Cecilia Noecker
@cecilianoecker.bsky.social
Assistant Professor at Minnesota State Mankato (she/her). Interested in microbial ecology and evolution, metabolism, genomics, computational biology, equitable education, & more. Views my own. noeckerlab.github.io
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
1/ Well, he did it. He actually did it.
RFK Jr. just issued a unilateral directive to overhaul the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. This isn’t based on new data or new evidence, and he bypassed every scientific and clinical process we have, including not taking public comment.
RFK Jr. just issued a unilateral directive to overhaul the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. This isn’t based on new data or new evidence, and he bypassed every scientific and clinical process we have, including not taking public comment.
January 5, 2026 at 8:52 PM
1/ Well, he did it. He actually did it.
RFK Jr. just issued a unilateral directive to overhaul the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. This isn’t based on new data or new evidence, and he bypassed every scientific and clinical process we have, including not taking public comment.
RFK Jr. just issued a unilateral directive to overhaul the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. This isn’t based on new data or new evidence, and he bypassed every scientific and clinical process we have, including not taking public comment.
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
Late job posting: My department is hiring a tenure-track faculty member in microbiology! Please share with anyone interested in working at a PUI. We have a preference for someone who can teach Medical Microbiology, but other than that the focus is open-ended. Happy to answer qs.
Microbiologist (AA27034)
All Job Postings will close at 12:01 a.m. CT on the specified Closing Date (if designated). Working Title: Microbiologist (AA27034) Institution: Minnesota State University, Mankato Classification Titl...
minnstate.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Late job posting: My department is hiring a tenure-track faculty member in microbiology! Please share with anyone interested in working at a PUI. We have a preference for someone who can teach Medical Microbiology, but other than that the focus is open-ended. Happy to answer qs.
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
Proud to announce SimPhyNI, a new tool for bacterial GWAS with higher precision and scalability than existing tools. Try it out and let us know what you think!!
High Precision Binary Trait Association on Phylogenetic Trees https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.24.696407v1
January 5, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Proud to announce SimPhyNI, a new tool for bacterial GWAS with higher precision and scalability than existing tools. Try it out and let us know what you think!!
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
OSTP has issued a request for information, please share with them your ideas for how to improve government functions related to science funding and policy
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
Notice of Request for Information; Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that aim to accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking...
www.federalregister.gov
December 23, 2025 at 10:56 PM
OSTP has issued a request for information, please share with them your ideas for how to improve government functions related to science funding and policy
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
Late job posting: My department is hiring a tenure-track faculty member in microbiology! Please share with anyone interested in working at a PUI. We have a preference for someone who can teach Medical Microbiology, but other than that the focus is open-ended. Happy to answer qs.
Microbiologist (AA27034)
All Job Postings will close at 12:01 a.m. CT on the specified Closing Date (if designated). Working Title: Microbiologist (AA27034) Institution: Minnesota State University, Mankato Classification Titl...
minnstate.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Late job posting: My department is hiring a tenure-track faculty member in microbiology! Please share with anyone interested in working at a PUI. We have a preference for someone who can teach Medical Microbiology, but other than that the focus is open-ended. Happy to answer qs.
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
The planned hepatitis B birth-dose trial in Guinea-Bissau raises serious ethical concerns. Withholding a proven, life-saving vaccine from newborns to answer speculative questions is an absence of equipoise with real downstream harms for trust in vaccines.
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-unethi...
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-unethi...
How Unethical Research Seeds Medical Mistrust
The absence of equipoise can turn research into harm
bktitanji.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:18 PM
The planned hepatitis B birth-dose trial in Guinea-Bissau raises serious ethical concerns. Withholding a proven, life-saving vaccine from newborns to answer speculative questions is an absence of equipoise with real downstream harms for trust in vaccines.
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-unethi...
bktitanji.substack.com/p/how-unethi...
