Sonya Neal
Associate Professor @UCSD| HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar| Research on rhomboid proteins| Proud mom| Proud PI of a very demure & mindful lab|co-founder of BUMMP |1st Gen & Black in STEM|Associate Director Biological Sciences PhD Program
- Reposted by Sonya NealI am SO incredibly excited to announce the launch of a global list of Inspiring Black Scientists. You can use this list to nominate and connect with researchers. Please share and join us in highlighting these outstanding scientists for #BlackHistoryMonth and beyond! www.wiley.com/en-us/resear...
- Happy Holidays from @neal-lab.bsky.social and @bummpatucsd.bsky.social friends!
- What an incredible moment celebrating UC LEADS’ 25th anniversary! This program opened doors for me and so many others pursuing academic careers. Hearing alumni share how transformative it has been is living proof that access, mentorship, and opportunity work. This is impact.
- The #ABRCMS2025 conference was my first scientific meeting as an undergrad, and it was the experience that propelled me into science. Being back this week, surrounded by brilliant, aspiring young scientists, has been incredible. #seeingisbelieving
- Reposted by Sonya NealDoes anyone have examples of F32 supporting documents in the new format (starting August of this year) they'd be willing to share? We're specifically looking for goals, preparedness, training activities and timeline for an F32 resubmission for the December deadline. Any help very much appreciated! 🙏
- Amazing turn out for @bummpatucsd.bsky.social Welcome Lunch♥️♥️♥️
- Another Neal lab retreat in the books. We mapped our yearly goals, came up with collaborative big picture ideas for future projects and most importantly, strengthened our team bond 💪🏽we are all in this together💪🏽
- Reposted by Sonya NealDuring these uncertain times, I’m very happy to see that my institution, @scripps.edu has an open tenure-track Assistant Professor position. Any field in Chemistry or Biology is welcome. I’d especially love to see fellow neuroscientists apply. Please repost! apply.interfolio.com/174756
- Thrilled to share that our review, “Holding Out for a Model: Rhomboid Superfamily in Vertebrate Development and Disease,” is now published in Journal of Cellular Physiology! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
- Huge congratulations to first author Saroj Gourkanti and our amazing co-authors of the Neal lab — Yazmin, Jackie, Rosa, @dagarwal.bsky.social, and Kristina. This work highlights the emerging roles of rhomboid proteases and pseudoproteases,from development to disease .
- and makes the case for why vertebrate models are urgently needed in this field. Proud of this collaborative effort from the lab.
- Got my run in earlier at School of Biological Sciences retreat in Lake Arrowhead. Now indulging in amazing science from our PhD program!
- Reposted by Sonya NealI could not be luckier to have such an amazing mentor behind me as I develop myself both personally and professionally. Thank you @neal-lab.bsky.social for standing behind and with me in this journey and @hhmi.org for this opportunity!
- Scientific pursuit is a team effort, built on mutual trust, respect and collaboration from mentor & mentee. Grateful every day for this journey, and so proud of my mentee @ericjordahl.bsky.social for being selected as @HHMINEWS Gilliam fellow! biology.ucsd.edu/about/news/2...
- Scientific pursuit is a team effort, built on mutual trust, respect and collaboration from mentor & mentee. Grateful every day for this journey, and so proud of my mentee @ericjordahl.bsky.social for being selected as @HHMINEWS Gilliam fellow! biology.ucsd.edu/about/news/2...
- Grateful to share my academic journey & our lab’s research in the School of Bio.Science lecture series which build a bridge between our amazing administrative staff and faculty, further strengthening the bonds that make our community so special. Thankful to be part of it! @ucsandiego.bsky.social
- Look what came in today! @jenheemstra.bsky.social can’t wait to learn your ways. You have paved the way for so many of us 🙏🏽
- Reposted by Sonya NealThese are the most challenging times for early-career scientists and engineers. My team is doing its bit to help by maintaining and even expanding our database of funding opportunities for early-career researchers. We found 437 of them. Download it freely here: research.jhu.edu/rdt/funding-...
- Reposted by Sonya NealSTEM isn’t a pipeline—it’s a braided river. Verónica Segarra offers a new model to support inclusion and rethink how we view scientific careers. www.molbiolcell.org/doi/10.1091/... #ASCB #CellBiology
- So proud of my trainee, @ericjordahl.bsky.social , for being selected as an HHMI Gilliam Fellow! Your dedication to outreach and your relentless pursuit of inclusive excellence are unmatched! You are so deserving of this honor!!!!!!! www.hhmi.org/programs/gil...
- Reposted by Sonya NealCongratulations 2025 Gilliam Fellows and Advisors! 🎉 The Gilliam Fellows Program launches promising PhD students into impactful scientific research careers while fostering inclusive training environments. Through this program, HHMI supports both graduate students and their faculty thesis advisors.
- Reposted by Sonya Neal$400M more for the NIH in FY26 is a win for all Americans. Read our full statement thanking the Senate Appropriations Committee for their bipartisan support of scientific research: ow.ly/gtMv50WyRza.
