Jeff Yau 姚明穎
@jeffmyau.bsky.social
family guy • neuroscientist in Houston interested in touch, the body, and multisensory processing • views are mine and not my employer’s • he/him • proud immigrant • mask wearer • RT≠endorse #CIDP #autoimmune 🐆
Pinned
Jeff Yau 姚明穎
@jeffmyau.bsky.social
· Dec 17
1/ In March 2023, I received a lumbar puncture. This was key to receiving my chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy #cidp diagnosis. This 🧵 is on my experience with identifying and treating #autoimmunedisease. I'll also be sharing some 🧵s I posted previously on the Other Place.
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
PMC COVlD Report, Week of Feb 16, 2026 (U.S.)
14 states are still experiencing High/Very High COVlD levels amid a lingering 12th wave.
Minnesota may be at an all-time high.
THREAD 1 of 4 🧵
14 states are still experiencing High/Very High COVlD levels amid a lingering 12th wave.
Minnesota may be at an all-time high.
THREAD 1 of 4 🧵
February 16, 2026 at 5:39 AM
PMC COVlD Report, Week of Feb 16, 2026 (U.S.)
14 states are still experiencing High/Very High COVlD levels amid a lingering 12th wave.
Minnesota may be at an all-time high.
THREAD 1 of 4 🧵
14 states are still experiencing High/Very High COVlD levels amid a lingering 12th wave.
Minnesota may be at an all-time high.
THREAD 1 of 4 🧵
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
Breaking: The CDC reports SARS-CoV-2 levels *quadrupled* in Minnesota in the past week.
Using harmonized wastewater estimates, we project 1 in 12 people in Minnesota are actively infectious. This is equivalent to a 59% chance of exposure in a room of 10 people....
Using harmonized wastewater estimates, we project 1 in 12 people in Minnesota are actively infectious. This is equivalent to a 59% chance of exposure in a room of 10 people....
February 14, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Breaking: The CDC reports SARS-CoV-2 levels *quadrupled* in Minnesota in the past week.
Using harmonized wastewater estimates, we project 1 in 12 people in Minnesota are actively infectious. This is equivalent to a 59% chance of exposure in a room of 10 people....
Using harmonized wastewater estimates, we project 1 in 12 people in Minnesota are actively infectious. This is equivalent to a 59% chance of exposure in a room of 10 people....
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
We are here, right now. We are in this moment.
Scientists in Germany said “well, as long as I get to continue my science…” and made the moral trade off while their colleagues were persecuted.
THIS is why scientists must stand up for science and democracy.
@standupforscience.bsky.social
Scientists in Germany said “well, as long as I get to continue my science…” and made the moral trade off while their colleagues were persecuted.
THIS is why scientists must stand up for science and democracy.
@standupforscience.bsky.social
February 3, 2026 at 1:10 AM
We are here, right now. We are in this moment.
Scientists in Germany said “well, as long as I get to continue my science…” and made the moral trade off while their colleagues were persecuted.
THIS is why scientists must stand up for science and democracy.
@standupforscience.bsky.social
Scientists in Germany said “well, as long as I get to continue my science…” and made the moral trade off while their colleagues were persecuted.
THIS is why scientists must stand up for science and democracy.
@standupforscience.bsky.social
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
Dear Congresswoman @foushee.house.gov, the multi year funding (MYF) in the HHS/NIH bill is normed to 2025 - please propose an amendment to norm to 2024, like the Senate version. As it stands, ~1/4-1/3 of NIH $ will be sequestered by MYF, a big cut to the Triangle's STEM economy!
January 21, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Dear Congresswoman @foushee.house.gov, the multi year funding (MYF) in the HHS/NIH bill is normed to 2025 - please propose an amendment to norm to 2024, like the Senate version. As it stands, ~1/4-1/3 of NIH $ will be sequestered by MYF, a big cut to the Triangle's STEM economy!
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
A few months ago @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social and I talked to @mattsheffield.bsky.social about how science and democracy are linked.
That caught the attention of the anti-science crew.
“Crank”* Paul Thacker objected, see below.
But I stand by it. Science and free speech are under attack. 1/
That caught the attention of the anti-science crew.
“Crank”* Paul Thacker objected, see below.
But I stand by it. Science and free speech are under attack. 1/
![Paul D. Thacker
@thackerpd
8h
Two Bluesky scientists gave this nutty interview to podcaster, @mattsheffield.
HHS put NIH official Jenna Norton on leave, and NIH researchers Mark Histed is one of the many Bluesky activists.
Here's Jenna Norton calling Trump voters, including her own mother, a "cult"
NORTON: So I wanted like, I was glad you kind of drew a parallel there between science and democracy, and I wanted to draw this connection because we sort of started the conversation about science being siloed and not being effective communicators with the public and thus sort of like disconnecting ourselves with the public.
