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Yolanda Chen

@yolandachen

Evolution, agroecology, genetics, epigenetics, and history buff. Interested in how people have shaped the success of insects in agriculture. #cropdomestication #sustainableagriculture https://blog.uvm.edu/yfanslow/

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15.11.2024
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Latest posts by Yolanda Chen @yolandachen

New paper with former Phd student Erika Bueno @insect-phd.bsky.social!

17.01.2026 02:57 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Insecticide tolerance shapes performance responses to multiple stressors in Leptinotarsa decemlineata Insecticide-selected Colorado potato beetles display heightened sensitivity to thermal stress compared to unselected beetles. This vulnerability suggests potential trade-offs between insecticide tole...

With @insect-phd.bsky.social, we just published a paper showing that selection for #coloradopotatobeetle #insecticide #resistance does not increase tolerance to #heat. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

09.01.2026 15:15 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Six postdoc positions in two brand new team science projects on mechanistic biology in the overlap area of ageing and sex differences @mrc-lms.bsky.social in London - apply now!

21.11.2025 09:04 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Assistant Professor of Soil Ecology Officers of Instruction - Tenure Track

Please reshare! My department at the University of Vermont is hiring for an Assistant Professor of #Soil #Ecology! Here is the link: www.uvmjobs.com/postings/83858

16.11.2025 14:32 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

We’re recruiting for a multi-university (and ECCC) cross-city project on urban biodiversity, connectivity, and ecosystem services: 1) a Concordia or U Laval MSc student (PhD possible), 2) a UBC MSc student, 3) a postdoc.

I’ll link to each position below. Please share broadly!

16.08.2025 20:16 πŸ‘ 26 πŸ” 30 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 2

Are you a PI in a biology field looking for postdocs? Here is a Starter Pack of early career biologists currently seeking postdoctoral positions! (Also if you are searching for a postdoc, let me know if you want to be added!) go.bsky.app/8zZNEGV

16.07.2025 22:42 πŸ‘ 110 πŸ” 87 πŸ’¬ 43 πŸ“Œ 4
Queen’s Special U.S. Doctoral Recruitment Initiative | School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral AffairsDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown arrowDown... Queen’s University is a globally engaged, research-intensive institution dedicated to attracting and supporting exceptional PhD students who will significantly advance our research mission.

My Canadian university, Queen's, is offering TWENTY 4-year funded PhDs (40k CAD/yr) for a student of ANY citizenship who has been accepted at a top 100 US university but have had offer rescinded OR are reconsidering offer due to US policy.
Details found hereπŸ‘‡

www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc...

05.06.2025 15:31 πŸ‘ 1909 πŸ” 1433 πŸ’¬ 19 πŸ“Œ 103
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The White House Gutted Science Funding. Now It Wants to β€˜Correct’ Research.

πŸ””Trump’s Fool’s Gold EO is facing MAJOR backlash.

THOUSANDS of scientists, academics, & physicians - including us - are speaking out against this political assault on science.

Our Open Letter is featured here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/03/c...

03.06.2025 19:33 πŸ‘ 262 πŸ” 92 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 7
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How One Entomologist Puts a Childhood Love of Insects to Work in IPM Meet Erika Bueno, Ph.D., postdoc in invasive species IPM at UC Davis and our next "Standout Early Career Professionals" profile.

So excited to see this interview with my former student Dr. Erika Bueno featured in Entomology Today! entomologytoday.org/2025/05/28/e...
@insect-phd.bsky.social

29.05.2025 17:19 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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πŸ§ͺ Detailed data viz NYT article, out today, on the extent of funding cuts at the National Science Foundation.

This "broken pie chart" is neat & new to me: Powerfully shows the slowdown in new NSF awards across areas.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

22.05.2025 15:59 πŸ‘ 403 πŸ” 267 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 33

My ongoing request:

If your NSF or NIH grant was terminated--whether at Harvard or elsewhere--please report it here.

NSF: grant-watch.us/submit-nsf.h...

NIH: grant-watch.us/submit-nih.h...

Our trackers are actively used in lawsuits and are often the only record that terminations ever occurred.

14.05.2025 14:22 πŸ‘ 440 πŸ” 397 πŸ’¬ 15 πŸ“Œ 16
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Assistant/Associate Professor in Quantitative Ecology Job TitleAssistant/Associate Professor in Quantitative Ecology Agency Texas A&M University - Kingsville Department Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Proposed Minimum SalaryCommensurate Job Locat...

