Dr Alison Peel
@alibat.bsky.social
🦇 disease ecologist & veterinarian, Horizon Fellow at Sydney Uni, using One Health approaches to study #viralspillover from bats #TeamHB7 She/her.
Fabulous piece by Dani Anderson from the @thedohertyinst.bsky.social about the dangers of the media inflating the risk of small, well contained Nipah virus outbreaks.
Do yourself a favour and take a read.
www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/...
Do yourself a favour and take a read.
www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/...
Nipah in the news: why it’s essential to follow the facts, not the fiction
Doherty Institute's Dr Danielle Anderson shares the latest insights on Nipah virus reemergence in India, with two recent confirmed cases in West Bengal.
www.doherty.edu.au
February 5, 2026 at 12:38 PM
Fabulous piece by Dani Anderson from the @thedohertyinst.bsky.social about the dangers of the media inflating the risk of small, well contained Nipah virus outbreaks.
Do yourself a favour and take a read.
www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/...
Do yourself a favour and take a read.
www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/...
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
#Bats🦇 play a vital role in ecosystems, from agricultural land to tropical forests. In tropical zones some species pollinate plants and disperse seeds while approximately 70% of the 1500 described bat species eat insects, including ones that can damage crops. www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/w...
February 3, 2026 at 8:59 AM
#Bats🦇 play a vital role in ecosystems, from agricultural land to tropical forests. In tropical zones some species pollinate plants and disperse seeds while approximately 70% of the 1500 described bat species eat insects, including ones that can damage crops. www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/w...
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Pretty amazingly, THE WA EPA RECOMMENDED IN FAVOUR OF FRACKING IN THE KIMBERLEY
One week left - please send an (easy) appeal to protect the Kimberley's wetlands from fracking (via Environs Kimberley)
www.environskimberley.org.au/epa_submissi...
One week left - please send an (easy) appeal to protect the Kimberley's wetlands from fracking (via Environs Kimberley)
www.environskimberley.org.au/epa_submissi...
The WA EPA have recommended in favour of fracking in the Kimberley
Saving the nature of the Kimberley
www.environskimberley.org.au
February 3, 2026 at 8:47 AM
Pretty amazingly, THE WA EPA RECOMMENDED IN FAVOUR OF FRACKING IN THE KIMBERLEY
One week left - please send an (easy) appeal to protect the Kimberley's wetlands from fracking (via Environs Kimberley)
www.environskimberley.org.au/epa_submissi...
One week left - please send an (easy) appeal to protect the Kimberley's wetlands from fracking (via Environs Kimberley)
www.environskimberley.org.au/epa_submissi...
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
"Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions, even in the near term, without imposing hardship on communities and the environment"
SpaceX is 100% correct about this, even if their proposed solution is hollow nonsense
www.spacex.com/updates#xai-...
SpaceX is 100% correct about this, even if their proposed solution is hollow nonsense
www.spacex.com/updates#xai-...
SpaceX
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft.
www.spacex.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:38 AM
"Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions, even in the near term, without imposing hardship on communities and the environment"
SpaceX is 100% correct about this, even if their proposed solution is hollow nonsense
www.spacex.com/updates#xai-...
SpaceX is 100% correct about this, even if their proposed solution is hollow nonsense
www.spacex.com/updates#xai-...
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
🎧 At min 8 @alibat.bsky.social explains why #NipahVIrus isn't a pandemic threat 🦇
1️⃣ Infection contracted by consuming fruit/sap contaminated with bat saliva/urine
2️⃣ h2h spread is difficult
3️⃣ The Indian West Bengal outbreak is contained
4️⃣ Nipah‑carrying bats aren’t found in Australia
bit.ly/4ka9pTg
1️⃣ Infection contracted by consuming fruit/sap contaminated with bat saliva/urine
2️⃣ h2h spread is difficult
3️⃣ The Indian West Bengal outbreak is contained
4️⃣ Nipah‑carrying bats aren’t found in Australia
bit.ly/4ka9pTg
Angus Taylor Clear To Challenge The Libs Leadership & How Worried Should We Be About Nipah Virus?
