Ryan Gutenkunst
@ryangutenkunst.bsky.social
Computational population geneticist, evolutionary systems biologist, Department Head, educator, mentor, father, husband, triathlete, alpine skier.
http://gutengroup.mcb.arizona.edu
Views expressed are my own, not those of my employer.
http://gutengroup.mcb.arizona.edu
Views expressed are my own, not those of my employer.
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
We're hiring for tenure-track faculty! Please apply if you have interests in immune responses to microbes and/or cancer, immune regulation, microbial infections (bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi), the microbiota, and/or interests that span these disciplines.
arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor (T/TE)
Establish or continue a successful, extramurally funded research program that will advance knowledge in the broad areas of immunobiology, as defined a...
arizona.csod.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:02 PM
We're hiring for tenure-track faculty! Please apply if you have interests in immune responses to microbes and/or cancer, immune regulation, microbial infections (bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi), the microbiota, and/or interests that span these disciplines.
arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
The Genomic History Inference Strategies Tournament closes in 1 week! Learn, test yourself, and help the community by trying to infer demographic history detect sweeps! ghist.bio
November 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM
The Genomic History Inference Strategies Tournament closes in 1 week! Learn, test yourself, and help the community by trying to infer demographic history detect sweeps! ghist.bio
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
In a new phase 3 trial, people randomly assigned to receive a flu shot made with modified mRNA were 34.5% less likely to be diagnosed with an influenza-like illness than people given a standard flu shot made with inactivated virus.
We need to stop the anti-science attacks against mRNA vaccines!
We need to stop the anti-science attacks against mRNA vaccines!
November 20, 2025 at 1:03 AM
In a new phase 3 trial, people randomly assigned to receive a flu shot made with modified mRNA were 34.5% less likely to be diagnosed with an influenza-like illness than people given a standard flu shot made with inactivated virus.
We need to stop the anti-science attacks against mRNA vaccines!
We need to stop the anti-science attacks against mRNA vaccines!
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 2:26 AM
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Wisconsin Evolution is accepting applications for our Seminar Series' Early Career Scientist Award. Come share your evolution research and visit UW-Madison's evolution community. Open to grad students and postdocs (<5 yrs post PhD) from outside UW-Madison.
Apply by Dec 15th here: shorturl.at/4a4O6
Apply by Dec 15th here: shorturl.at/4a4O6
Early Career Scientist Awards 2026
Application to the UW-Madison Evolution Seminar Series - Early Career Scientist Awards.
urldefense.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Wisconsin Evolution is accepting applications for our Seminar Series' Early Career Scientist Award. Come share your evolution research and visit UW-Madison's evolution community. Open to grad students and postdocs (<5 yrs post PhD) from outside UW-Madison.
Apply by Dec 15th here: shorturl.at/4a4O6
Apply by Dec 15th here: shorturl.at/4a4O6
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Introducing bluffbench, a new tool to evaluate how well LLMs actually see data plots.
When we trick LLMs with secret #RStats transformations, they can miss the visual contradiction.
bluffbench helps us measure this "blind spot" in AI coding agents. Learn more: posit.co/blog/introdu...
When we trick LLMs with secret #RStats transformations, they can miss the visual contradiction.
bluffbench helps us measure this "blind spot" in AI coding agents. Learn more: posit.co/blog/introdu...
When plotting, LLMs see what they expect to see - Posit
Data science agents need to accurately read plots even when the content contradicts their expectations. Our testing shows today's LLMs still struggle here.
posit.co
November 19, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Introducing bluffbench, a new tool to evaluate how well LLMs actually see data plots.
When we trick LLMs with secret #RStats transformations, they can miss the visual contradiction.
bluffbench helps us measure this "blind spot" in AI coding agents. Learn more: posit.co/blog/introdu...
When we trick LLMs with secret #RStats transformations, they can miss the visual contradiction.
bluffbench helps us measure this "blind spot" in AI coding agents. Learn more: posit.co/blog/introdu...
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
I am recruiting graduate students to my genomics-focused lab in EEB at Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Please spread the word if you know any students with an interest in a computational focus to genomics research! evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldi...
https://evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldir/GradStudentPositions//UIllinois.EEB.Genomics
The Catchen Lab (https://catchenlab.life.illinois.edu/), in the Department
of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign is recruiting graduate students to join...
evol.mcmaster.ca
November 18, 2025 at 2:14 PM
I am recruiting graduate students to my genomics-focused lab in EEB at Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Please spread the word if you know any students with an interest in a computational focus to genomics research! evol.mcmaster.ca/brian/evoldi...
Wonderful story from a young scientist about his experience with @official-smbe.bsky.social and competing in GHIST. I'm so glad to see the next generation thriving.
Jaison is an author on the GHIST paper, and the 2025 competition ends in 14 days. Now's your chance to dive in and join! ghist.bio
Jaison is an author on the GHIST paper, and the 2025 competition ends in 14 days. Now's your chance to dive in and join! ghist.bio
November 17, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Wonderful story from a young scientist about his experience with @official-smbe.bsky.social and competing in GHIST. I'm so glad to see the next generation thriving.
Jaison is an author on the GHIST paper, and the 2025 competition ends in 14 days. Now's your chance to dive in and join! ghist.bio
Jaison is an author on the GHIST paper, and the 2025 competition ends in 14 days. Now's your chance to dive in and join! ghist.bio
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Randall Munroe, welcome to The War on Cars.
![4-panel vertical comic. (1) 100 Years Ago [two people standing next to bicycle with small car nearby] PERSON 1: It’s too dangerous riding a bike with these cars around. I should get a car, too. (2) 50 Years Ago [two people between smaller car and bigger car] PERSON 2 with short hair: Small cars are less safe in collisions with larger vehicles, so I should get a bigger one. (3) Today [two people between big car and even bigger car] PERSON 1: Everyone has huge SUVs now. If I don’t get the biggest one, I’m putting my family at risk. (4) Soon [two people next to large armored car with spiked clubs attached] PERSON 2: If I don’t install more whirling spike clubs, I’ll be destroyed by all the other drivers who...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiby6can6k76yzfmv2czxs4pu2l7zie7bqbrpswi7h3ifmiadkuqvu@jpeg)
November 14, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Randall Munroe, welcome to The War on Cars.
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Our recent article on GHIST, the community competition to benchmark methods in genomic history inference, is the focus of this month's Highlight.
Highlight: Community Tournament GHIST Fuels Advances in Computational Genetics
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf278
#evobio #molbio #compbio
Highlight: Community Tournament GHIST Fuels Advances in Computational Genetics
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf278
#evobio #molbio #compbio
November 14, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Our recent article on GHIST, the community competition to benchmark methods in genomic history inference, is the focus of this month's Highlight.
Highlight: Community Tournament GHIST Fuels Advances in Computational Genetics
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf278
#evobio #molbio #compbio
Highlight: Community Tournament GHIST Fuels Advances in Computational Genetics
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf278
#evobio #molbio #compbio
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Excited to recruit a new PhD student for Fall 2026 in my lab at Cornell! Looking for someone interested in evolutionary genomics + fisheries/conservation applications. Quick timeline this year—reach out soon. More details: www.therkildsenlab.org/join-us.html
Join Us
The lab of Nina Overgaard Therkildsen in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University invites applications for a PhD position starting in Fall 2026. Our group works...
www.therkildsenlab.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Excited to recruit a new PhD student for Fall 2026 in my lab at Cornell! Looking for someone interested in evolutionary genomics + fisheries/conservation applications. Quick timeline this year—reach out soon. More details: www.therkildsenlab.org/join-us.html
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
CAN LLMs write about science? @science.org decided to find out, and they did it the curious, scientific way. They did an experiment.
Love this thoughtful convo. www.lastwordonnothing.com/2025/11/12/w...
Love this thoughtful convo. www.lastwordonnothing.com/2025/11/12/w...
The Last Word On Nothing | Why AAAS won’t be using AI to write press releases anytime soon
www.lastwordonnothing.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:19 PM
CAN LLMs write about science? @science.org decided to find out, and they did it the curious, scientific way. They did an experiment.
Love this thoughtful convo. www.lastwordonnothing.com/2025/11/12/w...
Love this thoughtful convo. www.lastwordonnothing.com/2025/11/12/w...
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
With sequencing of Hitler's DNA making headlines, time for a reminder: analysing a polygenic score from a dead historically-significant figure won't give new insights into that person's behaviour. In a brief paper last year, we used Beethoven's genome to directly illustrate the fallacies involved.🧪👇
Notes from Beethoven’s genome
Wesseldijk et al. compare the genomic information collected from Ludwig van Beethoven
with population-based datasets used to quantify musical achievement.
www.cell.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:26 AM
With sequencing of Hitler's DNA making headlines, time for a reminder: analysing a polygenic score from a dead historically-significant figure won't give new insights into that person's behaviour. In a brief paper last year, we used Beethoven's genome to directly illustrate the fallacies involved.🧪👇
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
We don't want people to think you can see evil in the genome, but we'll call our Channel 4 documentary "Hitler's DNA: Blueprint of a dictator".
November 12, 2025 at 10:35 PM
We don't want people to think you can see evil in the genome, but we'll call our Channel 4 documentary "Hitler's DNA: Blueprint of a dictator".
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Profits from scientific publishing are eye-watering, costing us billions. In ‘The Drain of Scientific Publishing’ (arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820), (building on ‘The Strain of Scientific Publishing’ doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00327) we show how it is harmful – and unnecessary.
The Drain of Scientific Publishing
The domination of scientific publishing in the Global North by major commercial publishers is harmful to science. We need the most powerful members of the research community, funders, governments and ...
arxiv.org
November 12, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Profits from scientific publishing are eye-watering, costing us billions. In ‘The Drain of Scientific Publishing’ (arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820), (building on ‘The Strain of Scientific Publishing’ doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00327) we show how it is harmful – and unnecessary.
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Come and join us here in Cambridge! Applications open for a new faculty position, for a researcher in computational and/or theoretical biology, based jointly in Genetics and Mathematics. Happy to answer questions about research, teaching and working here.
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/faculty...
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/faculty...
Faculty Position in Computational Biology
Applications are invited for an Assistant/ Associate Professorship in Computational Biology to commence on 1 April 2026 or shortly thereafter. This is a joint post between the Department of Applied
www.cam.ac.uk
November 11, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Come and join us here in Cambridge! Applications open for a new faculty position, for a researcher in computational and/or theoretical biology, based jointly in Genetics and Mathematics. Happy to answer questions about research, teaching and working here.
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/faculty...
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/faculty...
To celebrate the publication of the paper about GHIST 2024, the 2025 Genomic History Inference Strategies Tournament has been extended to December 1st, 2025.
Read about the 2024 competition in Molecular Biology and Evolution: doi.org/10.1093/molb...
And join the 2025 competition at ghist.bio!
Read about the 2024 competition in Molecular Biology and Evolution: doi.org/10.1093/molb...
And join the 2025 competition at ghist.bio!
GHIST 2024: The First Genomic History Inference Strategies Tournament
Abstract. Evaluating population genetic inference methods is challenging due to the complexity of evolutionary histories, potential model misspecification,
doi.org
November 10, 2025 at 8:49 PM
To celebrate the publication of the paper about GHIST 2024, the 2025 Genomic History Inference Strategies Tournament has been extended to December 1st, 2025.
