Alex Best
@bestieboy.bsky.social
Maths lecturer, disease modeller, EDI empowerer, amateur percussion player, very amateur baseball player.
As a mathematician it’s not often you get a field trip, but today’s office was a definite improvement. First day of a collaboration with colleagues @forestresearchuk.bsky.social and been wandering round trees discussing disease spread.
June 24, 2025 at 6:20 PM
As a mathematician it’s not often you get a field trip, but today’s office was a definite improvement. First day of a collaboration with colleagues @forestresearchuk.bsky.social and been wandering round trees discussing disease spread.
As a former J visa holder, solidarity to all the students, postdocs and researchers suddenly finding themselves cut adrift.
May 23, 2025 at 7:51 AM
As a former J visa holder, solidarity to all the students, postdocs and researchers suddenly finding themselves cut adrift.
Out on strike today. Didn’t make it to the @sheffielducu.bsky.social pickets as taking child to hospital (all fine) but looks like great turnouts as ever. Asking for a time-limited ruling out of compulsory redundancies really seems like a small ask, and yet here we are.
April 30, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Out on strike today. Didn’t make it to the @sheffielducu.bsky.social pickets as taking child to hospital (all fine) but looks like great turnouts as ever. Asking for a time-limited ruling out of compulsory redundancies really seems like a small ask, and yet here we are.
Reposted by Alex Best
Fully funded PhD project (UK applicants only) "Developing strategies for the control of ergot on-farm" #planthealth #plantpathology at @niab-uk.bsky.social and @camplantsci.bsky.social www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate... Note the short deadline. @bspp.bsky.social
April 23, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Fully funded PhD project (UK applicants only) "Developing strategies for the control of ergot on-farm" #planthealth #plantpathology at @niab-uk.bsky.social and @camplantsci.bsky.social www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate... Note the short deadline. @bspp.bsky.social
V happy to announce my 1st grant in a looong time! "Integrating spatial structure & seasonality into forest disease models" (EPSRC small grant). I'll spend 12 mths modelling disease spread through forest pops, incl working with @forestresearchuk.bsky.social to specifically model Dothistroma in pines
April 22, 2025 at 1:29 PM
V happy to announce my 1st grant in a looong time! "Integrating spatial structure & seasonality into forest disease models" (EPSRC small grant). I'll spend 12 mths modelling disease spread through forest pops, incl working with @forestresearchuk.bsky.social to specifically model Dothistroma in pines
On a related note, I wonder what the record is for papers published and still not promoted from L to SL? I suspect I'm getting close.
Pleased to see our paper out on modelling how host-parasite coevolution might play out if the host can itself simultaneously evolve constitutive and induced defences. This project came out of a side conversation during my Fulbright scholarship (y'know, back when those weren't being slashed...)
Host defence to parasites can be constitutive (always present) or induced (only activated after infection). How do these coevolve with each other and also with parasite growth? @bestieboy.bsky.social, Sarah Guth and Mike Boots investigated using theoretical models:
academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...
academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...
April 17, 2025 at 1:02 PM
On a related note, I wonder what the record is for papers published and still not promoted from L to SL? I suspect I'm getting close.
Pleased to see our paper out on modelling how host-parasite coevolution might play out if the host can itself simultaneously evolve constitutive and induced defences. This project came out of a side conversation during my Fulbright scholarship (y'know, back when those weren't being slashed...)
Host defence to parasites can be constitutive (always present) or induced (only activated after infection). How do these coevolve with each other and also with parasite growth? @bestieboy.bsky.social, Sarah Guth and Mike Boots investigated using theoretical models:
academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...
academic.oup.com/jeb/advance-...
The coevolution of parasite virulence and host investment in constitutive and induced defence
Abstract. Given their ubiquity in nature and their importance to human and agricultural health, it is important to gain a better understanding of the drive
academic.oup.com
April 17, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Pleased to see our paper out on modelling how host-parasite coevolution might play out if the host can itself simultaneously evolve constitutive and induced defences. This project came out of a side conversation during my Fulbright scholarship (y'know, back when those weren't being slashed...)
