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Reposted by Gabriella Veytsel

Guppy Stott @guppy-stott.bsky.social · Jun 17

Today (Tuesday), I'm presenting a poster on a flexible graph database pipeline for data integration, with a small teaser on a completed subsampling tool for phylogenetics, if you want to chat about that instead!

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Gabriella Veytsel @gabriella-veytsel.bsky.social · Jun 17

I am also actively searching for post-docs in ecology, epidemiology, and evolution of infectious diseases! Would love to chat :)

Gabriella Veytsel @gabriella-veytsel.bsky.social · Jun 17

Poster #9

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Gabriella Veytsel @gabriella-veytsel.bsky.social · Jun 17

Come visit my poster (#84) about wastewater surveillance, cryptic transmission, and epidemic dynamics today from 5:15-7pm! @eeid2025.bsky.social #EEID2025

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Hillary Rodham Clinton @hillaryclinton.bsky.social · Jun 11

Russia has abducted thousands of Ukrainian children, plunging families into every parent's worst nightmare.

Now, Trump funding cuts threaten to close a Yale center that helps identify these children and bring them home.

Please consider donating to help continue this work: sph.yale.edu/give-hrl

Help the Humanitarian Research Lab Keep Finding Ukraine’s Abducted Children

The Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) at Yale helps to locate and bring back Ukraine’s children who have been abducted by Russia. But without additional funding,

sph.yale.edu

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Caitlin Rivers @cmyeaton.bsky.social · Jun 9

Welp, there it is. RFK Jr. has removed all 17 members that comprise CDC’s vaccine advisory committee and will make new appointments. I said on PBS News Hour in February that this was a red line for me. www.hhs.gov/press-room/h...

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · Jun 6

Across the government, the Trump administration is scrambling to rehire many federal employees dismissed under DOGE’s staff-slashing initiatives after wiping out entire offices, in some cases imperiling key services such as weather forecasting and the drug approval process.

Trump races to fix a big mistake: DOGE fired too many people

Across the government, the administration is rehiring federal workers who were forced out or encouraged to resign.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Colin Carlson @colincarlson.bsky.social · Jun 2

Please read and share.

Verena @viralemergence.org · Jun 2

An update from the team on the uncertain future of our program and the impact of NSF budget cuts. Please share and reach out 🦠

Some difficult news from the team:

In NSF's FY25-26 Budget Request to Congress, we learned that our program will take a whopping 50% cut - meaning that in September, we'll be $1.25m short of an operating budget that currently supports a cohort of seven PhD students, four postdocs, and three full-time staff.

Verena is one of the largest and last pandemic prevention-focused programs in the United States: since 2020, we've supported the training of over 60 postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates. Our researchers have established unique laboratory resources for studying animal immune systems, and discovered new antiviral immune adaptations in bats; developed risk assessment algorithms for wildlife and livestock viruses, and diagnostic algorithms for viruses like dengue, Ebola, and Zika; and quantified the effects of climate change, deforestation, and factory farming on spillover risk. Everything we develop is 100% open source, and our data has supported the research of nearly 150 external researchers in 21 countries to date.

We have three months to make up our budget shortfall. Every dollar spent on Verena supports not just our team, but the community of researchers who use our data, code, and resources. You can help us by sharing this post, and reaching out if you're able to support a unique and vulnerable program. Or just head over to viralemergence.org, and take a look at what we do. 🦟 🦇 🦠

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Krutika Kuppalli, MD FIDSA @krutikakuppalli.bsky.social · May 28

🚨 In a stunningly short-sighted move, HHS just canceled its contract with Moderna to test mRNA vaccines for #H5N1 and other pandemic threats.

When the next big outbreak hits, what’s the plan—bleach again?

This will come back to bite us. Hard.
#BirdFlu #PublicHealth #PandemicPreparedness

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · May 28

BREAKING: In a serious blow to US pandemic flu preparedness, HHS has cancelled a contract with Moderna to test and license prototype vaccines for #H5N1 #birdflu and other potential pandemic viruses.
In a pandemic, mRNA is the fastest way to vaccine doses. www.statnews.com/2025/05/28/m...

HHS cancels nearly $600 million Moderna contract on vaccines for flu pandemics

HHS has notified Moderna that it is canceling a nearly $600 million contract for vaccines for flu strains that could trigger future pandemics.

www.statnews.com

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NPR @npr.org · May 26

Science is an economic driver in Hamilton, Mont., thanks to Rocky Mountain Laboratories, a federal research lab. Now, layoffs and funding cuts are having an impact in this town far from Washington.

A small Montana town grapples with the fallouts from federal worker cuts

Science is an economic driver in Hamilton, Mont., thanks to Rocky Mountain Laboratories, a federal research lab. Now, layoffs and funding cuts are having an impact in this town far from Washington.

www.npr.org

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The Ferrari Lab @theferrarilab.bsky.social · May 22

Any university that thinks this won't be their fate eventually is detached from reality. We work together or we fail apart.

Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students

www.nytimes.com

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Kara Jorgensen @authorkaraj.bsky.social · May 20

The comment period for this ends in 3 DAYS. Please leave a comment telling them EVERYONE should be able to get covid boosters.
www.regulations.gov/commenton/FD...

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Noam Ross @noamross.net · May 9

Do not treat this as fait accompli. We are winning in courts and public opinion. Nominees are being withdrawn. Congress is shook. Musk is leaving.

Organize. Call. Appeal. Sue. Keep the pressure on your bosses.

Do the same for trans and immigrant rights, public health, and more. Solidarity forever.

David Malakoff @davidmalakoff.bsky.social · May 8

Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions

Changes seen as a response to presidential directives on what research to fund

www.science.org

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Benjy Renton @bhrenton.bsky.social · May 4

In the summer of 2020, Hispanics in Texas were half of all COVID-19 deaths. Now they are less than 25% of COVID-19 deaths.

An important deep dive into how Hispanic Texans got vaccinated in record numbers and reduced COVID deaths.
www.texastribune.org/2025/05/01/t...

Weary from COVID deaths, Hispanic Texans embraced vaccines. It saved their lives.

In the deadly summer of 2020, Hispanics in Texas were half of all COVID-19 deaths, spurring many to vaccinate. Today, in a startling flip, Hispanics make up less than a quarter of deaths from the dise...

www.texastribune.org

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Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · May 2

NIH is ending billions of dollars in foreign subawards, jeopardizing thousands of projects on infectious diseases, cancer and more.

Unless foreign researchers secure funding directly from NIH by October — a tall order for any researcher — clinical trials abroad and other research will shut down.

Exclusive: NIH to end billions of dollars in foreign research grants

Move by US biomedical agency jeopardizes thousands of projects on infectious diseases, cancer and more.

www.nature.com

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Summer Blanco (she/they) @mellamosummer.bsky.social · Apr 16

Union of Athens Scientists meeting THIS THURSDAY! RT 🗣️🗣️🗣️

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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · Apr 15

So this is very bad. The government does not have the staff to keep its networks & data secure or functional. As a result, the HHS won’t be able to protect sensitive data or carry out its work. Imagine the US without research, emergency response, prevention, regulating medicines, health insurance…

David Gilbert @davidgilbert.bsky.social · Apr 15

SCOOP:

HHS has been gutted leaving critical health systems in danger of collapsing overnight. And no one's in charge:

“Those in charge are AWOL. I’m doing nothing productive. This ship has no captain whatsoever, and I’m playing in the band while the Titanic sinks.”

www.wired.com/story/depart...

HHS Systems Are in Danger of Collapsing, Workers Say

The purging of IT and cybersecurity staff at the Department of Health and Human Services could threaten the systems used by the agency’s staff and the safety of critical health data.

www.wired.com

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Niko Bowie @nikobowie.bsky.social · Apr 14

BREAKING: On Friday, the federal government issued new demands of Harvard University. The university's lawyers just responded: back off.

April 14, 2025
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
Josh Gruenbaum
Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service
General Services Administration
Sean R. Keveney
Acting General Counsel
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Thomas E. Wheeler
Acting General Counsel
U.S. Department of Education
Dear Messrs. Gruenbaum, Keveney, and Wheeler:
We represent Harvard University. We are writing in response to your letter dated April 11,
2025, addressed to Dr. Alan Garber, Harvard’s President, and Penny Pritzker, Senior Fellow of the
Harvard Corporation.
Harvard is committed to fighting antisemitism and other forms of bigotry in its community.
Antisemitism and discrimination of any kind not only are abhorrent and antithetical to Harvard’s
values but also threaten its academic mission.
To that end, Harvard has made, and will continue to make, lasting and robust structural,
policy, and programmatic changes to ensure that the university is a welcoming and supportive
learning environment for all students and continues to abide in all respects with federal law across
its academic programs and operations, while fostering open inquiry in a pluralistic community free
from intimidation and open to challenging orthodoxies, whatever their source.
Over the past 15 months, Harvard has undertaken substantial policy and programmatic
measures. It has made changes to its campus use policies; adopted new accountability procedures;
imposed meaningful discipline for those who violate university policies; enhanced programs
designed to address bias and promote ideological diversity and civil discourse; hired staff to
support these programs and support students; changed partnerships; dedicated resources to combat
hate and bias; and enhanced safety and security measures. As a result, Harvard is in a very different
place today from where it was a year ago. These efforts, and additional measures the university
will be taking against antisemitism, not only are the right thing to do but also are critical to
strength…

recognized by the Supreme Court. The government’s terms also circumvent Harvard’s statutory
rights by requiring unsupported and disruptive remedies for alleged harms that the government has
not proven through mandatory processes established by Congress and required by law. No less
objectionable is the condition, first made explicit in the letter of March 31, 2025, that Harvard
accede to these terms or risk the loss of billions of dollars in federal funding critical to vital research
and innovation that has saved and improved lives and allowed Harvard to play a central role in
making our country’s scientific, medical, and other research communities the standard-bearers for
the world. These demands extend not only to Harvard but to separately incorporated and
independently operated medical and research hospitals engaging in life-saving work on behalf of
their patients. The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional
rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the
federal government. Accordingly, Harvard will not accept the government’s terms as an agreement
in principle.
Harvard remains open to dialogue about what the university has done, and is planning to
do, to improve the experience of every member of its community. But Harvard is not prepared to
agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration.
William A. Burck Robert K. Hur
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP 1300 I Street NW Suite 900 Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005 King & Spalding LLP
1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20006