Read about the 2024 competition in Molecular Biology and Evolution: doi.org/10.1093/molb...
And join the 2025 competition at ghist.bio!
Read about the 2024 competition in Molecular Biology and Evolution: doi.org/10.1093/molb...
And join the 2025 competition at ghist.bio!
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
How do GWAS and rare variant burden tests rank gene signals?
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Specificity, length and luck drive gene rankings in association studies - Nature
Genetic association tests prioritize candidate genes based on different criteria.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:05 AM
How do GWAS and rare variant burden tests rank gene signals?
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
In case anyone is wondering if Watson was really THAT bad, @lpachter.bsky.social compiled a list of quotes that are absolutely not for the faint of heart.
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
November 7, 2025 at 10:18 PM
In case anyone is wondering if Watson was really THAT bad, @lpachter.bsky.social compiled a list of quotes that are absolutely not for the faint of heart.
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
liorpachter.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/j...
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
8 high level positions at NIH posted including 6 institute director positions (NIMH, NIGMS, NICHD, NIDCR, NHGRI, NLM).
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
hr.nih.gov
November 7, 2025 at 10:20 PM
8 high level positions at NIH posted including 6 institute director positions (NIMH, NIGMS, NICHD, NIDCR, NHGRI, NLM).
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
Only open for 2 weeks (applications due November 21).
Application materials include a) CV b) vision statement c) a photocopy of doctoral degree.
hr.nih.gov/careers/open...
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
what a headline www.404media.co/nancy-pelosi...
One of the Greatest Wall Street Investors of All Time Announces Retirement
Nancy Pelosi’s trades over the years have been so good that a startup was created to allow investors to directly mirror her portfolio.
www.404media.co
November 6, 2025 at 9:04 PM
what a headline www.404media.co/nancy-pelosi...
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Community competitions help benchmark approaches in computational biology. Struck et al. now present GHIST 2024 - The First Genomic History Inference Strategies Tournament, for the inference of evolutionary history from genome data.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf257
#evobio #molbio #compbio #popgen
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf257
#evobio #molbio #compbio #popgen
November 6, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Community competitions help benchmark approaches in computational biology. Struck et al. now present GHIST 2024 - The First Genomic History Inference Strategies Tournament, for the inference of evolutionary history from genome data.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf257
#evobio #molbio #compbio #popgen
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf257
#evobio #molbio #compbio #popgen
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Join us on Nov 18 at 2:30 PM MST to learn about CAMBIUM grad fellowships in biodiversity informatics & climate change @uarizona.bsky.social. For incoming Fall 2026 students interested in big data, ecology, evolution, climate adaptation & more. Register: events.trellis.arizona.edu/en/f44lNu67/... 🌵🧬🌐
November 3, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Join us on Nov 18 at 2:30 PM MST to learn about CAMBIUM grad fellowships in biodiversity informatics & climate change @uarizona.bsky.social. For incoming Fall 2026 students interested in big data, ecology, evolution, climate adaptation & more. Register: events.trellis.arizona.edu/en/f44lNu67/... 🌵🧬🌐
Reposted by Ryan Gutenkunst
Math teachers at Cienega High School in Arizona are facing death threats and calls that they be fired after a Turning Point USA employee falsely accused them of wearing Halloween costumes mocking the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Arizona teachers' costumes weren't about Charlie Kirk. They're facing death threats anyway
Math teachers at Cienega High School in southern Arizona are facing death threats and calls that they be fired after a Turning Point USA employee falsely accused them of wearing Halloween costumes mocking the assassination of the organization’s co-founder, Charlie Kirk.
n.pr
November 4, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Math teachers at Cienega High School in Arizona are facing death threats and calls that they be fired after a Turning Point USA employee falsely accused them of wearing Halloween costumes mocking the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
FYI: I currently am not represented in our House of Representatives.
October 28, 2025 at 10:51 PM
FYI: I currently am not represented in our House of Representatives.