Fiona J Whelan
@whelanfj.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer, Lister Prize Fellow, & UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at U of Manchester. Bioinf, microbes, evol bio, running, cycling, & pub chats. she/her 🇨🇦.
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
Will we be seeing you at @microbiologysociety.org Understanding and Predicting Microbial Evolutionary Dynamics today and tomorrow? 🧫🧬 #MicroEvo25
Keep an eye out for our talks and posters and come say hi 👋
Keep an eye out for our talks and posters and come say hi 👋
November 26, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Will we be seeing you at @microbiologysociety.org Understanding and Predicting Microbial Evolutionary Dynamics today and tomorrow? 🧫🧬 #MicroEvo25
Keep an eye out for our talks and posters and come say hi 👋
Keep an eye out for our talks and posters and come say hi 👋
Conferences like #microevo25 are possible because of the community publishing with @microbiologysociety.org
November 26, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Conferences like #microevo25 are possible because of the community publishing with @microbiologysociety.org
So excited to be here for @microbiologysociety.org ‘s #microevo25 meeting!
November 26, 2025 at 9:49 AM
So excited to be here for @microbiologysociety.org ‘s #microevo25 meeting!
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
The Microbiology Society is pleased to announce the winners of our 2026 Prizes! The winners will be awarded and deliver Prize Lectures at Annual Conference 2026 in Belfast from 13–16 April. Find out more about it: microb.io/PrizeWinners.... Meet the winners below. #Microbio26
November 19, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The Microbiology Society is pleased to announce the winners of our 2026 Prizes! The winners will be awarded and deliver Prize Lectures at Annual Conference 2026 in Belfast from 13–16 April. Find out more about it: microb.io/PrizeWinners.... Meet the winners below. #Microbio26
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
Another great week at our seminar series!
This session, we explored "Within-patient evolution of ciprofloxacin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from @matthewjshepherd.bsky.social
Big thank you to @microbesng.bsky.social for once again keeping us fuelled with delicious refreshments 🙌🍪
This session, we explored "Within-patient evolution of ciprofloxacin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from @matthewjshepherd.bsky.social
Big thank you to @microbesng.bsky.social for once again keeping us fuelled with delicious refreshments 🙌🍪
November 19, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Another great week at our seminar series!
This session, we explored "Within-patient evolution of ciprofloxacin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from @matthewjshepherd.bsky.social
Big thank you to @microbesng.bsky.social for once again keeping us fuelled with delicious refreshments 🙌🍪
This session, we explored "Within-patient evolution of ciprofloxacin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from @matthewjshepherd.bsky.social
Big thank you to @microbesng.bsky.social for once again keeping us fuelled with delicious refreshments 🙌🍪
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
Absolutely delighted to have been awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship! I will be moving to the University of Manchester @mermanchester.bsky.social to research early endosymbiont evolution
#microsky #symbiosky
#microsky #symbiosky
Meet the new cohort of exceptional researchers who have been awarded more than £83 million worth of early career fellowships by the Royal Society, working on research spanning the sciences: #RSGrants: https://bit.ly/49jMkKx
Exceptional researchers awarded early career fellowships worth more than £83 million | Royal Society
A new cohort of exceptional researchers at have been awarded funding through the Royal Society’s early career schemes, the University Research Fellowship (URF), Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship (DHF) and Ne...
bit.ly
November 14, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Absolutely delighted to have been awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship! I will be moving to the University of Manchester @mermanchester.bsky.social to research early endosymbiont evolution
#microsky #symbiosky
#microsky #symbiosky
Very insightful launch of @carersinstemm.bsky.social today at @manchester.ac.uk! Understanding the barriers associated with caring responsibilities is something I'm really passionate about and its amazing to see Carers in STEMM quantifying and advocating for carers in academia.
To hear more about the Carers in STEMM survey - the hidden barrier to parents and carers - there is still time to join us
Manchester: 13th November
London: 9th December
(Both hybrid)
Spread the word!
Manchester: 13th November
London: 9th December
(Both hybrid)
Spread the word!
November 13, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Very insightful launch of @carersinstemm.bsky.social today at @manchester.ac.uk! Understanding the barriers associated with caring responsibilities is something I'm really passionate about and its amazing to see Carers in STEMM quantifying and advocating for carers in academia.
I am constantly searching my version of this cafe.