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Tim Waterman @tim-waterman.co.uk · Apr 13

This is DEFINITELY the right time to join and support your union. (Also it's ALWAYS the right time).

AAUP @aaup.org · Apr 12

BREAKING: Harvard AAUP & the nat'l AAUP have jointly filed a lawsuit & TRO to block the Trump admin from demanding that Harvard restrict speech & undermine academic freedom or else lose $8.7 billion in federal funds. This action challenges the Trump admin's misuse of funds for coercion. Stay tuned.

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Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · Apr 8

One by one until someone stands up

Neil Lewis, Jr. @neillewisjr.bsky.social · Apr 8

Welp

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/u...

Trump Officials Freeze $1 Billion for Cornell and $790 Million for Northwestern

The funding pause amid civil rights investigations into both universities sharply escalates the Trump administration’s campaign against elite colleges.

www.nytimes.com

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The Ferrari Lab @theferrarilab.bsky.social · Apr 5

Hey, @fetterman.senate.gov, I'm a PA voter, and I desperately do not want to see this happen.

makena kelly @makenakelly.bsky.social · Apr 5

SCOOP: DOGE is hosting a “hackathon” in DC next week with the goal of building one “mega API” for accessing all IRS data.

Palantir has been brought up as a potential partner.

www.wired.com/story/doge-h...

DOGE Is Planning a Hackathon at the IRS. It Wants Easier Access to Taxpayer Data

DOGE operatives have repeatedly referred to the software company Palantir as a possible partner in creating a “mega API” at the IRS, sources tell WIRED.

www.wired.com

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Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · Apr 4

Drug-resistant gonorrhea, a form of the widespread sexually transmitted infection, is considered an urgent health threat worldwide. The US has just lost its ability to detect it.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/h...

A Federal Lab That Tracked Rising S.T.I.s Has Been Shuttered (Gift Article)

The United States can no longer keep tabs on drug-resistant gonorrhea, among other infections, scientists said.

www.nytimes.com

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Summer Blanco (she/they) @mellamosummer.bsky.social · Apr 2

We’re back. 🔥🔥 Come join us on the @aaup.bsky.social’s National Day of Action at Little Kings from 6-8pm. Let’s get in good trouble.

If you're in Athens, please boost🗣️🗣️🗣️

Union of athens scientists community meeting. April 17 6pm at little kings

Calling all scientists, researchers, and STEM advocates! Are you ready to step beyond the lab and engage with the political and social issues that affect our work and world? This National Day of Action, the Union of Athens Scientists is hosting a community gathering aimed at building bridges between scientific fields and empowering us to take collective political action. Let’s unite, strategize, and act!

Come Share Your Story Whether it’s climate change, public health, technology, or social justice. Bring your personal journey & experiences to the table Build community Meet fellow scientists and STEM advocates who are passionate about driving political change Engage in Collective action Together, we will explore how we can leverage our expertise to strengthen our collective impact to influence policy and foster change.

Have questions/comments?
Contact us at unionofathensscientists@gmail.com Want to join our listserv?
Dm us with your name, affiliation, and gmail. Whether you're a seasoned advocate or just beginning to consider the intersection of science and politics, this is the place to make your voice heard and contribute to meaningful change.

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Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · Apr 1

These are the divisions eliminated in CDC. Apparently the man who claims he’s going to address chronic conditions does not want smoking or miner’s health addressed, or lead poisoning, to name just a few.

Because he’s not really trying to address chronic illness. He just wants to remove vaccines.

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Dr Emma Hodcroft @firefoxx66.bsky.social · Apr 1

This is a disgrace to every American and a bullet to the heart of the culture of research, science, and innovation that has made the US a world-leader in disease, treatment, and prevention.

Journalists: now is the time publicize your Signal handles (again).

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · Apr 1

Employees of #HHS and its agencies who are being fired — RIF'd — started to receive termination notices today starting at 5 am. Big swaths of the #CDC appear to have been cut. Developing story.
www.statnews.com/2025/04/01/h...

HHS starts layoffs of thousands of workers across its agencies

Layoff notices began arriving early Tuesday for thousands of employees of HHS and its subsidiary agencies, with as many 10,000 workers potentially expected to be hit by the cuts.

www.statnews.com

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