Bob Darnell
@darnelr.bsky.social
Professor @rockefelleruniv.bsky.social @hhmi.org
Perpetually in training as a physician scientist, humanist & triathlete
https://www.rockefeller.edu/our-scientists/heads-of-laboratories/952-robert-b-darnell/
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5134-8088
Perpetually in training as a physician scientist, humanist & triathlete
https://www.rockefeller.edu/our-scientists/heads-of-laboratories/952-robert-b-darnell/
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5134-8088
Reposted by Bob Darnell
Dr @lucygossage.bsky.social was the first keynote at our 2025 Retreat.
Oncologist, professional Ironman champion, and founder of 5K Your Way, Dr Gossage also did her PhD at @cruk-ci.bsky.social.
Recalling this time, she said "completing a PhD and training for an Ironman are remarkably similar!"
Oncologist, professional Ironman champion, and founder of 5K Your Way, Dr Gossage also did her PhD at @cruk-ci.bsky.social.
Recalling this time, she said "completing a PhD and training for an Ironman are remarkably similar!"
November 6, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Dr @lucygossage.bsky.social was the first keynote at our 2025 Retreat.
Oncologist, professional Ironman champion, and founder of 5K Your Way, Dr Gossage also did her PhD at @cruk-ci.bsky.social.
Recalling this time, she said "completing a PhD and training for an Ironman are remarkably similar!"
Oncologist, professional Ironman champion, and founder of 5K Your Way, Dr Gossage also did her PhD at @cruk-ci.bsky.social.
Recalling this time, she said "completing a PhD and training for an Ironman are remarkably similar!"
Words of wisdom from a trusted Nobel Laureate…most of science is troubleshooting failure. Perhaps this is true of the rest of our lives as well, where success overcoming internal and external challenges, while keeping a positive spirit = contentment.
Paul Nurse describing the main job of a PI
(From ‘The Thinking Game’, 2024)
(From ‘The Thinking Game’, 2024)
November 1, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Words of wisdom from a trusted Nobel Laureate…most of science is troubleshooting failure. Perhaps this is true of the rest of our lives as well, where success overcoming internal and external challenges, while keeping a positive spirit = contentment.
Reposted by Bob Darnell
Known for decades as the Big Three of Groundbreaking Research - and now first in line for federal grants
The list of potential signers of the proposed higher education compact now includes:
New College of Florida, a public spending $100k per student
Grand Canyon University, which fought the feds about shedding for-profit status
Valley Forge Military College, which has less than 100 students
New College of Florida, a public spending $100k per student
Grand Canyon University, which fought the feds about shedding for-profit status
Valley Forge Military College, which has less than 100 students
Valley Forge Military College Wants to Sign Compact
While seven of the nine universities originally invited to join the Trump administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” have formally rejected the agreement, Valley Forge Mili...
www.insidehighered.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Known for decades as the Big Three of Groundbreaking Research - and now first in line for federal grants
Reposted by Bob Darnell
This is heartbreaking 💔 to read. Thank you 🙏 for sharing this with us. I want to apologize to you on behalf of real Americans. It’s a painful reminder that we must keep resisting these harmful policies so we don’t lose more people like @wwenneuro.bsky.social, whom we spent over a decade training.
After 13 years in the US, I’ve made the difficult decision to leave. Having packed up everything and rethought about priorities, rather painstakingly, while I’m sad to leave the life I’ve made here, I’m also relieved that I won’t have to plan my life around immigration policies anymore.
October 31, 2025 at 12:18 PM
This is heartbreaking 💔 to read. Thank you 🙏 for sharing this with us. I want to apologize to you on behalf of real Americans. It’s a painful reminder that we must keep resisting these harmful policies so we don’t lose more people like @wwenneuro.bsky.social, whom we spent over a decade training.
A thought article written by a thoughtful human, touching on the essential nature of human language. “Why Even Basic A.I. Use Is So Bad for Students” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o...
Opinion | Why Even Basic A.I. Use Is So Bad for Students
www.nytimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:51 PM
A thought article written by a thoughtful human, touching on the essential nature of human language. “Why Even Basic A.I. Use Is So Bad for Students” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o...