And then that being this sort of weakness that I think the disinformation machine saw and used to their advantage. And I think a similar thing happened with democracy as well, where there have been groups of people who have been [00:42:00] excluded from the democratic process to a large extent as well. And so there, there neither, science wasn't perfect and democracy hasn't been perfect.
It's been better, I think, than the authoritarian alternative that's being offered to us at the moment. But there is a real weakness there that I think we do need to grapple with and acknowledge and overcome and address as we move forward. And on the side of democracy, I think where that weakness was is that, certain groups have been cut out of the voting process.
Open versus closed epistemologies
NORTON: Some of that has been very much intentional, right? With like fewer polling sites and, with the allowance of money to sway politics and override, I think public sentiment. And so a lot of people feel very, I see this in my family, they feel very hopeless. And I actually had a conversation with my mother who's a Trump supporter, and I've been actually talking to her almost daily trying to pull her out of what I now see as sort of a cult in](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:p66b7zkep57fp4rhrtktsdni/bafkreibk2u4zc2nvndemq3qhcabix2l5avpkqsl5n2z7wfxnidbyrbvmju@jpeg)
January 21, 2026 at 4:02 AM
A few months ago @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social and I talked to @mattsheffield.bsky.social about how science and democracy are linked.
That caught the attention of the anti-science crew.
“Crank”* Paul Thacker objected, see below.
But I stand by it. Science and free speech are under attack. 1/
That caught the attention of the anti-science crew.
“Crank”* Paul Thacker objected, see below.
But I stand by it. Science and free speech are under attack. 1/
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
House Appropriations minibus bill funding NIH is out now.
- $400M increase
- Multiyear funding of new awards capped at 2025 levels.
- No line item for BRAIN Initiative
text here: docs.house.gov/billsthiswee...
Screenshots from Dem summary and Sec 240 (multiyear funding text).
- $400M increase
- Multiyear funding of new awards capped at 2025 levels.
- No line item for BRAIN Initiative
text here: docs.house.gov/billsthiswee...
Screenshots from Dem summary and Sec 240 (multiyear funding text).
January 20, 2026 at 2:29 PM
House Appropriations minibus bill funding NIH is out now.
- $400M increase
- Multiyear funding of new awards capped at 2025 levels.
- No line item for BRAIN Initiative
text here: docs.house.gov/billsthiswee...
Screenshots from Dem summary and Sec 240 (multiyear funding text).
- $400M increase
- Multiyear funding of new awards capped at 2025 levels.
- No line item for BRAIN Initiative
text here: docs.house.gov/billsthiswee...
Screenshots from Dem summary and Sec 240 (multiyear funding text).
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
Non-protesting dad just trying to hustle his kids, as young as 6mo, out of the neighborhood. ICE threw a flash-bang INTO HIS car, all 6 kids in the hospital now.
If anyone wondered how things turn against occupying armies there's a case study playing out in front of you.
If anyone wondered how things turn against occupying armies there's a case study playing out in front of you.
That is what was relayed
January 15, 2026 at 4:27 AM
Non-protesting dad just trying to hustle his kids, as young as 6mo, out of the neighborhood. ICE threw a flash-bang INTO HIS car, all 6 kids in the hospital now.
If anyone wondered how things turn against occupying armies there's a case study playing out in front of you.
If anyone wondered how things turn against occupying armies there's a case study playing out in front of you.
🤩
Epstein-Barr Virus #EBV was linked to #MultipleSclerosis - now a plausible cause has been found, misidentification by longterm memory T-cells that pick on the wrong protein, ANO2, instead of the EBV-antigen. Massive inflection towards the elimination of MS!!!
🧪🧠Cell www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
🧪🧠Cell www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Anoctamin-2-specific T cells link Epstein-Barr virus to multiple sclerosis
Researchers identified anoctamin-2 (ANO2) as a frequent autoimmune target in multiple
sclerosis, with T cell responses against ANO2 occurring in over half of patients.
These ANO2-specific T cells shar...
www.cell.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:29 AM
🤩
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
Good summary of lack of evidence and potential for harm of components of the recommended diet
www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/08/1... by @jesshamzelou.bsky.social
www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/08/1... by @jesshamzelou.bsky.social
America’s new dietary guidelines ignore decades of scientific research
An emphasis on fruit, vegetables, and whole foods is welcome—but it’s wrong to suggest steak and beef tallow should be prominent.
www.technologyreview.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Good summary of lack of evidence and potential for harm of components of the recommended diet
www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/08/1... by @jesshamzelou.bsky.social
www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/08/1... by @jesshamzelou.bsky.social
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
With some trepidation, I'm putting this out into the world:
gershmanlab.com/textbook.html
It's a textbook called Computational Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience, which I wrote for my class.