Reposted by Alex Best
Come join us at beautiful UBC! The King Lab is recruiting a Post-doc Fellow to develop mathematical theory on infectious disease evolution and emergence, together with Ben Ashby (SFU) #zoonoses #biodiversity www.zoology.ubc.ca/kinglab/join...
Join Us! | King Lab
Are you interested in joining the King Lab? More information here!
www.zoology.ubc.ca
March 31, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Come join us at beautiful UBC! The King Lab is recruiting a Post-doc Fellow to develop mathematical theory on infectious disease evolution and emergence, together with Ben Ashby (SFU) #zoonoses #biodiversity www.zoology.ubc.ca/kinglab/join...
It gives me a lot of joy to see this paper. I am not an author and it does not cite me. But the lead author was part of my first ever group of undergraduate tutees. To have seen Abby all the way through her undergrad and now publishing research - especially in my broad field - is something special.
Here's a recent #BulletinMathBio paper by Abby Barlow, Sarah Penington, and Ben Adams on Epidemiological Dynamics in Populations Structured by Neighbourhoods and Households.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Epidemiological Dynamics in Populations Structured by Neighbourhoods and Households - Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
Epidemiological dynamics are affected by the spatial and demographic structure of the host population. Households and neighbourhoods are known to be important groupings but little is known about the e...
link.springer.com
March 27, 2025 at 10:24 AM
It gives me a lot of joy to see this paper. I am not an author and it does not cite me. But the lead author was part of my first ever group of undergraduate tutees. To have seen Abby all the way through her undergrad and now publishing research - especially in my broad field - is something special.
Seeing this in the news reminded me how when Mrs B (then my girlfriend) first visited my family in Norfolk we said we’d go to Sea Palling for the day and she thought we were going to see some relative she’d not heard about called Pauline
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Holiday home owners threaten decades-old way of life for Norfolk fishers
Incomers claim use of a field for storing boats is creating too much noise and district council has sided with them
www.theguardian.com
March 24, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Seeing this in the news reminded me how when Mrs B (then my girlfriend) first visited my family in Norfolk we said we’d go to Sea Palling for the day and she thought we were going to see some relative she’d not heard about called Pauline
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Hard agree with this. I was lucky enough to just get my first research-focussed grant in 10 years. The thought that this could just be whisked away again on a whim by anonymous higher-ups is pretty awful. Full solidarity with all US colleagues going through this right now.
It is *so* hard to get NIH funding.
I can’t imagine how awful it must feel to have finally gotten the grant that lets you do the meaningful research you want to do and then have it ripped away.
I can’t imagine how awful it must feel to have finally gotten the grant that lets you do the meaningful research you want to do and then have it ripped away.
March 20, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Hard agree with this. I was lucky enough to just get my first research-focussed grant in 10 years. The thought that this could just be whisked away again on a whim by anonymous higher-ups is pretty awful. Full solidarity with all US colleagues going through this right now.
Reposted by Alex Best
1. For the past thirty years I've had the best job in the world.
I've had the opportunity to follow my curiosity; explore the workings of nature and society; mentor students and junior colleagues in the same process; and teach generations of students about it all.
I've had the opportunity to follow my curiosity; explore the workings of nature and society; mentor students and junior colleagues in the same process; and teach generations of students about it all.
March 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
1. For the past thirty years I've had the best job in the world.
I've had the opportunity to follow my curiosity; explore the workings of nature and society; mentor students and junior colleagues in the same process; and teach generations of students about it all.
I've had the opportunity to follow my curiosity; explore the workings of nature and society; mentor students and junior colleagues in the same process; and teach generations of students about it all.
In the last 3 weeks I have had 6 review requests. What is going on?
March 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
In the last 3 weeks I have had 6 review requests. What is going on?
How are we mean to keep up with all this crazy shit. Or is that the whole plan?
March 4, 2025 at 1:53 PM
How are we mean to keep up with all this crazy shit. Or is that the whole plan?
Wow it's been an intense start to the year. Starting to level off now thankfully and will have bits of news to share shortly.
First update - it was the Yorkshire Area brass band contest at the weekend and we was robbed.
