Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Understanding avian influenza mortality

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · 7d

What if we take a systems approach to thinking about transboundary animal diseases? Our framework, just out in #TrendsInParasitology, suggests common vulnerabilities and opportunities for intervention.

#TADs

authors.elsevier.com/a/1lshW5Eb1x...

authors.elsevier.com

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · 13d

New essay out in #Science: why is the human fatality rate from the current #H5N1 outbreak so much lower than in past outbreaks?

I explore three possible explanations—and what they mean for pandemic risk.

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Three theories could explain why the North American H5N1 epidemic has not been more deadly

www.science.org

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · 14d

Newly expanded version of my guide to scientific writing -- known as the “15 steps” -- published in PLOS Computational Biology. Special thanks to Éric Marty for creating a fantastic visualization.

Check it out: journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...

#ScientificWriting #PLOSComputationalBiology

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · 21d

How do human-wildlife interfaces and seasonality interact during disease emergence? Our team has created a model, inspired by the #spillover of #Ebola, to better understand the interplay.

Read more about our research: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · 22d

Science philanthropy is alive and well. Schmidt Sciences has just announced eight new awards through its Schmidt Polymaths program.

www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

Saad Bhamla Is A Polymath

Philanthropy backs bold science as federal funds shrink. Schmidt Polymaths support Saad Bhamla’s work on biomechanics of everyday organisms from ripple bugs to flamingos.

An Algorithm For Controlling Epidemics

Reposted by John M. Drake

Juliana Taube @julianataube.bsky.social · 27d

Ever read a paper & think, "wow 🤩 that was well written"?

Learn how to write your own *wow* paper with @midas-network.bsky.social trainees on Thurs 9/25 @ noon ET.

We'll hear from @jdrakephd.bsky.social on strategies for crafting & communicating a good story.

🔗 georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Flyer advertising upcoming MIDAS Trainee Network event on How to Write a Strong Manuscript. The event will take place on Thurs 9/25 at 12pm ET with a presentation from Dr. John Drake from the University of Georgia, followed by Q&A and discussion. Register at: https://georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/register/rTEZP0pSQIqlLv_EyquGgQ

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · 29d

Interesting work by Kris Parag and Sandor Beregi using model predictive control for timing NPIs.

👉 Read my Forbes piece: www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

Researchers adapt model predictive control from engineering to epidemic response, balancing health and economic costs under noisy, delayed data.

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Sep 8

Also: are there essays or papers you’ve found especially insightful on the ethics of AI in scholarly writing?

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Sep 8

Three prompts:
(1) What tasks might AI be used for?
(2) What are the norms of academic writing that AI could reinforce, violate, or unsettle?
(3) What ethical challenges/dilemmas deserve closer attention (e.g., equity of access, epistemic dependence, shifting standards of originality)?

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Sep 8

Universities everywhere are now grappling with policies on the use of AI in research and writing, raising fascinating broader questions about how AI might (or should) figure in scholarly work.

What are your thoughts—beyond the usual tropes (“AI isn’t an author,” “the human is responsible,” etc.)?

California Child Infected With H5N1 Bird Flu, Source Unknown

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Sep 5

Full details of #H5N1 infection in a San Francisco child last year—with no known source—were just published in the MMWR.

Case report → www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes...

My take at forbes.com → www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

CDC reports a San Francisco child infected with H5N1 bird flu in December 2024; source unknown. Case highlights risk to general population.

Drake's Dispatches | John Drake | Substack

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Sep 1

Trying something new: a Substack. It’s called Drake’s Dispatches. Occasional essays, columns, and notes on science, health, environment, and other stuff. First post is up: jdrakephd.substack.com

I'm John, a professor writes about science, health, environment, and the policies that shape them. Click to read Drake's Dispatches, by John Drake, a Substack publication.

jdrakephd.substack.com

Two Thousand Of America’s Top Scientists Warn Congress: Don’t Gut Research Funding

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Aug 30

What stands out to me is not only the scale of the mobilization, but the silence it has met. When the top 0.1% of scientists, engineers, and physicians are compelled to act collectively, you would expect their message to command attention.

www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

Open letter from 2,100+ National Academy members warns Congress of dire consequences from FY26 science budget cuts; organizers seek response.

