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drjenndowd.bsky.social
Jenn Dowd
@drjenndowd.bsky.social
7.8K followers 1.9K following 1.6K posts
Prof of Demography & Population Health @oxforddemsci.bsky.social | Mortality, Epidemiology, Infections/Immunity, Biosocial science, COVID-19. | Science Communicator 🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧.
Substack: https://jenndowd.substack.com
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drjenndowd.bsky.social
Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · Mar 19
Please subscribe to my Substack for data driven takes on health & science: jenndowd.substack.com
Data for Health | Jenn Dowd, PhD | Substack
Demystifying data for a longer, healthier life. Click to read Data for Health, by Jenn Dowd, PhD, a Substack publication.
jenndowd.substack.com
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
oxforddemsci.bsky.social
Dr. Josh Wilde: "But lower birthrates don’t necessarily mean the population or economy will shrink, especially in the near-term...The engine of adaptation that enabled us to survive the population bomb could help us weather a future with fewer babies."
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/h... #demography
Birthrates Are Down. That Can Be a Sign of Progress
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
vdilego.bsky.social
the Formal Demography Working Group is starting its year with a marvelous guest : Chiara Micheletti will present on CVD incidence and survival inequalities in Finland. Don’t forget to sign up 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾#demography
monjalexander.bsky.social Monica Alexander @monjalexander.bsky.social · 8d
The Formal Demography Working Group is meeting next Thursday 5 Feb at 10am ET (4pm CET)! Chiara Micheletti will present work on CVD incidence and survival inequalities in Finland.

Sign up for Zoom Link! formaldemography.github.io/working_group/
Welcome
formaldemography.github.io
February 5, 2026 at 2:26 AM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
pengzell.bsky.social
I love how every dataset is either 'rich' or 'limited', depending entirely on whether the results work
February 5, 2026 at 8:33 AM
drjenndowd.bsky.social
Nice explainer for anyone curious about how exactly the shingles vaccine can protect against dementia.
open.substack.com/pub/profbuba... #idsky #episky #medsky #neurosky
How The Shingles Vaccine Protects Against Dementia
The mechanisms behind varicella zoster virus-induced dementia pathology
open.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 9:37 AM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
cschmert.bsky.social
High young adult #mortality makes reaching old age less likely in the US than elsewhere. That's true in all states, but in WV and MS more than one-fourth of 20-year-olds are not expected live to retirement age.

State analysis inspired by @financialtimes.com and @drjenndowd.bsky.social #demography
data plot showing the fraction of 20-year-olds who are expected to die before ages up to 65. At 2022 rates, the expected fraction of 20-yr-olds who will die before 65 is * 7% in Sweden * 8% in Spain * 10% in France * 17% in the US There are truly shocking levels in some states. More than one-fourth of 20-year-olds in West Virginia and Mississippi will not live to retirement age.
February 4, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
bachynski.bsky.social
“Health officials in New Mexico are warning against consuming raw dairy products after a newborn baby in the state died from a listeria infection that they say was likely contracted when the baby's mother drank raw milk during pregnancy.” @jackiantonovich.bsky.social
New Mexico warns against consuming raw milk after newborn dies from listeria
While the New Mexico Department of Health said it cannot pinpoint the baby's exact cause of death, officials believe it could have been linked to the mother drinking raw milk during pregnancy.
www.nbcnews.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
rmcarpiano.medsky.social
Terrific read... Another example showing why, if you don't already follow @drjenndowd.bsky.social, you should...
Live Free and Die: US Life Expectancy Has a Problem (But It's Not Seed Oils)
We deserve to live until we are old
jenndowd.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:11 AM
drjenndowd.bsky.social
We deserve to live until we are old.

