Fabian D. Ona-Cisneros

Immunologist and public health specialist 🇨🇱 | Passionate about the future of personalized medicine and cell therapies | Proudly Quiteño 🇪🇨

[Galo Álvarez🏅🥈🥈🥉🥉 @ASGalo]

Nunca había visto al abogado @RobertoBonafont asi. Deben ser sus casi 5 minutos más explícitos desde que tengo uso de razón. Es que lo de hoy es la tristeza más grande del fútbol ecuatoriano en su historia.

[Cancer Immunology Research @CIR_AACR]

FOXM1-Specific TCR-Engineered T Cells Target Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer https://t.co/fVRHvwcYvk @AReubenPhD @MDAndersonNews @ImmunologyGSBS @MDA_UTHGrad

[Universidad Católica @Cruzados]

⚪🔵 🇦🇷

¡Hoy todos estamos con La Franja! 👊

[Nature Reviews Cancer @NatureRevCancer]

NEW content online! Regulation of immune checkpoint molecules in cancer immune evasion and therapy https://t.co/Akm5jtVmZd

[Janet Hinostroza @janethinostroza]

HAY QUE PARAR LA FÁBRICA DE MÉDICOS DESEMPLEADOS.

La fábrica está en las Universidades, que han convertido la formación de médicos en un negocio.

• 34 facultades de medicina
• 40 mil jóvenes estudiando para ser médicos.

¿En dónde van a trabajar?

La pregunta es pertinente, cuando está comprobado que en el país hay un exceso de médicos, frente a los estándares internacionales.

Lo confirman las cifras oficiales. Abro 🧵.

[Orlando Avendaño @OrlvndoA]

Un streamer grande en Colombia entrevistó a Petro. El streamer es consciente del día a día de los colombianos. En un intercambio sobre el rol del delincuente y la justicia, Petro se puso del lado de los criminales.

Y el streamer lo expuso.

Tremendo.

[PhD_Genie @PhD_Genie]

Life after the PhD

[Rafael Osorio @rafaosoriomalca]

Disney lanzó un nuevo anuncio donde un padre y su hijo comparten un paseo nocturno en un crucero, a lo largo de toda una vida.

Los momentos parecen pequeños hasta que desaparecen.

Deja el teléfono. Dedica tiempo. Es lo único que ellos recordarán.

[Ismael Quintana @ismaelquintanag]

Estos son los casos de urgencia en la @CorteConstEcu. Cinco jueces absuelven una consulta de norma y dan paso a que adolescentes, con anuencia de sus representantes legales, cambien los datos de su identidad de género. Activistas con toga, no se les puede calificar ya de otro modo.

[Rodolfo Carter 🇨🇱 @rodolfocarter]

Amanece en Valparaíso. Que este sea el inicio de un futuro mejor para Chile 🇨🇱

[The White House @WhiteHouse]

President Donald J. Trump with leaders from across Latin America at the Shield of the Americas Summit.

[Science Magazine @ScienceMagazine]

Genetically altered astrocytes that express chimeric antigen receptors offer a promising immunotherapy system capable of clearing accumulations of amyloid-β in the brains of mice—a hallmark pathological feature of #AlzheimersDisease, according to a new study in Science.

📄: https://t.co/jMTIzVznEV
#SciencePerspective: https://t.co/h1aL5tdltT

[Andrew Akbashev @Andrew_Akbashev]

In some cases, it’s miscommunication.
In other cases, it’s a signal - “Run!”

Based on my experience going from student -> postdoc -> PI, and after hearing hundreds of stories from others, I would do the following if things with the supervisor are getting toxic:

1. I would assume it’s miscommunication and I try to openly discuss the situation. Most advisors would be happy to fix it because they don’t want conflict in the lab. If the advisor doesn’t care and it’s clearly not a miscommunication, fine - moving to the next point.

2. I’d ask other students whether they’ve had issues with the advisor too. If not, it probably means something personal (personality mismatch or attitude). If they also have issues, it likely means a systematic issue with the advisor (either lack of experience or a bad personality).

3. If I have little time left in my PhD program, I would try to push for an earlier defense. This may work for some toxic advisors who need to graduate students for promotions/funding. It may also work for those who think they are great professors and that “it’s all the student’s fault”. Playing to their ego may help.

4. If I have just started my PhD, I’d try to change the advisor. I can say that the topic is not aligned with my interests, or that I wanted to try a different field. But I would explore if the department allows me to join another advisor (it's much easier at the beginning). In some places, they do allow it. I would also ask other professors privately if they could accept me into their lab.

5. If I am in the middle of a PhD, I would CAREFULLY talk to alumni from the group about their experience. It would tell me if I should expect more trouble. If it seems mild, I may stay and adapt. If it can get much worse, I would try to leave with a master’s degree (at least, in the US system).

📍 Then :

If alumni say that I may get into much bigger trouble…
If the relationship with the advisor is getting worse…
If I can’t defend in the foreseeable future…
If I can’t switch the lab…
If I feel trapped and exploited…

Then I would leave.
A PhD degree is just NOT worth it.

Over 95% of positions in industry do not require a PhD.
People create startups & businesses without a PhD.
We can enjoy life without a fancy academic degree.

I would leave ASAP because the impact on my mental health, ambitions and personality may become irreversible.

___

❗️Important:

As a PhD student, you are likely still young and ambitious.

So, spend the best years of your life on the most meaningful and biggest opportunities. Invested this time into the endeavors that challenge you, grow you, and are worth your ambition.

PhD is just a degree. And a toxic advisor doesn’t make it worth it.

[Nature Rev Immunol @NatRevImmunol]

Progress in the development of cytokine armoured CAR T cells https://t.co/b6uIYIKGgN

[Sentry @awacs905]

UAE SWAT Challenge 2026 @PDI_CHILE

[Science Immunology @SciImmunology]

A new Science #Immunology study shows that #TCF1 in can drive PTMA expression, which sustains T cell effector function in tumors and promotes responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy in mice. https://t.co/JI6hhgVvPB

[Bécquer 🇪🇸✒🔡 @GustavoAdolf_]

Daniela Pol 🇧🇴 siempre acertada.
Amo a esta mujer.

[Molecular Therapy Family of Journals @MolTherapy]

An IL-12 renaissance: Engineering tumor-restricted IL-12 to improve solid tumor T cell therapies https://t.co/iowYHiKtgW #genetherapy #celltherapy

[Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer @jitcancer]

New #JITC commentary: Enabling access to genetically modified cell therapies through flexible approaches to manufacturing and cost recovery
https://t.co/Q2yExdvr6v

[Science Immunology @SciImmunology]

LLMs such as #ChatGPT and #Copilot excel at recalling relevant literature and detecting patterns, but lack the creativity to propose novel experiments, suggesting they need human oversight to enhance scientific discovery.

Read more in Science #Immunology: https://t.co/xHPdKPqmx8