Kiersten Stead

@statnews conducted a national survey of NIH-funded researchers and found that, a year after Trump's return, many scientists are reeling, with some closing labs entirely. ‘This is like the Titanic,' one respondent told me. For full details, see our story statnews.com/2026/03/19/nih…

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb ('17-'19) told CNBC's @BeckyQuick at CNBC's rare disease summit that FDA has lost 40% of the oncology review staff for new cancer drugs. Was 100 reviewers & now below 60. He said this could lead to increase in CRLs in '26 $IBB $BBC $XBI

The FDA of today is missing deadlines and slowing research👇the threat of losing leadership in #biotech nicely described by @fjeg1987 of @8vc

Concentrations of toxic lead in modern hair samples are 100 times lower than samples from before the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. Average lead values fell from around 50 ppm in the 1970s to less than 1 ppm in 2020. In PNAS: ow.ly/Pwlv50Yet0N

My Op Ed in Today's @PostOpinions "The long-lasting effects of viruses — and the anti-vaccine movement. For some people, a viral infection can have devastating long-term effects." washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/…

Antivaxxers have some explaining to do. In this four-year mRNA safety study from France, which includes: • 23 million vaccinated people • 6 million unvaccinated people • Ages 18–59 Vaccinated individuals had a significantly lower all-cause mortality rate, as well as lower COVID-19 death and disease rates, compared to unvaccinated individuals. This included lower rates of: • Cancer • Pregnancy complications • Birth defects • Heart problems • Mental disorders So it appears that the antivaxxers were wrong yet again. Further evidence that mRNA vaccines are safe and effective. Let’s see whether they will acknowledge this data — or continue to deny it and lie. @MakisMedicine @MaryBowdenMD @stkirsch @BretWeinstein I'm talking to you... jamanetwork.com/journals/jaman… #MedTwitter #MedEd #ClinicalTwitter #Residency #MedEd

Ug Sad for @lindseyvonn

People: “Why do you keep doing all those risky stuff?” Alex Honnold:

I don't know how to ask for a moment of silence amid the madness that is X. But please take a moment to reflect on the heroism of William Foege. Foege, who died Saturday at 89, was a key architect of the eradication of smallpox using the vaccine. This is one of humanity's great victories over a terrible disease and a triumph of science. If you haven't, go order or download his book, "House on Fire," which chronicles that epic fight. He was head of the CDC from 1977 to 1983. He was a towering, six-foot-seven reminder that rationality can win against scourges that have beset mankind for all of history.

Wastewater analysis is way more interesting than i want it to be

Contrary to popular belief, autonomy isn't a feature. It's a structural change to the equipment industry. #CapExKiller #BuiltByFarmers

This is something I talk about a lot now. For our lab, proprietary know-how derives from decades of negative data. Not positive data. Positive data is always public domain and low value. Negative data is buried in lab notebooks, not peer reviewed, not even accessible by AI, and is what avoids pitfalls in future work and drug development and clinical trials. This should be in the blockchain.

@AndrewE_Dunn Abcellera is generally believed to be the first AI/ ML backed antibody drug approved

NEW: Generate:Biomedicines is set to become the first AI-focused biotech to enter Phase 3, as the biotech will launch two late-stage asthma studies for its lead antibody The 310-employee startup has ~$240M in cash on hand, CEO Mike Nally tells me: endpoints.news/generatebiomed…

A massive global review just confirmed it. Clinical trials + real-world data from 132 million people across the globe. The HPV vaccine doesn’t just reduce cervical cancer. It almost eliminates it. Yes, you read that right. Girls vaccinated before 16 have an 80% lower risk of cervical cancer. Not a small reduction. Not “maybe.” Eighty percent. The protection isn’t only for the cervix. HPV causes cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva, mouth, throat - the vaccine blocks the virus before the damage ever starts. This isn’t one study. It’s Cochrane, the gold standard of independent science. They analyzed clinical trials + real-world data from 132 million people across the globe. Not pharma PR. Not a lab press release. Global. Independent. Verified. The #1 fear? Side effects. Here’s what the data says: Arm soreness? Sure. Serious complications? No evidence. Rare side effects? Same rate as unvaccinated people. Translation: social media invented the danger. Cochrane couldn’t find it. Lawsuits against HPV vaccines? Courts dismissed claims as “speculative inferences.” Translation: conspiracy theories don’t hold up under evidence. Meanwhile, cervical cancer kills 350,000 women every year. Mostly young women. Mostly preventable. We don’t need more fear. We need more vaccination. And yes - boys should get the vaccine too. HPV doesn’t only cause cancer in women. Vaccinating boys protects everyone. Some countries are on track to eliminate HPV cancers entirely. Others are falling behind because misinformation spreads faster than vaccines. That shouldn’t be our legacy. We already have the tool to end cervical cancer. Not reduce it. End it. The only thing standing in the way is fear. Science isn’t asking for blind trust. It’s showing its receipts. Stop sharing rumors. Start preventing cancer.

How is Grove Biopharma archi­tecting its way around traditional drug limits? Learn from @DCVCBio principal Dr. Emily Park and managing partner @2kstead 👇 (link in 🧵)

Very exciting progress from Latus Bio! Read more from @DCVCBio Managing Partner @2kstead--link below 👇

Divest or delete TikTok. Holy moly.

This dog is a pirate. @SabantoAg must recruit.

Augmented RNA reality is emerging! @creyonbio has the ability to program­mat­i­cally engineer knowably safe and effective siRNAs, ASOs, and other oligo therapies to unlock a huge range of therapeutic advances👇 dcvc.com/news-insights/…