We are hiring an Assistant/Associate Prof of Quantitative Ecology! I'm on the Search Committee for this one. If you have any interest in the position & want to learn more about living in this v. cool part of the country, pls reach out!
tinyurl.com/2h6bdece

15.04.2025 14:22 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 24 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

This awesome @faseborg.bsky.social website offers detailed information about NIH and NSF funding to each and every state--use this a write!
www.faseb.org/science-poli...

03.05.2025 00:15 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 9 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Come to Lund! We are looking for a postdoc to join the team. #transposons #epigenetics

17.04.2025 12:29 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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πŸ“£ Our lab is looking for a PhD student to join us in exploring RNA biology! Details in the announcement. Feel free to reach out with any questionsβ€”and please RT!

25.03.2025 20:00 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Trump Science Funding Cuts May Hurt Economy, Experts Say (Gift Article) Since World War II, U.S. research funding has led to discoveries that fueled economic gains. Now cutbacks are seen as putting that legacy in jeopardy.

β€œImmigrants have long played a disproportionate role in scientific and technological advancement in the United States.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/b...

31.03.2025 21:01 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Direct and interactive effects of crop domestication and mineral fertilization over leaf traits: insights from squash, maize, and beans - Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution Although crop leaf traits associated with acquisitive life strategies might largely be the result of inherence from their wild progenitors, more research is still needed to understand the roles that g...

Pleased to share a new article from my Phd student Jorge Ruiz-Arocho that examines how #cropdomestication and #nitrogen #fertilization affects #leaf traits for #maize, #beans, and #squash. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

20.03.2025 19:42 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Science Magazine - Rapid butterfly declines across the United States during the 21st century The loss of vertebrate and plant species has been well documented (1-3), but recent attention has shifted to losses of the most diverse taxonomic group on

#Butterfly declines across the USA
www.sciencemagazinedigital.org/sciencemagaz...

07.03.2025 11:08 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Pleased to join @balachaudhary.bsky.social, @khadlily.bsky.social, and @wocineeb.bsky.social to remind Science why racial affinity groups help scientists of color to find support and belonging.

02.03.2025 21:45 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Postdoc Opportunity in #Pollination Research

The @uni-freiburg.de is hiring a Postdoc for the EU project VALOR, exploring the ecological and economic values of pollinators.

πŸ“… Deadline: March 1, 2025
πŸ“… Start date: June 1, 2025
πŸ’° Salary: TV-L E13 (100%), 3 years

πŸ”— uni-freiburg.de/stellenangeb...

25.02.2025 13:19 πŸ‘ 39 πŸ” 27 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
February 18, 2024
TO:
Dr. Matthew Memoli, Acting Director, NIH
CC:
John Burklow, Chief of Staff, NIH
Julie Berko, Director, OHR, NIH
FROM:
Nathaniel James Brought, Director, ES, NIH
SUBJECT: Resignation
Dear Dr. Memoli,
On July 3, 2001, I stepped off a bus on Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot Perris Island. Scared out of my mind, I stood on a pair of freshly painted yellow footprints, raised my right hand, and recited the oath of enlistment:
I, Nathaniel James Brought, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
For the last 23 years, 7 months, and 15 days, I like to believe I have faithfully carried out the duties of each office to which I've been appointed in my military and civilian service to this nation. That Service has taken me from the Marine Corps to 3 different federal departments, spanned 3 continents, included service in one war zone, and has included:
β€’ For the Marine Corps and the National Security Agency, I worked on intelligence operations at the highest classification levels using bleeding edge intelligence tools to ensure America's special operators put boots-to-asses on America's enemies overseas (including commendations crediting my work for the kill or capture of dozens of terrorists), ensuring America's policy makers were able to track the movement of dangerous dual

February 18, 2024 TO: Dr. Matthew Memoli, Acting Director, NIH CC: John Burklow, Chief of Staff, NIH Julie Berko, Director, OHR, NIH FROM: Nathaniel James Brought, Director, ES, NIH SUBJECT: Resignation Dear Dr. Memoli, On July 3, 2001, I stepped off a bus on Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot Perris Island. Scared out of my mind, I stood on a pair of freshly painted yellow footprints, raised my right hand, and recited the oath of enlistment: I, Nathaniel James Brought, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God. For the last 23 years, 7 months, and 15 days, I like to believe I have faithfully carried out the duties of each office to which I've been appointed in my military and civilian service to this nation. That Service has taken me from the Marine Corps to 3 different federal departments, spanned 3 continents, included service in one war zone, and has included: β€’ For the Marine Corps and the National Security Agency, I worked on intelligence operations at the highest classification levels using bleeding edge intelligence tools to ensure America's special operators put boots-to-asses on America's enemies overseas (including commendations crediting my work for the kill or capture of dozens of terrorists), ensuring America's policy makers were able to track the movement of dangerous dual

