Rob Noble
@robjohnnoble.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer (≡ associate professor) in applied maths, investigating the evolution and ecology of cancer. Dad of two small kids. On sabbatical @isemevol.bsky.social 🇫🇷 (otherwise @citystgeorges.bsky.social 🇬🇧)
robjohnnoble.github.io
robjohnnoble.github.io
Pinned
Save the date! On behalf of the Society, I’m delighted to announce that the next International Society for Evolution, Ecology and Cancer conference will be taking place in Hersonissos, Crete, on May 21-24, 2026. Abstract submissions will open soon. More details: www.evocancer.com
New preprint led by PhD student Kim Verity: Evolutionary tree balance predicts disease-free survival in the TRACERx non-small cell lung cancer cohort
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
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www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
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Evolutionary tree balance predicts disease-free survival in the TRACERx non-small cell lung cancer cohort
Methods for quantifying and classifying modes of tumour evolution promise to enable more personalised prognostic forecasting and treatment optimisation. We recently developed an approach to quantifyin...
www.medrxiv.org
November 25, 2025 at 7:35 PM
New preprint led by PhD student Kim Verity: Evolutionary tree balance predicts disease-free survival in the TRACERx non-small cell lung cancer cohort
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
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www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
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Reposted by Rob Noble
![R. H. Bing (October 20, 1914 – April 28, 1986)[1] was an American mathematician who worked mainly in the areas of geometric topology and continuum theory.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cyyd366g3hrxp5rynixm2mm3/bafkreid62wy3dekb2kzbisjfdlimlb35j4rlgew5iof7vi32byfszmg26a@jpeg)
![Bing's father was named Rupert Henry, but Bing's mother thought that "Rupert Henry" was too British for Texas. Thus she compromised by abbreviating it to R. H.[5] Consequently, R. H. does not stand for a first or middle name.
When Bing was applying for a visa, he was requested not to use initials. He explained that his name was really "R-only H-only Bing", and ended up receiving a visa made out to "Ronly Honly Bing".](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cyyd366g3hrxp5rynixm2mm3/bafkreigmfj53q4uy33spga2bxdkllqm3ag5sffovg5g7ddmu3vqzkb6k24@jpeg)
Reposted by Rob Noble
Image screening is going to fail. We need audit trails for data provenance.
I tried an even harder example on Gemini Pro image generation and this is quite scary/amazing. I asked for a microscopy image of around 20 HeLa cells, GFP tagged 20% nuclear, 10% membrane, +1 nuclear staining, + overlap. Image below and prompt in the following post.
November 22, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Image screening is going to fail. We need audit trails for data provenance.
Reposted by Rob Noble
Another thing that is making this an "interesting" time to be the head of Integrity in Publishing at a scientific publisher 🥲
We really need major oversight at institutions, before things are sent for publication. Data provenance is key.
We really need major oversight at institutions, before things are sent for publication. Data provenance is key.
I tried an even harder example on Gemini Pro image generation and this is quite scary/amazing. I asked for a microscopy image of around 20 HeLa cells, GFP tagged 20% nuclear, 10% membrane, +1 nuclear staining, + overlap. Image below and prompt in the following post.
November 22, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Another thing that is making this an "interesting" time to be the head of Integrity in Publishing at a scientific publisher 🥲
We really need major oversight at institutions, before things are sent for publication. Data provenance is key.
We really need major oversight at institutions, before things are sent for publication. Data provenance is key.
This is so very Brighton. "An anti-racist library exhibition featuring a reimagined union flag has been cancelled because the council fears it could inadvertently upset minority groups."
Context: Brighton's a city of sanctuary for migrants and refugees and its libraries are Libraries of Sanctuary.
Context: Brighton's a city of sanctuary for migrants and refugees and its libraries are Libraries of Sanctuary.
Anti-racist flag exhibition cancelled by council
Anti-racist flag exhibition cancelled by council
An anti-racist library exhibition featuring a reimagined union flag has been cancelled because the council fears it could inadvertently upset minority groups. The show features artist Gil Mualem-Doron’s New Union Flag, made up using textiles from the UK’s diverse communities, alongside two new flags. It has previously been displayed at the Tate Modern, Southbank Centre […]
dlvr.it
November 21, 2025 at 11:50 AM
This is so very Brighton. "An anti-racist library exhibition featuring a reimagined union flag has been cancelled because the council fears it could inadvertently upset minority groups."
Context: Brighton's a city of sanctuary for migrants and refugees and its libraries are Libraries of Sanctuary.
Context: Brighton's a city of sanctuary for migrants and refugees and its libraries are Libraries of Sanctuary.
