Samuel Mackenzie MD PhD

New pod, who dis? Co-hosting with the incomparable @OligoclonalBand. Music by @zach_london. Drops monthly. Strap in. Immature Brains: A Child Neurology Podcast rss.com/podcasts/immat… via @rss

Here is our updated database of grants for early careers researchers in all fields. It goes way beyond traditional NIH and NSF funding opportunities. We list 428 types of grants. Download it here: research.jhu.edu/rdt/funding-op…

this is what actual national suicide looks like btw

We were told NIH funding cuts were about eliminating DEI. But the data now shows grants are down across nearly every field of medicine: cancer, diabetes, mental health, brain disorders. With the greatest cuts hitting Alzheimer’s research, down more than 50%.

A deliberate erosion of the scientific enterprise begins by eroding the workforce. In 2025 alone, the U.S. lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s across 14 federal agencies. The brain drain is real.

Our final episode of season 1 is out! Thanks to all our listeners and to @kuntal_sen_ for joining us! See you again in June. @OligoclonalBand open.spotify.com/episode/1AaYPH…

Reposting this is probably rewarding some bot farm in Indonesia, but I don’t care.

In the fall the administration held a press conference attended by President Trump, FDA Commissioner Makary, and HHS Sec Kennedy where Lekovorin was touted as an exciting treatment for autism. But when the FDA completed their full review of the drug, they approved it only for a type of brain folate deficiency that’s only ever been identified in about 50 kids. Normally breakthrough announcements are made after data proves efficacy, not before. Doesn’t work that way in this administration.

NIH is not issuing awards. You may think that it's because they it is coming up with new directions of research...The apposite is true. Here is a graph showing how many fewer new funding opportunities that NIH has posted over time. -91%, a trend that started on Jan 2025.

Federal funding for US biomedical research is moribund. Since October 1 2025, NIH is -80% in new grants and -70% in values (total dollars). Labs are closing down and researchers are leaving science. To what end?

Today’s American History Lesson: Puerto Rico has been part of the U.S. since 1898, and Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917 🇵🇷 🇺🇸 We’ve cheered many non-Americans at the #SuperBowl. Bad Bunny isn’t one of them. 🏈 🎤

Listen to Episode 9: Minneapolis, Jean Cady Solis, and febrile seizures on @rss rss.com/podcasts/immat… @OligoclonalBand @kidbraindocMD

As a preview of Episode 9, check out this paper by Kiarra Akiyoshi and my cohost @OligoclonalBand. Dr. Solis used awards not simply for recognition, but as tools for advancing the careers of colleagues and helping them mark their places in history. link.springer.com/article/10.100…

I'm desperate for a controversial podcast but my guests, Julia Neugebauer and Shamima Rahman, kept it balanced. This podcast won't settle the argument about the mito cocktail but it does provide background as to who is doing what and where. open.spotify.com/episode/2wdUvZ… #mitodisease

Another plug for It's A Lot! Where else can you find dystopian medical content like this?

Ironically, there are two "It's a Lot" podcasts. You should check out the one made by Emily Hessney Lynch and hear about her experience as an SMA mom. (I also pontificate about parent guilt, AI, and healthcare as a human right, but you don't have to listen to those parts.)

@clpthom @JohnStreicher1 That should cover it. #MAHA

@NotoriousEMG @JohnStreicher1 Peer reviewed cancer, rare cancer, toxic exposures and melanoma still remain

CDMRP decisions dropped today. They funded 19 grants. Total. For the whole program. 1.9%. Not sure how anyone is supposed to survive this kind of environment.

The way to accelerate science is to SLOW it down. Fewer papers please! We’re drowning in meaningless text. One GREAT paper per lab per decade is more than enough. q.e.d 👇

I sometimes imagine I’m from another planet & what would I think if the first thing I saw on earth was a dude at what looks like an off-brand Texas Roadhouse competitor making shit up about aspirin, vaccines, and pandemic flu

Today we’re thrilled to celebrate the incredible Phoebe, a brave and beautiful TANGO2 Warrior from Warwickshire, UK! Turning nine is such an exciting milestone, and Phoebe has reached it with the same courage, kindness, and sparkle that make her truly one of a kind.