The headlines would have you believe we're hurtling toward another global pandemic; this time an outbreak of Nipah virus. But how true is that actually? And what do the Australian Government and healt...
bit.ly
February 2, 2026 at 11:37 PM
🎧 At min 8 @alibat.bsky.social explains why #NipahVIrus isn't a pandemic threat 🦇
1️⃣ Infection contracted by consuming fruit/sap contaminated with bat saliva/urine
2️⃣ h2h spread is difficult
3️⃣ The Indian West Bengal outbreak is contained
4️⃣ Nipah‑carrying bats aren’t found in Australia
bit.ly/4ka9pTg
1️⃣ Infection contracted by consuming fruit/sap contaminated with bat saliva/urine
2️⃣ h2h spread is difficult
3️⃣ The Indian West Bengal outbreak is contained
4️⃣ Nipah‑carrying bats aren’t found in Australia
bit.ly/4ka9pTg
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Do you remember when people were saying "I think my phone is listening to me, i'm getting ads for stuff I spoke about" and people said "They arent listening to you, they're just this good at predicting your interests"?
Well, it happens they were doing exactly that.
www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...
Well, it happens they were doing exactly that.
www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...
Google to pay $68 million over allegations its voice assistant eavesdropped on users
Class-action lawsuit alleged that Google's voice assistant illegally recorded and shared private conversations with advertisers.
www.cbsnews.com
February 1, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Do you remember when people were saying "I think my phone is listening to me, i'm getting ads for stuff I spoke about" and people said "They arent listening to you, they're just this good at predicting your interests"?
Well, it happens they were doing exactly that.
www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...
Well, it happens they were doing exactly that.
www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
That exodus…represents 14% of the total number of Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or health fields employed at the end of 2024 as then-President Joe Biden prepared to leave office.
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
www.science.org
January 27, 2026 at 1:34 PM
That exodus…represents 14% of the total number of Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or health fields employed at the end of 2024 as then-President Joe Biden prepared to leave office.
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
@pducambridge.bsky.social is looking for a new lab administrator (0.5 FTE) - come and join in pushing forward our research and impact in infectious disease! www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...
Research Coordinator (Part Time, Fixed Term)
The Pathogen Dynamics Unit, located within the Department of Genetics in central Cambridge, is looking to recruit a part-time Research Coordinator to join our growing team of researchers carrying out
www.cam.ac.uk
January 15, 2026 at 10:02 AM
@pducambridge.bsky.social is looking for a new lab administrator (0.5 FTE) - come and join in pushing forward our research and impact in infectious disease! www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Want to get the data out of a PDF figure? As in, the actual data – not a rough trace-along-the-lines version?
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
January 13, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Want to get the data out of a PDF figure? As in, the actual data – not a rough trace-along-the-lines version?
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
I made an app you might like: adamkucharski.github.io/pdf2plot/
It all started a few years ago... 🧵
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
With @eebdennis.bsky.social and many great partners already involved, we believe we can do more to link movement tracking data and wildlife diseases. The Move Disease Archive (MDA) is one step in this direction. Have a look and don't hesitate to get in touch if you're interested!
🌍 Excited to share the Move Disease Archive (MDA)—co-led by me and @kmorelle.bsky.social with support from Movebank, Move BON, Euromammals, and many partners!
A global collection of wildlife movement + disease data to understand behavior, spread & spillover!
🔗 kimx3725.github.io/move-disease...
A global collection of wildlife movement + disease data to understand behavior, spread & spillover!
🔗 kimx3725.github.io/move-disease...
January 13, 2026 at 8:39 PM
With @eebdennis.bsky.social and many great partners already involved, we believe we can do more to link movement tracking data and wildlife diseases. The Move Disease Archive (MDA) is one step in this direction. Have a look and don't hesitate to get in touch if you're interested!
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer
Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer
Volunteers found thousands of dead bats at Melbourne’s Brimbank park, wildlife expert says
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Thousands of flying foxes have perished in the heatwave that scorched south-east Australia last week, the largest mass mortality event for flying foxes since black summer.
Extreme temperatures resulted in deaths in camps across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Grey-headed flying foxes, listed as vulnerable under federal environment laws, were the most affected. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:30 AM
Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
So sad.
Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer
Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer
Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer
Volunteers found thousands of dead bats at Melbourne’s Brimbank park, wildlife expert says
www.theguardian.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:11 AM
So sad.
Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer
Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Reposting to make sure it reaches the intended audience. Note that the call is opened to both international applicants and Canadians currently abroad. Internal pre-application package is due Jan 14, so make sure you get in touch asap if interested!
The Canada Government will offer 400 postdoctoral fellowships to international researchers in early 2026. If you have a background in wildlife microbiome or quantitative genetics and are interested to apply to work on microbiome variation in Sable Island horses or caribou, feel free to get in touch
January 6, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Reposting to make sure it reaches the intended audience. Note that the call is opened to both international applicants and Canadians currently abroad. Internal pre-application package is due Jan 14, so make sure you get in touch asap if interested!
