Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · 3d

Very interesting few days in Berlin meeting and training with colleagues of veterinary, food and public health agencies in Sweden and other Northern European countries!

European Food Safety Authority @efsa.europa.eu · 4d

When a crisis hits, borders don’t matter – collaboration does.

Today with @bfrde.bsky.social, we launch the 2025 Crisis Preparedness Exercise.

3 days, 10+ countries, EU institutions & sister agencies joining forces to test readiness against zoonotic threats with a #OneHealth approach.

Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Kirsty MacLeod @kjmacleod.bsky.social · 23d

In honour of "Postdoc Appreciation Week", a plug for a paper I was involved in 5 years ago (w/ @bjmjarrett.bsky.social, @muriellealund.bsky.social and others) in which we highlighted how academia could better support postdocs. There is much here that remains relevant! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Academic ecosystems must evolve to support a sustainable postdoc workforce - Nature Ecology & Evolution

The postdoctoral experience is in need of reform. Here the authors outline concrete steps that institutions, postdocs and mentors can take to improve the landscape.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Silu Wang (she/her)🇨🇦 @siluwang.bsky.social · Aug 30

Why do speciation rates vary across the tree of life?
Some of the best yet most underappreciated places for this investigation are natural hybrid zones.
This preprint takes you to the hybrid zones in the origin of species to find a clue. 👉 shorturl.at/N7FXE
#Speciation #Evolution #hybridization

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Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · Jun 11

X me

Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Julia PG Jones @juliajones.bsky.social · Apr 22

The deadline for these two fully-funded phd projects is fast approaching (5th May). Do share far and wide.

Julia PG Jones @juliajones.bsky.social · Mar 29

Two fully-funded PhD scholarships @BangorUni
in conservation social science. Deadline 5th May. If you have conservation scientists, geographers, economists, sociologists in your network do share. Details in thread below (1/3)
www.bangor.ac.uk/conservation...

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · Apr 21

An Easter Monday treat...Puffins pitter patter into our #SpringArrivalSpotlight today! 😍

Arriving in April from the North Atlantic, their unmistakable colourful bills are the heralds of spring on our cliffs.

Look out for these adorable seabirds returning to nesting sites.

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

William Jones @jacanajones.bsky.social · Apr 15

If you're in #Sweden and you find a tick, my friend @muriellealund.bsky.social wants to have it!

www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/10-0...

10,000 ticks wanted for new study on TBE - Radio Sweden

10,000 ticks are needed to get a better idea of TBE risk areas in Sweden.A new study conducted by The Swedish Veterinary Agency and Uppsala University ...

www.sverigesradio.se

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Jason Gallant @jasongallant.bsky.social · Apr 5

I got to speak at a political rally (video below). Today, I stood up for science in Michigan at the Hands Off Day of action in Lansing. Inspired talks and one hell of a crowd!! @50501mi.bsky.social

Standing up for science in Lansing

YouTube video by Jason Gallant

youtu.be

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Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · Mar 26

Happy to answer any questions you may have about working with the flycatcher project! 🪶

Animal Ecology Uppsala @animecol-uu.bsky.social · Mar 26

📣 @qvarnstromlab.bsky.social is hiring a research assistant for 1 year to work on the flycatcher project. Responsibilities include sample organization, data management, lab and field work + management. MSc + relevant experience required.

Apply by Apr 4 👇 #ecoevojob

www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...

A male pied flycatcher perching on a branch

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Katerina Guschanski @kguschan.bsky.social · Mar 20

One week left to apply for a postdoc position in beautiful Edinburgh! Fully funded, 3 years, visa sponsorship. Explore interactions between host genomes and microbiomes during population declines using #museum collections ( #aDNA #popgen #hologenomics )!

Katerina Guschanski @kguschan.bsky.social · Mar 2

3-y postdoc position in (meta)Genomics of Population Declines elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid.... If you have experience with low-coverage genomic data, care about biodiversity loss, want to understand host-microbiomes interactions, this post is for you! #museomics #ancientDNA #mammals

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Noelle @noelle.ison.blue · Mar 8

Might save a life.

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Dr. Becca @docbecca.bsky.social · Mar 8

I made a Spotify playlist of @bwjones.bsky.social's absolute 🔥 set of female-led rock songs, plus a few that he got in the comments and a few that I thought belonged as well. A couple live performances weren't available so I substituted as best I could.

open.spotify.com/playlist/7gu...

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Gretchen Goldman, PhD @gretchentg.bsky.social · Mar 3

In a remarkable show of unity, today 48 scientific societies representing almost 100,000 members call on Congress to protect the future of science. Our elected officials must act now so we have a hope of avoiding long-term damage to the US science enterprise. www.ucsusa.org/about/news/s...

48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science

48 scientific societies representing almost 100,000 scientists signed on to a letter asking Congress to protect the future of science

www.ucsusa.org

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

William Jones @jacanajones.bsky.social · Feb 20

A PhD position has opened up in my old lab group in Uppsala with Anna Qvarnström! I can't recommend Uppsala and the group highly enough. This is a really great opportunity! If anyone wants to learn more about life in Uppsala or in the department, I'm very happy to talk.

A male Collared Flycatcher caught at one of the field sites. A small black and white bird being held in a hand. There is an open woodland background.

