Dr Robin Rumney
@rmhrumney.bsky.social
Lecturer in musculoskeletal biology and regenerative medicine. Into biomaterials and musculoskeletal diseases.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4266-5962
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4266-5962
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
Come to the visitor centre and learn about the science that doesn’t happen at Jodrell Bank!
Jodrell Bank Observatory will continue to be home to a range of scientific and public engagement activities, led by the University of Manchester. The University has also confirmed that the Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement is not funded by STFC and will remain open to visitors.
July 31, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Come to the visitor centre and learn about the science that doesn’t happen at Jodrell Bank!
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
Started writing on Andy Burnham’s education proposal thinking “not sure about this”. Realised in writing “no, I am sure: it sucks!”
Education is not to blame for England’s Neet crisis
Andy Burnham’s schools overhaul risks throwing babies out with the bathwater, as changes will probably require cuts elsewhere
www.ft.com
July 28, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Started writing on Andy Burnham’s education proposal thinking “not sure about this”. Realised in writing “no, I am sure: it sucks!”
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
The UK's whole science, research and universities 'strategy' is basically 'drive the country off a cliff'. Not even worth arguing about any more.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands
Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 27, 2026 at 11:49 AM
The UK's whole science, research and universities 'strategy' is basically 'drive the country off a cliff'. Not even worth arguing about any more.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
Blair, 2001 to 2005, was the last PM to win a majority at a general election and serve a full Parliament.
May 12, 2026 at 6:25 AM
Blair, 2001 to 2005, was the last PM to win a majority at a general election and serve a full Parliament.
Some nice coverage of my recently published research into Ewing Sarcoma www.littleprincesses.org.uk/news/researc...
How bone cancer beats the immune system
The Little Princess Trust funds research into Ewing sarcoma
www.littleprincesses.org.uk
April 22, 2026 at 11:12 AM
Some nice coverage of my recently published research into Ewing Sarcoma www.littleprincesses.org.uk/news/researc...
Latest paper on 'Methodological guidelines for P2X receptor assays and data interpretation' with 29 authors (!) in Memoriam of Professor Francesco Di Virgilio. A seminal publication that I am delighted to have been involved with. lnkd.in/eEUunVMf
April 21, 2026 at 4:05 PM
Latest paper on 'Methodological guidelines for P2X receptor assays and data interpretation' with 29 authors (!) in Memoriam of Professor Francesco Di Virgilio. A seminal publication that I am delighted to have been involved with. lnkd.in/eEUunVMf
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
You can't keep on just slashing and burning everything that makes it worthwhile living and creates a sense of place and belonging. In the end you have nothing real left.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
BBC to cut almost one in 10 staff in £500m savings
The BBC's interim director general says the cuts will require
www.bbc.co.uk
April 15, 2026 at 4:14 PM
You can't keep on just slashing and burning everything that makes it worthwhile living and creates a sense of place and belonging. In the end you have nothing real left.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
My latest paper on Targeting Neuropeptide Y/DPP4 Signalling Suppresses Ewing Sarcoma Survival and Improves Monocyte Viability' with Darek Gorecki and funded by the CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association and The Little Princess Trust is now available
www.mdpi.com
March 17, 2026 at 2:05 PM
My latest paper on Targeting Neuropeptide Y/DPP4 Signalling Suppresses Ewing Sarcoma Survival and Improves Monocyte Viability' with Darek Gorecki and funded by the CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association and The Little Princess Trust is now available
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
This is good and worth a read. Here you can see why I've given up most commentary on British universities. Without a complete reboot from the beginning I can't see a sustainable way forward for most of it. Sad, tough but true.
manchestermill.co.uk/why-the-hell...
manchestermill.co.uk/why-the-hell...
March 12, 2026 at 10:53 AM
This is good and worth a read. Here you can see why I've given up most commentary on British universities. Without a complete reboot from the beginning I can't see a sustainable way forward for most of it. Sad, tough but true.
manchestermill.co.uk/why-the-hell...
manchestermill.co.uk/why-the-hell...
Three UK research councils suspend funding opportunities - yikes www.timeshighereducation.com/news/three-u...
Three UK research councils suspend funding opportunities
Temporary block on grant applications by MRC, BBSRC and EPSRC heightens concerns over funding cuts
www.timeshighereducation.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Three UK research councils suspend funding opportunities - yikes www.timeshighereducation.com/news/three-u...
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
Absolutely brutal news in the research world to kick off the day. How we're making such a mess of this I have no idea.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
MRC instructs grant review boards to slash funding rates - Research Professional News
Boards asked to recommend just three applications for funding, as BBSRC also suspends calls
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:18 AM
Absolutely brutal news in the research world to kick off the day. How we're making such a mess of this I have no idea.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Uh oh
OpenAI just released Prism, a LaTeX editor with embedded ChatGPT for free.
Writing a paper has never been easier.
Clogging the scientific publishing pipeline has never been easier.
It took me 54 seconds to write up an experiment I did not actually conduct.
prism.openai.com
Writing a paper has never been easier.
Clogging the scientific publishing pipeline has never been easier.
It took me 54 seconds to write up an experiment I did not actually conduct.
prism.openai.com
January 28, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Uh oh
Oh 😱
hard times in UK for research sector as MRC have announced a funding pause in light of the science secretary announcing an overhaul of how the agency would divide its budget which will dramatically change research....🧪🧵
UKRI pauses several funding calls amid priorities shake-up - Research Professional News
“Period of transition” at funding agency sees some Medical Research Council funding opportunities on hiatus
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
January 26, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Oh 😱
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
So I've been reading the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. There's some good things in there. But when it comes to universities there's very little to cheer. The situation is very tough and will get worse. The last chance to preserve what we've got has passed. Let me explain why. (1/?)
