To all aspiring young
#WomenInSTEM
:
Mentee: Should I avoid being pregnant while trying to secure a faculty position?
Me: Be pregnant & go on interviews. If they don’t welcome you with open arms and offer childcare options, they don’t deserve you.
#KnowYourWorth
Yale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi'nden İmmünoloji Profesörü Akiko Iwasaki bizler için anlattı! (
@virusesimmunity
)
🔴 El yıkamak dışında neler yapabiliriz?
🔴 Grip ile
#Covid19
arasındaki farklar ve benzerlikler neler?
#Coronavirus
#coronaturkiye
A single-shot J&J Janssen COVID19 vaccine phase 3 results summarized in one table. Great news! Imagine being 💯 protected from death 28 days after a single shot, and 💯 protected from severe disease after 49 days - against all variants.
Let's dispel the notion that "novel coronavirus is just like the flu". Sharing this striking comparison of
#Flu
,
#COVID19
,
#SARS
and
#MERS
made by
@BioRender
.
#COVID19
is 30x more deadly and almost 2x more contagious than the flu. We have no existing immunity to COVID19.
A first case of
#COVID19
reinfection from HKU, with distinct virus genome sequences in 1st and 2nd infection (142 days apart). Kudos to the scientists for this study.
This is no cause for alarm - this is a textbook example of how immunity should work.
(1/n)
When I state my opinion on the immune response to SARS-CoV2 -> you're not an MD, you only treat mice, you are not qualified.
When a male PhD states the same opinion -> wow, you are a hero & you look like my uncle 👏🏽 can you take a selfie?
I'm tired of this.
#WomenInSTEM
My first tweet of 2021 is going to be about 1 dose vs. 2 dose vaccine. I have tweeted in the past of the immunological advantages of a 2 dose vaccine. However, given the enhanced transmission variants on the rise, we need a modified strategy. (1/n)
A 25 yr old patient in Nevada has a confirmed case of
#COVID19
reinfection (48 days apart between 1st and 2nd PCR).
This time, unlike the case in Hong Kong, the immune system did not protect this person from reinfection or disease. (1/n)
Very excited to share our latest research on immunological features of
#LongCovid
. Our 2+ year collaboration with
@PutrinoLab
with many other fantastic colleagues and patients - Mount Sinai Yale Long COVID (MY-LC) study by
@sneakyvirus1
et al. 🧵(1/)
A very important and informative thread about why the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant is now dominating in the Northeast US and is expected to spread. Please protect yourselves and others by wearing N95 masks. I am truly concerned about the
#longCOVID
wave that follows this infection.
The superior growth advantage of XBB.1.5 has been well-documented by many colleagues
@JPWeiland
@LongDesertTrain
@EricTopol
. Here I'll add some experimental data:
1) XBB.1.5 is equally immune evasive as XBB.1, but
2) XBB.1.5 has a much higher hACE2 binding affinity. 1/
So excited to be a part of this important study led by
@michelle_monje
on how significant longterm neurologic damage can occur after a mild respiratory-only SARS-CoV-2 infection. My own🧵on the findings of this study with relevance to
#longCovid
(1/)
So pleased to report that our Mount Sinai-Yale long COVID (MY-LC) paper with
@putrinolab
& others is now published!! Proud of the hard work of all who contributed. We found biological signatures that can distinguish people with vs. without
#longCOVID
(1/)
It’s time to invest in next generation COVID vaccines that not only prevent severe disease but also block infection and transmission. It makes sense to induce mucosal immunity to fight a mucosal viral infection. My opinion in
@nytimes
today👇🏽
Breakthrough infections are uncommon. However, you can get
#longcovid
from breakthrough infection. We don’t know how frequently long covid develops in fully vax people because CDC is not collecting such data. It is dangerous to get breakthrough infections. Please
#vaxandmask
TIME's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world is out. I'm honored, delighted, and grateful to be a part of this incredible group
#TIME100
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
@TIME
Vaccines that reduce infection & disease are needed to combat the pandemic. Here,
@tianyangmao
@BenIsraelow
et al. describe our new mucosal booster strategy, Prime and Spike, to induce such immunity via nasal delivery of unadjuvanted spike vaccine 🧵 (1/)
Just got off a zoom interview with one of my daughter's friend. She (10 yr old) is a columnist for her school news paper. She interviewed me about
#COVD19
. Her last question was "what can kids do to help?" I almost lost it. There is hope in humanity 😭🙏🏽
There is an absolute
#COVID19
crisis happening in Brazil. We need to send mRNA vaccines encoding the P1 spike ASAP. Can Moderna and Pfizer please help???
