@jasonwalsman.bsky.social
Disease ecologist interested in the feedbacks between host traits and parasites and theory-data integration.
Postdoctoral researcher at UCSB.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-walsman-42a24071/
Postdoctoral researcher at UCSB.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-walsman-42a24071/
AI tools advance individual careers but contract the focus of science as a whole. I think that strong individual incentive means AI tools in science will continue to grow in use. The questions remain how we want to adapt by shaping incentives, standards, etc.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Artificial intelligence tools expand scientists’ impact but contract science’s focus - Nature
Artificial intelligence boosts individual scientists’ output, citations and career progression, but collectively narrows research diversity and reduces collaboration, concentrating work in data-rich a...
www.nature.com
February 18, 2026 at 8:08 PM
AI tools advance individual careers but contract the focus of science as a whole. I think that strong individual incentive means AI tools in science will continue to grow in use. The questions remain how we want to adapt by shaping incentives, standards, etc.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We collect pathogen load data all the time to tell what proportion of hosts are infected and also how infected they are. Our new theory shows that trends in the variance of pathogen load can reveal underlying mechanisms, e.g., what kind of resistance frogs are evolving.
doi.org/10.1098/rsif...
doi.org/10.1098/rsif...
February 11, 2026 at 2:49 PM
We collect pathogen load data all the time to tell what proportion of hosts are infected and also how infected they are. Our new theory shows that trends in the variance of pathogen load can reveal underlying mechanisms, e.g., what kind of resistance frogs are evolving.
doi.org/10.1098/rsif...
doi.org/10.1098/rsif...
Reposted
Looking for a postdoc to work with existing SNP data from parasites of guppies across Trinidad. How do river structure, host specialisation, and host behaviour structure parasite population genetic structure and evolutionary potential? Join me in Stockholm! Email me :D
su.varbi.com/what:job/job...
su.varbi.com/what:job/job...
Postdoktor i parasiters populationsgenetik
Zoologiska institutionen är en av de äldsta institutionerna vid Stockholms universitet och har en lång historia av grundläggande och tillämpad djurforskning, från leddjur till stora däggdjur. I
su.varbi.com
January 27, 2026 at 8:38 AM
Looking for a postdoc to work with existing SNP data from parasites of guppies across Trinidad. How do river structure, host specialisation, and host behaviour structure parasite population genetic structure and evolutionary potential? Join me in Stockholm! Email me :D
su.varbi.com/what:job/job...
su.varbi.com/what:job/job...
I'm thrilled to say that I have accepted an assistant professor position at Duke Kunshan University. I will be moving to Kunshan, China this summer and recruiting a postdoc soon thereafter (Chinese language proficiency beneficial but not required).
January 27, 2026 at 3:59 PM
I'm thrilled to say that I have accepted an assistant professor position at Duke Kunshan University. I will be moving to Kunshan, China this summer and recruiting a postdoc soon thereafter (Chinese language proficiency beneficial but not required).
Hooray! Kind of... mostly... Hooray?
I'll adopt Cherie Briggs' advice that anything besides "We reject this paper forever" is a win.
I'll adopt Cherie Briggs' advice that anything besides "We reject this paper forever" is a win.
January 23, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Hooray! Kind of... mostly... Hooray?
I'll adopt Cherie Briggs' advice that anything besides "We reject this paper forever" is a win.
I'll adopt Cherie Briggs' advice that anything besides "We reject this paper forever" is a win.
Reposted
1/ Anyone else feeling a little low? 🙋♀️
The public health news cycle has been heavy lately, but something that’s helped me is intentionally stopping to notice where progress is happening to remind ourselves what sustained investment and science can actually do.Here are a few bright spots👇
The public health news cycle has been heavy lately, but something that’s helped me is intentionally stopping to notice where progress is happening to remind ourselves what sustained investment and science can actually do.Here are a few bright spots👇
January 22, 2026 at 4:13 PM
1/ Anyone else feeling a little low? 🙋♀️
The public health news cycle has been heavy lately, but something that’s helped me is intentionally stopping to notice where progress is happening to remind ourselves what sustained investment and science can actually do.Here are a few bright spots👇
The public health news cycle has been heavy lately, but something that’s helped me is intentionally stopping to notice where progress is happening to remind ourselves what sustained investment and science can actually do.Here are a few bright spots👇
Couldn't agree more that “Solutions to sustainable development goals require close Sino-US cooperation". I'm curious to see how these partnerships contribute to that over the coming years.
newsletters.qs.com/how-are-us-a...
newsletters.qs.com/how-are-us-a...
How are US and Chinese universities keeping partnerships alive amidst political tensions?