October 24, 2025 at 2:46 PM
So I've been reading the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. There's some good things in there. But when it comes to universities there's very little to cheer. The situation is very tough and will get worse. The last chance to preserve what we've got has passed. Let me explain why. (1/?)
Liz Kendall is the new Science Minister.
September 5, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Liz Kendall is the new Science Minister.
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
Lovely to hear Melvyn Bragg talking about the big idea behind "In Our Time": to get academics on the air, talking about the subjects they were most passionate & knowledgeable about, without worrying about whether they had "media training".
It's remarkable that this was (& remains) such an odd idea!
It's remarkable that this was (& remains) such an odd idea!
September 4, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Lovely to hear Melvyn Bragg talking about the big idea behind "In Our Time": to get academics on the air, talking about the subjects they were most passionate & knowledgeable about, without worrying about whether they had "media training".
It's remarkable that this was (& remains) such an odd idea!
It's remarkable that this was (& remains) such an odd idea!
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
What a shock! What a surprise! To absolutely nobody. Universities' austerity logic will always have the opposite effect of what they intend.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-aust...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-aust...
University efficiency drives may have opposite effect, study finds - Research Professional News
Teaching and research staff say reforms mean more red tape for them, Australian survey reports
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
August 27, 2025 at 8:04 AM
What a shock! What a surprise! To absolutely nobody. Universities' austerity logic will always have the opposite effect of what they intend.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-aust...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-aust...
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
Just in case there was any doubt, ChatGPT 5.0 still makes up completely random citations that don't exist and should not be used for literature search.
August 16, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Just in case there was any doubt, ChatGPT 5.0 still makes up completely random citations that don't exist and should not be used for literature search.
www.theregister.com/2025/08/08/n...
Scientists and academics are not generally well paid and this approach concentrates research around the areas of the country with the highest living costs. It will have negative consequences for those without additional financial support.
Scientists and academics are not generally well paid and this approach concentrates research around the areas of the country with the highest living costs. It will have negative consequences for those without additional financial support.
North of England snubbed by UK govt bag-a-boffin scheme
: Home of Manchester Baby can't bid for talent, baby
www.theregister.com
August 9, 2025 at 11:26 AM
www.theregister.com/2025/08/08/n...
Scientists and academics are not generally well paid and this approach concentrates research around the areas of the country with the highest living costs. It will have negative consequences for those without additional financial support.
Scientists and academics are not generally well paid and this approach concentrates research around the areas of the country with the highest living costs. It will have negative consequences for those without additional financial support.
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
This is not normal. If Britain's universities had any cash we could steal a march on everyone. Unfortunately we're broke or worse.
All scientific grant funding must now be approved by a political appointee and "demonstrably advance the President's policy priorities."
I wonder where innovation will happen in the future? It won't be in the US
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
I wonder where innovation will happen in the future? It won't be in the US
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
New executive order puts all grants under political control
All new funding on hold until Trump administration can cancel any previously funded grants.
arstechnica.com
August 8, 2025 at 7:09 PM
This is not normal. If Britain's universities had any cash we could steal a march on everyone. Unfortunately we're broke or worse.
A real shame to hear about the cancellation of the UKs medicines repurposing programme. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
A geroscience response to cancellation of the UK’s Medicines Repurposing Programme: challenges and opportunities
After just 4 years of operation, the discontinuation of the UK’s Medicines Repurposing
Programme in April, 2025,1 marks a concerning shift in drug development—particularly
for geroscience. The program...
www.thelancet.com
July 30, 2025 at 7:56 AM
A real shame to hear about the cancellation of the UKs medicines repurposing programme. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
🧪 A new report reveals Trump's budget proposal aims to slash federal funding for basic scientific research by roughly one-third. This significant cut, totaling $15 billion, could jeopardize America's global leadership in science and innovation, impacting fields from AI to healthcare.
#AcademicSky
#AcademicSky
Trump Seeks to Cut Basic Scientific Research by Roughly One-Third, Report Shows (Gift Article)
An analysis by the American Association for the Advancement of Science shows the impact of the administration’s budget plan on the kind of studies that produce the most breakthroughs.
www.nytimes.com
July 11, 2025 at 12:27 PM
🧪 A new report reveals Trump's budget proposal aims to slash federal funding for basic scientific research by roughly one-third. This significant cut, totaling $15 billion, could jeopardize America's global leadership in science and innovation, impacting fields from AI to healthcare.
#AcademicSky
#AcademicSky
Reposted by Dr Robin Rumney
A good indicator of the university sector struggling to keep afloat: Sheffield says it's 'stabilised' things after 300 voluntary redundancies, a new redundancy scheme, a halt to work on its new labs and closing 28 courses.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
University of Sheffield finances stabilise after fall in students
The University of Sheffield still plans cuts to jobs and courses despite a better financial outlook.
www.bbc.com
June 24, 2025 at 8:05 AM
A good indicator of the university sector struggling to keep afloat: Sheffield says it's 'stabilised' things after 300 voluntary redundancies, a new redundancy scheme, a halt to work on its new labs and closing 28 courses.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Thoughts with the people of Liverpool tonight. Awful scenes.
May 26, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Thoughts with the people of Liverpool tonight. Awful scenes.