My hope is that this will be a living document, continuously improved as I get feedback.
gershmanlab.com/textbook.html
It's a textbook called Computational Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience, which I wrote for my class.
My hope is that this will be a living document, continuously improved as I get feedback.
January 9, 2026 at 1:27 AM
With some trepidation, I'm putting this out into the world:
gershmanlab.com/textbook.html
It's a textbook called Computational Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience, which I wrote for my class.
My hope is that this will be a living document, continuously improved as I get feedback.
gershmanlab.com/textbook.html
It's a textbook called Computational Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience, which I wrote for my class.
My hope is that this will be a living document, continuously improved as I get feedback.
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
The Sick Times is looking for a new podcast and social media producer to join our remote team part-time!
This producer will revive our weekly podcast, Still Here, help expand our social media presence, and assist with other editorial tasks.
Deadline: Jan 20
Details: bit.ly/4prJkjy
This producer will revive our weekly podcast, Still Here, help expand our social media presence, and assist with other editorial tasks.
Deadline: Jan 20
Details: bit.ly/4prJkjy
January 7, 2026 at 3:45 PM
The Sick Times is looking for a new podcast and social media producer to join our remote team part-time!
This producer will revive our weekly podcast, Still Here, help expand our social media presence, and assist with other editorial tasks.
Deadline: Jan 20
Details: bit.ly/4prJkjy
This producer will revive our weekly podcast, Still Here, help expand our social media presence, and assist with other editorial tasks.
Deadline: Jan 20
Details: bit.ly/4prJkjy
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
As someone currently living in a malnourished state due to Long Covid complications, the amount of “was” in the qts and the replies by people who I’m rather certain are *still* exposing high risk people to Covid is going to make me tear out what is left of my hair (yep, that’s also from Long Covid)
there’s a thread on reddit right now called “was COVID really that bad?” and it is interesting to read people’s accounts five years out
there seems to be a collective trauma response where people (outside of healthcare workers) don’t remember how many people died
someone called it anticlimactic
there seems to be a collective trauma response where people (outside of healthcare workers) don’t remember how many people died
someone called it anticlimactic
January 7, 2026 at 12:43 AM
As someone currently living in a malnourished state due to Long Covid complications, the amount of “was” in the qts and the replies by people who I’m rather certain are *still* exposing high risk people to Covid is going to make me tear out what is left of my hair (yep, that’s also from Long Covid)
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
Medscape: Where Is the Medical Home for Postinfectious Illness?
"COVID pandemic brought a surge of more patients with POTS & infection-associated chronic illness. What had once felt like a rare or niche diagnosis now seemed to be everywhere, impossible to ignore"
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
"COVID pandemic brought a surge of more patients with POTS & infection-associated chronic illness. What had once felt like a rare or niche diagnosis now seemed to be everywhere, impossible to ignore"
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Where Is the Medical Home for Postinfectious Illness?
A rheumatologist calls for greater awareness among her colleagues but also emphasizes that these patients require multidisciplinary care.
www.medscape.com
August 20, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Medscape: Where Is the Medical Home for Postinfectious Illness?
"COVID pandemic brought a surge of more patients with POTS & infection-associated chronic illness. What had once felt like a rare or niche diagnosis now seemed to be everywhere, impossible to ignore"
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
"COVID pandemic brought a surge of more patients with POTS & infection-associated chronic illness. What had once felt like a rare or niche diagnosis now seemed to be everywhere, impossible to ignore"
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
A very Happy New Year to you all. If you're still mitigating against infection from SARS-CoV-2 you have nothing but my respect and admiration. Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful 2026.
January 1, 2026 at 10:18 AM
A very Happy New Year to you all. If you're still mitigating against infection from SARS-CoV-2 you have nothing but my respect and admiration. Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful 2026.
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
📈ALL TIME RECORD—New York State Department of Health announced that NY is experiencing the highest number of flu cases ever recorded in a single week (since recording started 2004). Hospitalizations due to influenza surged by ⬆️63% in one week.
health.ny.gov/press/releas...
health.ny.gov/press/releas...
December 29, 2025 at 12:41 PM
📈ALL TIME RECORD—New York State Department of Health announced that NY is experiencing the highest number of flu cases ever recorded in a single week (since recording started 2004). Hospitalizations due to influenza surged by ⬆️63% in one week.
health.ny.gov/press/releas...
health.ny.gov/press/releas...