substack.com/home/post/p-... #publichealth #demography #epidemiology #healthpolicy
Live Free and Die: US Life Expectancy Has a Problem (But It's Not Seed Oils)
We deserve to live until we are old
substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
johnmullahy.bsky.social
Join us in Milan this summer.
January 23, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
karenguzzo.bsky.social
The UNC Sociology department is hiring a Teaching Assistant or Associate Professor. The review of applications begins 2/26/26. To apply, visit unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/312....
The Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for a Teaching Assistant Professor or Teaching Associate Professor (depending on qualifications and experience) to begin July 1, 2026. This is a nine-month, fixed-term position with a 3–3 teaching load and a 3-year contract, with the possibility of renewal. The successful candidate will play a central role in the department’s undergraduate instructional mission, teaching a mix of lower- and upper-division undergraduate courses. We are particularly interested in candidates who can contribute to instructional needs in the Management and Society major and/or the Health and Society minor, as well as introductory sociology courses. Review of applications will begin February 16, 2026. More details and application instructions available here: https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/312247
January 23, 2026 at 7:45 PM
drjenndowd.bsky.social
The perfect antidote to January blues...
oxforddemsci.bsky.social Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, Oxford University @oxforddemsci.bsky.social · 13d
The perfect combination of #demography & downhill at the Alp-Pop conference this week, where LCDS researchers @ridhikashyap.bsky.social, @drjenndowd.bsky.social & @andreatilstra.bsky.social presented (& did important networking après ski).

@nuffieldcollege.bsky.social @dondenacentre.bsky.social
January 23, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
tenuretracker.bsky.social
University of California, Berkeley (UCB) is hiring:
Assistant/Associate/Full Adjunct Professor - Epidemiology and Biostatistics
January 18, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
hmdatabase.bsky.social
📢 #episky #mortality
New year, new #STMF data 🎆

Revised and updated data available 📈
➡️ mortality.org/Data/STMF

🔒 STMF data access is now limited to registered #HMD users to protect sensitive data. Log in with your existing HMD credentials to download the data series.
January 19, 2026 at 12:26 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
apoorvajadhav.bsky.social
Hi! I’m Apoorva (ex-USAID). I write about demography + food by pairing "demographic twins": countries at opposite ends of one demographic indicator to find the story behind statistics.

Weeks 1 (Niger) & 2 (Monaco) focused on median age are live! Join me: apoorvajadhav.substack.com/s/on-the-table
January 15, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
wrigleyfield.bsky.social
Finally, a note to the many professors in my networks: One other specific, small thing you can do from outside of Minneapolis is reach out to colleagues who are heavily affected (because of their own or their family's risk, or because they're very busy protecting neighbors) and offer a guest lecture
January 15, 2026 at 3:20 PM
drjenndowd.bsky.social
Demographers have something to say about that NPR article...
karenguzzo.bsky.social Karen Benjamin Guzzo @karenguzzo.bsky.social · 23d
Glad to see @lesja.bsky.social quoted here, but the premise that the left isn't in the convo about birth rates & things that help families...🤬. The left talks about parental leave, about childcare, about housing, about wages, about healthcare ALL THE TIME. 1/
As birthrates tumble, some progressives say the left needs to offer ideas and solutions
The US and other countries face aging, shrinking populations. Conservatives have shaped debate over the issue. Some liberals say it's time for progressives to weigh in.
www.npr.org
January 13, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
karenguzzo.bsky.social
Helping people achieve the families they want - whether that means having more children or none - is a laudable goal.

