A poster for the event: How Corporate Power Creates Pharmacy Deserts. A conversation with Alvaro Bedoya (Former commissioner, Federal Trade Commission - 2022 - 2025). It will be held on April 8th at 4 PM in Petteruti Lounge in Stephen Roberts Campus Center. The poster features a blue sky with the smoky haze of a suit in tie in the background. In the foreground are sand dunes, where a pharmacy is buried in one of the dunes. The imprint of pills can be seen on a dune. To the left is an image of Alvaro Bedoya, the speaker. To the right is a QR code to register. At the bottom there is a white bar featuring all the logos of the sponsors of the talk.

Please join us on April 8th for a talk with former FTC commissioner Alvaro Bedoya who will be speaking about his work on the FTC as it pertains to independent pharmacies and pharmacy deserts.

In person:
www.eventbrite.com/e/how-corpor...

Online live stream:
forms.gle/8wK7XCCWdm3U...

Opinion | ICE created a public health crisis. Minnesota must act as it did during COVID. Minnesota should employ similar relief measures as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, like an eviction moratorium and expanded unemployment, Alexandra Skinner writes.

Doctoral student Alexandra Skinner wrote about how the Twin Cities needs a response that provides people with economic supports in dealing with the city's ICE presence, much like was done during COVID-19.

www.startribune.com/mn-ice-drawd...

Trump administration cuts up to $1.9 billion from mental health and addiction treatment programs SAMHSA canceled up to $1.9 billion in grants without staff consultation, accelerating the mental health agency's deterioration under President Trump.

The Trump administration is slashing nearly $2 billion in existing grants for mental health, addiction treatment, HIV/hep C prevention, and more, the latest in a yearlong degradation of SAMHSA

Hot fudge sundae pop tart mourns over the mutilated body of the cherry pop tart at the Pop Tarts Bowl.

like Hot Fudge Sundae mourned their fallen compatriot Cherry at the Pop Tarts Bowl, we too shall continue to participate in the NIH grant process in honor of all those grants that were unjustly terminated

DW with black circles under her eyes and smiling a weird smile

Timothee Chalet as Laurie in Little Women (2019) going through it

Ben Affleck attempts to balance three iced coffees and and a box of munchkins

Spongebob has his hands up, his eyes are bloodshot red, his yellow spongey skin is all dry. He's tired but smiling.

rumors of public healths demise in 2025 are greatly exaggerated (ok not really) but we are still out here despite it all and ready for 2026. LETS GOOOOOOOOO

Watching Providence retreat into itself after the Brown shooting What it's like when this uniquely American horror arrives in your city.

“I have lived in Providence for nearly a decade—first as a Brown student, and then when I returned to make it my home—and I have never seen it like this, the energy sucked out of it by fear.”

Read this moving piece by @h-lev.bsky.social on the shooting aftermath www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Victim of Brown Shooting Remembered as a Scholar, Always Willing to Help

Remembering Brown Freshman MukhammadAziz Umurzokov.

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/u...

Victim of Shooting at Brown Remembered as ‘a Bright Light’

Remembering Brown Sophomore Ella Cook.

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/u...

Police searching Brown University after shooter kills 2 and wounds 8 on campus Police say multiple people have been shot in the area of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

We are horrified and grieving for our beloved campus community. To our Brown & Providence community, please stay safe. Our hearts go out to those impacted by tonights senseless tragedy.

Notice of Request for Information; Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that aim to accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking...

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is seeking input on Federal policy updates to accelerate the American scientific enterprise.

This is your chance to give some feedback on how the past ~10 months have gone for science.
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

I plan to highlight:

The Populist Approach to the Opioid Crisis Can Save Millions of Lives The overdose epidemic is often framed as a public health concern. But what if we treated it as an economic crisis, which policy can alleviate?

"To really stem this crisis and improve public health, the country must pursue an aggressive campaign of economic justice."

—Professor Brandon Marshall and @ashihipar.bsky.social of the @pphcollective.bsky.social writing in the @newrepublic.com

Happening now! RSVP to get a zoom link.

Covering HHS: Health Journalism and the Federal Government in 2025 Join STAT News’ Anil Oza and Nature’s Max Kozlov ’20 for a panel about covering the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the ...

Tomorrow at 11:30 AM EST, join @aniloza.bsky.social and @maxkozlov.bsky.social as they discuss what it's been like to cover HHS under this administration. Register to get the zoom link.

events.brown.edu/public-healt...

Covering HHS: Health Journalism and the Federal Government in 2025 Join STAT News’ Anil Oza and Nature’s Max Kozlov ’20 for a panel about covering the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the ...

