Joanna Masel
@joannamasel.bsky.social
Theoretical biologist and advisor to data scientists at the University of Arizona. Mostly theoretical population genetics and molecular evolution, but I've also published in biochemistry, infectious disease, aging, economics, education. Opinions are my own
Reposted by Joanna Masel
Meet the plenary speakers for #APSPM2026.
Joanna Masel @joannamasel.bsky.social
Nicholas Matzke @nicholasmatzke.bsky.social
Join us to discuss how protein structure is changing evolutionary theory, phylogenetics and molecular evolution.
biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/spe...
Joanna Masel @joannamasel.bsky.social
Nicholas Matzke @nicholasmatzke.bsky.social
Join us to discuss how protein structure is changing evolutionary theory, phylogenetics and molecular evolution.
biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/spe...
APSPM 2026: Structural Phylogenetics Meeting
A pivotal SMBE regional meeting in Brisbane on the interface of protein structure, function, and evolution.
biosig.lab.uq.edu.au
November 14, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Meet the plenary speakers for #APSPM2026.
Joanna Masel @joannamasel.bsky.social
Nicholas Matzke @nicholasmatzke.bsky.social
Join us to discuss how protein structure is changing evolutionary theory, phylogenetics and molecular evolution.
biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/spe...
Joanna Masel @joannamasel.bsky.social
Nicholas Matzke @nicholasmatzke.bsky.social
Join us to discuss how protein structure is changing evolutionary theory, phylogenetics and molecular evolution.
biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/spe...
Reposted by Joanna Masel
Abstract submission deadline for #AbSciCon2026 is Jan 14. I'll be co-organizing a session on "The Last Universal Common Ancestor and the Origins of Translation" with @lorendw.bsky.social and @seekingluca.bsky.social, with lots of other cool related topics at agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon.... Join us!
2026 Astrobiology Science Conference
agu.confex.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Abstract submission deadline for #AbSciCon2026 is Jan 14. I'll be co-organizing a session on "The Last Universal Common Ancestor and the Origins of Translation" with @lorendw.bsky.social and @seekingluca.bsky.social, with lots of other cool related topics at agu.confex.com/agu/abscicon.... Join us!
Reposted by Joanna Masel
An empirical approach to evaluating the prevalence of long-lived balancing selection in humans--and important limitations. Work by @hannahmm.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 7:14 PM
An empirical approach to evaluating the prevalence of long-lived balancing selection in humans--and important limitations. Work by @hannahmm.bsky.social
Reposted by Joanna Masel
🧪
Hard to believe that this is still something we have to argue for in 2025. The science is settled.
Hard to believe that this is still something we have to argue for in 2025. The science is settled.
Doctors & scientists urge WHO: N95s—not surgical masks—must be the standard in healthcare.
Add your name before Oct 31 👇
tinyurl.com/RespiratorsN...
#RespiratorsNotSurgicals #ProtectHCWs
Add your name before Oct 31 👇
tinyurl.com/RespiratorsN...
#RespiratorsNotSurgicals #ProtectHCWs
A Call for the Universal Use of Respirators in Healthcare - Add Your Name
In an effort to advance global public health through turbulent times, a group of experts from around the globe in medicine, public health, law, industrial hygiene, and other disciplines, met at the Un...
tinyurl.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:08 PM
🧪
Hard to believe that this is still something we have to argue for in 2025. The science is settled.
Hard to believe that this is still something we have to argue for in 2025. The science is settled.
Reposted by Joanna Masel
We are excited to announce APSPM 2026 - the SMBE Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting!
🗓️ 15-18 Feb. 2026
🌏 Brisbane, Australia
🔗 biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/
📄 Abstract submission: 28.11.2025
✈️ Travel grant application: 28.11.2025
✏️ Registration: 15.01.2026
#StrPhy26
🗓️ 15-18 Feb. 2026
🌏 Brisbane, Australia
🔗 biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/
📄 Abstract submission: 28.11.2025
✈️ Travel grant application: 28.11.2025
✏️ Registration: 15.01.2026
#StrPhy26
APSPM 2026: Structural Phylogenetics Meeting
A pivotal SMBE regional meeting in Brisbane on the interface of protein structure, function, and evolution.
biosig.lab.uq.edu.au
October 22, 2025 at 10:17 AM
We are excited to announce APSPM 2026 - the SMBE Australasian Protein Structural Phylogenetics Meeting!