Achieving population targets through women's reproductive labor is not. It won't work, & it distracts from considering more effective remedies for structural problems. 6/6
January 13, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
karenguzzo.bsky.social
D) Chasing constant population growth through raising birth rates is misguided and IT DOESN'T WORK. 5/
The problem with pronatalism: Pushing baby booms to boost economic growth amounts to a Ponzi scheme
Many countries are enacting measures to counter population decline, but manipulating fertility is an inefficient means of solving social, economic and environmental problems.
theconversation.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
karenguzzo.bsky.social
C) By focusing primarily on raising birth rates as the solution for pop aging, labor market shortages, & declining tax revenue, we avoid having conversations about other mechanisms that could address these issues. doi.org/10.1146/annu... 4/
High-income countries have generally experienced falling fertility in recent decades. In most of these countries, the total fertility rate is now below the level that implies a stable population in the long run. This has led to concerns among economists, policymakers, and the wider public about the economic consequences of low fertility and population decline. In this contribution, we aim to (a) describe the main determinants of low fertility in high-income countries, (b) assess its potential economic consequences, (c) discuss adjustment mechanisms for individuals and economies, (d) propose a simple economic framework to analyze the long-run economic impacts of low fertility, and (e) draw lessons for economic policymakers to react appropriately. While the economic challenges of low fertility are substantial, a thoughtful and consistent policy response can mitigate most of the adverse consequences.
January 13, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
karenguzzo.bsky.social
B) The left wants people achieve their personal family goals & works to identify - address - barriers to doing so.

But as w/ the "population bomb" rhetoric, the left won't concede that addressing a structural problem - how to support a given pop size - depends on women's fertility. 3/
January 13, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
karenguzzo.bsky.social
We talk about them b/c they are good for children, parents, & society REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY RAISE BIRTH RATES.

The reasons we don't focus on birth rates are A) research shows it's nearly impossible to raise birth rates substantially & sustain higher rates. doi.org/10.1111/padr... 2/
The study of the impact of family policies forms nowadays a major field of research—even though in the large majority of cases the policies did not aim at increasing fertility. The findings of these studies vary largely and often provide mixed evidence. However, taken as a whole this body of literature does suggest that family policies may have a positive impact on fertility. This appears to be especially the case for measures that help reconcile work and family responsibilities (leave-related schemes and childcare) and less so for cash-related transfers. This result appears, moreover, to be consistent across methodologies. In contrast, the magnitude of this impact is much more difficult to compare across studies. It, however, tends to be relatively small, around 0.1 to 0.2 children per woman. Variations in the effect of policies on fertility by parity, household income, and national context were also found.
January 13, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
daphmarts.bsky.social
Less than a month before my debut book "What We Inherit" gets released! You can place pre-orders now: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

Lucky to have gotten to collaborate (and argue) with Sam Trejo for the last 5+ years on this.
What We Inherit
Debating the use of genomic tools and their societal impact
press.princeton.edu
January 9, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
thosenerdygirls.bsky.social
1/ It’s not too late to get your #FluShot... even if you already had the flu.

Check out the full post in @drjenndowd.bsky.social's Substack: jenndowd.substack.com/p/its-not-to...

This post is a collaboration with Data for Health, Those Nerdy Girls & the Dartmouth International Vaccine Initiative
It’s not too late to get your flu shot
…even if you already had the flu.
jenndowd.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
jacobbogage.bsky.social
👀 Marriage “bootcamp,” huge tax breaks for couples with kids, capping alimony, discouraging online dating…

A WaPo exclusive, we got the final draft of the Heritage Foundation’s “Manhattan Project” for more babies.

Plus a previous draft with scrapped ideas, which you’ll want to see.

🎁 link:
Heritage paper on families calls for ‘marriage bootcamp,’ more babies
The conservative think tank aims to boost U.S. marriage and births through discouraging online dating, restricting pornography and creating tax credits for families.
wapo.st
January 8, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Reposted by Jenn Dowd
oxforddemsci.bsky.social
👶 Low fertility in the UK?!
Our @drjenndowd.bsky.social joined BBC Radio 4’s More or Less to unpack the data and offer a demographer’s perspective — beyond the panic & myths.

🎧 Listen here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

✍️ Subscribe to her amazing Substack as well: jenndowd.substack.com
More or Less - The Stats of the Nation - Health - BBC Sounds
Tim Harford explores the numbers that help explain the state of health and the NHS.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 9, 2026 at 2:32 PM