Dr. Jess Hebert

2 Oct 2025

Hi, new followers! I'm Dr. Jess, a kidney and pregnancy researcher in Portland, OR. Teacher, mama, musician, emcee. Pro-science, vax, LGBTQ, freedom of existing, kindness, and democracy. Antifascist, anti racist, anti anything that impedes the above. Glad to meet you. ❤️

16h

Want fun adult Halloween plans? @royalpdx.bsky.social and his group LOBBY SNACKS in a 30 min improv horror movie, ONE FREE REFILL in a sequel, then we're going down the block for drinks and fun times. Prizes for suggestions and costumes! Get a ticket and join us! www.crowdwork.com/e/the-improv...

Have said goodbye to student. Too tired and teary in airport.

My student gave her first international meeting poster today and she was fielding questions the whole two hours. It was also my first senior authorship at this level. My mentor got teary. We're both so proud of her, and of me! <3

I submitted my abstract for the next conference a full 40 minutes before the deadline, while at another conference. This is academia.

jesshebert.beehiiv.comTravelogue: Kidney Week DenverThe Spanish minor is coming in handy.

I wrote a post about Denver and the first bit of #KidneyWk, it's up here: jesshebert.beehiiv.com/p/travelogue... If you like smart bitches with smart mouths, you can hit subscribe and get it right to your email when I post an update. Which happens sometimes.

My student nicked all the leftover cookie butter filled beignet from the division reception buffet and I am very proud

Since it just came up, in case you need someone who's ordained, I am. If you're in need of that sort of thing.

This was a lot harder than you'd think. At Vertex booth. #KidneyWk

The last you'll see of the bottom half of my face most of this week. I still put lip gloss on. Oops. Hey, #kidneywk! Come talk to me about the kidney-placenta connection! Stay well, mask up especially if you're sick! #TeamPlacenta

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

My favorite hyperfixation of the week: the Backyard Ultra World Team Championship. Combine ultramarathon with the Olympics with a Battle Royale and you have Backyard Ultra. They started yesterday, all over the world. They have been running for 32 hours. wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.com

US is out on 107. Jon Noll is done and gets the Assist. Bravely fought. The winner is Mark Dowdle on 106, a big PR for him (I think by 12!). Belgium is still running. They can't catch US on total yards, but they could still be pushing for an individual world record.

Got settled in watching the Belgians on 114. Went to bed and woke up to them starting Loop 121!!! New World Record!

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

106! Japan is out! With a massive effort, they are currently sitting 3rd in team rankings. Belgium could overtake if they go 9 more loops...but at 106, that's a huge ask. Japan kept their whole squad of 15 together for 50 HOURS.

107! Eagerly awaiting the end of the loop while I hang out in the Salt Lake City Delta Sky Club porch. Once it hits, then it's dessert and headed for one more leg to Denver.

Dr. Jess Hebert reposted

P(aul) Frazee

@pfrazee.com

this must be what it feels like to live in gotham and friends are texting you shit like the joker just made money poisonous and the penguin has had an army in the sewer for over 6 years now

Dear whoever is filing their nails on this flight: Die slowly.

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

103! France out at 101 after a long bold fight. These nations, all 76, have shown the triumph of the human body and spirit. 6 runners of 990 remain.

105! All 6 still in! PR for one of the Americans! I'm on a plane next to a snoring man with large shoulders!

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

Poland is out on Loop 83! What an amazing race they have run, holding on, the last two running for 8 hours on their own. US is down the last woman in the race, Megan Smyth, who did a PR and absolutely smashed this. Third best women's result ever.

Loop 100!!! The US ran all night and are down to 2, as are Japan, France, and Belgium. Mathematically, near impossible to catch US for team title, but national titles and world records are still out there, so they do what they've done for 100 hours: run. #WTCBU #WCBU #WTCBYU

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

We need to send the Australians bidet bottles.

Loop 83 has begun and Canada is OUT. This means New Zealand keeps their rank! Here's the top 25. Argentina wins Class AA, Guatemala won Class A. AAA likely to be Team GB. Australia hanging strong, US closing the gap by keeping all 8 runners. Love Backyard Ultra. #WCBU

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

Brady Nankervis is on the Australian feed right now talking about what took him out on Loop 77 was the toilet. He sat down and couldn't get back up. Lots of jokes about the loo being a conspirator for the Americans. #WCBU

OH NO, apparently it was also out of toilet paper and he decided he just couldn't go on with the chafing But the Australians are wild and we don't know if they're for real or making this up at this point.

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

BIG CHANGES ON 77: New Zealand is out, won by Sam Harvey on 77! The great Sarah Perry and Iain Bethune for GB are out! US holds steady with 8, Australia are down to 4, Day 4 is ON!

youtube.comPart 8 | 2026 Backyard Ultra World Team Championships | Team Australia LIVEYouTube video by Backyard Ultra Live

LOOP 82: AIN just went out on 81. They were churning some of the fastest loops but it takes 2 to keep the race going. James Luxton of GB just did a 24 MINUTE LOOP after 82 HOURS which is INSANE. Australia feed is so positive and awesome. www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3wU... #BackyardUltra #WCBU

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

Oops, Australia has 5! Following them in loop total, runners left are US at 8, Belgium and Japan with 4, Great Britain led by the amazing SARAH PERRY with 6, then France, New Zealand, Poland, Canada, and AIN with 2 runners each, still churning points and gunning for personal bests.

