Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
@pvanheus.bsky.social
#bioinformatics at @SANBI_SA, building bioinformatics workflows for (Pan-)African PH. health & justice! married. @[email protected]
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
LoL-align: sensitive and fast probabilistic protein structure alignment https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.24.690091v1
November 26, 2025 at 2:46 AM
LoL-align: sensitive and fast probabilistic protein structure alignment https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.24.690091v1
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
After two infants died, the Louisiana Dept of Health under the leadership of the new incoming deputy director of the CDC, delayed notifying the public for months of a whooping cough outbreak. Instead, he ordered DOH to stop promoting vaccines. Pertussis is currently a national health crisis.
Louisiana officials waited months to warn public of whooping cough outbreak
After a whooping cough outbreak killed two infants, Louisiana health officials waited months to officially alert physicians or do public outreach. That's not the typical public health response.
www.npr.org
November 25, 2025 at 9:45 PM
After two infants died, the Louisiana Dept of Health under the leadership of the new incoming deputy director of the CDC, delayed notifying the public for months of a whooping cough outbreak. Instead, he ordered DOH to stop promoting vaccines. Pertussis is currently a national health crisis.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Some well-founded warnings about the use of LLMs in medicine:
LLMs for Medical Practice: Look Out
www.science.org
November 25, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Some well-founded warnings about the use of LLMs in medicine:
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Ken Burns’ documentary did mention Washington’s decision to inoculate the troops, but it missed a tremendous opportunity to talk about how inoculation, and public health generally, was being discussed as both a duty of government and a right of the people. It wasn’t just a smart tactical move.
George Washington’s surgeon general Dr. John Morgan wrote in his 1776 “Recommendation of Inoculation” that denying inoculation was a “violation of the natural rights of mankind” and every government has a duty to “provide for the safety of its members by rendering [it] as universal as possible.”
Access to vaccines is not a privilege — it is a human right.
In @statnews.com today, Stefan Peterson and I write about using a human rights-based approach to deal with vaccine denialism and the return of measles, whooping cough and diphtheria
www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/c...
In @statnews.com today, Stefan Peterson and I write about using a human rights-based approach to deal with vaccine denialism and the return of measles, whooping cough and diphtheria
www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/c...
November 20, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Ken Burns’ documentary did mention Washington’s decision to inoculate the troops, but it missed a tremendous opportunity to talk about how inoculation, and public health generally, was being discussed as both a duty of government and a right of the people. It wasn’t just a smart tactical move.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
"She said that lenacapavir has become a kind of diplomatic carrot — and stick.
Friendly, compliant governments, like Eswatini, have received early shipments, whereas South Africa or Nigeria — countries that have fallen out of favor with Trump — seem to have received the short end of the stick."
Friendly, compliant governments, like Eswatini, have received early shipments, whereas South Africa or Nigeria — countries that have fallen out of favor with Trump — seem to have received the short end of the stick."
The US is fast-tracking this important HIV drug — for everyone except South Africa
Why the Trump administration is cutting out a country that needs it most.
www.vox.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:22 AM
"She said that lenacapavir has become a kind of diplomatic carrot — and stick.
Friendly, compliant governments, like Eswatini, have received early shipments, whereas South Africa or Nigeria — countries that have fallen out of favor with Trump — seem to have received the short end of the stick."
Friendly, compliant governments, like Eswatini, have received early shipments, whereas South Africa or Nigeria — countries that have fallen out of favor with Trump — seem to have received the short end of the stick."
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Great talk from Michael Payne at #ABACBS2025 on DAMPA - tool for designing probe panels for targeted metagenomics using pangenome graphs! Captures all diversity efficiently, uses fewer probes than competitors. Critical for syndromic surveillance! 🧬🔬 #Metagenomics
November 25, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Great talk from Michael Payne at #ABACBS2025 on DAMPA - tool for designing probe panels for targeted metagenomics using pangenome graphs! Captures all diversity efficiently, uses fewer probes than competitors. Critical for syndromic surveillance! 🧬🔬 #Metagenomics
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
In the good news category:
After years of research and trials, the WHO this year recommended the first new tool to fight malaria in decades: spatial repellents. They last up to a year and they could help fight malaria as well as dengue and other diseases - and protect refugees.
#IDsky 🧪
After years of research and trials, the WHO this year recommended the first new tool to fight malaria in decades: spatial repellents. They last up to a year and they could help fight malaria as well as dengue and other diseases - and protect refugees.
#IDsky 🧪
New vapor tool fights mosquitoes by slowly releasing insecticide in homes. Will it catch on?
World Health Organization supports “spatial repellents” to prevent malaria, but it’s unclear who will pay for them
www.science.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:02 PM
In the good news category:
After years of research and trials, the WHO this year recommended the first new tool to fight malaria in decades: spatial repellents. They last up to a year and they could help fight malaria as well as dengue and other diseases - and protect refugees.
#IDsky 🧪
After years of research and trials, the WHO this year recommended the first new tool to fight malaria in decades: spatial repellents. They last up to a year and they could help fight malaria as well as dengue and other diseases - and protect refugees.
