Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Alison Peel @alibat.bsky.social · 5d

Aww shucks, thanks so much @wdaa.bsky.social
I love the sense of “being amongst my people” that the WDAA community brings & am so honoured to have been recognised in this way by that community.

Thanks so much to the committee, my nominator & all my students/collaborators for their contributions 🦇

Wildlife Disease Association - Australasian Section @wdaa.bsky.social · 5d

Congratulations to Dr Alison Peel, winner of this year‘s prestigious WDA-A Barry L Munday Award for her extraordinary and extensive contributions to the field of wildlife health. @alibat.bsky.social #wdaa2025

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Robyn Hall @viroepivet.bsky.social · Sep 8

An interesting ZOLA (Zoonotic Risk Mitigation in Live Animal Markets) PhD research project for a Bangladeshi candidate

[email protected] for more info

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Ian M. Mackay, PhD (he/him) 🦠🤧🧬📑🦟🧀 @mackayim.bsky.social · Sep 1

"Israel's policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide in Article II of the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)".

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Leading scholars say Israel committing genocide in Gaza

The International Association of Genocide Scholars says signatories to the genocide convention, including Australia, should prevent arms sales to Israel and uphold international law.

www.abc.net.au

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NPR @npr.org · Aug 22

An announcement of famine — as has now happened regarding Gaza — is a complicated decision. Here's what must be considered before such a declaration is made.

Famine is declared in Gaza: What does it take to make this pronouncement?

An announcement of famine — as has now happened regarding Gaza — is a complicated decision. Here's what must be considered before such a declaration is made.

n.pr

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Matthias Eberl @eberlmat.bsky.social · Aug 22

"This famine is entirely man-made, it can be halted and reversed. The time for debate and hesitation has passed, starvation is present and is rapidly spreading."

At least 30% of children suffer from acute malnutrition.

THIRTY PERCENT

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Barbara Tschirren @btschirren.bsky.social · Aug 21

**Postdoc opportunities**👇👇 Find me at poster 302 today between 17:30-18:00 for a chat. 🦡🦠🔬🧬 #eseb2025

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Greg Folkers @gregfolkers.bsky.social · Aug 15

Nature: Cancelling mRNA studies is the highest irresponsibility

go.nature.com/3HDx4wD

cc Jay Bhattacharya

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Professor Euan Ritchie @euanritchie.bsky.social · Aug 14

I'm looking forward to being a part of this special episode of What The Duck, when the winner of Australia's Most Underrated Animal will be announced.

12-1pm, Today, on ABC RN.

Go team #MarsupialMole!

www.abc.net.au/news/science... #NationalScienceWeek

Gunning for the ghost bat? Vote now for your fave underrated animal

Move over, roos and emus — this National Science Week, we're looking for the most underrated Australian animal. Meet the contestants, and vote for who you think should win.

www.abc.net.au

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Venus Bivar @vbivar.bsky.social · Aug 14

For all of the educators trying to deal with AI, I did a deep dive in early June and these are the four articles I decided to assign to my students.

1. This is the longest of the bunch, but so wonderfully comprehensive.

www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1...

We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard.

The emissions from individual AI text, image, and video queries seem small—until you add up what the industry isn’t tracking and consider where it’s heading next.

www.technologyreview.com

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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · Aug 13

Grateful to @marionkoopmans.bsky.social for writing this thoughtful piece in Nature Rev Micro. We can’t push back against anti-science movements without taking the threat seriously, proactively address our limitations, and engage with the public clearly & candidly.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Anti-science and the science community

Nature Reviews Microbiology - As anti-science sentiment intensifies — aggravated by the pandemic, driven in some parts of the world by political actors and amplified by social media —...

www.nature.com

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Rebecca Heisman @rheisman.bsky.social · Aug 12

I usually tell people that *so far*, habitat loss, not climate change, has been the major driver of bird population declines... but now we're starting to get analyses directly connecting bird declines to extreme weather events fueled by climate change. 🪶 theconversation.com/70-years-of-...

70 years of data show extreme heat is already wiping out tropical bird populations

A study using more than 90,000 scientific observations shows Earth is getting too hot for many tropical birds.

theconversation.com

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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Aug 12

Forecasting the effects of #epidemics is complicated by a population’s pathogen exposure history. @pfvale.bsky.social @chadisaadroy.bsky.social & Mike Boots argue for the use of experimental #DiseaseEcology to better understand the consequences of variations in #infection history 🧪
plos.io/4mdDVvW

The ghost of infections past: Accounting for heterogeneity in individual infection history improves accuracy in epidemic forecasting

Variable pathogen exposure history contributes to individual immune differences, complicating epidemic forecasting. This Essay argues that experimental disease ecology can offer powerful tools and app...