🦇 Two PhD positions available on our new ARC Discovery Grant: "From Diversity to Disease: Viral Ecology, Evolution and Persistence in Bats"
The project will investigate how viral diversity evolves and persists, with a particular focus on recently discovered henipaviruses in Australian flying foxes.
The project will investigate how viral diversity evolves and persists, with a particular focus on recently discovered henipaviruses in Australian flying foxes.
December 16, 2025 at 1:44 AM
🦇 Two PhD positions available on our new ARC Discovery Grant: "From Diversity to Disease: Viral Ecology, Evolution and Persistence in Bats"
The project will investigate how viral diversity evolves and persists, with a particular focus on recently discovered henipaviruses in Australian flying foxes.
The project will investigate how viral diversity evolves and persists, with a particular focus on recently discovered henipaviruses in Australian flying foxes.
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Fantastic news from ABC Science today: a wonderful donor - former librarian Ms Margaret Bales - has given $1 million to establish a Science Journalist Fellowship Program.
www.abc.net.au/about/the-ab...
www.abc.net.au/about/the-ab...
The ABC and ABC Friends Victoria announce Science Journalist Fellowship Program - About the ABC
The ABC is delighted to announce the establishment of the ABC Science Journalist Fellowship Program, a new initiative within the ABC Radio National Science Unit.
www.abc.net.au
December 7, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Fantastic news from ABC Science today: a wonderful donor - former librarian Ms Margaret Bales - has given $1 million to establish a Science Journalist Fellowship Program.
www.abc.net.au/about/the-ab...
www.abc.net.au/about/the-ab...
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
ARC says they’ll announce DECRA and LIEF outcomes tomorrow (Tuesday 25th Nov).
In recent times these announcements have been around 11am Canberra time. With 2 schemes on the same day, I assume they’ll announce one of them later in the day (probably DECRA first).
In recent times these announcements have been around 11am Canberra time. With 2 schemes on the same day, I assume they’ll announce one of them later in the day (probably DECRA first).
November 23, 2025 at 11:40 PM
ARC says they’ll announce DECRA and LIEF outcomes tomorrow (Tuesday 25th Nov).
In recent times these announcements have been around 11am Canberra time. With 2 schemes on the same day, I assume they’ll announce one of them later in the day (probably DECRA first).
In recent times these announcements have been around 11am Canberra time. With 2 schemes on the same day, I assume they’ll announce one of them later in the day (probably DECRA first).
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Where to start, with a statement like this?
"Tim Ayres said the cuts were aimed at refocusing … CSIRO towards research priorities, such as critical minerals, iron & steel production in Australia."
From some rando down the bus stop, one would brush it off.
But this is from our Science Minister 🤯
"Tim Ayres said the cuts were aimed at refocusing … CSIRO towards research priorities, such as critical minerals, iron & steel production in Australia."
From some rando down the bus stop, one would brush it off.
But this is from our Science Minister 🤯
CSIRO to cut up to 350 research jobs in major overhaul
After 440 positions were slashed last year, the CSIRO has announced more staff cuts across the country in a bid to remain financially viable.
www.abc.net.au
November 19, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Where to start, with a statement like this?
"Tim Ayres said the cuts were aimed at refocusing … CSIRO towards research priorities, such as critical minerals, iron & steel production in Australia."
From some rando down the bus stop, one would brush it off.
But this is from our Science Minister 🤯
"Tim Ayres said the cuts were aimed at refocusing … CSIRO towards research priorities, such as critical minerals, iron & steel production in Australia."
From some rando down the bus stop, one would brush it off.
But this is from our Science Minister 🤯
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Thrilled to see this finally announced - and glad to see good things still happening to good people!
Congratulations to Pardis, Christian, and the rest of the Sentinel team! 👏🥳
www.macfound.org/press/press-...
Congratulations to Pardis, Christian, and the rest of the Sentinel team! 👏🥳
www.macfound.org/press/press-...
Sentinel Awarded $100 Million to Prevent Pandemics
www.macfound.org
November 18, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Thrilled to see this finally announced - and glad to see good things still happening to good people!
Congratulations to Pardis, Christian, and the rest of the Sentinel team! 👏🥳
www.macfound.org/press/press-...
Congratulations to Pardis, Christian, and the rest of the Sentinel team! 👏🥳
www.macfound.org/press/press-...
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
“CSIRO has announced it will slash up to 350 jobs as the national science agency grapples with long-term financial challenges … with current funding failing to keep pace with the rising costs of running a modern science agency.”
