Cristian Martinez-Ramos

Great new work from ⁦@UMPharmacology⁩ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39305957/

Do you want to compare gene families or explore the evolution of domain architecture? Try our updated Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDART)! It’s now faster & more streamlined with simplified navigation & result filtering. More info: ow.ly/Y4yt50TNA08

Sometimes single-minded dedication to a problem is the path to great science. I’ve never met someone more focused on a problem than David Baker. Among the postdocs at UCSF in the early ‘90s, none of us would have been surprised to learn there was a Nobel Prize in David’s future.

BREAKING NEWS The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2024 #NobelPrize in Chemistry with one half to David Baker “for computational protein design” and the other half jointly to Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper “for protein structure prediction.”

What's the physiological relevance?

@paolaaisabeel @Pasca_Lab LETS GOO!! Viene 👏🏼

It’s always fun to represent our pancreatic cancer group🏆 @Pasca_Lab

The 2024 Pharmacology in Color Symposium was a great success! Founded by our students of color, the symposium featured research of current trainees, the wisdom of alumni leading wide-ranging careers and Dr. Trevor Archer, Deputy Director of NIEHS, as keynote speaker.

People just absolutely break my heart. We can do better. We can be better. Science can work without grinding through people. Please. It has to.

Irreparable damage to my career

Here is my biggest contribution to #science so far. A short series of memes inspired by #AlphaFold3 from @GoogleDeepMind 1/9🧵

My paper is on the cover of @BiochemistryACS! Check it out! #CytochromeP450 #Steroidogenesis @UMPharmacology @umichmedicine

We are profoundly grateful that Dr. Ruth Gottesman, Professor Emerita of Pediatrics at @EinsteinMed, has made a transformational gift to #MontefioreEinstein—the largest to any medical school in the country—that ensures no student has to pay tuition again. bit.ly/3wvBj7y

When you finally dive into the literature

In 2017, I moved to San Diego to start an MD-PhD, an 8-year program. "8-years!" people would gasp, "Is that program even legal?" To show the passage of time, I got a house plant, thinking I’d take a photo at the start and finish, hoping the succulents would thrive as living bookmarks of my academic training. Dear reader: they died, in no less than 3 months. As backup, I grew out my hair. And grow it did, turning into a public ledger of my time in school – T4 by year 3, T10 by year 4. I unintentionally earned street cred with surfers and a couple of awkward catcalls. My hair quickly became unwieldly, I had to get it trimmed twice. It got snagged whenever my wife rolled over on the pillow. Wrestling with shampoo and brushes, I sometimes daydreamed of a buzzcut. But I latched on to one key trait I’m proud of: my relentless stubbornness. I convinced myself that chopping it off would be like quitting the MD-PhD midway, halfway through a marathon. So, my hair and I, in a love-hate relationship, begrudgingly trudged through medical school, the pandemic, and now finally my PhD. Originally, I planned to donate my hair. What I didn’t anticipate was that I’d up donating my hair... to me. I started taking medication which causes my hair to fall off, just a month before my PhD defense. While this isn’t quite the end of my MD-PhD, I figured this is as good a time as any. Reflecting on photos of my wild, free-flowing hair, I’m filled with a sense of fondness and gratitude. It was a wild, untamed badge of my youth, a testament to a time when things were different. I’m incredibly thankful I didn’t take those moments, or my hair, for granted. Life is unpredictable, and things can change in the blink of an eye. Whether it's your energy, your health, or even something as simple as hair, appreciate it, celebrate it, relish in it. Because one day, you might look back and realize those were the golden moments. To anyone reading this, I encourage you to embrace and appreciate the chapters of your life, especially the ones you're living right now. Celebrate your youth, your health, your quirks. Don't wait for a sign or a change to start valuing the beauty of your present. Because, trust me, it's worth every moment of gratitude. #medicine #md #PhD #beforeafter #Growth #Health

If you submitted your graduate school applications today or sometime in the next two weeks - be kind to yourself. Recognize this as an achievement by itself and take the time today to reflect and send appreciation messages to everyone who truly supported you during the process.

What I lack in mastered techniques or knowledge, I make up for in relentless work and effort. I try 🖖🏽, so I am proud of where I am.

Thanks @CellCellPress for this initiative. Visibility in our science and our goals beyond the lab bench is so valuable for prospective students to see. I am energized to continue collaborating with @cientificolatin on the productive and transformative work we are doing.

The PhD: a time of unbounded exploration, deep intellectual engagement, and unprecedented creativity. From late-night discussions to personal growth, this journey offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that shape both intellect and character. Let's make the most of it. #phdchat

A new @CellCellPress Perspective discusses an effort by @cientificolatin to make grad school admissions more equitable & support students from #UnderrepresentedBackgrounds in applying to grad school. We spoke to 2 of the co-authors about this effort. Read more: cell.com/cell/fulltext/…

Leadership means inspiring people to follow you, not coercing people to go in a direction of your choosing.