PAY ATTENTION—There is one crisis we all needs to pay attention to—and that is the unprecedented Brazil 🇧🇷 surge of the
#P1
variant, overloaded hospitals, & sharp mortality spike. If more contagious
#P1
out of control worldwide, we are all endangered. 🧵
#SOSBrazil
#COVID19
A team member working on our
#PrimeandSpike
nasal spray COVID booster vaccine developed
#longCOVID
😭
Long COVID is a global crisis affecting millions of lives. It is impacting our ability to do science, research and development.
Very happy to see that China approved the world’s first inhaled vaccine against COVID-19. Convidecia Air is an aerosolized vaccine based on Ad5-nCoV made by Cansino.
This is a cautionary tale of how anti-Spike antibody may make COVID disease worse. In this study, the authors show that anti-Spike IgG made SARS-CoV disease worse by switching macrophage from wound-healing to proinflammatory phenotype. A thread (1/n)
When a student sheepishly asks me if she can have a few minutes of my time because she is facing difficulty with her PI, this usually is a sign of significant distress. I know this from experience.
If you are in this situation, my DM is open for you. Even if you live far away.
A short 🧵on a recent study by
@MaggieLind2
with
@MHitchingsEpi
@datcummings
Albert Ko et al. Data show that immunity induced by vaccines, prior infection or both (hybrid) protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection when viral exposure is low to moderate (1/)
Delighted to host
@resiapretorius
and
@PutrinoLab
at Yale today.
@ValterVSM
and I learned how to image
#microclots
and activated platelets. Activated platelet stained with anti-CD62P antibody are evident just looking through the eyepiece 👀 This is from a
#longCOVID
patient👇🏽😭
3) Since reinfection can occur, herd immunity by natural infection is unlikely to eliminate
#SARSCoV2
. The only safe and effective way to achieve herd immunity is through vaccination. (4/n)
How can a mild respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infection lead to longterm neurological symptoms? Possibilities include 1) direct infection of 🧠, 2) autoimmunity, and 3) inflammatory impact of infection distal to the 🧠. In this study, we focused on 3) 👇🏽 (2/)
This is wild. The B.1.351 and P.1 variants infect and replicate in mice without the need for human ACE2! These mutations are not only enhancing transmission and antibody evasion but expanding host range. Work by
@SimonLoriereLab
. (via
@CyrilPedia
,
@avivi
)
Our new preprint where we show that SARS-CoV-2 VOCs are able to infect mice is out. Collaborative work
@institutpasteur
*not peer reviewed yet*, short 🧵
1/9
Very honored to become the next President of the American Association of Immunologists
@ImmunologyAAI
🙏🏼
I am committed to working with others to make AAI a valuable resource for the world and a strong advocate for the next generation of scientists 💪🏼
This is good. Moderna vaccine also retains neutralizing activity against emerging variants (intact for B.1.1.7 and 6x ⬇️ for B.1.351). Plus, they are now making a new vaccine with B.1.351 spike to test as booster. I bet other vaccine manufacturers are doing the same.
We just announced that the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine retains neutralizing activity against emerging variants first identified in the U.K. and the Republic of South Africa. Read more:
I thank my 16 year old self in believing in me to pursue my dream of becoming a scientist. Now I am 48 years old, scientist, mother, feminist and a member of the
@theNASciences
. My smile is for all the members of my current and previous laboratory who made this possible.
#NAS156
CoronaVac is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine approved for use in 48 countries. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Dominican Republic, we tested whether CoronaVac (2x) + Pfizer booster induces neutralizing Abs to Delta and Omicron. (1/)
I am so grateful for the interview by David Cox
@guardian
in which I share my thoughts on the pandemic,
#longCOVID
,
#MECFS
, bullying in academia, and issues faced by
#WomenInSTEM
. The outpouring of support in response has been overwhelming 🥹🙏🏼
There is a lot of talk about
#herdimmunity
. Vaccination is the only safe way to achieve it. In the absence of vaccine, we need to practice
#SocialDistancing
.