#IDsky 🧪
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
“From the night of the massacre onward, Ms. Fletcher was never again able to sleep comfortably in a bed, she wrote…
“When I sleep, it is never very deep or for very long because of the anxiety and the things I see,” she wrote. “Imagine having the same horrible nightmare every night for 100 years.”
“When I sleep, it is never very deep or for very long because of the anxiety and the things I see,” she wrote. “Imagine having the same horrible nightmare every night for 100 years.”
Viola Fletcher, Oldest Survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Dies at 111
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:39 PM
“From the night of the massacre onward, Ms. Fletcher was never again able to sleep comfortably in a bed, she wrote…
“When I sleep, it is never very deep or for very long because of the anxiety and the things I see,” she wrote. “Imagine having the same horrible nightmare every night for 100 years.”
“When I sleep, it is never very deep or for very long because of the anxiety and the things I see,” she wrote. “Imagine having the same horrible nightmare every night for 100 years.”
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
X's location "transparency" feature showing many MAGA accounts are based internationally reveals what we already knew: The world is using American social media and American politics as a slot machine and social media companies are directly incentivizing this:
www.404media.co/americas-pol...
www.404media.co/americas-pol...
America’s Polarization Has Become the World's Side Hustle
The 'psyops' revealed by X are entirely the fault of the perverse incentives created by social media monetization programs.
www.404media.co
November 24, 2025 at 6:34 PM
X's location "transparency" feature showing many MAGA accounts are based internationally reveals what we already knew: The world is using American social media and American politics as a slot machine and social media companies are directly incentivizing this:
www.404media.co/americas-pol...
www.404media.co/americas-pol...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
It’s really hard to defend industry academic collaborations with meta as earnest, if they’re internally burying evidence of harm.
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
November 23, 2025 at 6:22 PM
It’s really hard to defend industry academic collaborations with meta as earnest, if they’re internally burying evidence of harm.
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
As a historian, I have been torturing myself by watching some of the series that the White House in cooperation with Hillsdale College produced about American Independence (tellingly, they avoid the word "revolution").
There are so many errors that it is hard to know where to begin. But I'll try
There are so many errors that it is hard to know where to begin. But I'll try
November 22, 2025 at 11:33 PM
As a historian, I have been torturing myself by watching some of the series that the White House in cooperation with Hillsdale College produced about American Independence (tellingly, they avoid the word "revolution").
There are so many errors that it is hard to know where to begin. But I'll try
There are so many errors that it is hard to know where to begin. But I'll try
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
I have been writing critically about twin studies of behavior for many years. Here is a brief overview article I published online last year.
www.madinamerica.com/2024/09/the-...
www.madinamerica.com/2024/09/the-...
November 22, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I have been writing critically about twin studies of behavior for many years. Here is a brief overview article I published online last year.
www.madinamerica.com/2024/09/the-...
www.madinamerica.com/2024/09/the-...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
#socialjustice #politicalcommunication
My latest (open access) article.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Analysis identified extent to which key frames were useful to build solidarity (logic of membership) and/or challenge the status quo in inner-city Johannesburg (logic of influence).
My latest (open access) article.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Analysis identified extent to which key frames were useful to build solidarity (logic of membership) and/or challenge the status quo in inner-city Johannesburg (logic of influence).
November 22, 2025 at 10:58 AM
#socialjustice #politicalcommunication
My latest (open access) article.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Analysis identified extent to which key frames were useful to build solidarity (logic of membership) and/or challenge the status quo in inner-city Johannesburg (logic of influence).
My latest (open access) article.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Analysis identified extent to which key frames were useful to build solidarity (logic of membership) and/or challenge the status quo in inner-city Johannesburg (logic of influence).
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
I wrote a little bit about the "missing heritability" question and several recent studies that have brought it to a close. A short 🧵
The missing heritability question is now (mostly) answered
Not with a bang but with a whimper
theinfinitesimal.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I wrote a little bit about the "missing heritability" question and several recent studies that have brought it to a close. A short 🧵
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in.
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
November 21, 2025 at 5:01 PM
About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in.
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
It’s good to explain that the CDC is lying and vaccines still unequivocally do not cause autism, even if it just reaches one person on here who has doubts. But the fight is out there, not in here; and the time to let go of the information deficit model of science communication was decades ago
November 20, 2025 at 5:40 AM
It’s good to explain that the CDC is lying and vaccines still unequivocally do not cause autism, even if it just reaches one person on here who has doubts. But the fight is out there, not in here; and the time to let go of the information deficit model of science communication was decades ago
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Can we please discuss accessibility at conferences?
When organizers and schedules assume that everyone can walk fast and climb stairs, people with mobility issues (visible or invisible) might feel excluded.
/
When organizers and schedules assume that everyone can walk fast and climb stairs, people with mobility issues (visible or invisible) might feel excluded.
/
November 20, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Can we please discuss accessibility at conferences?
When organizers and schedules assume that everyone can walk fast and climb stairs, people with mobility issues (visible or invisible) might feel excluded.
/
When organizers and schedules assume that everyone can walk fast and climb stairs, people with mobility issues (visible or invisible) might feel excluded.
