 year labiversary in the Egervari lab and my first week as a research specialist!! 🥃🧠🧬👩🏻‍💻🎊

Harvard University lays off fly database team The layoffs jeopardize this resource, which has served more than 4,000 labs for about three decades.

FlyBase, a Drosophila database, will lose a third of its team in early October because the Harvard grant that covered the employees’ salaries was canceled. Scientists warn that losing FlyBase could devastate fly research.

By @claudia-lopez.bsky.social

www.thetransmitter.org/community/ha...

Scientists’ role in defending democracy The United States’ democratic leadership, commitment to freedom of expression, and investment in the pursuit of knowledge have long enabled its preeminence in science and technology. Yet today we are ...

Scientists’ role in defending democracy www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Let's all support this vital need: the ability to tell the truth. 💪

"Those in the science community who are willing & able to be more visible can step up. Acting together will be more impactful than going it alone."

“Science + medicine … are about service—science being service to knowledge… medicine being service to other people and their health. Both are about telling the truth” www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10....

In the face of anti-science politics, silence is not without cost More scientific leaders need to speak out about anti-science agendas and threats to academic freedom across the world. More scientific leaders need to speak out about anti-science agendas and threats to academic freedom across the world.

When political power silences science, we all lose. From climate to health, anti‑science agendas erode progress.

Scientists, institutions, and leaders must speak up - or risk letting ideology undermine academic freedom and evidence-based discovery.

zurl.co/OrCHk
#StandUpForScience

‘One of the darkest days’: NIH purges agency leadership amid mass layoffs In shock move, four institute directors at the US biomedical agency are removed from their posts.

"This will go down as one of the darkest days in modern scientific history." Story on the decimation of NIH by @maxkozlov.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/d41...?

Flier for Stand Up For Science 2025 in Jefferson City, MO. The event is at 1-4PM on March 7, 2025 at the Missouri Capital. Find your local rally site and other ways to get involved at standupforscience2025.org

Flier for Stand Up For Science 2025 at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. The event is at 12-3PM on March 7, 2025 at the Couch Biomedical Building Quad (Med Canpus) and Mudd Field (Danforth Campus).

Popping in to spread the word about tomorrow's nationwide rally to defend science. I'll be there – will you?
Find your local rally site, info about the SUFS policy goals, and protest safety tips here: standupforscience2025.org
🧬🔬🧪🧫
#StandUpForScience #ScienceIsForEveryone

Photo of the United States with a color code for states that have rallies confirmed, in progress, needing a leader, or no leader.

🚨 WANT TO HELP US STAND UP FOR SCIENCE? 🚨

Here's a little update on where we're currently at with the planning process!

Is your state red or grey & you want to see an event happen? Fill out our volunteer form or share with a friend! airtable.com/app4h5wUssMG...

#standupforscience2025

Graduate Reductions Across Biomedical Sciences (2025)

I created a brief spreadsheet of reductions I've heard of so far. Any additions you know of (especially if you have the links/receipts) would be great: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

I think one thing that the general public doesn’t fully grasp yet is that American science funding was already teetering on the edge before all this started.

www.eenews.net/articles/sci...

A short thread on why your scientist friends are freaking out.

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