QS MidWeek Brief - September 17, 2025. China and the US are collaborating in some surprising ways. And, how is the MBA gender pay gap being addressed?
newsletters.qs.com
December 24, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Couldn't agree more that “Solutions to sustainable development goals require close Sino-US cooperation". I'm curious to see how these partnerships contribute to that over the coming years.
newsletters.qs.com/how-are-us-a...
newsletters.qs.com/how-are-us-a...
Thanks @judithmank.bsky.social for this thoughtful piece on GenAI in scientific writing!
academic.oup.com/evlett/artic...
academic.oup.com/evlett/artic...
Editorial: Accountability, voice, and trust - responsible use of GenAI in scientific publishing
Over the last few years, the development and rapid advancement of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatG
academic.oup.com
December 17, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Thanks @judithmank.bsky.social for this thoughtful piece on GenAI in scientific writing!
academic.oup.com/evlett/artic...
academic.oup.com/evlett/artic...
Reposted
🦇 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
The CDC updated its vaccine page to claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is "not evidence-based" and studies were "ignored." This is an outrage. Decades of research have found no link. This isn't science, it's RFK Jr. using the CDC as propaganda. Children will die because of this.
November 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM
The CDC updated its vaccine page to claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is "not evidence-based" and studies were "ignored." This is an outrage. Decades of research have found no link. This isn't science, it's RFK Jr. using the CDC as propaganda. Children will die because of this.
We measure ecological resilience in terms of a few variables at a time with widely differing choices of variables for different investigators, with conflicting outcomes. We need strategies to navigate diverse and conflicting resilience variables.
Preprint:
10.22541/au.176219659.90163271/v1
Preprint:
10.22541/au.176219659.90163271/v1
November 7, 2025 at 6:56 PM
We measure ecological resilience in terms of a few variables at a time with widely differing choices of variables for different investigators, with conflicting outcomes. We need strategies to navigate diverse and conflicting resilience variables.
Preprint:
10.22541/au.176219659.90163271/v1
Preprint:
10.22541/au.176219659.90163271/v1
Reposted
#microsky #mevosky @spp2389.bsky.social
A PhD position is available in my lab to work on:
Emergence and self-organisation of bacterial metabolism in consortia of cross-feeding bacteria.
Please RT
Deadline: 12.11.25
More infos 👇
shorturl.at/rAKAT
A PhD position is available in my lab to work on:
Emergence and self-organisation of bacterial metabolism in consortia of cross-feeding bacteria.
Please RT
Deadline: 12.11.25
More infos 👇
shorturl.at/rAKAT
October 28, 2025 at 8:43 AM
#microsky #mevosky @spp2389.bsky.social
A PhD position is available in my lab to work on:
Emergence and self-organisation of bacterial metabolism in consortia of cross-feeding bacteria.
Please RT
Deadline: 12.11.25
More infos 👇
shorturl.at/rAKAT
A PhD position is available in my lab to work on:
Emergence and self-organisation of bacterial metabolism in consortia of cross-feeding bacteria.
Please RT
Deadline: 12.11.25
More infos 👇
shorturl.at/rAKAT
Reposted
Locally acquired Chikungunya virus infection on Long Island. Maybe time to dust off my many-times rejected Chik proposal...
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
New York confirms 1st locally acquired case of chikungunya virus in 6 years in US
The mosquito-borne disease is most common in tropical and subtropical regions.
www.yahoo.com
October 16, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Locally acquired Chikungunya virus infection on Long Island. Maybe time to dust off my many-times rejected Chik proposal...
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Reposted
I'm v excited to be recruiting a PhD student to work on badger behaviour and ecology! Starting date is March 2026; see the ad here, or message me for more details: www.gregalbery.me/s/March-2026...
October 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I'm v excited to be recruiting a PhD student to work on badger behaviour and ecology! Starting date is March 2026; see the ad here, or message me for more details: www.gregalbery.me/s/March-2026...
We know that wildlife provisioning can promote or inhibit infectious disease spread, depending on things like food quality.
What about pathogen evolution? Using math with a focus on birdfeeders and house finches, we found that high quality food selects for higher virulence!
doi.org/10.1086/738726
What about pathogen evolution? Using math with a focus on birdfeeders and house finches, we found that high quality food selects for higher virulence!
doi.org/10.1086/738726
September 26, 2025 at 1:52 PM
We know that wildlife provisioning can promote or inhibit infectious disease spread, depending on things like food quality.
What about pathogen evolution? Using math with a focus on birdfeeders and house finches, we found that high quality food selects for higher virulence!
doi.org/10.1086/738726
What about pathogen evolution? Using math with a focus on birdfeeders and house finches, we found that high quality food selects for higher virulence!
doi.org/10.1086/738726
What is the role of AI in ecology? A great piece by a collaborator of mine discusses this thoughtfully, particularly with respect to analyzing sensor data.
doi.org/10.1111/2041...
doi.org/10.1111/2041...
