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Aleeza Gerstein

@acgerstein.bsky.social

2.6K followers 1.3K following 240 posts

Associate professor in microbiology (human fungal pathogens) & statistics (really just evolutionary genetics) at UManitoba in Winnipeg 🇨🇦 Keeps two small humans alive. Served with a side of politics. Because it's 2025. (she/her) )'(

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Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · May 11

I wrote this in a week where it felt like professoring while parenting (and equally, parenting while professoring) was impossible. This feeling ebbs and flows. Seems like Mothers Day is as good a time as any to share, maybe it will help someone else feel less alone.

The More Paradox
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Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · 2d

Fall prairie sky moment of zen.

Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Roxane Gay @roxanegay.bsky.social · 6d

I really need all of us to abandon any impostor syndrome. It’s time.

Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 6d

In case it wasn’t clear, the anti-DEI crusade has never been about merit. Zero news experience. Never been a reporter. Elevated to Editor in Chief of CBS News, one of the most storied news institutions in the nation. www.mediaite.com/media/news/p...

Paramount Officially Acquiring The Free Press and Making Bari Weiss CBS News Editor in Chief: Report

Paramount Skydance will be officially acquiring The Free Press and hiring its founder Bari Weiss as editor in chief of its CBS News division, with the deal to be announced this coming Monday, accordin...

www.mediaite.com

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Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Colin Dickey @colindickey.com · 7d

Man, I'm sorry, but reading all these AI generated essays from students, it just sucks all the joy out of everything. It's exhausting, makes you into a weird paranoid cop, grinds you down, wastes your time, makes you feel like shit about everything.

Fuck this shit technology and all its enablers.

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Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · 10d

Reposting and bookmarking to share with students in my sci comm class in the winter about why I believe that me telling them not to use genAI is in their best interest.

Dr. Damien P. Williams Wants A Better Sociotechnical Paradigm @wolvendamien.bsky.social · 10d

Regular reminder that behind damn near every large-scale "Automated" "AI" system is a team of underpaid and otherwise exploited humans. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

How thousands of ‘overworked, underpaid’ humans train Google’s AI to seem smart

Contracted AI raters describe grueling deadlines, poor pay and opacity around work to make chatbots intelligent

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Maggie Macintosh @maggiemacintosh.bsky.social · 11d

I had a not-so-little rant about how I practise journalism on *that other app* 🐦❎ earlier today.

ICYMI…

(I don’t plan to spam like this ever again – especially not on a Saturday – but I’m compelled to type because this is a timely opportunity to address misinformation and fake-news rhetoric.)

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Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · 17d

Thanks! Just booked for me and kiddos. Here’s hoping me can all make it until then.

Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · 17d

I just easily booked for me and my kids with Sobeys. What are you struggling with?

Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Matthew Froese @matthewfroese.bsky.social · 17d

Public comms on vaccine availability in #Manitoba is definitely lacking this year, but appointments in various pharmacy online platforms are starting to pop up. Some out there for shoppers, too.

Jenn Allen @jenn-allen.bsky.social · 17d

Despite no communication about this from public health, Sobeys Transcona has Covid/Flu appointments available as early as Oct. 6th. They’re actually expect the shipment this week and will add earlier appointments when they receive it.

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Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

The Narwhal @thenarwhal.ca · 21d

Ready for some good news? Earlier this year The Narwhal teamed up with journalists at the Investigative Journalism Foundation to break stories about how more than 1,000 potential oil and gas infractions were left unchecked by B.C.’s energy regulator.

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Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · Sep 2

This is fucking brutal.

Paris is incredibly intelligent & among the best informed out there on digital sovereignty in Canada as well as the EU, Australia etc

And if your goal is to make this a bigger public issue, why not get the guy with a sizeable online following on board?!