nuclear technology across international borders, and monitored the flow of terrorist financing across the international banking system.
β€’ Utilized information from all-source intelligence to ensure the continued security of America's homeland from international and domestic threats.
β€’ Worked with some of the finest lawyers in the world to ensure America's security operations were effective, while upholding the rights of all those who interacted with them.
β€’ Ensuring that America's rural communities had access to programs like rural development loans, farm aid, and that America's children wouldn't be hungry as they sat in their classrooms and tried to learn.
β€’ Most recently, and frankly most dear to my heart, working with each of you here at the National Institutes of Health to advance the future of science and medicine. Not for Americans. Not for any one group of people. But for ALL of humanity.
I am unbelievably proud to be able to say that there are Americans who are alive, and terrorists who are not, because of the work I've done to serve this nation. I am proud to say that my service to this country has allowed me to ensure that my children have never faced the struggles of poverty that I grew up with. That service didn't begin because of some great altruistic impulse or drive. I didn't grow up saying "I want to do the great work that needs to be done to weave the fabric of America and ensure her people are not only safe, but healthy." Frankly, that service began because I was poor, and I was inspired. I grew up as a free lunch kid who lived in project housing. It was my fellow Americans who made sure I wasn't hungry in class and that I had enough food to excel academically the way I did. It was Americans who had more than we did that made sure I had good schools to attend where I could learn things that expanded my mind.
As I approached the end of high school, I dreamed of going to college and figuring out how to make a living that would allow me to do more tha…

nuclear technology across international borders, and monitored the flow of terrorist financing across the international banking system. β€’ Utilized information from all-source intelligence to ensure the continued security of America's homeland from international and domestic threats. β€’ Worked with some of the finest lawyers in the world to ensure America's security operations were effective, while upholding the rights of all those who interacted with them. β€’ Ensuring that America's rural communities had access to programs like rural development loans, farm aid, and that America's children wouldn't be hungry as they sat in their classrooms and tried to learn. β€’ Most recently, and frankly most dear to my heart, working with each of you here at the National Institutes of Health to advance the future of science and medicine. Not for Americans. Not for any one group of people. But for ALL of humanity. I am unbelievably proud to be able to say that there are Americans who are alive, and terrorists who are not, because of the work I've done to serve this nation. I am proud to say that my service to this country has allowed me to ensure that my children have never faced the struggles of poverty that I grew up with. That service didn't begin because of some great altruistic impulse or drive. I didn't grow up saying "I want to do the great work that needs to be done to weave the fabric of America and ensure her people are not only safe, but healthy." Frankly, that service began because I was poor, and I was inspired. I grew up as a free lunch kid who lived in project housing. It was my fellow Americans who made sure I wasn't hungry in class and that I had enough food to excel academically the way I did. It was Americans who had more than we did that made sure I had good schools to attend where I could learn things that expanded my mind. As I approached the end of high school, I dreamed of going to college and figuring out how to make a living that would allow me to do more tha…

to go to college. I knew my grades weren't good enough to compete for scholarships with kids who were as smart as me but also had private tutors and didn't have to work after class to be able to drive their brand-new cars to our school each day. So, I gave up. I nearly failed my senior year of high school with an attendance failure, even though I only needed two classes to graduate. I didn't see the point. What was the point of learning calculus? So it would be that much harder when my dream of being a brain surgeon died not because I was incapable, but because I didn't have the means to make it come true? I resigned myself to being one of the working poor. I resigned myself to needing a spinal fusion before I was 50, like my father, because he literally broke his back trying to make his dreams come true. The example of my father didn't inspire me at that time. It reminded me of the futility of trying to escape the rung of the social ladder I had been born onto. No matter how smart or "gifted and talented" I may have been, I saw no path that led me to a place where I could realize my potential. So, instead I accepted that it would be wasted.
Ultimately, the reason I find myself here today, rather than in the place I saw as my only end, is because of another young man who committed to serving his country. Shamefully, I do not remember his name, but there was a young corporal from the United States Marine Corps who had been assigned as a recruiter in Reading, Pennsylvania at that time. This man spoke to me about my plans for my future during lunch one day at school. I told him I planned to do what my father had done. Work hard jobs until my body broke down, maybe start a struggling business, and try to do what I could to stay above the poverty line and off welfare. I told him I hoped to be successful enough that my kids never had to watch me use food stamps at the grocery store. It had been hard to watch my mom go through that. How sad is that? I was a smart young 18-…

