Author | Lightnews

Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Ian Weissman, DO @drianweissman.bsky.social · 3d

This year, with Congress in a stalemate about subsidies, Affordable Care Act marketplace consumers will need to be more informed than ever to navigate their health coverage choices.
www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Shopping for ACA health plans this open enrollment? Here's what to know

This year, with Congress in a stalemate about subsidies, Affordable Care Act marketplace consumers will need to be more informed than ever to navigate their health coverage choices.

www.npr.org

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Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD @wesleytkerr.bsky.social · 3d

New paper alert! This is a time-to-event study of JNJ-40411813 which, unfortunately, did not hit it's primary efficacy endpoint. The time-to-event design did reduce exposure to ineffective treatments. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @epilepsiajournal.bsky.social

A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, time‐to‐event study of the efficacy and safety of JNJ‐40411813 in combination with levetiracetam or brivaracetam in patients with focal onset seizures

Objective Up to 30% of people with epilepsy are refractory to current antiseizure medications (ASMs). JNJ-40411813 is a positive allosteric modulator of metabotropic glutamate 2 receptor, a presynap...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD @wesleytkerr.bsky.social · 12d

New editorial alert: This highlighted the importance of following statistical best practices in preclinical studies because better statistical practices was associated with more Phase 2 success! www.neurology.org/doi/full/10.... @greenjournal.bsky.social

Neurology® Journals

www.neurology.org

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 22d

OBAMA: “Better’s good… we’re not gonna get to perfect. Do I think single-payer with no profit motive would’ve been smarter? Absolutely.”

President Obama tells Maron the ACA was a compromise because he didn’t have the votes for what he really wanted. #MedicareForAll

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · Oct 5

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · Sep 22

Yet again, machine learning — even gussied up via the transformer architecture — encodes and reinforces societal biases.

This study reveals that LLM-based peer review relies heavily on author institution in its decisions.

arxiv.org/abs/2509.15122

Prestige over merit: An adapted audit of LLM bias in peer review

Large language models (LLMs) are playing an increasingly integral, though largely informal, role in scholarly peer review. Yet it remains unclear whether LLMs reproduce the biases observed in human de...

arxiv.org

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Magdalena Skipper @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social · Sep 16

A great review of a must read timely publication of “Science under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World” by

@peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social and @michaelemann.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How did assaults on science become the norm — and what can we do?

An insightful book explores attacks on science from a historical and a personal perspective.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · Sep 13

“If government support weakens, medical and health research may become more dependent on commercial markets and philanthropic donors. That can narrow the kinds of problems studied…”

theconversation.com/proposed-cut...

Proposed cuts to NIH funding would have ripple effects on research that could hamper the US for decades

Taxpayer-funded investment supports basic research that can yield crucial medical advancements down the line and make lifesaving drugs and technologies affordable for everyday people.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Kevin Mitchell @wiringthebrain.bsky.social · Sep 7

We're going to see a lot of bullshit in the coming days and weeks about "causes of autism", and most will be based on flawed, over-interpreted observational studies (1/n)

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Shematologist, MD @shematologist.medsky.social · Aug 27

Drowning is the leading cause of death in children between 1 and 4 years of age but apparently the CDC Drowning Prevention program is no longer needed.

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Drowning prevention program comes to a halt at the CDC

A few years in, a CDC drowning prevention program was ready to share its findings on how to mitigate the leading cause of death among young children. Then the administration terminated that staff.

www.npr.org

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Beth S Linas, PhD, MHS @bethlinas.bsky.social · Aug 24

“In total, more than 20,500 workers, or about 18% of the Department of Health and Human Services’ workforce, have left or been pushed out, according to ProPublica’s analysis”

And we are all looking for jobs - essentially the same jobs- at the same time. This is evil, devastating, & life altering.

Gutted: How Deeply Trump Has Cut Federal Health Agencies

More than 20,500 workers have left or been pushed out of federal health agencies, a ProPublica analysis found. Staffers say the cuts will leave their agencies less equipped to conduct studies, perform...

projects.propublica.org

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Rachael Sirianni, PhD @docsirianni.bsky.social · Aug 24

What they are doing to NIH defies all logic and reason. This admin is needlessly, irreversibly destroying one of the greatest resources our country has ever built. A few quotes from yours' truly are in the video below. Thanks to @nytopinion.nytimes.com for covering
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/o...

Opinion | America First? Not When It Comes to Your Health.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Aug 24

New York Times story with profiles of researchers whose grants were terminated.

[Gift Link]

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/o...

Opinion | America First? Not When It Comes to Your Health.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Saganism @sagan.bsky.social · Aug 21

When Ted Turner asked Carl Sagan if he was a socialist, Sagan gave the answer America keeps failing to learn.

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Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD @wesleytkerr.bsky.social · Aug 22

As a former musician, married to a musician, and current neuroscientist, I think you’re doing great!

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Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD @wesleytkerr.bsky.social · Aug 21

I like it

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Jen Heemstra @jenheemstra.bsky.social · Aug 15

Feeling awed and a bit starstruck that @science.org chose to run a book review on #LabworkToLeadership!!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Leading a lab, and all it entails

A chemist offers actionable leadership advice to principal investigators

www.science.org

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Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD @wesleytkerr.bsky.social · Aug 10

Congrats! That’s a big accomplishment!

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Aug 5

Govt Accountability Office (GAO) determines Trump admin broke the law by withholding billions in new NIH awards.

Full GAO report: www.gao.gov/assets/890/8...

NYT article (no paywall): archive.is/202508051916...

Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · Aug 5

BREAKING NEWS: a government watchdog confirmed the Trump administration is breaking the law by blocking NIH funds.

How many kids with cancer or grandmas with Alzheimer’s have to get closer to death while crucial research is stalled?

Trump must end this illegal funding freeze.

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Maxine Joselow @maxinejoselow.bsky.social · Aug 5

Scoop: EPA is preparing to cancel $7 billion in grants intended to help low- and moderate-income families install solar panels www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/c...

E.P.A. Moves to Cancel $7 Billion in Grants for Solar Energy

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Steve Herman @w7voa.journa.host.ap.brid.gy · Aug 3

The US could see a 30-40% decline in new international student enrollment, resulting in nearly $7 billion in lost revenue and more than 60,000 fewer American jobs. https://www.nafsa.org/fall-2025-international-student-enrollment-outlook-and-economic-impact

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Reposted by Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD

Melissa Sanchez @melissa-sanchez.bsky.social · Jul 30

The terror began immediately. Salvadoran guards beat them with their fists, boots and batons, shot them with rubber pellets, and forced them to lick other men's backs.

What happened when we sent 230+ Venezuelans to a prison known for human rights abuses.

www.propublica.org/article/vene...