Leaderboard for World Championship Backyard Ultra at 77 loops.

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

Loop 77 (77 hours!). 10 countries. Norway out on a national record. Japan was the last team with all 15 runners but they're now at 4. Australia leads the US by 50 but has only 4 runners. US has 8 and can make up the difference, but everyone is waging war with body and mind.

Several nations are hanging on with 2. Mighty Iceland held on with 2 runners on their own for a whole day last time so anything is possible. In Yard 75, no one gave up. Everyone who started the bell at the hour finished the loop. Extraordinary efforts. I love this sport.

Not all men but definitely men

A.R. Moxon@juliusgoat.bsky.social

Hey, I’m just asking questions. Ignorant questions, bigoted questions, questions that have been repeatedly answered for many years. Sorry, but I’m not listening to answers right now; I’m far too busy asking questions. It’s called being intellectually curious.

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

We have completed 33 hours. 52 of 67 teams still in it. 421 of 990 runners. It is truly magnificent, and will probably continue until well into the week. If you want to gab with me about it, I'M IN.

66 hours. 15 countries still running. 79 of 990 runners still going, every hour on the bell. Absolute warriors. Two national races have been won by women. Only two races were over inside 24 hours. National records are tumbling.

The noise has been growing steadily for weeks. First, it was whispers. Then, scheduling emails. Last week, full on hallway discussions across institutions. Friday, a chant grew with the increasing email deluge. Today, the gates unlock. Kidney Week has come. #NephJC #ASN2026 #KidneyWeek

Already, two faculty members have greeted me with solemn "It's Kidney Week"s so it is definitely on. Pre-conf events started last week. It's like Dragon Con for kidneys.

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

There are no rest stops other than between yards. Finish at 50, you get 10 minutes. Finish at 59:59, you're back on the next loop now or you're out. It is a true triumph of the spirit and focus, and this one is special: 67 nations compete as teams. The sum of yards wins it all. Team DEPTH matters.

2 teams couldn't start due to civil unrest (Mauritius) and dangerous weather (Singapore). Ukraine is running in Poland. Spain had to stop at loop 25 when all their runners had to be evacuated BY BOAT. Global conditions are in play and you think about all the work, security, factors for each region.

wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.comWTC 2026 Live · Big's Backyard Ultra World Team ChampionshipEvery nation. Every yard, every runner, live.

A loop is 4.167 miles, starts at the top of the hour. You have 60 minutes to finish that loop and be back in the box to start at the top of the next hour. End it early? Enjoy some rest. Can't finish? Incomplete. You're out. Finish after the hour? You're out. Miss the starting bell? You're out.

The other major rule is that the last one to finish a loop independently wins. Which means as long as there are 2 runners, the game continues. The first competition in 2011 at Bell Buckle, TN was won in 18 yards (75 miles, 18 hours). The world record is 119 yards. Nearly 5 days and 500 miles.

Annual pumpkin patch visit this week.

I have been in two states largely since yesterday: Focusing very hard on work and family Or Crying uncontrollably when my focus slips over how absolutely fucked up the world is. Keep the loved ones of those affected in Bend in your hearts and vote for stronger gun laws and mental health funding.

And thanks to @svahausa.bsky.social for my neurotransmitters dress!

Kindra Crick 🧩@kindracrick.com

A wonderful audience for Science on Tap talking about the art & science of sleep, dreams, memory and insomnia! Full house and fantastic questions! Thank you to the amazing folks at Science on Tap and the delightful Master of Ceremonies Dr. Jess Herbert @jesshebert.bsky.social 🐡 #scicomm

I am exhausted. My brain is eating itself. I've been trying to gently deal with burnout and I feel like I get two steps forward, one step back. There's progress but at the cost of constantly seeing effort wiped off the board. I don't know what good it will do to say it, but tired of keeping it in.

Sis and I took two of the wee sprogs to see the touring Bluey play tonight! Puppetry was amazing, set and musical design were really cool. It was REALLY SHORT (40 minutes), so if it's your little kid's first play, good for attention spans, but your $/min ratio is VERY high.

motherjones.comPete Hegseth's firing squad livestream has fans in the defense industryCo-founders of Palantir and defense tech firm Anduril are defending "public and brutal" executions.

Look at this guy. If this is the dude you're choosing to take moral lessons from, you gotta realign your inner compass stat.

Mother Jones@motherjones.com

To "revel in the death of those who truly deserve it...is normal, good, and aligned with our natural and national order," Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey wrote on X.

scienceontaporwa.orgNocturnal Worlds: Sleep, Dreams, Insomnia, & MemoryScience on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don’...

I'm not sure how this is even possible, but we still have tickets left for Wednesday's Science on Tap featuring @kindracrick.com and her new artworks exploring the neuroscience of sleep and dreams. Come spend 90 minutes in learning wonder. www.scienceontaporwa.org/events/kiggi...

We start with short trivia (WITH PRIZES), the talk's about an hour, and then there's a Q&A where you can ask all your burning questions. I run the mic around so folks of all mobilities can chat with our speaker. Also there's libations and snacks and fellow science enthusiasts. JOIN US.

In case you were wondering what I was making in that giant pot yesterday, it was QUINCE BUTTER! Like apple butter (no real butter involved), just a sweet, warm spice smooth spread. The quince start pale yellow like pears, but cooking turns them a beautiful deep rose color. DELICIOUS.