Jason Shepherd

Very excited for our new paper, now out in @cellcellpress.bsky.social! /🧵 The protein Tau forms intracellular toxic tangles in neurons in Alzheimer’s disease and Tauopathies. Tau pathology slowly spreads from cell-to-cell but the mechanisms are not clear /1 authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

RFK is single handled destroying HHS.

Had a great time giving a keynote at the American Society for Intercellular Communication! Unique conference room and probably the best cafeteria food at a meeting (cough GRCs).

Come join a thriving neuroscience community!

Beautiful Fall hiking weather in the ‘hood this afternoon in between grant reviews 😍

Came home inspired by all the cool research presented at this meeting. Here are two of the best slides featuring @jasonsynaptic.bsky.social and @ennatsew.bsky.social #NeuroExpSRC

Enjoying the @faseborg.bsky.social meeting on neuronal transcription in Florida! Even got to crash the Greenberg alum party 🥳 BUT #Arc>#fos

Beautiful place for a department retreat 😍 @solitudemtn.bsky.social Congrats to @moriel-z.bsky.social and @jim-heys.bsky.social for getting tenure!!

Was great to be back on TWiN to talk about our latest work on tau transmission!

Fall in the hood!

Took a covid booster plus flu shot yesterday. Have been taking Novavax when I can find it but no other option this time…forgot how I react to the mRNA vaccine. My immune system went wrrrrr 😅

“Direct cell-to-cell transmission of retrotransposons” The line between viruses, retrotransposons, and domesticated retroviruses continues to blur! www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Can confirm (see 🧵 ). But let me share some optimism. A NIH colleague said today that against all odds, NIH has been…winning. “We made this EO a necessity. We fought hard. We threw sand in all the gears. All the lowdown ways of blocking grants failed to produce the results Vought et al wanted.”

Congrats @czimmerman.bsky.social! 🙌🏼

Your moment of zen as you go into the weekend! Milford Sound, New Zealand 🇳🇿 📷

Stoked to be heading to Baltimore this weekend to see the Springboks play the All Blacks! Will also be giving a seminar at Johns Hopkins on Monday! Thanks @ashi-w.bsky.social for hosting! publichealth.jhu.edu/events/2026/...

I need…and probably everyone else needs..more time in places with no cell service! Like here in Fiordland, New Zealand 🇳🇿 📷

Have neglected my photography the past year. Finally had a moment to breathe and go through some pics from our Milford Sound hike in New Zealand last year. 📷 🏞️

My department is hiring! Come join a vibrant and thriving neuroscience group. New faculty are exceptionally well supported and we offer a very collaborative/collegial environment. employment.utah.edu/salt-lake-ci...

NoA 🎉 day! This job is not for the faint of heart. Got to take the wins where you can. Thanks to my lab for their perseverance and to the NIH staff trying their best to keep things going.

Having serious FOMO of the solar eclipse today. It’s a magical experience. Here’s a shot I took in Idaho when we got to experience totality in the US!

Another fun fly Arc paper with the @thecaronlab.bsky.social! Turns out fly Arc mutants Sleep a ton. Like a LOT. See Sophie’s entertaining thread below and the preprint here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Let me know if you’re interested in getting involved with IBRO! Now, more than ever, we need to find ways of strengthening international relationships and collaborations..and supporting neuroscience in under-resourced communities across the globe. 🧠 🧪 ibro.org/ibro-2026-el...

Announcing #engramsensembles '27, to be held at @tcddublin next May. Registration and abstract submission will open in autumn 2026.

Can you imagine the shitstorm if this had been done by a democratic president?! This is not a functioning Republic.

This is exactly how I feel and exactly what needs to be said and done about this govt BS! “The Trump administration hates academic science funding, full stop.” www.science.org/content/blog...

Our paper is out in this week's issue of Cell! Personally, I think our cover submission by @drawimpacts.bsky.social was more exciting 😅 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

WORD

“Dolomiti, ti amo"

The @ibroorg.bsky.social World Congress program committee has finalized a 🔥 keynote and special lecture line up. Stay tuned! In the meantime, symposia submissions are still open. Join us in Cape Town next year for this unique global neuroscience meeting! ibroworldcongress.org/open-calls/c...

Quick stop in BOS on our way to Barcelona!

Quick stop in BOS on our way to Barcelona!

thesciverse.org/scientists-s...

Congrats @czimmerman.bsky.social!! Just 1 of many to come I’m sure.

Talked to staff in Senator Mike Lee’s office today about the OMB proposals that will change how grant decisions will be made. Thanks to @standupforscience.net for organizing the meeting. We all need to be doing what we can right now, in addition to making comments on the official online portal.

Nature is drunk. Snow June 29 2026! We will take it though.

I am still waiting on whether a 3% scored R01 will be funded at the NIA (reviewed in Jan) and even the NoA for my funded R01 non-competitive renewal is a month late 😭. And this is preclinical science that shouldn’t have any “dirty” words!

I’m fine with the QED experiment. One can choose to ignore the rankings and just move on but some of the discussion that’s come out of this has been really good. Read this article as an example.

And NIH study section (Neuronal Communications) is a wrap! Despite all the "noise" going on, I'm struck by the earnest dedication and hard work put into all the reviews by the panel. Now....beer and world cup soccer time!

TMW you realize the @hhmi-science.bsky.social is investing a billion dollars in the obscure model organism you developed from pet shop fish! 🙌🏼 Adam Douglass @utah.edu @uuhsresearch.bsky.social

The Battle over the Constitution Has Spread to American Science. I'm out in the @theatlantic.com today about the new OMB proposed rule. It's just the longtime agenda of the the Supreme Court. US science and cancer cures now all depend on us picking up a fight with the Roberts Court.

Goaaalll…go NZ!