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
If any journalist wants to talk to a trans man with a PhD in Human Genomics who was trained in labs that studied the evolution of sex, I'm right here
Or just keep platforming Republicans who have a 5th grade understanding of biology so they get more trans people killed, sure 🤷🏻♂️
Or just keep platforming Republicans who have a 5th grade understanding of biology so they get more trans people killed, sure 🤷🏻♂️
December 18, 2025 at 5:27 PM
If any journalist wants to talk to a trans man with a PhD in Human Genomics who was trained in labs that studied the evolution of sex, I'm right here
Or just keep platforming Republicans who have a 5th grade understanding of biology so they get more trans people killed, sure 🤷🏻♂️
Or just keep platforming Republicans who have a 5th grade understanding of biology so they get more trans people killed, sure 🤷🏻♂️
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
Live thread of the NSF biology virtual office hour:
🧵
🧵
December 18, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Live thread of the NSF biology virtual office hour:
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
Melissa Hortman Died in a Shocking Act of Political Violence. This Is the Story of Her Life
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
December 18, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Melissa Hortman Died in a Shocking Act of Political Violence. This Is the Story of Her Life
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
Under the expanded ban:
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant or non-immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant visas and a bar on tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.
- Turkmenistan is subject to a near-total bar on immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant or non-immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant visas and a bar on tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.
- Turkmenistan is subject to a near-total bar on immigrant visas.
December 16, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Under the expanded ban:
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant or non-immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant visas and a bar on tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.
- Turkmenistan is subject to a near-total bar on immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant or non-immigrant visas.
- 19 countries are subject to near-total bars on immigrant visas and a bar on tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas.
- Turkmenistan is subject to a near-total bar on immigrant visas.
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
This is exactly right - if it's already at the stage where Vought is tweeting out the hit, no downside to pushing back. Every climate journalist or science organizer in the country has a job to do tonight. Someone at NSF has to carry this order out, and it can very much be gummed up if not stopped
I know we're getting used to the destruction but this one put my jaw on the floor. Very much hoping - for all of us but most immediately for our NCAR/UCAR colleagues - this can be avoided with enough pushback.
December 17, 2025 at 2:59 AM
This is exactly right - if it's already at the stage where Vought is tweeting out the hit, no downside to pushing back. Every climate journalist or science organizer in the country has a job to do tonight. Someone at NSF has to carry this order out, and it can very much be gummed up if not stopped
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
This is incredibly important. If you read one thing this week: marcusolang.substack.com/p/im-kenyan-...
I'm Kenyan. I Don't Write Like ChatGPT. ChatGPT Writes Like Me.
I'm calm. I'm calm. I promise.
marcusolang.substack.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:47 AM
This is incredibly important. If you read one thing this week: marcusolang.substack.com/p/im-kenyan-...
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
If you’ve ever been on an NSF panel, you know how damaging these “reforms” will be to research and science
NSF plans to streamline merit review to heal self-inflicted staffing wound www.science.org/content/arti...
NSF pares down grant-review process, reducing influence of outside scientists
Memo cites overburdened staff, but some say move also aims to elevate White House priorities
www.science.org
December 16, 2025 at 12:01 AM
If you’ve ever been on an NSF panel, you know how damaging these “reforms” will be to research and science
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
This article is sympathetic towards ICE but still a good read because it's clear that Minneapolis and Saint Paul are doing AMAZING work (with a little assistance from our weather).
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
ICE operation shows the difficulty of immigration arrests amid pushback in frigid Minnesota
NBC News was granted exclusive access to accompany Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers as they tried to arrest targets in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
www.nbcnews.com
December 12, 2025 at 6:55 PM
This article is sympathetic towards ICE but still a good read because it's clear that Minneapolis and Saint Paul are doing AMAZING work (with a little assistance from our weather).
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
Read to the end. NPR asked why the Trump team ended a low-cost program that cured millions of tropical diseases w drugs donated by pharma. The spokesperson replied with an NPR headline—“Farewell to USAID”—and said: “What do you think farewell meant?” www.npr.org/sections/goa...