/
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
How awful. This is outright health disinformation, lying to the American people. Not only is there massive evidence showing no link between vaccines & autism, there’s not even a plausible mechanism based on what we’ve learned about the genetics of autism, some environmental exposures in pregnancy
HEADS UP: CDC website now officially asserts that vaccines may cause autism.“Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities.” Also says the “vaccines do not cause autism” header remains b/c of an agreement with Cassidy.
November 20, 2025 at 3:18 AM
How awful. This is outright health disinformation, lying to the American people. Not only is there massive evidence showing no link between vaccines & autism, there’s not even a plausible mechanism based on what we’ve learned about the genetics of autism, some environmental exposures in pregnancy
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Weaponization of the premier public health agency in the country for personal clout and gain. The CDC website should not be trusted given the fact that it is controlled by people who will profit from spurious and false attempts to link vaccines to autism.
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
Autism and Vaccines
Answers to common questions about vaccine safety and autism.
www.cdc.gov
November 20, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Weaponization of the premier public health agency in the country for personal clout and gain. The CDC website should not be trusted given the fact that it is controlled by people who will profit from spurious and false attempts to link vaccines to autism.
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
For this week’s Whopper of the Week, we have a look at RFK Jr.’s appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and their ties to the anti-vaccine movement.
You can read it below.
You can read it below.
Whopper of the Week: Kennedy's “Unbiased” Vaccine Panel is actually packed with Anti-vaxxers | Defend Public Health
ACIP will meet in December and is considering some major changes to childhood vaccines. In June Secretary Kennedy fired the panel of experts and installed a group of vaccine cynics. To justify this ch...
www.defendpublichealth.org
November 19, 2025 at 8:22 PM
For this week’s Whopper of the Week, we have a look at RFK Jr.’s appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and their ties to the anti-vaccine movement.
You can read it below.
You can read it below.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
The HHS report on gender affirming care released it's updated report showing they stacked its authors with anti-trans hate-group affiliated members, several of whom aren't even doctors with any sort of clinical experience. They selected their own ideologically friendly peer reviewers.
It's a joke.
It's a joke.
November 19, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The HHS report on gender affirming care released it's updated report showing they stacked its authors with anti-trans hate-group affiliated members, several of whom aren't even doctors with any sort of clinical experience. They selected their own ideologically friendly peer reviewers.
It's a joke.
It's a joke.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Experimental mRNA flu vaccine is more effective than conventional flu shot, but causes more side effects
In a phase 3 trial, participants who received the shot were 29% less likely to be diagnosed with flu than those who received a conventional flu shot.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...
In a phase 3 trial, participants who received the shot were 29% less likely to be diagnosed with flu than those who received a conventional flu shot.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...
November 19, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Experimental mRNA flu vaccine is more effective than conventional flu shot, but causes more side effects
In a phase 3 trial, participants who received the shot were 29% less likely to be diagnosed with flu than those who received a conventional flu shot.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...
In a phase 3 trial, participants who received the shot were 29% less likely to be diagnosed with flu than those who received a conventional flu shot.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
This is not what the problem is. We have many excellent, talented, engaging science communicators.
Their reach is deliberately truncated by the social media companies, and billionaire-owned news outlets do not platform them.
Their reach is deliberately truncated by the social media companies, and billionaire-owned news outlets do not platform them.
Scientists are partly to blame by not learning to effectively communicate in lay language on modern communication channels. That information void is then ripe for disinformation to fill.
Embed lay comms & accessibility skills into academia.
Embed lay comms & accessibility skills into academia.
November 19, 2025 at 11:18 PM
This is not what the problem is. We have many excellent, talented, engaging science communicators.
Their reach is deliberately truncated by the social media companies, and billionaire-owned news outlets do not platform them.
Their reach is deliberately truncated by the social media companies, and billionaire-owned news outlets do not platform them.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
#AMR #Klebsiella cause >100,000 neonatal deaths globally each year.
Our new preprint shows more than half of #Klebsiella pneumoniae neonatal sepsis cases in African and South Asian are nosocomial, acquired through transmission in neonatal units. #WAAW
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Our new preprint shows more than half of #Klebsiella pneumoniae neonatal sepsis cases in African and South Asian are nosocomial, acquired through transmission in neonatal units. #WAAW
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
![figure showing estimated proportion of cases in clusters, for each site. range from 0.04 to 0.93, mean estimate in random effects model is 0.57 [0.46,0.68]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q5nky4heg5sfix4get4zh2pw/bafkreibshmuvkuafxwd2uk3r42ss6ma2dhmaidbysgvufnbkbv5cn4guai@jpeg)
November 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
#AMR #Klebsiella cause >100,000 neonatal deaths globally each year.
Our new preprint shows more than half of #Klebsiella pneumoniae neonatal sepsis cases in African and South Asian are nosocomial, acquired through transmission in neonatal units. #WAAW
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Our new preprint shows more than half of #Klebsiella pneumoniae neonatal sepsis cases in African and South Asian are nosocomial, acquired through transmission in neonatal units. #WAAW
doi.org/10.1101/2025...