Reposted by Rob Noble
Key takehome, a lot of us were highlighting:
"If a lockdown had been imposed on 16 March, a week earlier than took place, modelling suggests this could have cut the number of deaths in England in the first wave of the virus by almost half, equating to 23,000 lives saved, the inquiry authors say."
"If a lockdown had been imposed on 16 March, a week earlier than took place, modelling suggests this could have cut the number of deaths in England in the first wave of the virus by almost half, equating to 23,000 lives saved, the inquiry authors say."
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Key takehome, a lot of us were highlighting:
"If a lockdown had been imposed on 16 March, a week earlier than took place, modelling suggests this could have cut the number of deaths in England in the first wave of the virus by almost half, equating to 23,000 lives saved, the inquiry authors say."
"If a lockdown had been imposed on 16 March, a week earlier than took place, modelling suggests this could have cut the number of deaths in England in the first wave of the virus by almost half, equating to 23,000 lives saved, the inquiry authors say."
Reposted by Rob Noble
Trump has murdered at least 83 people with extrajudicial military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.
He needs to face consequences for this.
His secretary of DHHS, RFK Jr., will kill several orders of magnitude more with this disinformation.
He needs to face consequences for this.
His secretary of DHHS, RFK Jr., will kill several orders of magnitude more with this disinformation.
This is completely disgusting. Today, the CDC updated their vaccine safety page. It now says:
“The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism”.
“The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism”.
November 20, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Trump has murdered at least 83 people with extrajudicial military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.
He needs to face consequences for this.
His secretary of DHHS, RFK Jr., will kill several orders of magnitude more with this disinformation.
He needs to face consequences for this.
His secretary of DHHS, RFK Jr., will kill several orders of magnitude more with this disinformation.
Reposted by Rob Noble
This exchange between Hancock and Johnson on 7th March 2020 speaks volumes about that government’s pandemic leadership.
Hancock: This is a clarion call for you to lead.
Johnson: Ok, I’m off to the rugby.
Hancock: This is a clarion call for you to lead.
Johnson: Ok, I’m off to the rugby.
November 20, 2025 at 7:24 AM
This exchange between Hancock and Johnson on 7th March 2020 speaks volumes about that government’s pandemic leadership.
Hancock: This is a clarion call for you to lead.
Johnson: Ok, I’m off to the rugby.
Hancock: This is a clarion call for you to lead.
Johnson: Ok, I’m off to the rugby.
Reposted by Rob Noble
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 Rob Noble
I’ve released a tool to sketch and edit phylogenetic trees!
yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/
Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches.
Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.
yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/
Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches.
Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.
PhyloWeaver – Interactive phylogenetic tree editor
Edit and visualize phylogenetic trees directly in your browser. PhyloWeaver lets you interactively rearrange tree topologies and export high-quality figures for publications and presentations.
yawak.jp
November 18, 2025 at 1:59 AM
I’ve released a tool to sketch and edit phylogenetic trees!
yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/
Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches.
Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.
yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/
Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches.
Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.
Save the date! On behalf of the Society, I’m delighted to announce that the next International Society for Evolution, Ecology and Cancer conference will be taking place in Hersonissos, Crete, on May 21-24, 2026. Abstract submissions will open soon. More details: www.evocancer.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Save the date! On behalf of the Society, I’m delighted to announce that the next International Society for Evolution, Ecology and Cancer conference will be taking place in Hersonissos, Crete, on May 21-24, 2026. Abstract submissions will open soon. More details: www.evocancer.com
Reposted by Rob Noble
Alf Dubs is a 92 year old man who spent his life fighting for refugees, and in particular for refugee children. He fought the Tories tooth and nail during their last three terms, only to see Labour adopt far-right policies on immigration.
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
Labour Peer Who Fled The Nazis Condemns His Party's Immigration Crackdown
Lord Dubs said he was "lost for words".
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Alf Dubs is a 92 year old man who spent his life fighting for refugees, and in particular for refugee children. He fought the Tories tooth and nail during their last three terms, only to see Labour adopt far-right policies on immigration.
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
Reposted by Rob Noble
The debate over whether this is 'fascism' is a silly semantic one in which a small minority mean 'completed fascist authoritarianism' and the vast majority mean 'the people in power say and do things that demonstrate completed fascist authoritarianism is what they want to achieve.'
November 17, 2025 at 9:06 AM
The debate over whether this is 'fascism' is a silly semantic one in which a small minority mean 'completed fascist authoritarianism' and the vast majority mean 'the people in power say and do things that demonstrate completed fascist authoritarianism is what they want to achieve.'
Only two weeks left of my three-month stay in France. I'm going to miss a lot of things, not least my weekend long runs in the beautiful countryside north of Montpellier.
November 16, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Only two weeks left of my three-month stay in France. I'm going to miss a lot of things, not least my weekend long runs in the beautiful countryside north of Montpellier.