Tomorrow at 11:30 AM EST, join @aniloza.bsky.social and @maxkozlov.bsky.social as they discuss what it's been like to cover HHS under this administration. Register to get the zoom link.

events.brown.edu/public-healt...

The Populist Approach to the Opioid Crisis Can Save Millions of Lives The overdose epidemic is often framed as a public health concern. But what if we treated it as an economic crisis, which policy can alleviate?

Collective members Professor Brandon Marshall and Abdullah Shihipar write about viewing the overdose crisis as one driven by material suffering and explain that pursuing economic justice can have a real impact in reducing overdose deaths.

newrepublic.com/article/2031...

Thank you all the program officers at NIH that persisted through the 2025 fiscal year and were able to fund 99% of the total FY2024 budget. I know this has take a toll on everyone at NIH. Thank you for supporting important health and behavior science and helping to keep the U.S. a leader in science.

The Forces Finally Driving Down Deaths from Overdose After more than 1 million deaths, opioid mortality is dropping fast.

Collective member Abdullah Shihipar spoke to Governing about the drop in overdose deaths and why funding cuts could interrupt that progress.

www.governing.com/magazine/the...

Earlier this month, Professor Brandon Marshall spoke to the Hartford Courant about overdose prevention centers.

“They are highly effective in other countries in communities where there is a very high level of overdose risk,” he said.

www.msn.com/en-us/news/u...

Doctoral candidate Leah Shaw and co-authors wrote a blog post a few weeks ago to accompany their study on Rhode Island's Harm Reduction vending machines. They found that these were used significantly on the weekends (30%) and outside regular business hours (50%).

jphmpdirect.com/what-we-have...

Hey there. Today was terrible. I’m grieving for all who will get hurt, sick and die from what the #GOP has done. But I remember dark days in the past during the AIDS epidemic in the US in the 80s, in South Africa in the 2000s. Things looked bleak then. Though me and my friends would be dead. 1/

"en español 这是网站的中文版" A green background with all sorts of people in different colored shirts and pants.

Our information based resource on overdose prevention centers - opcinfo.org - is now available in Chinese and Spanish. With the exception of legislative updates & the literature database, the website and its materials are available in these languages. Use the menu to switch between languages.

A blue background with the image of lab visible. In white text, it says: “HOW NIH WORKS: aka how biomedical research in the United States is funded”.

Blue background. A pixelated scientist (90s video game style) wearing a white lab coat says “My PhD may have made me cry but I’m ready to work”. In white text it says: “YOU ARE A BUDDING YOUNG SCIENTIST LOOKING TO STUDYA PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM — LIKE OPIOID USE DISORDER.” ITS NOW TIME TO WRITE YOUR FIRST GRANT. THIS GUIDE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH HOW MEDICAL SCIENCE (TYPICALLY) GETS FUNDED IN THE UNITED STATES.”

Blue background. The scientist stands next to a green video screen that contains a list of NIH institutes. There is an image of the NIH logo with the words “NIH” replaced by a smiley face. Text: “First, you have to pick from one of NIH’s 27 institutes. Each one of these has priorities that are outlined by congress. They also put out notices to highlight certain topics of interest.” “YOU HAVE SELECTED THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE. LETS GET TO WORK.”

Blue background. The scientist stands before a long desk with a laptop — dotted lines emit from the laptop to a large piece of paper with a spreadsheet on it. There is a bookshelf in the background. The text says that grant applications can be over 100 pages Text: NOW TIME TO WRITE YOUR GRANT. This Outlines: — The aims & goals of the study. — How the study will be run. — What the money will be used for. — Who will be working on it. — The timeline

We have created a set of slides that explains how NIH works aka how biomedical science is funded in the United States. Enter our game where you "play" as a budding young scientist who is looking to get a grant studying opioid use disorder funded -- will he get it funded? Click through!

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the National Institutes of Health | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

Tomorrow (Tues, June 10) at 10AM ET, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya will be testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the NIH budget. 1/

NIH scientists publish declaration criticizing Trump's deep cuts in public health research Scores of National Institutes of Health researchers and staffers have come forward to send their Trump-appointed leader a letter challenging policies they say undermine the NIH mission.

“Ian Morgan, a postdoctoral fellow with the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, also signed… “We have a saying in basic science,” he said. “You go and become a physician if you want to treat thousands of patients. You go and become a researcher if you want to save billions of patients.”

An Interview With A Public Health Researcher Whose Funding Was Terminated By The Trump Administration | Defector In a third-grade classroom exercise, Patrick Kelly wrote that he wanted to become a scientist when he grew up. With that interest came an attention to the people that science can help. “I’ve just alwa...