I mean come on…

Paris Marx @parismarx.com · Sep 2

feels typical of how i’m regarded in canada that despite co-writing a white paper on digital sovereignty, speaking around the world on the subject, and even writing about it for ccpa, there’s a new open letter addressed to mark carney on just that subject that i’m only hearing about at publication

70 leading Canadians, civil society groups ask Carney to protect Canada's 'digital sovereignty' | CBC News

Dozens of experts, academics and organizations have released an open letter urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to swiftly "defend Canada's digital sovereignty" and protect the country from the whims of...

www.cbc.ca

Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · Sep 2

This made me curious, so I looked it up. MDPI publishes 482 journals. 482.

Dr. Amy Lee @minisciencegirl.bsky.social · Sep 2

Did we run out of predatory journal names or ..?

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Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · Aug 29

Science!

Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Andrew Kohan @akohan.bsky.social · Aug 24

Wellington Cres would look like this right now if it weren’t for Janice Lukes

Jason Thorne @jasonthorne.bsky.social · Aug 24

The only thing better than a protected bike lane, is a protected bike lane with artworks by local artists! The new Lansdowne Avenue cycle track murals are looking good. Shoutout to Street Art Toronto, Cycle Toronto and the City of Toronto Cycling and Pedestrian Projects Unit.

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Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Jesse Shapiro @bjesseshapiro.bsky.social · Aug 21

I'm super bummed to be missing #ESEB2025 @eseb2025.bsky.social due to a cancelled flight! Here's a quick overview of my talk "Gene- and genome-focused perspectives on microbial pangenomes" slated to be part of The Evolution of Microbial Pangenomes -- which I recommend you attend tomorrow (Fri) !
1/n

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Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Kyle Minogue 🔬☀️ @kyleminogue.bsky.social · Aug 20

In Winnipeg climate-driven migration is often imagined as a distant threat that affects others in the world. But summer evacuations foreshadow a future where internal displacement becomes a regular feature of Winnipeg life.

theconversation.com/canadian-cit...

Canadian cities are unprepared for climate-driven migration — here’s what they can do

As climate change worsens extreme weather events, people in rural areas will increasingly seek refuge in urban areas. Cities must prepare to host and care for them.

theconversation.com

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Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · Aug 21

Really missed them when I lived in Vancouver for a decade. This is a good one!

Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Sabina Vohra-Miller @sabivm.bsky.social · Aug 19

Health Canada has authorized the LP.8.1 variant adapted Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 6 months and older.

The updated COMIRNATY® vaccine targets the Omicron LP.8.1 variant, one of the most recently circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages. It will be made available this Fall across Canada.

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Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Christian Landry @christianlandry.bsky.social · Aug 6

I need to update my presentation on how to prepare fellowship applications for graduate students and postdocs. Any advice you think should be in there, beyond "read and follow the instructions"? I promise I'll cite my sources. Memes are welcome. Please share in your academic circles.

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Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · Jul 26

Do You Realize, Flaming Lips and then Beck covering it, in the same weekend, Sasquatch, 2006.
Incredible weekend. Best song.

www.concertarchives.org/concerts/sas...

Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Sabhrina Aninta @sagitaninta.bsky.social · Jul 22

Just want to share this wild revision history of the Wikipedia page on Linkage Disequilibrium where Felsenstein himself debated people on the correct use of notations & definitions.

After 100 years of #popgen people does not seem to be totally agree on what LD is?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Li...

Talk:Linkage disequilibrium - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · Jul 19

Did not. Dislike.

Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · Jul 18

Congrats Jason!!

Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Richard McElreath 🐈‍⬛ @rmcelreath.bsky.social · Jul 14

I am in London this week for the Royal Society Future of science publishing conference. I think publishing will get worse before it gets better, but the organizers have invited ppl with equally spicy opinions so should be fun royalsociety.org/science-even...

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Aleeza Gerstein @acgerstein.bsky.social · Jul 11

Wonderful news! I missed being there this week a lot.

Reposted by Aleeza Gerstein

Patty Thille @pattythille.bsky.social · Jul 8

Dear #Winnipeg,
The transition to the new #transit system isn't working for everyone. Yet this is an incredibly overdue re-alignment of routes, bringing us into the 21st century (25 years after it started).

What's the problem?

Transit underfunding, a political choice by our elected reps 1/

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