Maureen Barr

@barrlab

Scientist studying tiny things: cilia, extracellular vesicles (EVs), C. elegans; ADPKD; Secretary Genetics Society of America; distinguished prof at Rutgers; three boy mom; I can deadlift an adult son; she/her; my opinions

1.006 Folgt3.916 Follower1.834 Posts

Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir barrlab.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Maureen Barr@barrlab· 15d

Doing no thing is Listening to wind in grass Tasting salt in air (A haiku by a scientist who should not quit her day job)

Path leading thru sand dunes, sea grass, scrubby trees. A weather-worn board walk runs perpendicular

Maureen Barr@barrlab· 16d

Staying a family week in solitude at a very busy NJ national park

Sunset over the bay - the sun is scorching yellow I. A sky blue-pink

Maureen Barr@barrlab· 24d

Two characters that give me joy: Sam & Joel in Somebody, Somewhere

Sam (Bridget Everett) and Joel (Jeff Hiller)

Two happy people laughing

Maureen Barr@barrlab· 26d

No comment

Sontaran from Dr. Who. The alien is bald, has no neck, and an angry/menacing face

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jul 13

341,699 comments as of yesterday. Today is the deadline. Your voice impacts the future of US research & science. Please submit a comment if you haven't already.

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jul 12

I see ties in my future 🔥🔥🔥

Nicole Kidman wearing an off-white suit, blush-colored blouse and loosened tie, holding an off-white fedora at Wimbledon.

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jul 12

Playing games to motivate myself to do a third set. Lifted over a ton in the first two sets. Ooooooooooof

Rusty bar bell and weights. A woman's pink legs and shoes are next to it

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jul 11

Posted my comments opposing OMBs proposed rule. It was so easy, using this great letter writing tool of @faseborg.bsky.social www.faseb.org/science-poli... Did you submit yours yet? The deadline is soon - July 13. This is essential to save science and research in the US.

I write in my personal capacity as a research-active faculty member, not on behalf of my institution. I am a distinguished professor at a leading state R1 university. I am also a Senior Principal Investigator whose research laboratory is NIH. I submit these comments in strong opposition to OMB's proposed rule revising 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (Docket OMB-2026-0034). I am requesting that OMB withdraw this rule entirely because of the devasting consequences it will have on biomedical research, human health, the economy, and the nation.

The proposed pre-issuance review requirement (§ 200.205) eliminates that independence by giving political appointees – who may have no experience or training in the biomedical research field - veto power over peer-reviewed funding decisions. As a Senior PI / Lab director whose research is supported by NIH, I am deeply concerned that the best science will not be funded, instead politicians will decide not based on merit and research quality, but rather ideology. Peer-review is critical for gold-standard science.

This proposed discretionary termination provision (§ 200.340) jeopardizes the future and well-being of the researchers in my laboratory, my department, my university, my state, and the United States. My research program has been continuously funded by the NIH for over two decades. My laboratory is like a small business – with NIH funding, I employ eight full-time personnel. These scientists are at all stages of their careers – newly minted bachelors who are working as research technicians or graduate students; postdoctoral researchers who are completing additional training in order to go onto careers in academia, biotech, industry, governments; senior scientists who have devoted their entire careers to biomedical research and training the next generation of scientists, physicians, dentists, teachers, etc.

The proposed international collaboration restrictions (§§ 200.202(e), 200.220) will isolate US scientists and lead to the demise…

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jul 6

@ahnaskop.bsky.social the midbody queen found a shampoo called Anaphase. It's for split ends. #momjoke

Hand holding a white bottle of shampoo with blue label "Anaphase"

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jun 30

Today I pray to Ugly Worm, may NIH council smile favorably upon my grant application

Green stuffed animal worm with one yellow eye and two triangle teeth

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jun 28

Writing two competing renewals for the July 6th NIH deadline is rough. Finished everything except the Introduction for the A1. Time for a paper plane and paperback. Enjoy your Sunday evening, Blueskees.