🗓️ 15-18 Feb. 2026
🌏 Brisbane, Australia
🔗 biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/
📄 Abstract submission: 28.11.2025
✈️ Travel grant application: 28.11.2025
✏️ Registration: 15.01.2026
#StrPhy26
🗓️ 15-18 Feb. 2026
🌏 Brisbane, Australia
🔗 biosig.lab.uq.edu.au/strphy26/
📄 Abstract submission: 28.11.2025
✈️ Travel grant application: 28.11.2025
✏️ Registration: 15.01.2026
#StrPhy26
Reposted by Joanna Masel
The new #NSF #GRFP application now excludes 1000’s of students, including those who were told they could apply this year, or who planned to apply next year.
We have a new specific petition urging #NSFGRFP undo this harmful action. If you are impacted sign here: laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/
We have a new specific petition urging #NSFGRFP undo this harmful action. If you are impacted sign here: laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/
September 29, 2025 at 5:47 PM
The new #NSF #GRFP application now excludes 1000’s of students, including those who were told they could apply this year, or who planned to apply next year.
We have a new specific petition urging #NSFGRFP undo this harmful action. If you are impacted sign here: laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/
We have a new specific petition urging #NSFGRFP undo this harmful action. If you are impacted sign here: laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/
Reposted by Joanna Masel
It is insanity that this hugely consequential news — whether Trump’s EO vomit tirade about H1Bs applies to current visa holders — is sourced *anonymously*! No one will go on record to clarify the new rules!? www.politico.com/news/2025/09...
Trump administration tries to tamp down panic for high-skill visa holders after last-minute overhaul
The president announced Friday that H-1B visas will now come with a $100,000 annual fee, but a U.S. official said it will only apply to new visa applicants.
www.politico.com
September 20, 2025 at 5:44 PM
It is insanity that this hugely consequential news — whether Trump’s EO vomit tirade about H1Bs applies to current visa holders — is sourced *anonymously*! No one will go on record to clarify the new rules!? www.politico.com/news/2025/09...
Reposted by Joanna Masel
Massive sibling regression study finds that human traits are largely environmentally driven (average heritability = 0.3)
Within-family heritability estimates for behavioural and disease phenotypes from 500,000 sibling pairs of diverse ancestries
Quantification of the direct effect of genetic variation on human behavioural traits is important for understanding between-individual variation in socio-economic and health outcomes but estimates of ...
www.medrxiv.org
September 20, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Massive sibling regression study finds that human traits are largely environmentally driven (average heritability = 0.3)
Our new paper @asn-amnat.bsky.social develops a Grand Unified Theory including both exploitative and interference competition doi.org/10.1086/737628. The R* rule of ecology (that 2 species cannot coexist on a single resource), is widely broken, including via a new trade-off we describe. 1/9
A Mechanistically Integrated Model of Exploitative and Interference Competition over a Single Resource Produces Widespread Coexistence | The American Naturalist
Abstract Many ecological models treat exploitative competition in isolation from interference competition. Corresponding theory centers around the R* rule, according to which consumers that share a si...
doi.org
September 16, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Our new paper @asn-amnat.bsky.social develops a Grand Unified Theory including both exploitative and interference competition doi.org/10.1086/737628. The R* rule of ecology (that 2 species cannot coexist on a single resource), is widely broken, including via a new trade-off we describe. 1/9
Reposted by Joanna Masel
The House discretionary budget bill is now out for FY26, including a proposed *slight boost* in NIH funding & many other components that will take time to unpack.
Bill text:
appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
A few key points including IDC analysis in a provisional 🧵
Bill text:
appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
A few key points including IDC analysis in a provisional 🧵
appropriations.house.gov
September 2, 2025 at 12:43 AM
The House discretionary budget bill is now out for FY26, including a proposed *slight boost* in NIH funding & many other components that will take time to unpack.
Bill text:
appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
A few key points including IDC analysis in a provisional 🧵
Bill text:
appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...
A few key points including IDC analysis in a provisional 🧵
Reposted by Joanna Masel
Trump admin planning to change student visas from lasting for duration of academic program to fixed 4-yr term, and then much harder to renew
Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.
Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.
Trump Deals A New Immigration Blow To International Students
Trump officials have proposed a new rule limiting international students to fixed periods of entry, making a U.S. education more precarious.
www.forbes.com
August 29, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Trump admin planning to change student visas from lasting for duration of academic program to fixed 4-yr term, and then much harder to renew
Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.
Could destroy US ability to attract global talent, particularly those seeking advanced degrees in STEM. The median time to complete a PhD is 5.7 yrs per NSF.
Reposted by Joanna Masel
Very sad to see.
www.thetransmitter.org/community/ha...
www.thetransmitter.org/community/ha...