Reposted by Rob Noble
Regretfully (for the sake of the authors and journal staff), I have this morning declined an invitation to review for a @royalsociety.org journal because of the Society’s continued refusal to stand up for its values in dealing with Elon Musk FRS.
November 14, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Regretfully (for the sake of the authors and journal staff), I have this morning declined an invitation to review for a @royalsociety.org journal because of the Society’s continued refusal to stand up for its values in dealing with Elon Musk FRS.
Yesterday I got a COVID booster at a French pharmacy for 7.50€. In the UK last year it cost me £100. It's worth a cross-Channel day trip just to get immunised.
November 9, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Yesterday I got a COVID booster at a French pharmacy for 7.50€. In the UK last year it cost me £100. It's worth a cross-Channel day trip just to get immunised.
Reposted by Rob Noble
James D. Watson died on Thursday in East Northport, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 97.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
James Watson, Who Helped Discover the Structure of DNA, Is Dead at 97
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:35 PM
James D. Watson died on Thursday in East Northport, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 97.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
Reposted by Rob Noble
The deadline for applications is Nov 15 - please repost!
Join us at SFU for a 2-year Mekler Postdoctoral Fellowship in mathematical biology to work with me and Ailene MacPherson. Apply at www.mathjobs.org/jobs/list/27... by Nov 15.
MathJobs from the the American Mathematical Society
Mathjobs is an automated job application system sponsored by the AMS.
www.mathjobs.org
November 3, 2025 at 8:01 PM
The deadline for applications is Nov 15 - please repost!
Reposted by Rob Noble
Great last didactic at #MathOnco25 by @andriy-marusyk.bsky.social describing the complex landscape of evolutionary and ecological mechanisms aiding cancers become treatment-resistant. Andriy and I both share the idea of maps as an example of what models can be
October 31, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Great last didactic at #MathOnco25 by @andriy-marusyk.bsky.social describing the complex landscape of evolutionary and ecological mechanisms aiding cancers become treatment-resistant. Andriy and I both share the idea of maps as an example of what models can be
In her #MathOnco25 plenary, Sarah Brüningk motivates mechanistic learning in mathematical oncology, drawing on her recent review paper: www.frontiersin.org/journals/imm...
October 31, 2025 at 1:16 PM
In her #MathOnco25 plenary, Sarah Brüningk motivates mechanistic learning in mathematical oncology, drawing on her recent review paper: www.frontiersin.org/journals/imm...
Bob Gatenby finishes his phenomenal #MathOnco25 talk with this stunning figure and conclusion: "Cycles within cycles may allow metastatic prostate cancer to be converted to a chronic disease". The results are from a new paper: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
October 30, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Bob Gatenby finishes his phenomenal #MathOnco25 talk with this stunning figure and conclusion: "Cycles within cycles may allow metastatic prostate cancer to be converted to a chronic disease". The results are from a new paper: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Joel Brown at #MathOnco25 draws parallels between the evolution and ecology of cancer and of dogs, elephant shrews and (of course) squirrels. Cancer redefined as "a disease of uncontrolled proliferation by transformed cells subject to evolution by natural selection". aacrjournals.org/mcr/article/...
October 30, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Joel Brown at #MathOnco25 draws parallels between the evolution and ecology of cancer and of dogs, elephant shrews and (of course) squirrels. Cancer redefined as "a disease of uncontrolled proliferation by transformed cells subject to evolution by natural selection". aacrjournals.org/mcr/article/...
Now @kitcgallagher.bsky.social at #MathOnco25 presents his recent research on predicting treatment outcomes to identify which patients will benefit the most from adaptive therapy. Preprints and papers at scholar.google.com/citations?us...
October 30, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Now @kitcgallagher.bsky.social at #MathOnco25 presents his recent research on predicting treatment outcomes to identify which patients will benefit the most from adaptive therapy. Preprints and papers at scholar.google.com/citations?us...
Franco Pradelli presents one of the most beautiful slides so far at #MathOnco25, on the topic of exploiting the cost of addiction in anaplastic large cell lymphoma
October 30, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Franco Pradelli presents one of the most beautiful slides so far at #MathOnco25, on the topic of exploiting the cost of addiction in anaplastic large cell lymphoma
Fantastic to have adaptive therapy pioneer Jingsong Zhang here at #MathOnco25 talking about a third-generation adaptive therapy trial for metastatic prostate cancer underway at the Moffitt Cancer Center, informed by Jill Gallagher's mathematical modelling. Preprint: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
October 30, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Fantastic to have adaptive therapy pioneer Jingsong Zhang here at #MathOnco25 talking about a third-generation adaptive therapy trial for metastatic prostate cancer underway at the Moffitt Cancer Center, informed by Jill Gallagher's mathematical modelling. Preprint: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...