C. Brandon Ogbunu
@cbo.bsky.social
Scientist + Humanist + Pugilist.
"Tip your hat; pop the chain; short Joe Louis; then wipe his nose with the hook. It's that simple." (c) Brother Naazim Richardson
https://linktr.ee/chike98
"Tip your hat; pop the chain; short Joe Louis; then wipe his nose with the hook. It's that simple." (c) Brother Naazim Richardson
https://linktr.ee/chike98
Pinned
C. Brandon Ogbunu
@cbo.bsky.social
· Nov 14
What James Watson got wrong about DNA - The Boston Globe
The science he helped pioneer consistently undermines his view that genes determine everything about us.
www.bostonglobe.com
"What James Watson got wrong about DNA"
By the great Sohini Ramachandran (@sramach.bsky.social) and your boy for The Boston Globe (@bostonglobe.com).
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/14/o...
By the great Sohini Ramachandran (@sramach.bsky.social) and your boy for The Boston Globe (@bostonglobe.com).
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/14/o...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Tylenol during pregnancy is safe without increased risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability of offspring
A new review of the evidence just out
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
A new review of the evidence just out
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
January 16, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Tylenol during pregnancy is safe without increased risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability of offspring
A new review of the evidence just out
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
A new review of the evidence just out
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Paper accepted! 😊 "Reframing the Free Will Debate: The Universe is Not Deterministic" will appear in Synthese. Final version available here: arxiv.org/abs/2503.19672 - with Henry Potter and George Ellis
January 15, 2026 at 7:52 AM
Paper accepted! 😊 "Reframing the Free Will Debate: The Universe is Not Deterministic" will appear in Synthese. Final version available here: arxiv.org/abs/2503.19672 - with Henry Potter and George Ellis
From obstacle to lynchpin: the evolution of the role of bacteriophage lysogeny in defining and understanding viruses url: royalsocietypublishing.org/rsnr/article...
From obstacle to lynchpin: the evolution of the role of bacteriophage lysogeny in defining and understanding viruses
Abstract. The phenomenon of bacteriophage lysogeny has played a vital role in understanding the nature of viruses more generally. Discovered in 1920, the p
royalsocietypublishing.org
January 15, 2026 at 4:17 PM
From obstacle to lynchpin: the evolution of the role of bacteriophage lysogeny in defining and understanding viruses url: royalsocietypublishing.org/rsnr/article...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
New preprint on unifying the zoo of multivariate higher-order information measures into a common form.
May be of interest to anyone interested in higher-order interactions, complex systems, emergence, or complexity.
1/N
arxiv.org/abs/2601.08030
May be of interest to anyone interested in higher-order interactions, complex systems, emergence, or complexity.
1/N
arxiv.org/abs/2601.08030
The many faces of multivariate information
Extracting higher-order structures from multivariate data has become an area of intensive study in complex systems science, as these multipartite interactions can reveal insights into fundamental feat...
arxiv.org
January 14, 2026 at 3:43 PM
New preprint on unifying the zoo of multivariate higher-order information measures into a common form.
May be of interest to anyone interested in higher-order interactions, complex systems, emergence, or complexity.
1/N
arxiv.org/abs/2601.08030
May be of interest to anyone interested in higher-order interactions, complex systems, emergence, or complexity.
1/N
arxiv.org/abs/2601.08030
Thank you, Professor! That was a blast! Beer soon….
January 15, 2026 at 12:54 AM
Thank you, Professor! That was a blast! Beer soon….
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
New publication! Comparing Strategies to Introduce Two New Antibiotics for Gonorrhea: A Modeling Study featuring authors: @mckline98.bsky.social, @kroster.bsky.social, @dhelekal.bsky.social, @rumpl-er.bsky.social, and @yhgrad.bsky.social. Read it here at bit.ly/3Z1Zplh
Comparing Strategies to Introduce Two New Antibiotics for Gonorrhea: A Modeling Study
Immediately introducing 2 new antibiotics to treat gonorrhea alongside 1 currently used therapy is more effective at minimizing drug resistance than holdin
bit.ly
January 9, 2026 at 3:38 PM
New publication! Comparing Strategies to Introduce Two New Antibiotics for Gonorrhea: A Modeling Study featuring authors: @mckline98.bsky.social, @kroster.bsky.social, @dhelekal.bsky.social, @rumpl-er.bsky.social, and @yhgrad.bsky.social. Read it here at bit.ly/3Z1Zplh
Metaphor there — I (still) do everything in graduate student mode. Except eating (thankfully)
But yeah — the healthy dose of doubt and skepticism is good
But yeah — the healthy dose of doubt and skepticism is good
January 8, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Metaphor there — I (still) do everything in graduate student mode. Except eating (thankfully)
But yeah — the healthy dose of doubt and skepticism is good
But yeah — the healthy dose of doubt and skepticism is good
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
New preprint from my lab (with Arya Kaul, @fernpizza.bsky.social, and @brinda.eu), in which we explore new genes hitchhiking on the beneficial deletion that fused them together, and find them in the LTEE, M. Tb/bovis, and across the bacterial tree of life
Novel genes arise from genomic deletions across the bacterial tree of life https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.05.697752v1
January 6, 2026 at 4:12 PM
New preprint from my lab (with Arya Kaul, @fernpizza.bsky.social, and @brinda.eu), in which we explore new genes hitchhiking on the beneficial deletion that fused them together, and find them in the LTEE, M. Tb/bovis, and across the bacterial tree of life
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Folks interested in science philanthropy should read this interview w/Simons Foundation President David Spergel on the role of philanthropy, support of early career scientists (from incentives to a call for more retirements), and the pivot point between future scenarios.