Exclusive: Harvard University lays off fly database team
The layoffs jeopardize this resource, which has served more than 4,000 labs for about three decades.
www.thetransmitter.org
August 14, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Very sad to see.
www.thetransmitter.org/community/ha...
www.thetransmitter.org/community/ha...
This guy has talent, he should write for the Onion frankaj.substack.com/p/bridge-pla...
Bridge players forbidden to bid No Trump
President Trump’s latest executive order forbids "NO TRUMP" bids in bridge.
frankaj.substack.com
August 5, 2025 at 12:26 AM
This guy has talent, he should write for the Onion frankaj.substack.com/p/bridge-pla...
Reposted by Joanna Masel
Suppose, however, the appropriation is reduced by 10% in the first year of implementation and remains at this lower level (recall that the Administration is proposing a 40% reduction).
This results in a larger dip in the number of funded grants.
5/n
This results in a larger dip in the number of funded grants.
5/n
July 23, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Suppose, however, the appropriation is reduced by 10% in the first year of implementation and remains at this lower level (recall that the Administration is proposing a 40% reduction).
This results in a larger dip in the number of funded grants.
5/n
This results in a larger dip in the number of funded grants.
5/n
Reposted by Joanna Masel
The NIH switching to fully funding projects upfront will lead to a painful transition period. There'll also be an impact on indirects I haven't seen mentioned before.
@drugmonkey.bsky.social @jeremymberg.bsky.social @donmoyn.bsky.social
clauswilke.substack.com/p/nih-funded...
@drugmonkey.bsky.social @jeremymberg.bsky.social @donmoyn.bsky.social
clauswilke.substack.com/p/nih-funded...
NIH-funded researchers can't catch a break
Changes appear to be underfoot in how the NIH pays out awards. It may seem a minor technicality, but it will likely have far-reaching consequences.
clauswilke.substack.com
July 29, 2025 at 1:46 PM
The NIH switching to fully funding projects upfront will lead to a painful transition period. There'll also be an impact on indirects I haven't seen mentioned before.
@drugmonkey.bsky.social @jeremymberg.bsky.social @donmoyn.bsky.social
clauswilke.substack.com/p/nih-funded...
@drugmonkey.bsky.social @jeremymberg.bsky.social @donmoyn.bsky.social
clauswilke.substack.com/p/nih-funded...
Reposted by Joanna Masel
Terrible Friday news dump.The wealth of expertise. The decades of scientific progress. The emerging and urgent challenges we were focused on tackling. It is all so short-sided and cruel. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/c...
E.P.A. Says It Will Eliminate Its Scientific Research Arm
www.nytimes.com
July 18, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Terrible Friday news dump.The wealth of expertise. The decades of scientific progress. The emerging and urgent challenges we were focused on tackling. It is all so short-sided and cruel. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/c...
Reposted by Joanna Masel
🎉 I'm thrilled to share that I’ll be joining the University of Arizona as an Assistant Professor starting January 2026!
I’ll be recruiting PhD students, lab technicians, and postdocs—so if you're interested in host-microbe interactions, I’d love to hear from you!
I’ll be recruiting PhD students, lab technicians, and postdocs—so if you're interested in host-microbe interactions, I’d love to hear from you!
July 3, 2025 at 11:52 PM
🎉 I'm thrilled to share that I’ll be joining the University of Arizona as an Assistant Professor starting January 2026!
I’ll be recruiting PhD students, lab technicians, and postdocs—so if you're interested in host-microbe interactions, I’d love to hear from you!
I’ll be recruiting PhD students, lab technicians, and postdocs—so if you're interested in host-microbe interactions, I’d love to hear from you!
Reposted by Joanna Masel
Trump’s Tax Scam now heads back to the House, where Republicans can only afford to lose 3 votes. The bill barely squeaked by with a single-vote margin the first time, and it’s only gotten more divisive since.
Anyone who tells you this is a done deal doesn’t know what the hell they’re talking about.
Anyone who tells you this is a done deal doesn’t know what the hell they’re talking about.
Trump’s Big Ugly Bill has passed the Senate. We can still defeat it in the House.
By Sarah Dohl, Indivisible Chief Campaigns Officer
indivisibleteam.medium.com
July 1, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Trump’s Tax Scam now heads back to the House, where Republicans can only afford to lose 3 votes. The bill barely squeaked by with a single-vote margin the first time, and it’s only gotten more divisive since.
Anyone who tells you this is a done deal doesn’t know what the hell they’re talking about.
Anyone who tells you this is a done deal doesn’t know what the hell they’re talking about.
Reposted by Joanna Masel
If you don't know about mosquito dunks, you should!
