Rachael Sirianni, PhD
Biomedical Engineer, Professor & Vice Chair of Research for Neurosurgery, UMass Chan Medical School. Treating pediatric brain tumors and neurodegenerative disease via all things nanomedicine and the subarachnoid space. *opinions are my own
- Reposted by Rachael Sirianni, PhDWe are collecting information on terminated SAMHSA grants at Grant Witness: grant-witness.us/submit-samhs... If you worked on one of these programs, please let us know at the link! And please share with your colleagues. We need a comprehensive record of these terminations to fight back!
- Deep dive into the forced leave of Dr. Jenna Norton from her position has a Program Director at NIH. Why this matters, and what you can do: theprincipledinvestigator.substack.com/p/deeper-div...
- This week's news digest for extramural investigators theprincipledinvestigator.substack.com/p/the-princi...
- Great discussion RE changes to student loan eligibility www.facebook.com/share/v/1BeY...
- Reposted by Rachael Sirianni, PhDUpdate on a significant development NIH grant terms. On 10/1, a change to grant making regs went into effect that gives NIH more power to terminate grants for policy reasons. But to use this power, new grant terms must include specific language. See @aniloza.bsky.social w/ the story from July. 1/
- "Don’t make my life and the lives of so many other cancer patients, along with the research programs we depend on, collateral damage." www.seattletimes.com/opinion/stop...
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- Make some noise, people. Share this. Comment on it. Tell others today, right now. Family, friends, colleagues, social media, news outlets, the legislature, make the noise. This is our task: to ensure the American public understands how far down authoritarian rule we’ve actually gotten
- “An HHS official [] described Dr. Norton as a radical leftist and said she was put on leave because she was criticizing the administration when she was supposed to be working” So, the fed govt openly eliminates ppl for their personal beliefs, got it www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...
- “An HHS official [] described Dr. Norton as a radical leftist and said she was put on leave because she was criticizing the administration when she was supposed to be working” So, the fed govt openly eliminates ppl for their personal beliefs, got it www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/u...
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- Holy crap. They're triaging 2 out of 3 applications that are submitted. 2 out of every 3 applications will not even have a chance for discussion.
- Make this go far
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- This is an important explainer about one of the many ways that this administration is destroying NIH. Meritocracy? We are watching it go away. And what’s being done at NIH is just one example of the ongoing, lawless destruction of American democracy
- Who is Jenna Norton? Jenna is a friend + program officer who chose to speak, in her personal capacity, about the destruction going on at NIH. She was just placed on administrative leave; no reason was provided. Free speech? Not in this country anymore www.instagram.com/reel/DRA3e8-...
- Unreal, the impact this is having on scientists. I spent over 700 hrs writing 4 grants submitted Apr-Sept that *might* have been funded next Apr; 2 abt to be 3 apps missed review bc of shutdown. In normal times takes 9-24 mo to get a grant funded. No hope for labs like mine. Literally no hope.
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- Have to read it to believe it. "The opening sentence asserts that 'the district court's order threatens significant and irreparable harm to the government which outweighs any claimed injury to plaintiffs' " abcnews.go.com/US/snap-appe...
- Reposted by Rachael Sirianni, PhDSigh. NIH normally sends several hundred scientists to the SFN annual meeting to learn, exchange info, come up with new ideas, and advance science. (The exchange of ideas is the very core of the scientific enterprise.) This year, no one from NIH will attend due to the gov't implosion.
- I can’t believe that these two headlines actually co-exist, that we now live in a country where the federal government MAKES PEOPLE GO HUNGRY to score partisan leverage
- With a title from w-h dot gov that says “Democrats are to blame for airport chaos”, I guess we just don’t even pretend to care about the Hatch act??
- This is a great substack to check out. It's a weekly digest summarizing faculty-relevant news RE continued attacks on higher education and federal funding agencies + the general chaos
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- What IS workforce development (WFD)? An example explains: from declaring premed to becoming a doctor can be anywhere from 8 to 20 yrs. WFD is not just abt medicine but abt all workforce: how do we ensure that there will be sufficiently trained ppl to support science + medicine in yrs to come?
- Just won an award 4 innovation in workforce development from NCATS RE engaging engineers with medicine. But grants that support these internship programs remain stuck in purgatory, 1 was to be reviewed 10/21! Nothing bc of shutdown. Attacks on our govt hurt everyone. Poster link tinyurl.com/36yh33t7
- What is it like inside your head?
- “It’s bizarre when people arguing for viewpoint diversity declare any statement by an employee…must be the official position of an institution. You can’t have viewpoint diversity unless you…reject the belief that every writer speaks for the…college or org” www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
- Just won an award 4 innovation in workforce development from NCATS RE engaging engineers with medicine. But grants that support these internship programs remain stuck in purgatory, 1 was to be reviewed 10/21! Nothing bc of shutdown. Attacks on our govt hurt everyone. Poster link tinyurl.com/36yh33t7
- Want to stay informed on the continued demolition of NIH and ongoing attacks on academia? Check out this new resource, a weekly digest of current events and action items for scientists. Subscribe to the substack and share broadly! theprincipledinvestigator.substack.com/p/the-princi...
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- Reposted by Rachael Sirianni, PhDA democracy isn’t (just) an electoral system. It’s also a culture of deliberation, debate, sensitivity to public concern, attention to social movements and community leaders, respect for civil rights and minority interests, free expression and association and due process. How’s your country doing?
- Add a third button: “try to prevent the destruction of democracy in America”
- Reposted by Rachael Sirianni, PhDWOW: The White House says the president's MAIN PRIORITY is his BALLROOM. SNAP is ending. Subsidies for health care are gong to double and in some instances quadruple plan premiums. The government is shut down. The cost of living is through the roof. And his priority is his ballroom.
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- Reposted by Rachael Sirianni, PhDThat’s seven. @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/us/uni...
- Been trying to caption this for like 5 minutes. I got nothing. Been there. Am there. So many of us are there. And history will tell the tale of the time America cut off its nose to spite the face. And it’s our kids and their futures who will be harmed the most.
- Whew. This is a good read…
- EXCLUSIVE: One Saturday afternoon in October, my phone lit up with a notification. I glanced down at the message. “Anna, Lindsey Halligan here,” it began. So began my text exchange with the woman who is prosecuting the president's perceived political enemies. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...
- Reposted by Rachael Sirianni, PhDThe WH steals people’s property constantly and never asks permission. Another example of Trump acting like a king.
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- It's really not the flex he thinks it is
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[Not loaded yet] - Touché
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- Might have captured the precise moment I permanently damaged my vocal cords (giving a 10 min speech w laryngitis) 😂 I joke, sort of, am completely miserable + unable to talk today. Buuut WORTH IT. This, the right to stand up and speak, this is what our country is about it. May we always have hope 🙏
- Video part 1/4. My speech at the Worcester No Kings rally on 10/18. It was such a hopeful and inspiring event 🚫👑🇺🇸💪
- Worcester was a success! Such an inspiring event www.telegram.com/picture-gall...
- 💪
- This is what democracy looks like. #NoKings
- I really can’t get enough of these frogs
- #nokings Portland frog brigade
- Need some slogans for your No Kings Rally sign? A friend, with assistance from ChatGPT, came up with the following, please share! And see you from the podium (with raging laryngitis, argh) at Institute Park in Worcester, 1pm!
