Pedro Vale
@pfvale.bsky.social
2.3K followers 1.2K following 160 posts
Ecology & Evolution of Infection Dynamics lab, Edinburgh, UK https://pedrovale.bio.ed.ac.uk/
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pfvale.bsky.social
This piece on infection history as a driver of individual heterogeneity in infection outcomes was fun to think about and to write with @chadisaadroy.bsky.social and Mike Boots. Also suggest that systems like #Drosophila can offer useful tools to tackle the epidemiological consequences.
Reposted by Pedro Vale
blongdon.bsky.social
2 job adverts on a NERC project w myself + @darrenobbard.bsky.social on “What determines the virome: ecology and the environment, evolution, or species history?” early 2026 in
@uniexecec.bsky.social
- Postdoc: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
- RA: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Pls share!
pfvale.bsky.social
This piece on infection history as a driver of individual heterogeneity in infection outcomes was fun to think about and to write with @chadisaadroy.bsky.social and Mike Boots. Also suggest that systems like #Drosophila can offer useful tools to tackle the epidemiological consequences.
pfvale.bsky.social
"The myth of meritocracy in science collapses under the financial sacrifices expected at every career stage. From unpaid internships and self-funded conferences to underpaid positions, these hidden costs disproportionately exclude those without generational wealth, compounded by race and gender."
Too poor to science: How wealth determines who succeeds in STEM
From student to researcher, a career in science can come with a high price tag. This Perspective explores how persistent financial barriers limit who can succeed in science, revealing how wealth shape...
dx.plos.org
pfvale.bsky.social
#DiseaseEcology #AnimalBehavior #Evolution
Reposted by Pedro Vale
cr-amo.bsky.social
Hope this primer proves helpful to anybody interested in infection avoidance. It was certainly a pleasure to write with @akgibson.bsky.social and @pfvale.bsky.social l!
pfvale.bsky.social
This primer on infection avoidance was incredibly fun to write with @cr-amo.bsky.social and Mandy Gibson. We cover its taxonomic breadth, mechanisms and evolution, and its importance across fields as diverse as public health, conservation, and agriculture. 🧪
www.cell.com/current-biol...

#SymbioSky
This figure highlights the diversity of avoidance across different species in response to pathogens and parasites. (A) Rainbow trout avoid waters with high concentrations of trematode cercariae, reducing exposure to these parasites. (B) Healthy Caribbean spiny lobsters avoid sharing dens with those infected by viruses, preventing the spread of infection within their communities. (C,D) Avoidance underlies many human public health measures such as social distancing, to minimize the risk of infectious disease contagion. (E) Oystercatchers avoid eating the largest cockles, which are likely to be infested with parasitic helminths. (F,G) Bees and ants (eusocial insects) exhibit complex social behaviours to minimize infection risks. Bees isolate or remove infected individuals from the colony, while ants restructure their social networks to reduce contact with fungal-infected foragers. (H) Sheep avoid food and water sources contaminated with feces, reducing the risk of ingesting parasites that may be present in such environments. (I,J) Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. These model organisms illustrate how detected pathogenic cues can modify behaviour and provide insights into the neurological integration of sensory perception and behavioural response to pathogens. Plants, like Saline latifolia (K), can avoid infection too, for example by flowering for shorter periods to reduce contact with fungal spores transmitted by pollinators. Root compounds of some sorghum (L) lines are associated with reduced germination of parasitic Striga seeds, demonstrating chemical avoidance strategies. (M) Crickets avoid detection by parasitic flies through the selection of variants that cannot sing, disrupting the ability of parasites to locate hosts acoustically. (N) Spongy moths show variability in larval behaviour to avoid virus-contaminated foliage. (O) Lemurs avoid water sources that have an elevated risk of fecal contamination.
pfvale.bsky.social
Providencia rettgeri is a commonly employed #Drosophila pathogen. It also has an extensive AMR profile causing opportunistic infections in hospital settings. I recently realised I know less about it than I should, so here is my homework.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

#Microsky #MEvosky
Providencia rettgeri
www.sciencedirect.com
pfvale.bsky.social
Hi Michelle. I've just added you.
pfvale.bsky.social
Any hybrid model journal, because the subscription (free to publish) model is available, and depositing the accepted article file on PURE will satisfy funder requirements.
pfvale.bsky.social
Really excited to finally start this project with @andreadwilson.bsky.social, using #Drosophila as a model for experimental epidemiology and evolution to explore the genetic determinants and evolutionary constraints on extreme pathogen transmission phenotypes.
pfvale.bsky.social
Hi #Drosophila folk: I'm advertising a 2-year #Postdoc, funded by a BBSRC grant on the genetic and immune determinants and evolutionary constraints underlying extreme pathogen transmission phenotypes. Deadline 29 April, details in the link below, or feel free to email:
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DMQ231/p...
Postdoctoral Research Associate at The University of Edinburgh
Apply now for the Postdoctoral Research Associate role on jobs.ac.uk - the leading job board for higher education jobs. View details.
www.jobs.ac.uk
pfvale.bsky.social
Tagging #symbiosky
pfvale.bsky.social
An interesting, tenured, Principal Researcher position at CIBIO in Northern Portugal, focused on the study of virus-host #co-evolution, with emphasis on the #evolution of #immune system genes and the impact of emerging diseases on wildlife.

www.cibio.up.pt/en/jobs/tenu...
TENURE, 1st Edition: 2 positions- BIOPOLIS2025-15 - Job Opportunities - Cibio
The mission of the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources is to develop world-class research in the areas of biodiversity and evolutionary bi
www.cibio.up.pt
Reposted by Pedro Vale
kguschan.bsky.social
Dental calculus, the preserved oral microbiome, is an absolute treasure trove of information that can be interrogated across thousands of years. But how to make it work? In a new preprint, @markella-morait.bsky.social asks this questions using >30 mammalian species:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
pfvale.bsky.social
Tagging #symbiosky #drosophila #entomology
pfvale.bsky.social
Hi Jacek. That's you added now.
pfvale.bsky.social
Tagging 🧪 #EcoECRcareer #ecosky #mevosky #symbiosky
pfvale.bsky.social
Tagging 🧪, #mevosky, and #evolution