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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 12h

Yes, exactly! Strange article really.

Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 13h

Me too! I do feel "The REF pays money into universities…according to the number of principal investigators [they have]" is a bit of an unhelpful over-simplification...

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, a very fair point. I guess individual HEIs have to be able to limit how many UoAs they can mange to submit to, though, given the need to do an environment statement for each. Cross referrals between sub-panels work reasonably well luckily- I did quite a few from other panels.

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Reposted by Cathy Abbott

Disappointed Optimist @disappoptimism.bsky.social · 1d

If this happened at a steel plant there would be talk of government bail out to secure jobs

LopaLeach @lopa.bsky.social · 4d

Cuts equivalent to 15,000 jobs planned at UK universities – UCU www.timeshighereducation.com/news/cuts-eq...

Cuts equivalent to 15,000 jobs planned at UK universities – UCU

Proposed job losses almost triple since March as unions prepare to vote on nationwide industrial action

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 1d

That's a Mock REF though, right? For real REF you have typically 30 panel members within a specific field, and each output is assigned on the basis of sub-specialities, so pretty expert (and obviously peer review has already happened). I did ~500 papers over about 4-5 months, probably ~1 hr each min

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Reposted by Cathy Abbott

NC3Rs @nc3rs.bsky.social · 1d

Register now for an afternoon of networking and expert insights at an event that brings together researchers, clinicians and neurosurgeons to discuss the practicalities and potential of using human brain tissue to replace animal models in neuroscience.

Isabel N Christie PhD @izzynchristie.bsky.social · 5d

“Using Human Brain Tissue in Research”

NC3Rs supported @nc3rs.bsky.social

Date & time: Friday, 7 November 2025 13:00–16:00

Prof Maria Thom
Mr Martin Gillies
Mr Ciaran S. Hill

Location: UCL Institute of Advanced Studies
Registration (event is free): www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/networking...

Networking Event: Using Human Brain Tissue in Research

Networking event connecting researchers, clinicians & neurosurgeons to discuss practical and ethical aspects of human brain tissue research

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 1d

I genuinely saw none of that last time. I know I sound like Pollyanna though!

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 1d

No, I totally get that, honestly ❤️

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 1d

There's been lots on this already. I think it would work in some circumstances but the submitting units that would be most disadvantaged would be the smaller, generally less well-funded. Panel members can spot hidden gems in a way AI wouldn't, I suspect. Might as well go back to JIFs!

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Reposted by Cathy Abbott

Radio Free America @radiofreeflorida.bsky.social · 5d

The thing that we need in the world today is a group of men and women who will stand up for right and to be opposed to wrong, wherever it is.” - MLk Jr.

#RadioFreeAmerica

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 6d

My expectations of Celebrity Traitors were quite high but that was awesome. The bit with Claudia screaming “HEAVE HO PULL THE HORSE” had me laughing out loud 😄

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Research Culture Leeds @researchcultureuol.bsky.social · 6d

Day 2 of ##Hiddenref2025 and a reminder that people are as important as outputs.

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 6d

Hmm. I assumed the pause meant no updates- interesting...(and agree about books, totally)

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 6d

Good grief.

Reposted by Cathy Abbott

Rob Klose @robklose.bsky.social · 6d

Wonderful opportunity to work with Martin Howard and my group trying to understand how chromatin influences gene transcription and expression. Integration of theory, modelling, and experimentation. Come and join the team!
Please repost!

jobs.jic.ac.uk/Details.asp?...

John Innes Centre

jobs.jic.ac.uk

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Reposted by Cathy Abbott

Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain (SIDB) @sidb-edinburgh.bsky.social · 7d

Thanks to everyone who joined the 9th Annual SIDB Retreat!
Two incredible days of inspiring science, great discussions, and vibrant collaboration.
Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! Find out more on sidb.org or via linktree in our bio

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 7d

I've just been yelling "don't open the freezer" to someone who thought she'd like to put her clinical samples somewhere safer (like, where, given that the whole campus was down!!)

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Cardiff UCU @cardiffucu.bsky.social · 18d

'Huddled under blankets in my freezing office, because the anti-suicide lock on the window has seized slightly ajar, I am – like everyone –frantically trying to make it work for the students, [since] any hit in our student satisfaction scores will be an excuse for management to cut more jobs.'

Huge Cardiff University Cuts Have Been A Disaster For Staff & Students -

Reading Time: 3 minutesMonths since bosses at Wales’ biggest university imposed dramatic cuts, an anonymous academic reveals what…

voice.cymru

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Reposted by Cathy Abbott

Alfredo Castello @alf-castello.bsky.social · 11d

Are you thinking on an exciting PHD project at the interface of translation control and innate immunity? @rnanomad.bsky.social and I have a project that might interest you!

Mehdi Jafarnejad @rnanomad.bsky.social · 11d

@alf-castello.bsky.social & I are inviting applications for a competitive PhD studentship to study the mechanisms of translational regulation of the host response to RNA virus infections. The student will be based at Uni. Glasgow. Please spread the word. #RNASky

www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate...

University of Glasgow - Postgraduate study - Centres for Doctoral Training - NorthWest Biosciences - Our Projects - Understanding Pathogens, from Molecules to Phenotypes - Alfredo Castello

www.gla.ac.uk

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 13d

Oh god yes. I have never forgotten suddenly being asked how many PhD vivas I'd done (when going for promotion) and having to say err, somewhere between 50 and 70ish 😬

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Andrea Ganna @andganna.bsky.social · 14d

🧬💥 Do the genetics that make you develop a disease also help you survive it? Not much.

Our new study in Nature Genetics including 9 disease and 7 biobanks shows:

• Susceptibility variants ≠ survival
• PRSs for onset weak at predicting progression
• Lifespan PRS predicts survival better

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Reposted by Cathy Abbott

Siân Culley @superresolusian.bsky.social · 15d

BioImage analysis friends - King's are recruiting for a full-time, permanent facility position! Come and work with fun microscopes and fun people (and me!) - please share! www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/126345-...

Bioimage Analysis Specialist | King's College London

www.kcl.ac.uk

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 15d

Huge congratulations, and what an absolutely lovely thread.

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 15d

Another day, another email from someone who finds my research "resonates" with their interests. A word I never saw used in this context until a few years ago, but now almost ubiquitous 🙄

batman and robin are running down a city street and talking to each other .

ALT: batman and robin are running down a city street and talking to each other .

media.tenor.com

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Cathy Abbott @cathyabbott.bsky.social · 20d

To be fair I am just here a day early because I knew my flight was cancelled on Monday so it’s all good- beautiful weather luckily!

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