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Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · Feb 17

🧪🪶

Alastair J Wilson @ali--wilson.bsky.social · Feb 17

Looks like a great opportunity for a few months fieldwork with a great PI

Ally Phillimore @allyphillimore.bsky.social · Feb 12

Fieldwork opportunity: We're looking to hire a field assistant for the www.phenoweb.org project starting 1 April. Please repost. #phenology #fieldwork #birdringing

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Mongabay @mongabay.com · Feb 17

More than 25,000 people from 200 communities have restored nearly 5,000 hectares of the high-altitude Polylepis forests and protected more than 11,250 hectares of woodland.

Acción Andina (Andean Action) is an initiative that has launched 23 projects in Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Ecuador.

In the high Andes, a dream to restore a special forest takes root

Three years ago, while exploring the Mojanda mountain range in Ecuador, a team of researchers from a local NGO and a government research institute stumbled upon a small, unusual mouse. The expedition’...

news.mongabay.com

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Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · Feb 13

Rector of UNamur Annick Castiaux opened the conference strongly condemning recent attacks to science & diversity in the USA & highlighting the necessity for freedom in science & in teaching. Her comment on*that*executive order: "as if women needed to be protected by someone like Trump"👩‍🔬🧪💪 Thank you!

Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · Feb 13

Really looking forward to today's "Women and Girls in Science" conference at Université de Namur 🇧🇪 , where I'll give the first plenary. Can't wait to hear about all the cool science done by #ECR in #STEM !
🧪👩‍🔬

Program of the women and girls in science day at University of Namur on February 13th, 2025

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Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · Feb 13

Really looking forward to today's "Women and Girls in Science" conference at Université de Namur 🇧🇪 , where I'll give the first plenary. Can't wait to hear about all the cool science done by #ECR in #STEM !
🧪👩‍🔬

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · Feb 11

fin. Once we pivot into the world of humans, the biology of sex in stickleback (and how I simplify it slightly in my work) is irrelevant to the ethical standards by which we treat each other.

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · Feb 11

Wel, no surprise that Coyne used his blog (whyevolutionistrue) to argue with the SSE/SSB/ASN letter about definitions of sex. I'm not going to engage deeply with the letter here. Like any committee-drafted text it reflects compromises; I agree with some phrasing but some could have been clearer 1/N

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Gina Baucom @gbaucom.bsky.social · Feb 7

Letter from the SSE/SSB/ASN councils on the scientific understanding of sex and gender, pls RT

Letter to the US President and Congress on the Scientific Understanding of Sex and Gender

President Donald J Trump Washington, DC Members of the US Congress Washington, DC February 5, 2025 RE: Scientific Understanding of Sex and Gender Dear President Trump and Members of the US Congr...

www.evolutionsociety.org

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · Feb 6

Worried about losing access to US federal data that may go off-line, or already is? You’re not alone—but duplication isn’t the answer.

Many ongoing efforts have already archived key datasets and many more are ongoing. Check out these existing resources and, if you can, support their work. 🧵

a man in a black shirt is looking at a screen with a red background

Alt: a man in a black shirt is looking at a screen with a red background

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Kamil Slowikowski @slowkow.com · Feb 6

"These commitments — to reliable support for science, free scientific discourse, and inclusive opportunities to ensure that diverse people can participate in science — are not separate from our scientific mission but essential to its success."

Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · Feb 6

I usually reserve this account for my personal views; but today I want to represent my position as President of @asn-amnat.bsky.social to post a message that will shortly go out to the membership of the American Society of Naturalists from the ASN Executive Council

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Reposted by Murielle Ålund (she/her)

Jeremy BOO! Yoder 🎃💀🕷️ @jbyoder.org · Feb 6

“We will emphasize the crucial role of science in addressing society's most pressing challenges, including the reality of global climate change, importance of conservation, or the complex nature of sex and gender.”

Proud to be part of ASN — thank you, Dan, and thanks to the whole Executive Council

Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · Feb 6

I usually reserve this account for my personal views; but today I want to represent my position as President of @asn-amnat.bsky.social to post a message that will shortly go out to the membership of the American Society of Naturalists from the ASN Executive Council

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Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · Feb 6

🧪🪶🐦‍⬛🎶🧠📊
New paper in G3 by David Wheatcroft, Niclas Backström, Ludovic Dutoit, S. Eryn McFarlane @erynmcfarlane.bsky.social, Carina F Mugal, Mi Wang, Murielle Ålund @muriellealund.bsky.social , Hans Ellegren & Anna Qvarnström @qvarnstromlab.bsky.social @animecol-uu.bsky.social
#evolution #speciation

Murielle Ålund (she/her) @muriellealund.bsky.social · Feb 6

New paper led by D. Wheatcroft: song learning varies between the closely related collared & pied flycatchers: why is 1 species more flexible than the other? We compare gene expression in relevant brain regions in males of the 2 species & their hybrids.
🪶🧪#evolution
academic.oup.com/g3journal/ar...

Divergence in expression of a singing-related neuroplasticity gene in the brains of 2 Ficedula flycatchers and their hybrids

Abstract. Species-specific sexual traits facilitate species-assortative mating by reducing mating across species and reducing hybrid sexual attractiveness.

academic.oup.com

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