Reposted by Bob Darnell
I can’t wait for the day we get to call him Mayor Mamdani.
October 26, 2025 at 12:36 PM
I can’t wait for the day we get to call him Mayor Mamdani.
Reposted by Bob Darnell
The authors suggest this may have allowed “speech-relevant neurons to accommodate elevated levels of FOXP2 without toxicity associated with protein aggregation”. This reminded me of the discussion of Parvalbumin in this paper on vocal learning by @erichjarvis.bsky.social
Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds
www.science.org
April 22, 2025 at 6:44 AM
The authors suggest this may have allowed “speech-relevant neurons to accommodate elevated levels of FOXP2 without toxicity associated with protein aggregation”. This reminded me of the discussion of Parvalbumin in this paper on vocal learning by @erichjarvis.bsky.social
Congratulations to Princeton's Tom Muir, one of the most creative and thoughtful scientists I know, for being awarded the BMS Enzyme Chemistry & Chemical Biology Award chemistry.princeton.edu/news/tom-mui...
Muir Earns Enzyme Chemistry Award from ACS – Princeton University Department of Chemistry
chemistry.princeton.edu
May 30, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Congratulations to Princeton's Tom Muir, one of the most creative and thoughtful scientists I know, for being awarded the BMS Enzyme Chemistry & Chemical Biology Award chemistry.princeton.edu/news/tom-mui...
Reposted by Bob Darnell
An entirely unnecessary fold. Adding “this celebration is open to everyone” - as we have done for all affinity events and celebrations at Princeton - makes these events legal.
April 29, 2025 at 11:23 AM
An entirely unnecessary fold. Adding “this celebration is open to everyone” - as we have done for all affinity events and celebrations at Princeton - makes these events legal.
Thanks for posting a path to directly "chat" with Jay Bhattacharya-encouraging everyone to submit comments/questions!
Here is mine: "A Physician's credo is to do no harm. Either step up and be a Physician, stop ripping apart the efforts of so many to do good, or look in the mirror and step down."
Here is mine: "A Physician's credo is to do no harm. Either step up and be a Physician, stop ripping apart the efforts of so many to do good, or look in the mirror and step down."
Here’s your chance to ask the new NIH director some questions. Don’t be shy!
NIH is going to hold a town hall for staff with director Jayanta Bhattacharya, and apparently the form to submit questions is publicly available. In case that’s of interest.
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
April 26, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Thanks for posting a path to directly "chat" with Jay Bhattacharya-encouraging everyone to submit comments/questions!
Here is mine: "A Physician's credo is to do no harm. Either step up and be a Physician, stop ripping apart the efforts of so many to do good, or look in the mirror and step down."
Here is mine: "A Physician's credo is to do no harm. Either step up and be a Physician, stop ripping apart the efforts of so many to do good, or look in the mirror and step down."
Reposted by Bob Darnell
Went for a walk to Central Park, New York and ran into a massive protest. Decided to join and document. Thousands of marchers were protesting everything the Trump administration and his supporters represent, walking around Trump Tower and then onto the park. I post the messages that resonated most.
April 19, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Went for a walk to Central Park, New York and ran into a massive protest. Decided to join and document. Thousands of marchers were protesting everything the Trump administration and his supporters represent, walking around Trump Tower and then onto the park. I post the messages that resonated most.
Reposted by Bob Darnell
Massive protest in New York against the current administration.
April 19, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Massive protest in New York against the current administration.
Shout out to @asiepel.bsky.social and his team for their extremely thoughtful collaboration, helping us solidify findings of human-specific NOVA1 variants-RNA regulation's contribution to the origin and contribution to human vocalization -- either I missed your original handle or welcome to Bluesky!
NOVA1, a neuron-specific RNA binding protein & splicing factor, likely impacted language function in human evolution. Human NOVA1 is unique (vs mammals, Neanderthals), & it changes vocalization in CRISPR’d mice!