@BioRender
made this amazing infographic to explain how a hypothetical virus spreads through the population. (1/n)
In a nutshell, this study illustrates that respiratory-only mild SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to detrimental changes in the brain, likely mediated by inflammatory factors. Similar neuropathobiology may be shared in chemo-brain, post-ICU syndrome and ME/CFS. (15/)
This is the worst thing that’s happened to US science and innovation. Banning
#Immigrant
scientists will lead to a devastating loss in creativity and productivity. Pretty much every lab in the US will suffer.
Mentorship is not just about showing how to do science, but how to do it while being inclusive and respectful of others.
Mentors should lead by examples so that mentees may learn the many ways to be generous, especially to junior colleagues. We all benefit by elevating others.
This video shows that vaccines have helped some people with
#longCOVID
with their symptoms. While the numbers are still small in some groups, there are encouraging signs (also via
@DanielGriffinMD
).
I present my hypothesis on how vaccines might improve
#LongCovid
🧵 (1/)
An excellent article by
@patrickc
highlighting the barriers for academics like myself to develop universal and nasal COVID vaccines. We need government to empower someone to intervene and lift the roadblocks. Funding alone is not enough. Please read & RT👇🏽
Nasal booster with recombinant spike protein or spike mRNA in PACE converts systemic immunity induced by primary vaccines into mucosal immunity
⬇️ Infection
⬇️ Transmission
🚫 Disease
Prime and Spike is published today 👇🏽
@tianyangmao
@BenIsraelow
What is the relevance of viral load in
#COVID19
disease severity? A very talented
@YaleMSTP
student
@SilvaJ_C
found that saliva viral load to be a better predictor of disease than nasopharyngeal viral load. Here is a thread to explain the findings. (1/n)
A small request. When referring to a study, pls name the scientist(s). I often read things like, "a study from a Japanese group shows..."
This is a lost opportunity to highlight the scientists from such countries. Not that hard to copy and paste the names. Thank you 🙏🏽
Grateful for the opportunity to coauthor this review with the incredible
@michelle_monje
🙏🏼 We discuss pathobiology of
#longCOVID
in the central nervous system and speculate on chief mechanisms that contribute to this emerging neurological health crisis.
New exciting collaboration work with
@Aaronmring
lab reveals diverse and functional autoantibodies in
#COVID
patients.
Our findings provide clues for why COVID affects many organs, induce range of symptoms that are long lasting.
Thread (1/n)
What an amazing report to wake up to! Pfizer vaccine provided 100% protection in 12-15 year olds (18 cases of infection in the placebo group, and 0 among the children who received the vaccine). The n is small, but gives me so much hope for school opening in the near future. A++
I used to think, once I get my PhD, a postdoc, a faculty position, an R01, tenure..etc, my scientific life will be made. In reality, it is none of these things, but learning from experience, pursuing new curiosity, and working with amazing trainees that fulfills academic life.
Let's normalize discussions of difficulties and struggles in science. We need to create an environment where trainees feel free & safe to express their disappointment and struggles. Science is awesome but hard. Failure is normal. Let's acknowledge & talk about it.
Is there anything we can do to prevent long COVID, once we catch the virus? Research by
@zalaly
and colleagues shows that Paxlovid treatment within 5 days of a positive test led to 26% less risk of
#longCOVID
, regardless of vaccine status. (1/2)
Very excited to launch the Yale Center for Infection and Immunity
@YaleCII
focused on unraveling the disease pathogenesis of post-acute infection syndromes and making effective vaccines to prevent infectious diseases.
#longCOVID
#MECFS
#chronicLyme
A brilliant & timely review by Prof.
#DianeEGriffin
on the persistence of viral RNA following RNA virus infection - which can be associated with late progressive disease or nonspecific lingering symptoms of post-acute infection syndromes (
#PAIS
). (1/)
There is so much misinformation and fear-mongering around
#COVID19
vaccines for pregnant and nursing women. A brilliant
@YaleMSTP
student
@Aliceluculligan
and I wrote this OpEd to dispel these myths, and provide relevant facts. Please share widely.