Not “challenges”. They’re choices. 😡
Not “challenges”. They’re choices. 😡
CSIRO to cut up to 350 research jobs in major overhaul
After 440 positions were slashed last year, the CSIRO has announced more staff cuts across the country in a bid to remain financially viable.
www.abc.net.au
November 18, 2025 at 6:15 AM
“CSIRO has announced it will slash up to 350 jobs as the national science agency grapples with long-term financial challenges … with current funding failing to keep pace with the rising costs of running a modern science agency.”
Not “challenges”. They’re choices. 😡
Not “challenges”. They’re choices. 😡
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
First outbreak of Marburg (or Ebola) in Ethiopia. There isn't a licensed vaccine for Marburg, but an experimental one was used for a 2024 outbreak in Rwanda (www.science.org/content/arti...).
The suspected outbreak of a hemorrhagic vial illness in Ethiopia has now been confirmed to Marburg Virus Disease. So far 9 cases have been identified in a part of the country that shares a border with Sudan.
apnews.com/article/ethi...
apnews.com/article/ethi...
Ethiopia confirms first Marburg outbreak as WHO lauds country's fast action
Ethiopia has confirmed its first Marburg outbreak after nine cases were identified in the southern region of the country that borders South Sudan.
apnews.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:39 PM
First outbreak of Marburg (or Ebola) in Ethiopia. There isn't a licensed vaccine for Marburg, but an experimental one was used for a 2024 outbreak in Rwanda (www.science.org/content/arti...).
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Applications are open for the Postdoctoral Enrichment Program (PDEP)—supporting postdocs as they advance cutting-edge research and build thriving scientific careers.
Learn more & apply: bwfund.org/pdep #bwfpdep
Learn more & apply: bwfund.org/pdep #bwfpdep
November 14, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Applications are open for the Postdoctoral Enrichment Program (PDEP)—supporting postdocs as they advance cutting-edge research and build thriving scientific careers.
Learn more & apply: bwfund.org/pdep #bwfpdep
Learn more & apply: bwfund.org/pdep #bwfpdep
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
I will try to do a tweetorial about this paper when I have more energy but this is really important data. It looks (tentatively, preliminarily) that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines might significantly enhance the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy (subject to many caveats).
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines sensitize tumours to immune checkpoint blockade
Nature - mRNA vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2 also sensitize tumours to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
rdcu.be
October 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Our paper on the phenomenon of persistence and latency in Ebola virus in an unobserved reservoir is finally out in preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Evidence of latency reshapes our understanding of Ebola virus reservoir dynamics
Ebola virus (EBOV) has caused severe outbreaks of haemorrhagic fever in Central and West Africa since the first observed zoonotic epidemic in the late 1970s. While recent outbreaks have revealed much ...
www.biorxiv.org
October 19, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Our paper on the phenomenon of persistence and latency in Ebola virus in an unobserved reservoir is finally out in preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
Dunno if youse are across this... but it's forecast that in Sydney on Wednesday the temp will be 38C. (100 F)
It's OCTOBER! That's FIFTEEN DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE!
Our Government and fossil fuel companies are determined to cook us alive! Boil the oceans. Kill our forests. Turn habitat to ash.🥺😩
It's OCTOBER! That's FIFTEEN DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE!
Our Government and fossil fuel companies are determined to cook us alive! Boil the oceans. Kill our forests. Turn habitat to ash.🥺😩
October 18, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Dunno if youse are across this... but it's forecast that in Sydney on Wednesday the temp will be 38C. (100 F)
It's OCTOBER! That's FIFTEEN DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE!
Our Government and fossil fuel companies are determined to cook us alive! Boil the oceans. Kill our forests. Turn habitat to ash.🥺😩
It's OCTOBER! That's FIFTEEN DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE!
Our Government and fossil fuel companies are determined to cook us alive! Boil the oceans. Kill our forests. Turn habitat to ash.🥺😩
Reposted by Dr Alison Peel
… today, a group of 160 scientists from 23 countries is announcing that the planet has already reached its first major tipping point: the widespread death of warm-water coral reefs.
Corals are disappearing, pushing Earth to its first major ‘tipping point’
A new report says Earth has reached a dire milestone with the widespread death of warm-water coral reefs. It's not too late to save what remains.
grist.org
October 13, 2025 at 8:31 PM
… today, a group of 160 scientists from 23 countries is announcing that the planet has already reached its first major tipping point: the widespread death of warm-water coral reefs.