issues.org/american-sci...
issues.org/american-sci...
“There Are Two Possible Futures for American Science.”
The Simons Foundation president talks about science philanthropy, the future of the research enterprise, and remaining hopeful.
issues.org
January 6, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Folks interested in science philanthropy should read this interview w/Simons Foundation President David Spergel on the role of philanthropy, support of early career scientists (from incentives to a call for more retirements), and the pivot point between future scenarios.
issues.org/american-sci...
issues.org/american-sci...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Two new chapters from my free online book in human genetics out this weekend!
These complete Part 3 of the book, on human population structure and history:
3.3: Human prehistory [separate thread]
3.4: Ancient DNA: a genetic time capsule [this thread]
web.stanford.edu/group/pritch...
These complete Part 3 of the book, on human population structure and history:
3.3: Human prehistory [separate thread]
3.4: Ancient DNA: a genetic time capsule [this thread]
web.stanford.edu/group/pritch...
September 23, 2024 at 9:48 PM
Two new chapters from my free online book in human genetics out this weekend!
These complete Part 3 of the book, on human population structure and history:
3.3: Human prehistory [separate thread]
3.4: Ancient DNA: a genetic time capsule [this thread]
web.stanford.edu/group/pritch...
These complete Part 3 of the book, on human population structure and history:
3.3: Human prehistory [separate thread]
3.4: Ancient DNA: a genetic time capsule [this thread]
web.stanford.edu/group/pritch...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
How well does TWAS estimate a gene’s direction of effect on a trait? We think of this as an important stress-test for the accuracy of TWAS.
In a new pre-print, we find that TWAS gets the sign wrong around 20-30% of the time!
doi.org/10.64898/202...
1/n
In a new pre-print, we find that TWAS gets the sign wrong around 20-30% of the time!
doi.org/10.64898/202...
1/n
High false sign rates in transcriptome-wide association studies
Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) are widely used to identify genes involved in complex traits and to infer the direction of gene effects on traits. However, despite their popularity, it r...
doi.org
January 6, 2026 at 2:30 AM
How well does TWAS estimate a gene’s direction of effect on a trait? We think of this as an important stress-test for the accuracy of TWAS.
In a new pre-print, we find that TWAS gets the sign wrong around 20-30% of the time!
doi.org/10.64898/202...
1/n
In a new pre-print, we find that TWAS gets the sign wrong around 20-30% of the time!
doi.org/10.64898/202...
1/n
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Haller, Ralph & Messer present SLiM 5, a major extension of the SLiM simulation framework for simulating multiple chromosomes, enabling a heightened level of realism for full-genome simulations.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf313
#evobio #molbio #compbio
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf313
#evobio #molbio #compbio
January 5, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Haller, Ralph & Messer present SLiM 5, a major extension of the SLiM simulation framework for simulating multiple chromosomes, enabling a heightened level of realism for full-genome simulations.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf313
#evobio #molbio #compbio
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf313
#evobio #molbio #compbio
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
I'm teaching Statistical Rethinking again starting Jan 2026. This time with live lectures, divided into Beginner and Experienced sections. Will be a lot more work for me, but I hope much better for students.
I will record lectures & all will be found at this link: github.com/rmcelreath/s...
I will record lectures & all will be found at this link: github.com/rmcelreath/s...
December 9, 2025 at 1:58 PM
I'm teaching Statistical Rethinking again starting Jan 2026. This time with live lectures, divided into Beginner and Experienced sections. Will be a lot more work for me, but I hope much better for students.
I will record lectures & all will be found at this link: github.com/rmcelreath/s...
I will record lectures & all will be found at this link: github.com/rmcelreath/s...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Interesting. I wish, though, that there could have been a clear indication of why the claims that "IQ is 50% genetic” and “Height is 80% genetic” are deeply misleading, to the extent that they have any meaning at all. The advertising is simply not honest.
January 4, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Interesting. I wish, though, that there could have been a clear indication of why the claims that "IQ is 50% genetic” and “Height is 80% genetic” are deeply misleading, to the extent that they have any meaning at all. The advertising is simply not honest.