Such a great read:
Such a great read:
‘Controlled chaos’: how to create an environment that fosters genius
One free-wheeling 1930s cafe nurtured mathematical ideas including the theory of the nuclear bomb. That holds lessons for how to spur creative thought today.
www.nature.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:43 AM
I am constantly searching my version of this cafe.
Such a great read:
Such a great read:
4 reviewer invites, 4 “no responses” after 7 days.
Please, please reject invitations that you can’t do/aren’t interested in so Editors can do their best to handle manuscripts in a timely fashion!
Please, please reject invitations that you can’t do/aren’t interested in so Editors can do their best to handle manuscripts in a timely fashion!
November 13, 2025 at 7:44 AM
4 reviewer invites, 4 “no responses” after 7 days.
Please, please reject invitations that you can’t do/aren’t interested in so Editors can do their best to handle manuscripts in a timely fashion!
Please, please reject invitations that you can’t do/aren’t interested in so Editors can do their best to handle manuscripts in a timely fashion!
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
In this week’s seminar we learned about the evolution of intrinsic terminators from @stepadenisov.bsky.social 🧬
Made even more fun by snacks kindly sponsored by @microbesng.bsky.social 🍪
Made even more fun by snacks kindly sponsored by @microbesng.bsky.social 🍪
November 12, 2025 at 3:05 PM
In this week’s seminar we learned about the evolution of intrinsic terminators from @stepadenisov.bsky.social 🧬
Made even more fun by snacks kindly sponsored by @microbesng.bsky.social 🍪
Made even more fun by snacks kindly sponsored by @microbesng.bsky.social 🍪
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
This week @willpjsmith.bsky.social taught us all about microbial competition & Logan Sauers ( @coytelab.bsky.social ) shared recent gut microbiome work. Thanks @microbesng.bsky.social for the refreshments!
November 9, 2025 at 1:11 PM
This week @willpjsmith.bsky.social taught us all about microbial competition & Logan Sauers ( @coytelab.bsky.social ) shared recent gut microbiome work. Thanks @microbesng.bsky.social for the refreshments!
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
I hadnt seen this particular take on this story till now. A minimalist apology. Not impressed.
nationalnews.co.uk/news/shamed-...
nationalnews.co.uk/news/shamed-...
Shamed Scientist Apologises For The First Time About The Academic Scandal That Destroyed His Career And Shocked The World
An ecologist who shot to fame after discovering that spiders have human-like personalities has made an emotional apology after being
nationalnews.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 8:31 PM
I hadnt seen this particular take on this story till now. A minimalist apology. Not impressed.
nationalnews.co.uk/news/shamed-...
nationalnews.co.uk/news/shamed-...
Not the result I was hoping for but absolutely epic game and series. Totally worth the 4am bedtime!
Well, done Blue Jays.
Well, done Blue Jays.
November 2, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Not the result I was hoping for but absolutely epic game and series. Totally worth the 4am bedtime!
Well, done Blue Jays.
Well, done Blue Jays.
I wonder if anyone has quantified the correlation between how exciting the bioinformatic analysis is & the number of abandoned, half-drunk cups of cold tea surrounding the bioinformatician.
October 31, 2025 at 1:21 PM
I wonder if anyone has quantified the correlation between how exciting the bioinformatic analysis is & the number of abandoned, half-drunk cups of cold tea surrounding the bioinformatician.