plos.io

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Ben Paris @nzbatman.bsky.social · Aug 12

What a special bunch of humans looking after our special bats 🦇
Absolutely amazing to visit this sanctuary during the recent @ibrc2025.bsky.social conference 🇦🇺

youtu.be/ttYuewsEv_I

Tolga Bat Hospital – A Sanctuary for Australian Bats

YouTube video by Juergen Freund Visuals

youtu.be

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Janet Rice @janetrice.bsky.social · Aug 10

The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, tens of thousands of people have already died. Millions are trapped, starving, & denied essential aid.
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Our government must take decisive action NOW:
Sign Oxfam Australia’s letter for urgent action
Photo Leon Rice-Whetton

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Janet Rice @janetrice.bsky.social · Aug 10

I refuse to accept this.
I refuse to be a bystander.
That's why I say @albomp.bsky.social Not In My Name
Sign Oxfam Australia’s letter calling for urgent action: a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian access &accountability & tell the Australian Government, Not In My Name.
#NotInMyName #CeaseFireNow

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Chaitanya Gokhale @gokhalecs.bsky.social · Aug 10

Highly recommend this great opportunity to develop #theory together with @kostchristian.bsky.social and group who are simply a wonderful bunch!!

Christian Kost @kostchristian.bsky.social · Aug 8

I am excited to announce that the position of a senior postdoc (3 +3 years) in the field of theoretical biology is available in my group.

The position provides the opportunity to closely interact with experimentalists and develop own research projects.

Please RT.

Details 👇:
shorturl.at/iiiOv

116 FB 5 Research Assistant (m/f/d) field of Theoretical Ecology and Evolution or Computational Biology: Uni Osnabrück

shorturl.at

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Yung En Chee @yungenchee.bsky.social · Aug 10

Members of the @albomp.bsky.social government persistently & shamelessly dissemble while Israel assassinates Palestinian journalists & carries out genocide & mass starvation

Defence Min Marles is one of the least credible politicians in the cabinet—why trot him out❓

#SanctionIsrael #ActNOW

SBS Australia (unofficial) @sbsaustralia.nzcow.com · Aug 10

📢 Defence Minister Richard Marles has insisted that Australia does not supply weapons to Israel but that the export of component parts are "a separate issue".

Australia isn't exporting arms to Israel, weapons components a 'separate issue', Marles says

www.sbs.com.au

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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · Aug 10

BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has confirmed that the entire Al Jazeera team in Gaza City has been killed.

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Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · Aug 10

Al-Sharif killed in what appears to be a targeted Israeli attack on tent housing journalists outside al-Shifa hospital.

Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif killed in Israeli attack in Gaza City

Al-Sharif killed in what appears to be a targeted Israeli attack on tent housing journalists outside al-Shifa hospital.

bit.ly

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Dr Alison Peel @alibat.bsky.social · Aug 9

The unwarranted denial of travel visas for 8 respected international bat researchers was a shameful and embarrassing start to the International Bat Research Conference in Cairns. Well done to the ABS and Guardian for highlighting it

@ibrc2025.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Eight bat researchers mostly from Asia and Africa refused entry into Australia to attend global scientific event

Organisers say move will damage nation’s scientific standing as government refuses to comment on why group of scientists were refused entry

www.theguardian.com

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Arinjay Banerjee @banerjeelab.ca · Aug 8

I had an excellent time at #IBRC2025 hosting the comparative immunology sessions and co-presenting our work on bat antiviral immunity with Dr. Irving at the Bat1K symposium. (1/2)

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Dr Alison Peel @alibat.bsky.social · Aug 8

There were so many great talks at #IBRC2025 and so much going on that I’ve been too busy to post! The conference ended on a high with an inspiring presentation by Tigga Kingston on the mission and achievements of @gbatnet.bsky.social.

Can’t wait til #IBRC2028 in Columbia!

@ibrc2025.bsky.social

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Dr Alison Peel @alibat.bsky.social · Aug 8

Then days 4&5 saw talks on bat-viral co-evolution by Avirup Sanyal, diet metabarcoding by Cinthia Pietromonaco, co-infection and co-circulation from @epibrent.bsky.social , and retroviruses by Jess Mitchell. So proud of all their work and high standard of presentations!

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Dr Alison Peel @alibat.bsky.social · Aug 8

Days 3&4 brought 4 presentations in 2 days for me 🫠, and real excitement around all the incredible one health-framed bat infectious disease research being conducted around the world.

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Jennifer Barr @jennbarr.bsky.social · Aug 6

www.who.int/emergencies/...

Nipah Virus Infection - India

Between 17 May and 12 July 2025, the Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala informed through a series of official press releases about four confirmed cases, including two de...

www.who.int

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