The fight to beat neglected tropical diseases was going well. 2025 could change that
The campaign to prevent and treat these diseases has seen great success thanks to a USAID program. Now that program is gone.
www.npr.org
December 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Read to the end. NPR asked why the Trump team ended a low-cost program that cured millions of tropical diseases w drugs donated by pharma. The spokesperson replied with an NPR headline—“Farewell to USAID”—and said: “What do you think farewell meant?” www.npr.org/sections/goa...
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
"The only reason I don’t have this funding is because my last name is Rodriguez,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the science."
STAT on the betrayal of early-career researchers:
www.statnews.com/2025/12/08/t...
STAT on the betrayal of early-career researchers:
www.statnews.com/2025/12/08/t...
NIH shut out hundreds of young scientists from funding to start their own labs
Special Report: The NIH has shut out hundreds of young scientists from funding to start their own labs.
www.statnews.com
December 8, 2025 at 11:43 AM
"The only reason I don’t have this funding is because my last name is Rodriguez,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the science."
STAT on the betrayal of early-career researchers:
www.statnews.com/2025/12/08/t...
STAT on the betrayal of early-career researchers:
www.statnews.com/2025/12/08/t...
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
Augsburg University’s president condemned the detention of a student by federal immigration agents on campus Saturday afternoon, calling the encounter a violation of the university’s private property and its values.
Augsburg president decries ‘illegal’ ICE detention of a student on private campus
University officials say agents refused to provide a judicial warrant before taking the student from a private parking lot on campus.
bit.ly
December 8, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Augsburg University’s president condemned the detention of a student by federal immigration agents on campus Saturday afternoon, calling the encounter a violation of the university’s private property and its values.
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
YEP! The incomparable @stribrooks.bsky.social
"Somali Minnesotans are just Minnesotans.
If Trump wants to come after them, he’s going to have to go through us."
www.startribune.com/brooks-trump...
"Somali Minnesotans are just Minnesotans.
If Trump wants to come after them, he’s going to have to go through us."
www.startribune.com/brooks-trump...
Brooks: Trump’s current tirade targeting Somali Minnesotans should come as no surprise
Calling your own citizens “garbage” says more about you than it does them.
www.startribune.com
December 3, 2025 at 8:43 PM
YEP! The incomparable @stribrooks.bsky.social
"Somali Minnesotans are just Minnesotans.
If Trump wants to come after them, he’s going to have to go through us."
www.startribune.com/brooks-trump...
"Somali Minnesotans are just Minnesotans.
If Trump wants to come after them, he’s going to have to go through us."
www.startribune.com/brooks-trump...
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
Really important to stress that the Crown Jewels of the US higher education system were never the Ivies or elite SLACs (other countries have equivalents of these) but the well-funded, large, cheap, and excellently staffed public state university systems bringing high quality education to the masses.
November 23, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Really important to stress that the Crown Jewels of the US higher education system were never the Ivies or elite SLACs (other countries have equivalents of these) but the well-funded, large, cheap, and excellently staffed public state university systems bringing high quality education to the masses.
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
good advice from YLE yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/i/179508318/...
November 21, 2025 at 6:21 PM
good advice from YLE yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/i/179508318/...
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 12:49 PM
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
For the first time in my career, I can’t tell people to trust what the CDC website says. And that is an incredibly sad and devastating place for this country to be.
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 4:22 AM
For the first time in my career, I can’t tell people to trust what the CDC website says. And that is an incredibly sad and devastating place for this country to be.
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 2:26 AM
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
Reposted by Cecilia Noecker
I’ve released a tool to sketch and edit phylogenetic trees!
yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/
Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches.
Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.
yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/
Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches.
Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.
PhyloWeaver – Interactive phylogenetic tree editor
Edit and visualize phylogenetic trees directly in your browser. PhyloWeaver lets you interactively rearrange tree topologies and export high-quality figures for publications and presentations.
yawak.jp
November 18, 2025 at 1:59 AM
I’ve released a tool to sketch and edit phylogenetic trees!
yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/
Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches.
Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.
yawak.jp/PhyloWeaver/
Load a Newick file and intuitively add/remove/resize branches.
Useful for quick conceptual trees, extracting subtrees, or turning ideas into Newick.