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
Canadian researchers should be aware the there is a motion before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Research to force Tricouncils to hand over disaggregated peer review data on all applications:
Applicant names, profiles, demographics
Reviewers names, profiles, comments, and scores
Applicant names, profiles, demographics
Reviewers names, profiles, comments, and scores
October 30, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Canadian researchers should be aware the there is a motion before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Research to force Tricouncils to hand over disaggregated peer review data on all applications:
Applicant names, profiles, demographics
Reviewers names, profiles, comments, and scores
Applicant names, profiles, demographics
Reviewers names, profiles, comments, and scores
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
🚨 Another funded PhD alert🚨
We are recruiting again! For a PhD student to start with us in the @langridgelab.bsky.social October 2026 - please share 👀
If you are interested in foodborne pathogens, public health and phage, look no further 🦠🏥🧬
➡️ tinyurl.com/3zvavp2t ⬅️
Apply by 6 Jan 2026 🗓️
We are recruiting again! For a PhD student to start with us in the @langridgelab.bsky.social October 2026 - please share 👀
If you are interested in foodborne pathogens, public health and phage, look no further 🦠🏥🧬
➡️ tinyurl.com/3zvavp2t ⬅️
Apply by 6 Jan 2026 🗓️
October 28, 2025 at 1:17 PM
🚨 Another funded PhD alert🚨
We are recruiting again! For a PhD student to start with us in the @langridgelab.bsky.social October 2026 - please share 👀
If you are interested in foodborne pathogens, public health and phage, look no further 🦠🏥🧬
➡️ tinyurl.com/3zvavp2t ⬅️
Apply by 6 Jan 2026 🗓️
We are recruiting again! For a PhD student to start with us in the @langridgelab.bsky.social October 2026 - please share 👀
If you are interested in foodborne pathogens, public health and phage, look no further 🦠🏥🧬
➡️ tinyurl.com/3zvavp2t ⬅️
Apply by 6 Jan 2026 🗓️
I did not consider that I could have tuned in to watch the end of World Series game 3 this morning in the UK! 😱 What a game!!
October 28, 2025 at 7:55 AM
I did not consider that I could have tuned in to watch the end of World Series game 3 this morning in the UK! 😱 What a game!!
📣 PhD opportunity led by @madhvimenon.bsky.social with @kathelse.bsky.social , @tracyh9494.bsky.social , and me open now:
"Sex Differences in Immune Responses to Infection: The Role of the Microbiota in Shaping Lymphocyte Dynamics"
apps due 15 November 2025 📣
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
"Sex Differences in Immune Responses to Infection: The Role of the Microbiota in Shaping Lymphocyte Dynamics"
apps due 15 November 2025 📣
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
(Bicentenary) Sex Differences in Immune Responses to Infection: The Role of the Microbiota in Shaping Lymphocyte Dynamics at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - (Bicentenary) Sex Differences in Immune Responses to Infection: The Role of the Microbiota in Shaping Lymphocyte Dynamics at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:24 PM
📣 PhD opportunity led by @madhvimenon.bsky.social with @kathelse.bsky.social , @tracyh9494.bsky.social , and me open now:
"Sex Differences in Immune Responses to Infection: The Role of the Microbiota in Shaping Lymphocyte Dynamics"
apps due 15 November 2025 📣
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
"Sex Differences in Immune Responses to Infection: The Role of the Microbiota in Shaping Lymphocyte Dynamics"
apps due 15 November 2025 📣
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
Friday we celebrated our new MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Exposome Immunology: a joint venture with Oxford that we call MOXIE (Manchester-Oxford Immunology of the Exposome). This challenging adventure is off to a great start. @exposomeimmunology.bsky.social
October 20, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Friday we celebrated our new MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Exposome Immunology: a joint venture with Oxford that we call MOXIE (Manchester-Oxford Immunology of the Exposome). This challenging adventure is off to a great start. @exposomeimmunology.bsky.social
So much of this article is full of hope then,
"About 43% of respondents had experienced some form of discrimination or harassment.. in around four out of ten bullying cases, a student reported bullying by their supervisor."
We need safeguards in place to stop this from happening.
"About 43% of respondents had experienced some form of discrimination or harassment.. in around four out of ten bullying cases, a student reported bullying by their supervisor."
We need safeguards in place to stop this from happening.
What makes PhD students happy? Good supervision
Supervisors who invest in positive mentoring relationships with their PhD candidates also reap the benefits for their own research.
www.nature.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:22 PM
So much of this article is full of hope then,
"About 43% of respondents had experienced some form of discrimination or harassment.. in around four out of ten bullying cases, a student reported bullying by their supervisor."
We need safeguards in place to stop this from happening.
"About 43% of respondents had experienced some form of discrimination or harassment.. in around four out of ten bullying cases, a student reported bullying by their supervisor."
We need safeguards in place to stop this from happening.