Bird Flu In The US: Seventy Human Cases, Mostly Mild, But With Warning Signs

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Aug 27

We finally have a proper breakdown of the 70 human cases of H5N1 in the USA thanks to Melissa Rolfes and other CDC scientists. Great paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

My thoughts here:
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

Seventy U.S. H5N1 cases reveal unusual patterns: fewer deaths than abroad but much higher risk than seasonal flu

The Lancet One Health Commission: harnessing our interconnectedness for equitable, sustainable, and healthy socioecological systems

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Aug 25

An ambitious new report, commissioned by #TheLancet, seeks to reframe #OneHealth to be an even more encompassing framework. I spoke with co-chairs Andrea Winkler and John Amuasi about their process.

The report: www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

My interview: www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

Industrialisation, urbanisation, and globalisation have substantially improved human life expectancy over the past century. In tandem, an expanding array of interlinked threats to humans, other animal...

www.thelancet.com

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Aug 22

A rare Salmonella strain has reemerged in the US, traced to pet bearded dragons. 27 cases, mostly infants. Same strain as 10 yrs ago.

My take in Forbes on what this means for public health—and for the reptile trade.

www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

Bearded Dragons Linked To Multi-state Outbreak Of Rare Salmonella Serovar In Children

A rare Salmonella outbreak tied to pet bearded dragons sickened children in 14 states, raising questions about reptile trade and public health.

Why are there so few pathogens? Ecology and evolution in pathogen emergence

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Aug 21

Given the tremendous diversity of microorganisms in the world, why do only a small fraction cause disease?

My essay in #PLOSBiology argues that the answer is lack of opportunity and that humans encounter only one new bacterial pathogen for every 1.4b years lived.

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Why are there so few pathogens, and what determines their emergence? This Perspective argues that ecological and evolutionary forces (host availability, geographic exposure and microbial innovation) w...

journals.plos.org

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Aug 8

I spoke with Kari Jordan and Erin Becker of The Carpentries about why they declined a $1.5M NSF grant intended to expand data science training. Their decision highlights the growing intersection of #science, #DEI, and federal policy.

Read the full story on Forbes: www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

Nonprofit Refuses $1.5M Science Grant Due To New Federal DEI Rules

A coding nonprofit turned down a $1.5M NSF grant after new DEI restrictions, highlighting the clash between federal policy and scientific community values.

Scaling of Extinction Time With Habitat Size in Experimental Populations

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Jul 25

New in #EcologyLetters: How does extinction time scale with habitat size? An experiment with #Daphnia found strong support for power law—not exponential—scaling. A rare test of a big theoretical question.

Link: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
#Ecology #Extinction #Scaling #Microcosms

Theory predicts that extinction time scales with carrying capacity as either an exponential or power law. Extinction time in 35 laboratory populations was more consistent with a power law than expone....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by John M. Drake

Chris Wymant @chriswymant.bsky.social · Jun 25

Congrats to @jdrakephd.bsky.social on the important achievement of winning our* infectious disease pub quiz. Honorable mentions to Corin Yeats, Luca Ferretti, @christophraser.bsky.social and @aliciagill.bsky.social
* the Pandemic Sciences Institute; Data, Epidemiology and Analytics section

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Jun 28

Global #influenza surveillance has long focused on farms, markets, and clinical settings. But new evidence suggests that sampling wild bird droppings could play a critical role in detecting emerging flu threats earlier and in places that are otherwise hard to monitor.

www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

Tracking Bird Flu Through Poop In Places No One’s Looking

New research uses bird droppings to track avian flu in remote regions, revealing hidden hotspots and potential for early outbreak detection.

Scientists-In-Training Speak Out To Protect Public Research

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Jun 19

Hundreds of early-career scientists are writing letters to their hometown papers to connect Americans with science. The McClintock Letters Project is about trust, story, and the future of science in America.
🧬📬 Read more: www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
#ScienceCommunication #McClintockLetters

The McClintock Letters Project is a student-led nationwide campaign advocating for public investment in scientific research.

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John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Jun 17

Please to be presenting today at the 74th Annual International Conference on Diseases in Nature Communicable to Humans on our latest work using #MachineLearning to understand the ecology of emerging #Arboviruses

Judge Rules NIH Grant Cuts Illegal

John M. Drake @jdrakephd.bsky.social · Jun 17

A federal judge ruled Trump-era NIH grant cuts “void and illegal,” citing discrimination. I wrote for Forbes about the implications for science funding and institutional trust.
🔗 www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
#NIH #SciencePolicy #Forbes

A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration’s termination of NIH research grants constituted racial discrimination and anti-LGBTQ+ bias.