Afternoon all. Excited to share with you a deeply informative discussion we had earlier today with Colette Delawalla and Dr. Jeremy Berg, two leaders of the important new advocacy organization, Stand Up For Science. Colette joined us a few months ago to provide us an update on their vital work and it was great to have her back. A recording and transcript of our discussion is above.
As we discuss, of all the parts of Trump’s agenda, the ongoing attack on our global scientific leadership, our world-leading universities and our public health remains - to me - the most shocking and hard to understand. For it will make us poorer; guarantee the planet warms faster; ensure fewer opportunities for young Americans today; make it harder for our companies to compete; seriously degrade our public health; and thus it is an enormous, potentially history-altering gift to our foreign adversaries. As I often say what Trump, Russ Vought, Robert Kennedy and their allies are doing here feels far more like sabotage and grand betrayal than it does a plan for American greatness.
In our discussion today we got caught up on the latest news from those on the frontlines of this battle. We’ve been working with Stand Up For Science these last few months and many of you have signed up for their campaigns to support the courageous scientists and staff in our government science agencies who have challenged the Administration (thank you). If you have yet to do it you can sign up for their three current campaigns here:
In her opening remarks Colette lays announces their next big action - a campaign to lobby Congress to retain and restore science funding in the emerging fiscal year 2026 budget that is being developed now. I think this campaign is well timed and has promise, and will be sharing more about it when it launches on Friday.
Here are some links to things we cite in our discussion:
The letter signed by 14 Republican Senators challenging the White House to release delayed NIH funding
Senators introduce a resolution supporting the prevention task force Kennedy may disband; a great post on this from Dr. Jeremy Faust and more on this new move to dramatically undermine our public health
White House releases impounded/stolen NIH funds after Congressional uproar
The Bluesky accounts for Stand Up For Science, Colette, and Dr. Berg
Here’s the video we discuss of one of Trump’s crackpots, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, embarrassing himself on CNBC yesterday (this is stunning to watch):
Here’s the incredible interview with the White House budget director Russ Vought from earlier this week that is flowing over with extremism, zealotry, lying and venality. WATCH THIS:
Friends, we have a big fight on our hands to preserve our global scientific and academic leadership, and hope you will join me, Stand Up For Science and people of good will and courage from the across country in this incredibly important fight - Simon
Colette Delawalla Bio
Colette Delawalla is a Clinical Psychology PhD candidate at Emory University, in the Behavior Genetics of Addiction Laboratory. She is the founder and executive director of Stand Up for Science, an organization that is mobilizing the fight for science and democracy. She is deeply committed to advancing the role of science in shaping a just and informed democracy.
Dr. Jeremy Berg Bio
Jeremy M Berg is currently Professor of Computational and Systems Biology at the University of Pittsburgh. Berg received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry. He started as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University in 1986. He moved to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as Director of the Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry in 1990. In 2003, he became Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at NIH. He served at NIGMS until July 2011 when he moved with his wife Wendie Berg, M.D., Ph.D., a leading breast imaging researcher, to the University of Pittsburgh. Berg served as Editor-in-Chief of the Science family of journals from 2016-2019. His efforts have been recognized by numerous research, teaching, and public service awards. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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