Pink cocktail on the rocks and pink paperback by Carl Hiaasen on a black table

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jun 17

Is my coffee giving me the finger?

Blue coffee mug with frothy milk and hand-shaped coffee design

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jun 12

A fantastic week at the Cell Biology of the Neuron GRC in Tuscany. @roylab-ucsd.bsky.social & I are organizing 2028, June 4-9: same location A great perk of being a scientist is getting to hang with other scientists. My cup is full. Thank you! @channyskye.bsky.social @rodallab.bsky.social

Maureen & Monica Driscoll exploring Florence the day before the conference. Important for jet lag prevention! In the background is the Arno River, which looks very green

Antonina Roll-Mecak, Maureen, and Avi Rodal in Barca sitting at a green picnic table with red umbrella

Maureen and Chantell Evans at the end of conference dinner

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Jun 3

A little fun: packing for GRC Cell Biology of the Neuron in Tuscany, Italy. One bathing suit or two? SPF 10000000 www.grc.org/cell-biology...

Outdoor pool overlooking mountains

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/lcvbr-renaissance-tuscany-il-ciocco-resort-and-spa/overview/

Maureen Barr@barrlab· May 30

Lost a very loved one and almost another this week. Been discombobulated and lost my purse, days before an international trip. A kind man drove and dropped it at my home. Good people are everywhere, lost in the noise. So many good people on here. Thank you, good people.

A purse held in a man's hand with the text "Found at bank, Good Samaritan brought to you"

Maureen Barr@barrlab· May 19

Good morning Bluesky!

Blue ceramic coffee mug resting on a knee

Maureen Barr@barrlab· May 17

Big week: son#2 earned his Masters and son#3 his bachelors. My entire family graduated with degrees from Rutgers, the state university of NJ. Public universities for the win!!! RU rah rah!

Masters graduation ceremony at Rutgers. A man gives a smile to his GF next to his mom who took the photo

Rutgers athletic center graduation for athletes with two brothers, one in regalia

Maureen Barr@barrlab· May 16

Grant application writing and exercising heart rate: correlation is not causation

Heart rate graphs with red high rate making a smile with two gray circle eyes, baseline blue a flat line

Maureen Barr@barrlab· May 14

The International C. elegans meeting #worm27 is going to Kobe, Japan in 2027! genetics-gsa.org/celegans/ Organizers: Erik Andersen @erikandersen.bsky.social, Johns Hopkins University Kavita Babu @kavita-babu.bsky.social, IISc Bangalore Suhong Xu, Zhejiang University @genetics-gsa.bsky.social

Genetics Society of America. 26th International Worm Meeting
July 18-22, 2027
Kobe, Japan
Kobe Convention Center

Maureen Barr@barrlab· May 9

Side job, boy mom: My youngest F1 is graduating!

Five very happy, smiling people in Rutgers Jersey Mike's Arena, which is a ridiculously appropriate name

Maureen Barr@barrlab· May 5

Today is our 3rd annual Barr open lab for juniors at Passaic County Technical Institute STEM Academy. Their instructor is Dr. Deanna DeVore, who got her PhD from Rutgers/Barr lab in 2018! Postdoc @katiejacobs.bsky.social planned & coordinated this amazing day, with help from the rest of the lab.

Auditorium with seated high school students and standing scientist & science teacher. On the projector screen is C. elegans

Scientist showing how to use a dissecting microscope to view plates of C. elegans. High school students are watching

Scientist teaching five high school students how to use fluorescence microscope to visualize C. elegans neurons

The map of research stations for our high school visitors

Maureen Barr@barrlab· Apr 30

Grand finale of my Effective Research Communication course. Students learn to write an intro, give a 12-minute talk, and present a poster. They also pitch their research to a lay audience. These Rutgers STEM majors are our future scientists, doctors, health professionals. The future is bright!