Not getting grants is tough, but this Thunder/Spurs series is going to take years off my life.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing mothers out there.

“Undergraduate teaching in the lab is like showing Dorn how to get in front of a ground ball. Teaching Cerrano how to hit a curve ball is graduate-level mentoring.” Friday conversations with @americolopezy. If you know the reference, we should be friends.

It’s starting to feel real. But I’m excited that my son is officially going to IU on a full-ride academic scholarship.

Same day, two conferences, two cities, two grad student presentations, one proud PI.

Leave the gun, take the cannoli.

The IU crew at AAI. I feel grateful to be a part of such a wonderful group of scientists.

Back in Beantown!

Any ideas on how to add “field research” into my next NIH grant?

It’s that annual time where I schedule “work” in the departmental conference room. #MarchMadness

the entire academic funding model is basically a creative writing competition where the prize is permission to do your actual job

Harvard scientists just shattered one of biology’s oldest rules. We were taught: Viruses can’t make their own proteins. They hijack yours. That’s why they’re “not alive.” Except giant DNA viruses just crossed that line. Researchers found they carry a full eukaryotic-style translation complex (vIF4F). Translation machinery. Inside a virus. They can keep making proteins even under stress that shuts down normal viral replication. If a virus brings its own protein-making tools… Is it still just a parasite? For decades we’ve drawn a clean boundary: Cell = alive Virus = not alive Nature doesn’t care about our categories. Maybe viruses aren’t just evolutionary side notes. Maybe they helped build complex life. Paper in Cell 👇 cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092… Harvard news: cellbio.hms.harvard.edu/rece…

The P&T Chair saw his shadow, so if your up for tenure this year that’s six more years as an assistant professor.

Congratulations to Yu-chi on passing her Qualifying Exam! I’m excited to watch her continue to grow and develop into an excellent scientist. 🍾

CFB playoff teams with first round byes are 0-6. Let’s hope IU changes that. Let’s go Hoosiers!

Homecoming Kings 👑

Boomer Sooner!

Gene Therapy! Happy Halloween, y'all!

Happy Halloween from my lab family to yours!

Two grants submitted and now I’m going to enjoy the last few beach days of 2025.