I cannot believe this is happening - we are celebrating our 20th anniversary of the Iwasaki Lab (and my 50th birthday) tomorrow 🎉
With presentations from my former and current trainees from all around the 🌎 I am suuuuper excited 😁 (1/)
@ENirenberg
@wyomingwormboy
@KizzyPhD
Actually, we did this experiment when I was a graduate student 🤓
We found that removal of the muscle bundle after 10 minutes of vaccine inoculation did not affect antibody responses. Mind you, this was in mice using a DNA vaccine, surgery not shark.
I am incredibly honored to be awarded the Else Kröner-Fresenius Prize for Medical Research 2023 🙏🏼 Especially grateful that
#longcovid
and other post-acute infection syndromes like
#mecfs
are being recognized as "Diseases of worldwide significance".
Normally I do not ask this but please, if you have negative or disrespectful comments, do not respond. I am working around the clock trying to deal with
#COVID19
and I emotionally not available to deal with jerks at this time.
On my way to join others at
@KeystoneSymp
on Long COVID and post acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2: pathogenesis and treatment. Very excited to share data and ideas and to push the science forward together 💪🏼
#KSLongCoVID24
In this new piece, I present "Antidote to toxic principal investigators". We must protect our next generation scientists from the principal investigators who abuse their powers and mistreat their trainees. (This piece focuses on graduate students)
My academic pipe dream is to see that every student and postdoc is mentored by a PI who is kind and supportive, who never stops believing in the trainees' capabilities and future potential, even in the face of negative data.
A student came to me for help. She's been enduring yrs of sexual harassment and verbal abuse by her PI & lab members. She is too afraid to report them for fear of retribution. Luckily, I am no longer vulnerable. I will protect her & bring justice to these perpetrators.
#Timesup
TOMORROW at 11AM ET: The White House will host a Summit on the Future of COVID-19 Vaccines, outlining a path towards next-generation COVID vaccines & featuring scientists and companies on the cutting-edge of discoveries.
Register here to join virtually:
Dear
#students
and
#postdocs
,
You make our labs the favorite place to be. Your creativity, passion, drive, resilience and discoveries trump all the crap we have to deal with to keep the lab running. Your success is our happiness.
So thank you all 🙏🏽
Your PIs
OMG 🙏🏼😭
Thank you so much
@statnews
@scchak
for writing this article about me. It is not just a story about me, but of the brave and brilliant people who I surround myself with. This is a story of every
#womeninSTEM
.
via
Our study showing that Omicron subvariants are even more capable than other VOCs in suppressing MHC I expression to evade CD8 T cell immunity is just published. Congratulations to
@MiyuMoriyama
@carolilucas
@ValterVSM
@NathanGrubaugh
& team 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 (1/)
This has been a tough year for Asian Americans. It means a lot when the leaders of various institutions & departments make a public statement condemning the discrimination and hateful acts of violence against
#AAPI
. Thank you 😭🙏🏼
#StopAsianHateCrimes
This case highlights the need for further examination of the range of outcomes from reinfection by
#COVID19
. As more and more reinfection cases will be reported, we should get a better sense of how well the immune system after natural infection protects against disease. (End)
Thinking of all the students/postdocs who are stuck in a lab of PI who is toxic, selfish or just don’t care about you. There really needs to be better screening for who gets to be a PI, and institutional accountability of who gets to stay a PI, above and beyond pubs and grants.
Preventing infection is the best way to avoid diseases like
#PAIS
. A new study from our team
@tianyangmao
, Jooyoung Kim,
@marioph13
et al shows that a generic antibiotic neomycin acts on the host immune system in the👃🏽to trigger antiviral resistance. (1/)🧵…
This thread is about alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) - meat allergy induced by tick bites. I’ve been living with AGS for >2 yrs. I hope this info will help those who suffer from this illness without knowing the cause. Please help bring awareness to
#AGS
(1/n)
Lastly, while this is a good example of how primary infection can prevent disease from subsequent infection, more studies are needed to understand the range of outcomes from reinfection. (end)
I’m so grateful that
@japanairlinesJP
requires masking in the airplane and at airports 🙏🏼
Taking off to Tokyo to celebrate the winners of the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Prize for young female scientists 👩🏻🔬
Excited to share our work by
@BenIsraelow
et al published today. We asked what are the roles of antibodies vs. T cells in controlling primary infection, reinfection, and vaccine-mediated protection? (1/n)
We hope that our study will be informative to others working in the field. We need validation across cohorts. We also hope that these data will help those who are still skeptical understand that long COVID is real, and it has biological basis. Thank you for reading. (End)
As we approach the cold winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, I want to share these movies of mucociliary clearance (MCC) in the trachea of mice housed at 10% vs. 50% relative humidity (RH). Captured by
@ericsongg
(1/n)
This is MCC at 50% RH 👇🏽
@sciliz
I’m concerned because of the putative ability of XBB.1.5 to have increased capacity to infect cell types that express even lower levels of ACE2. This will increase tropism and possibly persistence in cell types that are long lived.