First update - it was the Yorkshire Area brass band contest at the weekend and we was robbed.
March 3, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Wow it's been an intense start to the year. Starting to level off now thankfully and will have bits of news to share shortly.
First update - it was the Yorkshire Area brass band contest at the weekend and we was robbed.
First update - it was the Yorkshire Area brass band contest at the weekend and we was robbed.
Eldest's high school are proudly sending out weekly summaries of their key teaching techniques. Last week was 'cold calling' - teachers will randomly choose students to answer questions and *all* students should expect to be called on. /1
February 4, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Eldest's high school are proudly sending out weekly summaries of their key teaching techniques. Last week was 'cold calling' - teachers will randomly choose students to answer questions and *all* students should expect to be called on. /1
How does your email find me? Wearing an oodie and a heated blanket, that's how.
January 9, 2025 at 9:52 AM
How does your email find me? Wearing an oodie and a heated blanket, that's how.
A student actually came and shook my hand at today's last lecture of the semester. Where do I put that on my cv?
December 19, 2024 at 12:54 PM
A student actually came and shook my hand at today's last lecture of the semester. Where do I put that on my cv?
I hear some of you sometimes get grants. What’s that like then?
December 13, 2024 at 4:26 PM
I hear some of you sometimes get grants. What’s that like then?
We're doing projectile motion today and I feel the students have suffered enough through the semester that they get to see an embarrassing picture of me as a visual aid
December 6, 2024 at 10:27 AM
We're doing projectile motion today and I feel the students have suffered enough through the semester that they get to see an embarrassing picture of me as a visual aid
I’ll go with with this one from my PhD in @asn-amnat.bsky.social host-parasite coevolution had largely been modelled in gene-for-gene frameworks where infection is all-or-nothing. We attempted to loosely do the same thing in eco-evo (adaptive dynamics)
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...
December 4, 2024 at 3:57 PM
I’ll go with with this one from my PhD in @asn-amnat.bsky.social host-parasite coevolution had largely been modelled in gene-for-gene frameworks where infection is all-or-nothing. We attempted to loosely do the same thing in eco-evo (adaptive dynamics)
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...
Away from the stresses of work, the last 2 evenings the eldest and I have been kickstarting people’s Christmas celebrations as part of Maltby Miners Welfare Band with sellout concerts at Rotherham Civic. (It turns out whacking a timpani very hard is quite good for stress)
December 4, 2024 at 8:37 AM
Away from the stresses of work, the last 2 evenings the eldest and I have been kickstarting people’s Christmas celebrations as part of Maltby Miners Welfare Band with sellout concerts at Rotherham Civic. (It turns out whacking a timpani very hard is quite good for stress)
As an ex-resident of neighbouring Caister, I believe I am obliged to ask “would anyone notice?”
November 22, 2024 at 3:20 PM
As an ex-resident of neighbouring Caister, I believe I am obliged to ask “would anyone notice?”
Reposted by Alex Best
Join our 1-week course on Infectious Disease Mathematical Modelling at Institut Pasteur in beautiful Paris, April 7-11 2025! Deadline for applications: 7 December 2024.
More information at www.pasteur.fr/en/education...
More information at www.pasteur.fr/en/education...
November 22, 2024 at 11:30 AM
Join our 1-week course on Infectious Disease Mathematical Modelling at Institut Pasteur in beautiful Paris, April 7-11 2025! Deadline for applications: 7 December 2024.
More information at www.pasteur.fr/en/education...
More information at www.pasteur.fr/en/education...
As my follower count creeps towards that of the old place, an unashamed plug for the FREE online textbook I wrote for #mathbio students. 'Introducing Mathematical Biology' is FREE, interactive, accessible and FREE. Please feel free to share with students. sheffield.pressbooks.pub/introducingm...
November 21, 2024 at 10:58 AM
As my follower count creeps towards that of the old place, an unashamed plug for the FREE online textbook I wrote for #mathbio students. 'Introducing Mathematical Biology' is FREE, interactive, accessible and FREE. Please feel free to share with students. sheffield.pressbooks.pub/introducingm...