TY @NatureComms @RockefellerUniv team, collaborators @erichjarvis @asiepel labs
🧵👇
TY @NatureComms @RockefellerUniv team, collaborators @erichjarvis @asiepel labs
🧵👇
April 26, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Shout out to @asiepel.bsky.social and his team for their extremely thoughtful collaboration, helping us solidify findings of human-specific NOVA1 variants-RNA regulation's contribution to the origin and contribution to human vocalization -- either I missed your original handle or welcome to Bluesky!
Thank you Mai
You also shone with your insightful work & beautiful presentation 😊
Nice to be able to some of my Social sensibility @ an #RNA symposium!
The PG version of my socks underscore my deep belief that Hate will Lose (& heartfelt thanks to @jenjennings.bsky.social for the Social Socks)!
You also shone with your insightful work & beautiful presentation 😊
Nice to be able to some of my Social sensibility @ an #RNA symposium!
The PG version of my socks underscore my deep belief that Hate will Lose (& heartfelt thanks to @jenjennings.bsky.social for the Social Socks)!
This is pretty cool. Two RNA luminaries and some awesome socks!!! @darnelr.bsky.social and Adrian Krainer 😍
April 16, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Thank you Mai
You also shone with your insightful work & beautiful presentation 😊
Nice to be able to some of my Social sensibility @ an #RNA symposium!
The PG version of my socks underscore my deep belief that Hate will Lose (& heartfelt thanks to @jenjennings.bsky.social for the Social Socks)!
You also shone with your insightful work & beautiful presentation 😊
Nice to be able to some of my Social sensibility @ an #RNA symposium!
The PG version of my socks underscore my deep belief that Hate will Lose (& heartfelt thanks to @jenjennings.bsky.social for the Social Socks)!
Reposted by Bob Darnell
Attending a March for mRNA wasn’t on my lifetime bingo card, but at this point… it feels like it needs to happen.
@darnelr.bsky.social @adarnell.bsky.social
@darnelr.bsky.social @adarnell.bsky.social
Trump administration at ‘war’ with mRNA technology: scientists alarmed vaccine skeptics could kill research
Public health experts are sounding the alarm over recent move by the NIH to collect information about funding for research into mRNA technology
www.theguardian.com
March 27, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Attending a March for mRNA wasn’t on my lifetime bingo card, but at this point… it feels like it needs to happen.
@darnelr.bsky.social @adarnell.bsky.social
@darnelr.bsky.social @adarnell.bsky.social
Can't help but be proud of the outspoken wisdom and bravery of the amazing Nobel Laureate @ardemp.bskyverified.social
... a role model for scientists everywhere
www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/h...
... a role model for scientists everywhere
www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/h...
Nobel laureate: I owe America my success. Today, its scientific future is in danger | CNN
Dr. Ardem Patapoutian says he watches “with deep sadness as the United States’ remarkable scientific enterprise, which took generations of hard work and national investment to build, faces a concerted...
www.cnn.com
April 15, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Can't help but be proud of the outspoken wisdom and bravery of the amazing Nobel Laureate @ardemp.bskyverified.social
... a role model for scientists everywhere
www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/h...
... a role model for scientists everywhere
www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/h...
Orange muppet shouting out for inseparability of science and truth
Getting @darnelr.bsky.social dispatches from downtown while I grade
April 15, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Orange muppet shouting out for inseparability of science and truth
Reposted by Bob Darnell
A study from Richard Lifton and @yale.edu colleagues in @pnas.org finds that a mix of inherited and de novo mutations in 60 genes contribute to 10% of congenital heart disease cases. Many of the same mutations also contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Study implicates 60 genes in congenital heart disease, including some that also contribute to related disorders such as autism - News
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common birth defects, but the full extent of its genetic underpinnings has been a mystery. Now, a new study of more than 11,000 children with CHD iden...
www.rockefeller.edu
March 25, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Scrubbing #mRNA from grant proposals is a five-alarm fire. Thanks to pioneers including @drewweissmanlab.bsky.social & Kariko, millions of lives have already been saved.
Silencing mRNA research now would be a catastrophic step backward.
@erictopol.bsky.social @carlbergstrom.com @carlzimmer.com
Silencing mRNA research now would be a catastrophic step backward.