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
I am so proud of @spasqualetti.bsky.social and this BioRxiv paper! I have to prep for class, but later today I'll highlight some of her findings about a stickleback gut isolate that can degrade plastic and other microbes that inhibit it's ability. 🦠🔬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Cold-water gut isolate from threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) reveals polypropylene surface oxidation and co-culture inhibition
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP), two of the most widely produced plastics in the United States, persist in cold-water environments where plastic-degrading microbes have been po...
www.biorxiv.org
October 23, 2025 at 1:35 PM
I am so proud of @spasqualetti.bsky.social and this BioRxiv paper! I have to prep for class, but later today I'll highlight some of her findings about a stickleback gut isolate that can degrade plastic and other microbes that inhibit it's ability. 🦠🔬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
📣 Reminder of the below fully-funded PhD studentships in exposome immunology! Projects interfacing with other areas (e.g. the human microbiome) are also on offer. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Applications due 2 Dec 2025 📣
Applications due 2 Dec 2025 📣
🎓 6x fully-funded 4-year PhD studentships 🎓
We are recruiting our first cohort of PhD students to start Oct 2026.
Students will shape their own projects within supervisory teams spanning the universities of Manchester & Oxford.
www.findaphd.com/phds/program/mrc-core-in-exposome-immunology/?p6899
We are recruiting our first cohort of PhD students to start Oct 2026.
Students will shape their own projects within supervisory teams spanning the universities of Manchester & Oxford.
www.findaphd.com/phds/program/mrc-core-in-exposome-immunology/?p6899
FindAPhD : MRC CoRE in Exposome Immunology at The University of Manchester
Apply for a PhD: MRC CoRE in Exposome Immunology at The University of Manchester
www.findaphd.com
October 10, 2025 at 2:46 PM
📣 Reminder of the below fully-funded PhD studentships in exposome immunology! Projects interfacing with other areas (e.g. the human microbiome) are also on offer. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Applications due 2 Dec 2025 📣
Applications due 2 Dec 2025 📣
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
Postdoc opportunity in the lab for a budding ILC biologist.
Informal enquiries welcome - please spread the word.
Ad closes in 4 weeks.
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Informal enquiries welcome - please spread the word.
Ad closes in 4 weeks.
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Research Associate - mucosal immunology and innate lymphoid cell (ILC) biology:Oxford Road
The Hepworth laboratory within the Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation at the University of Manchester wish to appoint a laboratory-based Research Associate to an exciting project in mucosal immunology and innate lymphoid cell (ILC) biology.
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk
October 9, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Postdoc opportunity in the lab for a budding ILC biologist.
Informal enquiries welcome - please spread the word.
Ad closes in 4 weeks.
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Informal enquiries welcome - please spread the word.
Ad closes in 4 weeks.
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
It's lovely to see the supportive community of UoM Lister Fellows highlighted in this recent piece. Before I was even a UoM colleague, Fellows such as Matt Hepworth @hepworth-lab.bsky.social were so generous with their time in helping me apply (my quote in the article is no exaggeration!).
Behind every #ListerPrize winner at @officialuom.bsky.social is a nurturing community of Fellows giving back, sharing advice, and seeding new ideas 🌱
🫶 A connected, caring community builds confidence and makes a difference.
Read the story now ⤵️
lister-institute.org.uk/a-thriving-f...
🫶 A connected, caring community builds confidence and makes a difference.
Read the story now ⤵️
lister-institute.org.uk/a-thriving-f...
October 10, 2025 at 2:38 PM
It's lovely to see the supportive community of UoM Lister Fellows highlighted in this recent piece. Before I was even a UoM colleague, Fellows such as Matt Hepworth @hepworth-lab.bsky.social were so generous with their time in helping me apply (my quote in the article is no exaggeration!).
Reposted by Fiona J Whelan
Less than 70% of science Nobel prize winners awarded this century hail from the country in which they were awarded their prize.
“Mobility benefits everyone. Each newcomer brings fresh ideas, new techniques & different ways of looking at old problems”
🧪 #academicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“Mobility benefits everyone. Each newcomer brings fresh ideas, new techniques & different ways of looking at old problems”
🧪 #academicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
More than 30% of this century’s science Nobel prizewinners immigrated: see their journeys
The most common destination for eventual Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine since 2000 is the United States, Nature has found.
www.nature.com
October 9, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Less than 70% of science Nobel prize winners awarded this century hail from the country in which they were awarded their prize.
“Mobility benefits everyone. Each newcomer brings fresh ideas, new techniques & different ways of looking at old problems”
🧪 #academicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
“Mobility benefits everyone. Each newcomer brings fresh ideas, new techniques & different ways of looking at old problems”
🧪 #academicSky
www.nature.com/articles/d41...