to go to college. I knew my grades weren't good enough to compete for scholarships with kids who were as smart as me but also had private tutors and didn't have to work after class to be able to drive their brand-new cars to our school each day. So, I gave up. I nearly failed my senior year of high school with an attendance failure, even though I only needed two classes to graduate. I didn't see the point. What was the point of learning calculus? So it would be that much harder when my dream of being a brain surgeon died not because I was incapable, but because I didn't have the means to make it come true? I resigned myself to being one of the working poor. I resigned myself to needing a spinal fusion before I was 50, like my father, because he literally broke his back trying to make his dreams come true. The example of my father didn't inspire me at that time. It reminded me of the futility of trying to escape the rung of the social ladder I had been born onto. No matter how smart or "gifted and talented" I may have been, I saw no path that led me to a place where I could realize my potential. So, instead I accepted that it would be wasted. Ultimately, the reason I find myself here today, rather than in the place I saw as my only end, is because of another young man who committed to serving his country. Shamefully, I do not remember his name, but there was a young corporal from the United States Marine Corps who had been assigned as a recruiter in Reading, Pennsylvania at that time. This man spoke to me about my plans for my future during lunch one day at school. I told him I planned to do what my father had done. Work hard jobs until my body broke down, maybe start a struggling business, and try to do what I could to stay above the poverty line and off welfare. I told him I hoped to be successful enough that my kids never had to watch me use food stamps at the grocery store. It had been hard to watch my mom go through that. How sad is that? I was a smart young 18-…

Over on LinkedIn, the head of the Executive Secretariat of the NIH -- a central part of NIH leadership πŸ§ͺ🩺-- resigned with a lettter worth reading

www.linkedin.com/posts/nathan...

20.02.2025 18:43 πŸ‘ 1261 πŸ” 646 πŸ’¬ 46 πŸ“Œ 100
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Trump Administration Has Fired Health Inspectors at Some Border Stations (Gift Article) Scientists worry that the losses may open the door to human, plant and animal diseases that would otherwise have been caught.

"The Department of Agriculture employs entomologists, botanists and mycologists β€” experts in insects, plants and fungi, respectively β€” who inspect agricultural products for pests and pathogens. Many of those specialists were also let go on Friday."

20.02.2025 19:02 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
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You 2.0: How to Open Your Mind Podcast Episode Β· Hidden Brain Β· 08/29/2022 Β· 52m

I am using this episode of Hidden Brain in class to discuss the importance of debate and dialogue for developing the most creative and robust solutions.

It is particularly timely right now to be able to separate a task conflict with a relationship conflict.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

20.02.2025 14:43 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Were you fired by President Trump? | House Committee on Science, Space and Technology The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology

The committee on Science, Space, and Technology are collecting testimony of Federal employees fired in the past days. Please share with your colleagues and friends. The more testimony, the better we can argue against this injustice.

19.02.2025 20:28 πŸ‘ 121 πŸ” 81 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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PhD fellowship in Evolutionary Biology at the Globe Institute A PhD fellowship in Evolutionary Biology is being posted in the research team lead by Assistant Prof JazmΓ­n Ramos Madrigal commencing 1 July 2025 or as soon as

Exciting Phd opportunity in Denmark to study how plant-microbial interactions have been shapes by bean domestication.

candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationI...

18.02.2025 13:58 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025!

Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!

#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence

12.02.2025 17:04 πŸ‘ 11494 πŸ” 5433 πŸ’¬ 291 πŸ“Œ 670

If you're an entomologist who lost your position in this nonsense, please message me. If you're an organization seeking a taxonomist or a broadly trained entomologist, reach out. I'm also looking for professors seeking PhD students, globally. #entomology πŸ§ͺ

16.02.2025 13:57 πŸ‘ 121 πŸ” 78 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1
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Abandoned crops, fired scientists: Agricultural research hit by U.S. foreign aid freeze A court ruling may temporarily ease funding problems, but for many projects the long term outlook remains uncertain

Abandoned crops, fired scientists: Agricultural research hit by U.S. foreign aid freeze | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

14.02.2025 20:31 πŸ‘ 24 πŸ” 17 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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β€˜Wrecking ball’: RFK Jr. moves to fire thousands of health agency employees Supervisors deliver bad news across NIH, CDC

β€˜Wrecking ball’: RFK Jr. moves to fire thousands of health agency employees | Science | AAAS brought to you by @science.org www.science.org/content/arti...

14.02.2025 23:43 πŸ‘ 147 πŸ” 62 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 7

Today, the USDA lost experts in Psylloidea, Thysanoptera, Cerambycidae, Hymenoptera, Pseudococcidae, and Malacology. This is a devastating loss of expertise, occuring without warning. Their union's official statement on the issue can be found here: aginspectors.org/2-14-2025-a-... #entomology πŸ§ͺ

14.02.2025 21:30 πŸ‘ 224 πŸ” 116 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 12