@erictopol.bsky.social @carlbergstrom.com @carlzimmer.com
Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants - KFF Health News
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promis...
kffhealthnews.org
March 24, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Scrubbing #mRNA from grant proposals is a five-alarm fire. Thanks to pioneers including @drewweissmanlab.bsky.social & Kariko, millions of lives have already been saved.
Silencing mRNA research now would be a catastrophic step backward.
@erictopol.bsky.social @carlbergstrom.com @carlzimmer.com
Silencing mRNA research now would be a catastrophic step backward.
@erictopol.bsky.social @carlbergstrom.com @carlzimmer.com
Reposted by Bob Darnell
My husband studies mRNA, so it’s time for a rebrand: Republican Nucleic Acid. It's going to be tremendous. Just incredible, believe me. Everybody's talking about it. The best nucleic acid, maybe ever.
Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants - KFF Health News
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promis...
kffhealthnews.org
March 24, 2025 at 11:10 AM
My husband studies mRNA, so it’s time for a rebrand: Republican Nucleic Acid. It's going to be tremendous. Just incredible, believe me. Everybody's talking about it. The best nucleic acid, maybe ever.
Reposted by Bob Darnell
From 2010 to 2016 (latest data I have ), NIH research contributed to EVERY drug approved by the FDA
March 22, 2025 at 10:44 AM
From 2010 to 2016 (latest data I have ), NIH research contributed to EVERY drug approved by the FDA
It just gets too painful sometimes…
Trump Administration Ends Tracking of Kidnapped Ukrainian Children in Russia www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/u...
Trump Administration Ends Tracking of Kidnapped Ukrainian Children in Russia www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/u...
Trump Administration Ends Tracking of Kidnapped Ukrainian Children in Russia
Democratic and Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking whether a database on thousands of children had been deleted.
www.nytimes.com
March 20, 2025 at 1:36 AM
It just gets too painful sometimes…
Trump Administration Ends Tracking of Kidnapped Ukrainian Children in Russia www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/u...
Trump Administration Ends Tracking of Kidnapped Ukrainian Children in Russia www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/u...
Profound respect to Princeton’s Chris Eisgruber’s articulation of the admin’s threat to academic freedom
A call to “demand a stop to the government’s unwarranted intrusion on academic freedom-scholars, those whom the world most needs, are rarely bland.”
Be Spicy www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
A call to “demand a stop to the government’s unwarranted intrusion on academic freedom-scholars, those whom the world most needs, are rarely bland.”
Be Spicy www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
The Cost of the Government’s Attack on Columbia
American universities have given the country prosperity and security. The Trump administration’s attack on academic freedom endangers all of that.
www.theatlantic.com
March 19, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Profound respect to Princeton’s Chris Eisgruber’s articulation of the admin’s threat to academic freedom
A call to “demand a stop to the government’s unwarranted intrusion on academic freedom-scholars, those whom the world most needs, are rarely bland.”
Be Spicy www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
A call to “demand a stop to the government’s unwarranted intrusion on academic freedom-scholars, those whom the world most needs, are rarely bland.”
Be Spicy www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Reposted by Bob Darnell
Yes, your local public school is at risk. What happens next:
1) No personnel left to administer categorical K-12 funding
2) Those funds get block granted
3) Red states funnel the money into vouchers instead of supporting America’s most disadvantaged kids
1) No personnel left to administer categorical K-12 funding
2) Those funds get block granted
3) Red states funnel the money into vouchers instead of supporting America’s most disadvantaged kids
This isn’t about fixing bureaucracy in Washington. This is about defunding your local public school.
amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/03/...
amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/03/...
Education Department cutting nearly half of workforce | CNN Politics
The US Education Department said it is cutting nearly 50% of its workforce, according to senior agency officials, as President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the agency altogether.
amp.cnn.com
March 12, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Yes, your local public school is at risk. What happens next:
1) No personnel left to administer categorical K-12 funding
2) Those funds get block granted
3) Red states funnel the money into vouchers instead of supporting America’s most disadvantaged kids
1) No personnel left to administer categorical K-12 funding
2) Those funds get block granted
3) Red states funnel the money into vouchers instead of supporting America’s most disadvantaged kids