Sally James

Merkel cell carcinoma log, day #637. I’m participating in the 4th annual Merkel cell carcinoma conference (MCC4) in Boston today. Most of the top people in the field are here. Had a roundtable conversation with a group of patients and advocates and got the conversation started about all the shortcomings and pitfalls our little band of patients faces: No interest by pharma in truly rare cancers (the numbers don’t work); egotistic oncologists resistant to change; ignorance among primary care docs and dermatologists; punishing rounds of delays and denials by conflicted payers. And we’ve all been the lucky ones, surviving close to 2 years or more. Imagine how angry and confused patients are if they don’t respond to immunotherapy? If they never had a chance to figure out for themselves how to work the system to their advantage as best they can? And it’s not just Merkel cell. Many of us have been shocked by how fragmented the entire oncology system is. Time for a revolution. Way past time. For us and all the millions more cancer patients to come.

So much this. #grammar #copyedit #style

5 science plays, dreamed up in 5 days by random choices of playwright, director and actors. This is the once-a-year mania called Centrifuge in Seattle. Only 2 performances - 4/24 and 4/25. #science #theater #nerds #research theatreoffjackson.org/event/centrifu…

When the primary #media magnet for the public on #health is trying/not succeeding at getting across the #Bureaucracy #medicare @KFFHealthNews

@AllenInstitute But it is tortoise shell or "tortitude" that we need unlocked.

The Orange Cat Brain Atlas is here. 🧠🐈 Today, we published the first comprehensive cellular map of the orange cat brain. The new atlas reveals a single, specialized neuron responsible for behaviors like staring at walls, knocking objects off tables, and the 3am "zoomies."

@EricTopol As a lay person, does this alignment of two vaccines reducing risk point to a mechanism conclusion? Does it point to Alz being "caused" by weakness of immune response?

We've seen the Shingles vaccine is linked with reduced risk of Alzheimer's and dementias in 4 large natural experiments. Today, the potential of high-dose flu vaccines vs standard dose for the same in a large retrospective age 65+ cohort [N>160,000). More pronounced in women (like Shingles vaccine) neurology.org/doi/pdf/10.121…

Amazing description by #science dean of the destruction within his field #panic #science #cuts #dean @ConversationUK @ConversationUS theconversation.com/panicking-scie…

Apply for awards from the @theNASEM and Schmidt philanthropy for science #journalism and #writing @ScienceWriters #key-dates" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">nationalacademies.org/programs/NAE-N…

Today we published a report on younger news audiences. Authored by Craig T. Robertson, @amyrossarguedas.bsky.social @mitalilive.bsky.social and @richardfletcher.bsky.social, it's based on DNR and other surveys Full report reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/understanding-… Seven findings in thread

NIH director admits after being grilled by @SenSanders: 1) The best way to stop the measles epidemic is to vaccinate your kids against measles. 2) no single vaccine causes autism. RFK Jr is wrong.

Coming up: Join in as 2025 Cohn Prize winner @cpiller and @lizabio get in the weeds on investigative science reporting. Can't make it? We'll email the recording and a tipsheet with advice and resources to all registrants after the event.

My Tiny Love Story made it into the @nytimes New Year's Day. "The Beautiful Sound of Breaking Glass" #family #parenting #holiday #chaos nytimes.com/2026/01/01/sty…

@jrovner The insides sharpens the pins + needles you put in.

i still have my mom's...

Being in nature reduces fatigue and boosts attention. 34 experiments: After walking, playing, and learning in parks, forests, or water, kids & teens show better focus and self-control. Not all outdoor time is equal. Green and blue spaces are more refreshing than urban settings.

One single orange car, multiple bumper stickers. #FridayVibes

Theobromine...(part of #chocolate) and reason #Seattle Theo Chocolate was named as it was. #chemistry

Can't help reading this and thinking humans need "high-stress" microbiota now to cope with #politics of #science in a changing world.

Autistic representation takes center stage in "Life on the Moon." The Seattle debut opens Dec. 8 at ReAct Theatre in SoDo. Sally James (@jamesian) goes behind the scenes here: soseaem.org/4psOxZy #SeattleArts

I'm #grateful for @inaturalist and the difference it makes in how I see the world, and contribute. #nonprofit #science inaturalist.org/stats/2025/sea…

@rayadverb Cooking with confident people, relate to that. Once saw two young men out-confidence and older woman. They took over her leg of lamb. Hunters. They said " we got this" to her. Mic drop.

Cooking with zucchini: open.substack.com/pub/davebarry/…