Neil Chatterjee

A powerful and comprehensive picture of just how thoroughly US science is being hollowed out. As I say here, “the operation of science has been fundamentally altered. We’re going to see the repercussions of this for years.” nature.com/articles/d4158…

If universities aren’t exempted from the new H1B rule or given a discount, the US may lose its academic leadership. The US now attracts a highly disproportionate share of global academic talent. Whatever the benefits of the new H1B rules, many brilliant minds will go elsewhere.

Sen. Cantwell looked RFK Jr. dead in the eye and said: “You’re a charlatan. That’s what you are.” No euphemisms. No soft landing. Just the raw truth: RFK Jr. built his empire on snake oil and is now trying to run public health with the same con.

Wow. California, Oregon and Washington have joined forces to create their own health alliance saying that the CDC has become “a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science.”

After 21 years at my dream job, I’m very sad to announce my early retirement from the National Institutes of Health. My life’s work has been to scientifically study how our food environment affects what we eat, and how what we eat affects our physiology. Lately, I’ve focused on unravelling the reasons why diets high in ultra-processed food are linked to epidemic proportions of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Our research leads the world on this topic. Given recent bipartisan goals to prevent diet-related chronic diseases, and new agency leadership professing to prioritize scientific investigation of ultra-processed foods, I had hoped to expand our research program with ambitious plans to more rapidly and efficiently determine how our food is likely making Americans chronically sick. Unfortunately, recent events have made me question whether NIH continues to be a place where I can freely conduct unbiased science. Specifically, I experienced censorship in the reporting of our research because of agency concerns that it did not appear to fully support preconceived narratives of my agency’s leadership about ultra-processed food addiction. I was hoping this was an aberration. So, weeks ago I wrote to my agency’s leadership expressing my concerns and requested time to discuss these issues, but I never received a response. Without any reassurance there wouldn’t be continued censorship or meddling in our research, I felt compelled to accept early retirement to preserve health insurance for my family. (Resigning later in protest of any future meddling or censorship would result in losing that benefit.) Due to very tight deadlines to make this decision, I don’t yet have plans for my future career. The NIH has been a wonderful place because it allows scientists to take risks, form unique collaborations, and do studies difficult to conduct elsewhere. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and I’m fortunate to have had such wonderful colleagues and scientific collaborators. I hope to someday return to government service and lead a research program that will continue to provide gold-standard science to make Americans healthy.

Donald Trump has committed the most profound, harmful and unnecessary economic error in the modern era. Almost everything he said—on history, economics and the technicalities of trade—was utterly deluded econ.st/4j8e0DG

There are days in life that shake you. I’m shattered 💔 to share that I just found out that the US Government terminated my 2024 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (~$2 million), threatening my long-promised assistant professor job at @Columbia & academic career... 1/🧵

“It is hard to put into words the extent of the damage being done to the US research enterprise, which is of almost incalculable value to both the nation itself and the wider world… An assault on science and scientists anywhere is an assault on science and scientists everywhere.” nature.com/articles/d4158…

Researchers from @NUFeinbergMed report an important role for VPS13C in regulating lysosomal homeostasis in dopaminergic neurons & suggest disruptions in Rab10-mediated lysosomal stress response may contribute to pathogenesis in VPS13C-linked #Parkinsons rupress.org/jcb/article/22…

VPS13C regulates phospho-Rab10-mediated lysosomal function in human dopaminergic neurons rupress.org/jcb/article/22…

The first cellular map of a mammalian brain is here. 🧠✨ Over 6 years and 32 million cells in the making, the complete adult mouse brain cell-type atlas reveals astonishing diversity and regional specificity. Dive deeper: alleninstitute.org/scientists-unv… @nature #studyBRAIN #BICCN

I have been struggling to articulate the complex emotions I've been feeling since Saturday morning as a Jew, a liberal/progressive, a believer that Palestinians and Jews have a right to a homeland, to safety and dignity. A thread 1/

Researchers from @NUFeinbergMed report #Parkinsons-linked PARKIN mutations disrupt the recycling of synaptic vesicles in human dopaminergic neurons; Oxidized dopamine accumulates in mutant PARKIN neurons - can be rescued by boosting endophilin A1 cell.com/neuron/fulltex…

@Luis_BonetPonce @OhioState Congrats Luis! Well deserved!

Fueled by his purity of motive, I'm so moved by this speech and honored to fight the good fight alongside this giant of our times to make a difference and change the trajectory of Parkinson’s disease research. Congratulations @realmikefox youtu.be/dKQXDve6WiE

@MarkRCookson1 Hmm, I’ve heard this “supportive” tone. Reverently mention that he owes me an email with some info ;-)

@MarkRCookson1 #dreamteam

This. We can discuss how unforgivable scientific malfeasance is and how to deal with it appropriately without inaccurately contextualizing the studies of concern.

@MaluTansey @UriarteOihane @VJoers @KellyMenees @JS_Boles @RebeccaWallings @GillettDrew @UFCTRND @UFMBI @UFNeuroscience @FixelInstitute @KeystoneSymp See you there!

It has been 11 great years with Journal of #Parkinsons disease as a constantly present side job! Looking forward to more scientific challenges at @Roche, and bringing novel therapies to the clinic. Thank you @basbloem and Jeff (who still needs Twitter!) for a fun article!!