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
New Perspective from myself, Sarah Heilbronner and @myoo.bsky.social . “Rethinking the centrality of brain areas in understanding functional organization” in Nature Neuroscience. 🧵
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
Rethinking the centrality of brain areas in understanding functional organization
Nature Neuroscience - Parcellation of the cortex into functionally modular brain areas is foundational to neuroscience. Here, Hayden, Heilbronner and Yoo question the central status of brain areas...
rdcu.be
December 23, 2025 at 1:02 PM
New Perspective from myself, Sarah Heilbronner and @myoo.bsky.social . “Rethinking the centrality of brain areas in understanding functional organization” in Nature Neuroscience. 🧵
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
rdcu.be/eVZ1A
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
A recent scientific paper included an antigenic map, comparing the immune status of individuals vaccinated with a range of vaccines ("… vaccinated sera"), against a collection of significant variants ("Virus …").
The map was very informative, so I built a quick dataviz project to explore.
🧵
The map was very informative, so I built a quick dataviz project to explore.
🧵
December 19, 2025 at 9:26 PM
A recent scientific paper included an antigenic map, comparing the immune status of individuals vaccinated with a range of vaccines ("… vaccinated sera"), against a collection of significant variants ("Virus …").
The map was very informative, so I built a quick dataviz project to explore.
🧵
The map was very informative, so I built a quick dataviz project to explore.
🧵
Proud zealot here. And not just against Covid 🙋🏻♂️ #maskup #airborneaware
December 20, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Proud zealot here. And not just against Covid 🙋🏻♂️ #maskup #airborneaware
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
🔬 We're hiring a Junior Group Leader for Data-Driven Digital Twins/System Models in medicine/life sciences at @uni_goettingen! Perfect opportunity for early-career researchers who want to:
- Lead their own research group
- Work at the intersection of AI, simulation, and biomedicine
- Lead their own research group
- Work at the intersection of AI, simulation, and biomedicine
December 19, 2025 at 8:02 AM
🔬 We're hiring a Junior Group Leader for Data-Driven Digital Twins/System Models in medicine/life sciences at @uni_goettingen! Perfect opportunity for early-career researchers who want to:
- Lead their own research group
- Work at the intersection of AI, simulation, and biomedicine
- Lead their own research group
- Work at the intersection of AI, simulation, and biomedicine
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
Bichan Wu (@bichanw.bsky.social) & I wrote a tutorial paper on Reduced Rank Regression (RRR) — the statistical method underlying "communication subspaces" from Semedo et al 2019 — aimed at neuroscientists.
arxiv.org/abs/2512.12467
arxiv.org/abs/2512.12467
Reduced rank regression for neural communication: a tutorial for neuroscientists
Reduced rank regression (RRR) is a statistical method for finding a low-dimensional linear mapping between a set of high-dimensional inputs and outputs. In recent years, RRR has found numerous applica...
arxiv.org
December 17, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Bichan Wu (@bichanw.bsky.social) & I wrote a tutorial paper on Reduced Rank Regression (RRR) — the statistical method underlying "communication subspaces" from Semedo et al 2019 — aimed at neuroscientists.
arxiv.org/abs/2512.12467
arxiv.org/abs/2512.12467
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
This is an important study but psilocybin potentially promoting brain tumor growth is consistent with human studies suggesting SSRIs may worsen survival outcomes in glioma
🐁 Very concerning finding: Psilocybin promotes brain tumour growth
Authors caution against use of 5-HT2A agonists like psilocybin in patients with glioma, "given the profound and sustained tumor growth-promoting effects observed."
Extends to other serotonergic drugs like LSD.
Authors caution against use of 5-HT2A agonists like psilocybin in patients with glioma, "given the profound and sustained tumor growth-promoting effects observed."
Extends to other serotonergic drugs like LSD.
December 16, 2025 at 3:54 AM
This is an important study but psilocybin potentially promoting brain tumor growth is consistent with human studies suggesting SSRIs may worsen survival outcomes in glioma
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
RCT: Rituximab reduced relapse rates in adults with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome compared to placebo.
ja.ma/3YmmkHG
ja.ma/3YmmkHG
December 11, 2025 at 1:00 PM
RCT: Rituximab reduced relapse rates in adults with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome compared to placebo.
ja.ma/3YmmkHG
ja.ma/3YmmkHG
Reposted by Jeff Yau 姚明穎
Another day, another day dragging NIH into areas where it doesn't belong and demeaning himself and the agency...
Turning Point USA’s conference starts in 8 days
Of course, the NIH Director and his MAHA ally Russell Brand are speakers….along with Don Trump Jr, JD Vance, Megyn Kelly, Roger Stone….
Of course, the NIH Director and his MAHA ally Russell Brand are speakers….along with Don Trump Jr, JD Vance, Megyn Kelly, Roger Stone….
December 10, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Another day, another day dragging NIH into areas where it doesn't belong and demeaning himself and the agency...