In terms of public health, CoronaVac 2x is insufficient to neutralize Omicron. Even with CoronaVac 2x plus Pfizer booster, NAb is only 1.4x higher than 2x mRNA alone. Thus, CoronaVac recipients may need 2 additional booster doses to reach levels needed against Omicron. (10/)
I am grateful to all the PI's who make the extra effort to talk to trainees at conferences 🙏🏽. For many, attending a conference is daunting & intimidating, and the experience can be overwhelming. A simple hello and asking about their work can make a world of difference.
Spending a much-needed downtime with my family in Japan. My parents’ neighbors welcomed me into their garden to show me these beautiful roses. So grateful to be surrounded by such kindness and hospitality... I hope these roses make your day brighter, too 💖
Based on this feedback, I am going to change the way I give talks. I will incorporate examples of failures, struggles, wrong turns we took (of which there are plenty), and how we overcame those to find the answer. I am so grateful for the feedback.
#AcademicChatter
(4/4)
I have made this point numerous times and will make it again and again. Affordable and accessible onsite daycare is a top priority to retain next generation scientists! I almost quit science because I did not have this.
@YaleMed
please take the lead!
This would be huge for me! Yes please,
@YalePostdocAsso
@YaleMed
Make childcare affordable for postdocs! Right now, I am postponing having a kid because childcare at Yale would literally be half my salary. I'm already 33 and will be here for at least 2 more years.
#postdoc
We’re excited to announce that our
#PaxLC
trial is now open to most US states. If you are suffering from
#LongCOVID
and live in these states, please join our Paxlovid RCT by signing up here. Our trial requires no travel on your part.
@kindred_health
Very excited that our PaxLC clinical trial on
#longCOVID
patients is now open, led by
@hmkyale
! This is a phase 2, 1:1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled research study in 100 non-hospitalized highly symptomatic long COVID. (1/)
During this pandemic, I’ve seen people using their diverse talents to explain the virus, immunity and vaccines.
@KeeneRoz
uses her crochet skills to create a model
#SARSCoV2
so that blind people can visualize the virus and its genome (plus bonus antibody). 😍🙏🏼
#scicomm
Are you confused about the role of type I interferons (IFN) in
#SARS_CoV_2
infection?
Here is my speculation on what makes IFN-I helpful vs. harmful in
#COVID19
patients - it comes down to timing and dose. A short thread.
All figures made by
@BioRender
&
@annsea_park
(1/n)
An important study by
@zalaly
and colleagues of >13 million people shows that vaccines (prior to infection) only reduce
#longCOVID
risk by 15% with the largest risk reduction in blood clots and pulmonary sequelae but less protection of other organ systems. Please wear a mask!
Great infographics in this piece by
@KatherineJWu
. A recommend read to understand how viral load changes over time wrt exposure & symptoms, and when rapid tests vs. PCR tests should be used. (I am tempted to add immune responses to these curves 👩🏻🔬)
This study also opens up all kinds of questions and possibilities. For example, therapies that can 1) block inflammatory cytokines, 2) block inducers of such cytokines, or 3) reset reactive microglia can be considered for future clinical trials. Thank you for reading till end.
During the 1st infection in April, patient recovered after about a month in isolation, testing negative for viral RNA in 2 subsequent tests. Patient was well until end of May, became ill and tested positive 2nd time. This time needing hospitalization & oxygen support. (2/n)
What an incredible honor to be invited to have lunch at the
@WhiteHouse
by Dr. Jill Biden in honor of Mrs. Yuko Kishida, spouse of the Prime Minister of Japan. I discussed
#LongCovid
, nasal vaccines, and the importance of science with powerful women 🌸