- Keep an eye out for this rising star on the faculty job market. Elizabeth is truly remarkable. Her resilience and determination continue to inspire me, especially in the face of setbacks during these times. #proudMOSAICcoach
- Elizabeth Kaweesa was recently featured in ASBMB Today. Here's the link! ow.ly/k7EF50WykAJ
- Reposted by Sonya NealElizabeth Kaweesa was recently featured in ASBMB Today. Here's the link! ow.ly/k7EF50WykAJ
- Reposted by Sonya Neal"To retreat from [diversity, equity and inclusion] is to close the door to possibilities for better science and a better future. This is not the time to step back. It’s unquestionably the time to step forward." @anthrofuentes.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- First run in at GRS/GRC molecular membrane biology conference. GRS has been an amazing start to an exciting week ahead! #GRC #ProctorAcademy
- Reposted by Sonya Neal“If you cut out these diversity measures, you're going to make science full of people that are very elite…Full of people who have grown up with a large amount of privilege, who were able to work in a lab in high school because their dad was a prof at Cornell.” 🧪 www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/u...
- Reflecting on the resilience of @bummpatucsd.bsky.social community and grateful to the #Wileypress #JCellularPhys for supporting our undergrad & master’s scholars and spotlighting their amazing research. It’s more important than ever to come together to support the future generation of trainees!
- Reposted by Sonya NealOn Juneteenth, and in this era of rising vaccine disinformation, it is useful to contemplate that three centuries ago, the knowledge of an African slave introduced the concept of immunization to America, launching the first successful public inoculation campaign 🧵Thread 1/8 #Juneteenth #Vaccines
- New @neal-lab.bsky.social team photo! ❤️ Leaning on each other more than ever during these times & grateful for this resilient, inspiring group. #NealLab
- Reposted by Sonya Neal🖤 On #Juneteenth, we honor the fight for Black freedom — delayed, but never denied. At #BlackInNeuro, we carry that legacy forward by creating space for Black excellence in neuroscience, year-round. ✨ Freedom is a journey — and we’re not done yet. ✊🏾
- Huge congratulations to all which include superstars @luisci22.bsky.social and my MOSAIC mentee Elizabeth Kaweesa🎉🎉🎉
- Congratulations to the eight recipients of the 2025 Dr. Eddie Méndez Scholar Award! This award recognizes outstanding early-career scientists from underrepresented backgrounds who are studying cancer, infectious diseases and basic sciences. Learn more: bit.ly/4jWvT8O
- Reposted by Sonya NealThank you, Sonya @neal-lab.bsky.social. It was a real pleasure organizing the meeting with Julie, and we’re thrilled you’ll be co-organizing in 2027. The ER community will be in excellent hands and we already look forward to seeing the direction you and Julie take the next edition.
- Huge thanks to @gthibault.bsky.social and Julie Hollien for organizing a warm, welcoming FASEB ER meeting filled with incredible science! Excited that I will carry the torch as a co-organizer for the 2027 meeting….can’t wait! @faseborg.bsky.social
- Top of the morning run in beautiful Melbourne, Florida. Now get to indulge in amazing science at the ER @faseborg.bsky.social meeting!
- Reposted by Sonya NealAll because I have the best mentor!!!
- Thrilled to share two amazing grad students @dagarwal.bsky.social @ericjordahl.bsky.social have advanced to candidacy! Milking these moment for all they’re worth…pure joy radiating through the Neal lab today🎊🙌🏽
- Thrilled to share two amazing grad students @dagarwal.bsky.social @ericjordahl.bsky.social have advanced to candidacy! Milking these moment for all they’re worth…pure joy radiating through the Neal lab today🎊🙌🏽
- Reposted by Sonya NealMicrobiome folks: one of my former students is a Gilliam fellow & is looking for an HHMI lab for a postdoc in the next year-ish. She has a lot of bioinformatics (16S for sure, I am not sure what else) experience. Have any leads?
- Reposted by Sonya Neal"I'm still in shock. I know that there have been political issues around Harvard in recent weeks, but antibiotic resistance isn't one of them." My conversation with Harvard microbiologist @baym.lol, one of many researchers there who just lost millions in fed. grants. www.wbur.org/news/2025/05...
- Reposted by Sonya Neal📣 🥳 🧑💻 Our department is hiring: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor / Associate Professor in Bioinformatics at Aarhus University, Denmark Deadline June 1st Thanks for sharing! mbg.au.dk/en/news-and-...
- Huge thanks to @joann-trejo.bsky.social for delivering a powerful and inspiring keynote at the @bummpatucsd.bsky.social annual symposium. Your words lit a fire in the room and reminded us why pursuit of bold science, mentorship and community matter♥️
- The @bummpatucsd.bsky.social annual symposium was a ray of light for our undergrad & master’s students. The future is bright but only if we invest in those that shape it♥️
- The annual @bummpatucsd.bsky.social symposium happening now! Come by for mentees’ poster session/talk!
- Celebrating a year of our mentees’ hard work in research!
- Reposted by Sonya NealHello Community! Are you a postdoc/grad student preparing to launch a faculty search? Do you have a track record of excellence in research, leadership, mentorship & community engagement? Apply to the 2025 Next Generation Faculty Symposium: www.berkeleystanfordnextgensymposium.com! Pls repost! (1/3)
- Proud coach & mentor of these two amazing postdocs! Drs. Elizabeth Kaweesa and Rebecca Faulkner are rising stars and will be hitting the job market soon—keep an eye out for these two! #ASBMB