They're floating plant material containing a type of bacterium that only attacks mosquito larvae. Just put one in the water and stop mosquitos from hatching.
They're inexpensive and highly effective.
Signed, a friendly bluesky entomologist.
They're floating plant material containing a type of bacterium that only attacks mosquito larvae. Just put one in the water and stop mosquitos from hatching.
They're inexpensive and highly effective.
Signed, a friendly bluesky entomologist.
Hey y’all - heads up that mosquito-borne viral diseases in the US are off to an *early* start this summer. Make sure to cover/bugspray up and reduce standing water around your home (or treat with products like Mosquito Dunks that kill developing larvae!)
July 1, 2025 at 7:42 PM
If you don't know about mosquito dunks, you should!
They're floating plant material containing a type of bacterium that only attacks mosquito larvae. Just put one in the water and stop mosquitos from hatching.
They're inexpensive and highly effective.
Signed, a friendly bluesky entomologist.
They're floating plant material containing a type of bacterium that only attacks mosquito larvae. Just put one in the water and stop mosquitos from hatching.
They're inexpensive and highly effective.
Signed, a friendly bluesky entomologist.
Reposted by Joanna Masel
One of the organizers of The Bethesda Declaration 👇👇
Please sign on and add your voice in calling for an NIH that prioritizes the safety of research participants and public health over political momentum.
actionnetwork.org/forms/add-na...
actionnetwork.org/forms/add-na...
ADD YOUR NAME: Sign the Open Letter in Support of NIH Staff
Join the courageous and committed National Institutes of Health (NIH) public servants by adding your name now.
actionnetwork.org
June 10, 2025 at 5:50 AM
One of the organizers of The Bethesda Declaration 👇👇
Reposted by Joanna Masel
The Trump administration has killed a $600 million grant to Moderna to develop an mRNA vaccine for H5N1 influenza. @helenbranswell.bsky.social reports. www.statnews.com/2025/05/28/m...
HHS cancels nearly $600 million Moderna contract on vaccines for flu pandemics
HHS has notified Moderna that it is canceling a nearly $600 million contract for vaccines for flu strains that could trigger future pandemics.
www.statnews.com
May 28, 2025 at 10:24 PM
The Trump administration has killed a $600 million grant to Moderna to develop an mRNA vaccine for H5N1 influenza. @helenbranswell.bsky.social reports. www.statnews.com/2025/05/28/m...
Reposted by Joanna Masel
My father worked in a tire factory in Appalachia. Friends and family in the military. Used to vote Republican. Got into college on a diversity program for the underprivileged. Ended up a Harvard professor. And now my funding is terminated because we're trying to stick it to the elites.
May 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
My father worked in a tire factory in Appalachia. Friends and family in the military. Used to vote Republican. Got into college on a diversity program for the underprivileged. Ended up a Harvard professor. And now my funding is terminated because we're trying to stick it to the elites.
Reposted by Joanna Masel
HMMER is the bedrock of genomic annotation globally, and now its funding is terminated for no reason.
@cryptogenomicon.bsky.social is now on bsky:
@cryptogenomicon.bsky.social is now on bsky:
NIH funding supporting the HMMER and Infernal software projects has been terminated. NIH states that our work, as well as all other federally funded research at Harvard, is of no benefit to the US.
May 28, 2025 at 4:25 PM
HMMER is the bedrock of genomic annotation globally, and now its funding is terminated for no reason.
@cryptogenomicon.bsky.social is now on bsky:
@cryptogenomicon.bsky.social is now on bsky:
Reposted by Joanna Masel
I helped draft this open letter about last Friday’s gold standard science executive order. Take a look and consider signing if you agree.
🚨 URGENT RESPONSE CALL 🚨
Trump’s Fool’s Gold Science EO is a dangerous sham.
It gives his appointees the power to dismiss entire bodies of research and punish researchers who fail to fall in line with his agenda.
We’ve launched an open letter.
SIGN & SHARE NOW: actionnetwork.org/petitions/op...
Trump’s Fool’s Gold Science EO is a dangerous sham.
It gives his appointees the power to dismiss entire bodies of research and punish researchers who fail to fall in line with his agenda.
We’ve launched an open letter.
SIGN & SHARE NOW: actionnetwork.org/petitions/op...
Sign The Open Letter to Stand Up For Science Now!
Science is under siege. Trump’s latest Executive Order calls for politically appointed science commissars to evaluate research. Join us in adding your name to our open letter condemning Trump’s escala...
actionnetwork.org
May 26, 2025 at 4:27 PM
I helped draft this open letter about last Friday’s gold standard science executive order. Take a look and consider signing if you agree.