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Wow—thanks @bruceslieberman.bsky.social for posting the entire issue of Paleobiology vol 51/4 2025 “Punctuated Equilibria at 50”—open access papers from the GSA 2022 50th anniversary symposium! A great community celebration!!
Really excited to have the new issue of Paleobiology @paleosoc.bsky.social out celebrating the 50th anniversary of #punctuatedequilibria #macroevolution #paleobiology #palaeontology #paleontology @nilese.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Latest issue | Paleobiology | Cambridge Core
Paleobiology
www.cambridge.org
January 2, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Wow—thanks @bruceslieberman.bsky.social for posting the entire issue of Paleobiology vol 51/4 2025 “Punctuated Equilibria at 50”—open access papers from the GSA 2022 50th anniversary symposium! A great community celebration!!
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Exactly, but its argument in favor of #Deextinction is itself a logical fallacy; yes, “ecosystems respond to what organisms do, not to how precisely their DNA mirrors the past” but… 🧪
www.columnist24.com/science/8397...
www.columnist24.com/science/8397...
The Perfectionist Fallacy - Columnist24
A growing strand of scientific purism argues that de-extinction efforts must achieve perfect genetic fidelity before they can be taken seriously.
www.columnist24.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:35 PM
Exactly, but its argument in favor of #Deextinction is itself a logical fallacy; yes, “ecosystems respond to what organisms do, not to how precisely their DNA mirrors the past” but… 🧪
www.columnist24.com/science/8397...
www.columnist24.com/science/8397...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Here is our introductory paper to the Paleobiology special volume @paleosoc.bsky.social celebrating the 50th anniversary of #punctuatedequilibria #macroevolution #paleobiology #palaeontology #paleontology @nilese.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Punctuated equilibria at 50: half a century of stasis, cladogenesis, and macroevolutionary insights | Paleobiology | Cambridge Core
Punctuated equilibria at 50: half a century of stasis, cladogenesis, and macroevolutionary insights - Volume 51 Issue 4
www.cambridge.org
January 2, 2026 at 6:33 PM
Here is our introductory paper to the Paleobiology special volume @paleosoc.bsky.social celebrating the 50th anniversary of #punctuatedequilibria #macroevolution #paleobiology #palaeontology #paleontology @nilese.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
It's as very weird summary of a lot of work. For example, this paper produced by the working group *does* show quite a few concrete economic benefits: royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article...
The economic impact of open science: a scoping review
Abstract. This article summarizes a comprehensive scoping review of the economic impact of open science (OS), examining empirical evidence from 2000 to 202
royalsocietypublishing.org
January 2, 2026 at 5:29 PM
It's as very weird summary of a lot of work. For example, this paper produced by the working group *does* show quite a few concrete economic benefits: royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Thrilled to share the first major preprint from the lab. Viruses are classically viewed as targets of host sensing. Do viruses also sense and respond to the host? We propose viruses may act as “biosensors” of the host signaling state. A thread👇🏾 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Global Landscape of Human Kinase Motifs in Viral Proteomes
Viruses are classically viewed as targets of host sensing, yet whether they also sense and respond to host cues remains largely unexplored. We propose that host-driven post-translational modification ...
www.biorxiv.org
December 31, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Thrilled to share the first major preprint from the lab. Viruses are classically viewed as targets of host sensing. Do viruses also sense and respond to the host? We propose viruses may act as “biosensors” of the host signaling state. A thread👇🏾 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
"My New Year's Resolution is to find a principled way to think about all those cell types in the brain"
Why friend, you are in luck, because @rgast.bsky.social has just the perspective for you: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Why friend, you are in luck, because @rgast.bsky.social has just the perspective for you: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
How heterogeneity shapes dynamics and computation in the brain
Much effort has been spent clustering neurons into transcriptomic or functional cell types and characterizing the differences between them. Beyond sub…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:54 PM
"My New Year's Resolution is to find a principled way to think about all those cell types in the brain"
Why friend, you are in luck, because @rgast.bsky.social has just the perspective for you: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Why friend, you are in luck, because @rgast.bsky.social has just the perspective for you: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
The Paradox of the Organism: Adaptation and Internal Conflict is now out!
Get your copy directly from @harvardpress.bsky.social
Get your copy directly from @harvardpress.bsky.social
December 17, 2025 at 4:34 PM
The Paradox of the Organism: Adaptation and Internal Conflict is now out!
Get your copy directly from @harvardpress.bsky.social
Get your copy directly from @harvardpress.bsky.social
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
A free, open-access library of high-quality organism illustrations for science communication
A free, open-access library of high-quality organism illustrations for science communication
We create vector graphics of model organisms and emerging biological research organisms to enhance our publications. We’re sharing these editable graphics under a CC0 license for other scientists to...
doi.org
December 29, 2025 at 6:03 PM
A free, open-access library of high-quality organism illustrations for science communication
Reposted by C. Brandon Ogbunu
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy
December 27, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy