Rachel Ross, MD, PhD
psychiatrist/neuroscientist/activist/karaoke-ist. Autonomic nervous system, feeding behavior, stress and metabolism. Asst Prof @EinsteinMed neuroscience. Founder of Rosslab.einsteinmedneuroscience.org
- Please @schumer.senate.gov and all the senate democrats
- @schumer.senate.gov You have the power to stop ICE funding. Use it!!
- Loving this whole data and computation packed final panel of #acnp2026 on sex differences and similarities in the organization of the brain helmed by @elvisha.bsky.social, @bogglerapture.bsky.social, Jason Lerch, and @tollkuhn.bsky.social
- Who wore it better @ahmarilab.bsky.social fashions of #acnp2026 fancy glasses version @jungheelee.bsky.social , Barbara Rothbaum, Karen Neirenberg, and me
- Btw just to note, it is uncanny that we all have these nearly-the-same glasses from different years of the same brand as NONE of us have met others with the same color combo/style in the wild.
- Congratulations to Bill Carlezon on a very successful year of presiding over the ACNP and cheers to Deanna Barch for the coming year’s stewardship! #acnp2026
- Exceptional presentation by the experts on the interaction between sex and gender in biology, in our society, and what we all can do in support and to help combat the misinformation flying around. Special thanks to Kale Edmison, PhD putting this resource kit together drive.google.com/drive/folder...
- Don't miss our Special Topics Session Weds 4-4:50 PM: "Sex & Gender in Neuropsychopharmacology Research: Looking Forward" Organized by LGBTQIA2S+ Sub-committee: @jordanmarrocco.bsky.social @jaredwyoung.bsky.social @mindfulrat.bsky.social , Kale Edmiston (co-chair) & myself (chair)! 🔥🏳️🌈 #ACNP2026
- Kicking off the appetite and addiction session @borglandlab.bsky.social shows high fat diet disinhibits OFC and impairs outcome devaluation, which is associated with astrocyte hypertrophy and inflammatory cytokine expression #acnp2026
- Next, Gary Aston-Jones of Rutgers posits orexin signal through its receptor HCRT1R in a VTA projecting pathway is a link between binge intake of illicit (cocaine) and naturalistic (HFD) appetitive substances.
- Gorgeous distinguished lectures from @goldenneuron.bsky.social and NIH Brenda Curtis on the use of machine learning models in animal and human phenotyping to create open source, scalable, effective resources to understand the brain and behavior for health and disease #acnp2026
- Outstanding #acnp2026 day 2 start with @nicolagrissom.bsky.social reminding us of the principle that sex differences in neural mechanisms may drive behavior similarity. Leaning into the ambiguity of hidden markov models and showing that females exploit more; males explore more in a set shift task
- Next fantastic talk by Erin Calipari showing incredible novel function of estradiol to potentiate dopamine release by direct action on nicotinic receptor, leading to observable functional differences between male and females, and females at different life stage #perimenopause #acnp2026
- Moving to humans, Anna Konova of Rutgers implicates neurocognitive mechanisms underlying opioid use risk increase in females through estradiol fluctuation, which scales with striatal reward error signals
- Remarkably, Yuefeng Huang, a post doc in Rita Goldstein’s lab at Sinai, started by sharing that SUD is understudied in women compared to men, though it’s well known that risks and tolerance are v different. They’ve designed a cue-reactivity task to capture the sex differences more effectively.
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, 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.
- Noted binarizing of gender identity pins, not consistent with prior meetings options or the spectrum of #LGBTQIA2S+ gender identity. 🤨🤨🤨 #acnp2026
- Here we go #acnp2026 bahamania
- Dear academic internet friends, I’m working on an R01 on our novel early life model of food insecurity, which the federal govt no longer recognizes (as of ~1 week ago cancelling the annual report). Should I re-write my 3 line public health narrative (bonkers) to de-center that topic?
- This. Read the article by @tressiemcphd.bsky.social it is wide angle, big picture, thought-provoking, critical reading for anyone who’s still trying to “understand” what’s happening all around us (in the US). www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/o...
- “The president of the US has both direct coercive power of the state &, by & large, indirect power over communication institutions. He has shown how he will use that power. He will punish enemies, yes.” @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with the most clear-eyed piece I have read about where we are right now
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDIt’s not just that video is too slow. It is that. It’s also not my own understanding happening. I also truly believe that the mind and life I want to have does not happen through watching but does through reading. Wild that this is even a little bit provocative but I suspect that mostly just online
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDPeople get so angry about this, I’ve found that interesting. There is definitely some resistance to the idea of reading, not just the act of doing it. But yeah I am not watching a video, ever, if I can help it.
- This wknd, WSJ reported the Dept of Ag is ending its annual report on household food security. Started in the 1990s to help state and local officials distribute food assistance. Last year’s report found that 18 million U.S. households experienced food insecurity during 2023.
- Humble case report from prior Ross lab member Katie Kuk, who is now a psych intern, on the PREVIOUSLY UNHEARD OF improvement in cognitive function in a patient with a rare developmental disorder after starting a med to treat obesity. www.frontiersin.org/journals/end...
- I’m proud of this work for two reasons. 1. This was Katie’s first research as a med student, and she dove deep to produce this very thoughtful manuscript 2. This puts a clinical correlate for my lab’s work out there - pharmacologically targeting the melanocortin 4 receptor affects cognitive function
- I highly recommend reading the discussion that one reviewer called “highly significant, as it suggests MC4R agonists may hold therapeutic potential…for metabolic control…and neuropsychiatric well being” (thank you to reviewer 2). Cheers to more depth in the interface between these fields!
- Three top CDC officials resigned in protest tonight. Read the powerful resignation letters, including from @DrDemetre.bsky.social, “I am not able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponizing of public health.” insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n...
- “The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest”
- To my psychiatry colleagues, here’s a helpful commentary on how to support and protect our trans patients rights and dignity in the face of current admin regime attacks. psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/...
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDNIH progress on new R01s in FY 2025 drugmonkey.wordpress.com/2025/08/18/n...
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDHey everybody! @drjuliawester.bsky.social and I have a new paper! We surveyed over 800 scientists, science communicators, and science educators who use social media. Conclusion: Scientists no longer find Twitter useful or pleasant, and many have switched to Bluesky! 🧪🌎🦑 doi.org/10.1093/icb/...
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDNEW: In an unprecedented move, the NIH will soon disinvite dozens of scientists about to take positions on advisory councils that make final decisions on grant funding. NIH staff were told to select others aligned with the Trump administration and told to expect placements by political appointees.
- My favorite talk of #Endo2025 is @liisagalea.bsky.social but also the entire sex differences session full of things we know but for some reason have ignored: females are different than males. Not more complex. Not more dynamic. Different. It’s not sexist to use funds to study this; it’s necessary.
- It was my favorite because she provided both a lifespan and a risk factor perspective in her work on sex differences in dementia, both rodents and humans, as we need to understand the dynamic experience of the dynamical systems (neural circuits, neuroendocrine signals, and neuroimmunology)
- Today (5p EST) is the last day to log a comment about this policy and help NIH continue to support foundation basic science work which is necessary to understand our complex biological systems underlying both health and disease. www.fda.gov/news-events/...
- This is an important read. The #NIH is shifting away from animal research towards a preference for 3D in-vitro organoid models. The field of 3D organoid models is growing & are they being refined, but still need be validated against animal based models. 🧪 www.genengnews.com/topics/trans...
- This link offers the opportunity to watch a lot of misinformation about replacing animal models but also offers a place to leave your commentary.
- And don’t take my word for it, here’s the NIH itself on why humane animal research is necessary to appreciate biology in dynamic systems grants.nih.gov/policy-and-c...
- Connecting immunology and endocrinology through basic and translational research the Nicholas lab, @quinascience.bsky.social hopes to create a home for the interface at #endo2025
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDhey I am posting this because I didn't know it, and so others might not either: but the BBB has NOT PASSED YET-- it's passed the senate & now it must pass the house. It's time to call reps RIGHT NOW. Johnson is going to push the vote ASAP before backlash can form so the calls need to start NOW.
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhD🧪 BOOM: The AAU, ACE, APLU, and 13 universities just filed suit today against NSF for slashing to 15% indirect rates. Full compliant: www.aau.edu/sites/defaul... Updates: www.aau.edu/resources-aa... A similar group of plaintiffs won a *permanent* injunction against a similar change at NIH.
- Spread the science! Join the movement! linktr.ee/investNscience
- How do we approach food? @rossenator.bsky.social shows stress and biological sex both play a role. #academicsky #stresssky #neurosky #sabv #eatingdisorder #investinscience
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDFACULTY JOB ALERT! The Albert Einstein Dept of Neuroscience is hiring a new assistant professor in any area of neuroscience! We have funds specifically earmarked for this search. #Neuroscience #AcademicJobs #NeuroSky Job just posted: faculty-einstein.icims.com/jobs/17175/f... Please share widely!!
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDHappy #internationalwomensday !!! Don't let the patriarchy get you down. We outchea!
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDReminder that Europepmc.org exists. In case anyone should need it for any reason.
- Is anyone compiling a list of all the federal things that are being stopped/unfunded/blocked? If you have or see one, please send, I think it would be helpful to actually digest, instead of this current additive chaos.
- Updated Feb 20 www.instagram.com/p/DGTBn7KRfk...
- Brilliance is everywhere but opportunity is not. Keep pushing forward -Dean Lynne Holden to overpacked lecture hall for inspiration from students’ invited speaker Einstein alum Dr Amanda Brown, PhD in honor of former faculty member Dr Marie Daly, the first Black female to achieve a PhD in chemistry
- And how she provides!! @einsteinmededu.bsky.social
- Science isn’t dogma. With new tools we can achieve new insights. And that can change our understanding of our work (in the brain!).
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View full threadAll paraphrasing / quotes of Dr Amanda Brown, PhD, John’s Hopkins associate professor of neuroscience
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDEinstein Research led by @rossenator.bsky.social: Investigating Brain Circuits Linking Overeating with Obesity #neuroscience #obesity #ScienceSky
- I am not surprised but I am infuriated by this lack of regard for the work that we put into this. @chanzuckerberg.bsky.social do better.
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDJoin 50501 in a National Day of Action on Monday, February 17th. We are reclaiming President's Day - a day that is supposed to be celebrating the Presidency. Unite to limit executive overreach. Find your protest at buff.ly/417VjtT, or create one.
- This move on petition is in support of pushing back against the NIH indirect cap: sign.moveon.org/petitions/sa...
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDUse this link to tell HHMI @hhmi.bsky.social how you feel about their cowardice and/or fascist enabling. 🫡 www.hhmi.org/contact-us
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDJust got word that our Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence 3 (IE3) Grant was being canceled. All 100+ institutions. So even private funding is susceptible to this administration’s unraveling of DEI initiatives
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDOnly the top 53 universities pay the endowment tax now. This was a Republican law targeted at their perceived enemies: universities. Side note: this means that smaller universities may be better placed to fight than Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and the like. /8
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDThe NIH REAP program (nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2018/12/... )appears to have been terminated.
- Reposted by Rachel Ross, MD, PhDFor those who need their medication but had their Medicaid shut off today @mcuban.bsky.social has a digital pharmacy called @costplusdrugs.com They sell them at just above cost and you don’t need to have insurance, please reshare with friends who might need this critical info.