Integrating AI models into ecological research workflows: The case of terrestrial bioacoustics
Data collected by autonomous sensors, including camera traps and acoustic recorders, have enormous potential to generate new scientific insights in ecology and related fields. Modern machine learn...
doi.org
September 2, 2025 at 9:07 PM
What is the role of AI in ecology? A great piece by a collaborator of mine discusses this thoughtfully, particularly with respect to analyzing sensor data.
doi.org/10.1111/2041...
doi.org/10.1111/2041...
Reposted
New article out today. Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/kareemca...
August 14, 2025 at 6:26 PM
New article out today. Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/kareemca...
When the same journal immediately loves paper A but rejects paper B without review and you know that paper B fits the journals goals better than A...
A good reminder that so much depends on the editors/associate editors/reviewers that you get and their perception that day! Gotta just try again.
A good reminder that so much depends on the editors/associate editors/reviewers that you get and their perception that day! Gotta just try again.
June 30, 2025 at 3:23 PM
When the same journal immediately loves paper A but rejects paper B without review and you know that paper B fits the journals goals better than A...
A good reminder that so much depends on the editors/associate editors/reviewers that you get and their perception that day! Gotta just try again.
A good reminder that so much depends on the editors/associate editors/reviewers that you get and their perception that day! Gotta just try again.
Stressed by a crisis for public perception of science and elated by my Indiana Pacers forcing a game 7, I have been thinking about what sports teach us all about the uses of data and expertise.
(1/4)
(1/4)
June 20, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Stressed by a crisis for public perception of science and elated by my Indiana Pacers forcing a game 7, I have been thinking about what sports teach us all about the uses of data and expertise.
(1/4)
(1/4)
A grant proposal, which I and others spent dozens of hours on, was returned without review today. This is because NSF will no longer be making awards through the Biological Integrations Institute solicitation.
I am disappointed and furious at this latest ripple of the massive attack on science.
I am disappointed and furious at this latest ripple of the massive attack on science.
June 17, 2025 at 6:01 PM
A grant proposal, which I and others spent dozens of hours on, was returned without review today. This is because NSF will no longer be making awards through the Biological Integrations Institute solicitation.
I am disappointed and furious at this latest ripple of the massive attack on science.
I am disappointed and furious at this latest ripple of the massive attack on science.
Reposted
I think there are valid criticisms of science but I prefer it to the alternative of "just making stuff up"
May 28, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I think there are valid criticisms of science but I prefer it to the alternative of "just making stuff up"
Standing host genetic variation typically protects in case of disease invasion, right? Well... Exploring implications of my new paper with @sabarra.bsky.social , a thread (1/5).
doi.org/10.1007/s002...
doi.org/10.1007/s002...
May 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Standing host genetic variation typically protects in case of disease invasion, right? Well... Exploring implications of my new paper with @sabarra.bsky.social , a thread (1/5).
doi.org/10.1007/s002...
doi.org/10.1007/s002...
New paper: We know the minority of hosts hold the majority of macroparasites (aggregation). What about fungal pathogens? Turns out, they are MORE aggregated than macroparasites, lognormally distributed, and the distribution carries signatures of epidemic stage.
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
March 20, 2025 at 3:30 PM
New paper: We know the minority of hosts hold the majority of macroparasites (aggregation). What about fungal pathogens? Turns out, they are MORE aggregated than macroparasites, lognormally distributed, and the distribution carries signatures of epidemic stage.
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
Dreamed I was giving a chalk talk for a faculty job interview and one of the faculty brought their six year old. The kid kept interrupting with impressively relevant science questions but just incessantly and my talk ended up going quite poorly.
My brain upon waking: Ok gotta prepare for that.
My brain upon waking: Ok gotta prepare for that.
March 5, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Dreamed I was giving a chalk talk for a faculty job interview and one of the faculty brought their six year old. The kid kept interrupting with impressively relevant science questions but just incessantly and my talk ended up going quite poorly.
My brain upon waking: Ok gotta prepare for that.
My brain upon waking: Ok gotta prepare for that.
Reposted
New paper out in @animalecology.bsky.social led by the awesome Izabelle Weiler and @rayinscience.bsky.social on how parental infection affects offspring quantity and quality. Spoiler: previously infected fathers had more offspring but mothers' had more resistant offspring doi.org/10.1111/1365...
Sex‐dependent effects of infection on guppy reproductive fitness and offspring parasite resistance
We infected offspring of guppy, Poecilia reticulata, pairs in which either the father or the mother had previously been infected. We found that, in accordance with parental investment theory, fathers...
doi.org
February 17, 2025 at 3:50 PM
New paper out in @animalecology.bsky.social led by the awesome Izabelle Weiler and @rayinscience.bsky.social on how parental infection affects offspring quantity and quality. Spoiler: previously infected fathers had more offspring but mothers' had more resistant offspring doi.org/10.1111/1365...