"Boy, has it been a learning curve, because not a lot of people navigate a termination at all in their careers, let alone for their first grant." — BSHS PhD student Patrick Kelly discusses his grant cancellation, its impact on his work, and on the populations he serves defector.com/an-interview...

How NIH works An explainer on how biomedical research is funded in the United States

Find the images for download and a booklet here:
medium.com/pphc/how-nih...

A green background with cash visible in the background. In white text: “BEFORE YOU GET YOUR GRANT. KNOW THE RULES! Scientists & their institutions are accountable to NIH for the money they spend. Every purchase needs to be logged & all progress on a study needs to be documented in yearly progress reports. NIH also distributes awards yearly; rather than all at once.”

A boat is on a rocky pixelated sea, on its mast is the American flag. Storm clouds are ahead and there is lightning. The text says: “that is how the process is supposed to work. Since January 2025, American science has faced an unprecedented disruption. Billions have been cancelled or delayed. This independent process is under threat. Jobs lost. Cures not discovered. Drugs delayed.”

Blue background. A group of 3 pixelated scientists stands before a long table. The NIH logo delivers them the grant. Before them are two pieces of paper, one with a grant score and one with notes. Elsewhere in the page is a scientist working a table and another one napping. TEXT: “SENDING GRANT.. YOUR GRANT HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO A STUDY SECTION. This is a committee of scientists in the field who have all been awarded NIH grants in the past. This is a volunteer, appointed position. All grants are reviewed before a study section meeting and receive a score & comments. But not all grants get discussed at the meeting. The top scoring grants then go on to a separate council meeting for a final decision. GRANT REVIEW IS TOUGH WORK! Hours are spent reviewing before a meeting & discussing during a meeting.”

Blue background. At the top stands a pixelated scientist who is crying because his grant did not get funded. At the bottom is a pixelated scientist who is happy because his grant did get funded. TEXT: “YOUR GRANT WAS NOT FUNDED. Most grants that are submitted to NIH do not get funded. Success rates vary per institute but on average only 18% of grants are funded. You got feedback and can try again if you want. A lot of good science is not funded because there is a finite amount of grant money provided by Congress. PLAYER UPDATE — (inside a green text box, in black text) — YOUR RIVAL — DR. SEXYSCIENCE HAS HAD HIS GRANT PROCEEDTO THE COUNCIL MEETING. LETS HEAD THERE NOW.

A pixelated image of NIH’s Bethesda campus is visible. In a green box is the text: “It’s a beautiful day in Bethesda, Maryland.The council meeting is about to begin.”

Blue background. In front of a table are pixelated wizard sprites, who represent NIH advisory council members. They also have sheets of paper in front of them with notes and scores. Text: “The advisory council of an NIH institute is made up of external experts in the field who take into consideration the rankings of the study section members and then make final recommendations for funding. These recommendations are then sent to the institute director who may approve the grant. THE COUNCIL HAS DECIDED YOUR FATE.THE GRANT IS RECOMMENDED FORFUNDING.”

A blue background with the image of lab visible. In white text, it says: “HOW NIH WORKS: aka how biomedical research in the United States is funded”.

Blue background. A pixelated scientist (90s video game style) wearing a white lab coat says “My PhD may have made me cry but I’m ready to work”. In white text it says: “YOU ARE A BUDDING YOUNG SCIENTIST LOOKING TO STUDYA PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM — LIKE OPIOID USE DISORDER.” ITS NOW TIME TO WRITE YOUR FIRST GRANT. THIS GUIDE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH HOW MEDICAL SCIENCE (TYPICALLY) GETS FUNDED IN THE UNITED STATES.”

Blue background. The scientist stands next to a green video screen that contains a list of NIH institutes. There is an image of the NIH logo with the words “NIH” replaced by a smiley face. Text: “First, you have to pick from one of NIH’s 27 institutes. Each one of these has priorities that are outlined by congress. They also put out notices to highlight certain topics of interest.” “YOU HAVE SELECTED THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE. LETS GET TO WORK.”

Blue background. The scientist stands before a long desk with a laptop — dotted lines emit from the laptop to a large piece of paper with a spreadsheet on it. There is a bookshelf in the background. The text says that grant applications can be over 100 pages Text: NOW TIME TO WRITE YOUR GRANT. This Outlines: — The aims & goals of the study. — How the study will be run. — What the money will be used for. — Who will be working on it. — The timeline

We have created a set of slides that explains how NIH works aka how biomedical science is funded in the United States. Enter our game where you "play" as a budding young scientist who is looking to get a grant studying opioid use disorder funded -- will he get it funded? Click through!