Sherry Pagoto, PhD
Professor, psychologist, NIH-funded scientist. Digital health, social media, healthy lifestyle. Past prez @behavioralmed. Occasional writer about relationships and health.
- The US is home to only 3 of the top 25 universities globally in research impact (#3, #20, and #23). In 2009, we were home to 15 out of 25, including the #1 spot. It would be the unforced error of the century to scale back on our national investment in science now. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/u...
- Reposted by Sherry Pagoto, PhDI have been modeling the impact of multi-year funding. Based on fairly reasonable assumptions, 50% multi-year funding, the number of new and competing awards is anticipated to drop to approximately 6000 compared to 10,000 had there been no multi-year funding above the historical background rate.
- Reposted by Sherry Pagoto, PhD[Not loaded yet]
- Is technology, especially social media, the very technology meant to connect us, eroding our social skills and driving us into social isolation? I put this idea forth in my latest piece in @psychologytoday.com. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
- Here’s how the NIH became the backbone of American research and a major driver of economic growth theconversation.com/how-the-nih-...
- Best moment in a romcom ever #robreiner
- Should you marry within your political party? Probably. Study shows that very few couples have dissimilar political ideologies (only 8%) and having dissimilar political ideologies is associated with lower relationship satisfaction. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39052389/
- Does empathy make you less reasonable? New study shows empathy and reasoning aren’t rivals – they work together. "Each predicts more generous, far-reaching acts of assistance. And when they operate side by side, people tend to help in the fairest ways." theconversation.com/empathy-and-...
- Interesting work shows how AI chatbots are filling a human need for connection in those moments in life when a person simply doesn't have access to human connection---the 3am wakeup, the lonely marriage, the empty nest. datasociety.net/points/all-t...
- Reposted by Sherry Pagoto, PhD[Not loaded yet]
- Deepfakes are all over social media and AI is making them harder to spot than ever--we all need to have an extra critical eye. Thank you @brittanywong.bsky.social for adding my two cents to this excellent piece on the problem of deep fakes and why we can expect this problem to get much worse.
- I'm feeling grateful the Huff Post published this essay I wrote about the year that followed my lifelong best friend's passing from an aggressive lymphoma. 🙏 www.huffpost.com/entry/death-...
- "Homo sapiens is by far the most intelligent species on the planet, and it simultaneously is the most deluded species. We are now creating a superintelligence, and there is every reason to think that it will be super deluded." www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...
- Meta-analysis of twin studies reveals autism is largely genetic. This was published 10 years ago, and yet here we are. "We demonstrate that ASD is due to strong genetic effects. The meta‐analytic heritability estimates were substantial: 64–91%." pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
- The Coalition of Autism Scientists have entered the chat: “The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope where there is no simple answer.” www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/aut...
- Study in @jama.com reveals no link between Tylenol and autism: "Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in sibling control analyses." jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
- Glad to see the NYT covering the undertreatment of obesity in men. This is a longstanding issue. We are currently recruiting for a clinical trial of a digital weight loss program. Sign up here if interested: uchredcap.uchc.edu/redcap/surve... www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/w...
- California proposes $23B plan to fund scientific research at its universities. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/13/u...
- I was excited to be part of this @aljazeera.com documentary on the harms of social media influencer culture. It is in a 4-part docuseries on social media. Worth a watch! Also great viewing for teens to help them avoid going down the social media rabbit hole. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl3K...
- I have a headache. Normally this is the kind of thing I’d text my best friend, but he died last year. He was the rare person who wouldn’t see that as annoying but instead would respond: 😞🤕 This is all to say you’re really gonna miss the person you can text about a headache.
- Congrats to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce! 😍💍 As a psychologist, I have been impressed by their mutual respect for each other's careers. Check out my piece on how these two have written the playbook for balancing love and careers: www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
- "Forty years ago more than 60% of children diagnosed with cancer would have died within five years of diagnosis. Today there is a 90% survival rate." - @labonnelab.bsky.social This is why we cannot take our foot off the gas of cancer research funding. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
- When we talk about healthy lifestyle we usually mean diet and exercise, but that is too narrow. Healthy relationships matter too. In my latest @psychologytoday.com piece, I discuss a healthy habit that can improve your relationship AND your heart health. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
- It's almost like money and power cannot buy you peace. 🤔
- In these divisive times, why does it seem like so many people lack empathy? In my latest Psychology Today post, I discuss: 🔬 The science of empathy 🥸 Why people capable of empathy sometimes lack it ✍ Tips for maximizing empathy www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
- ⚠️ NIH now limits PIs to 6 applications per year. That includes resubmissions. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
- Reposted by Sherry Pagoto, PhD[Not loaded yet]
- The new Golden Bachelor, Mel Owens, age 66, broke the internet last week when he announced he plans on cutting all women over 60. 😲 Check out my piece in @psychologytoday.com on how age gap relationships can disadvantage the younger partner. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shri...
- I taught my 81-year old dad how to use ChatGPT today. His first search? How can a senior golfer increase his driving distance? 😆
- A psychiatrist involved with establishing the diagnostic criteria for autism explains why diagnoses have skyrocketed. It’s simple: they widened the criteria because so many cases had previously been missed. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/o...
