John Gilleard
@johngilleard.bsky.social
Professor,Parasitologist, University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Interests in drug resistant parasites, molecular diagnostics & sustainable control. Opinions expressed are my own & do not express views of my employer.
😱
Sometimes, parasitologists have to put their own body on the line in the name of science. In this case, a parasitologist played host to a nose leech for over a month to find out more about its life history 🧪
#Invertebrate
dailyparasite.blogspot.com/2019/10/dino...
#Invertebrate
dailyparasite.blogspot.com/2019/10/dino...
<i>Dinobdella ferox</i>
When it comes to parasitology, sometimes you have to get really up close with your study organism, as one researcher in Taiwan did in trying...
dailyparasite.blogspot.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:48 AM
😱
Reposted by John Gilleard
Nematodes Per 100g Of Dry Soil
For every human on earth there are 60 billion nematodes living in the soil
brilliantmaps.com/nematodes...
For every human on earth there are 60 billion nematodes living in the soil
brilliantmaps.com/nematodes...
August 13, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Nematodes Per 100g Of Dry Soil
For every human on earth there are 60 billion nematodes living in the soil
brilliantmaps.com/nematodes...
For every human on earth there are 60 billion nematodes living in the soil
brilliantmaps.com/nematodes...
Reposted by John Gilleard
Absolute pleasure to be involved in this review article on sustainable parasite control in ruminants. Full of lovely stuff on vaccines, nutrition, genetics, grazing and biological control! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
August 12, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Absolute pleasure to be involved in this review article on sustainable parasite control in ruminants. Full of lovely stuff on vaccines, nutrition, genetics, grazing and biological control! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by John Gilleard
When my dad was born (~1950) only one third of the global population was literate. When I was born (~1980) already two thirds of all humans were literate. When my sons were born (~2020) around 87 per cent of the global population was literate. That's human progress in action. Source: buff.ly/exODbs8
July 12, 2025 at 1:05 PM
When my dad was born (~1950) only one third of the global population was literate. When I was born (~1980) already two thirds of all humans were literate. When my sons were born (~2020) around 87 per cent of the global population was literate. That's human progress in action. Source: buff.ly/exODbs8
Reposted by John Gilleard
Scientists have followed unwritten guidelines for their conduct for hundreds of years. These norms aren’t enforced by any law, but they act as guiding principles for science and reasons it should be trusted.
The 6 principles, from universalism to humility. theconversation.com/scientific-n...
The 6 principles, from universalism to humility. theconversation.com/scientific-n...
Scientific norms shape the behavior of researchers working for the greater good
While rarely explicitly taught to scientists in training, a set of common values guides science in the quest to advance knowledge while being ethical and trustworthy.
theconversation.com
July 10, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Scientists have followed unwritten guidelines for their conduct for hundreds of years. These norms aren’t enforced by any law, but they act as guiding principles for science and reasons it should be trusted.
The 6 principles, from universalism to humility. theconversation.com/scientific-n...
The 6 principles, from universalism to humility. theconversation.com/scientific-n...
Reposted by John Gilleard
Very excited and proud to release a project that I’ve been thinking about for at least 7 years, well before I started my faculty position. We built an imaging and computational platform from the ground up to help answer some outstanding questions in schistosome miracidia biology.
Quantitative ethology of schistosome miracidia characterizes a conserved snail peptide that inhibits penetration
Over 700 million people are at risk of contracting schistosomiasis due to regular exposure to freshwater sources where infected snails, the obligate intermediate hosts of schistosomes, are endemic. Al...
www.biorxiv.org
July 3, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Very excited and proud to release a project that I’ve been thinking about for at least 7 years, well before I started my faculty position. We built an imaging and computational platform from the ground up to help answer some outstanding questions in schistosome miracidia biology.
Reposted by John Gilleard
My hot take on Jeff Bezos' wedding: That $50 million price tag is double what the US government was spending annually on food and medicine for 5 million AIDS orphans before the Trump administration canceled it.
We are literally letting orphans die rather than make this guy pay taxes.
We are literally letting orphans die rather than make this guy pay taxes.
June 29, 2025 at 7:19 PM
My hot take on Jeff Bezos' wedding: That $50 million price tag is double what the US government was spending annually on food and medicine for 5 million AIDS orphans before the Trump administration canceled it.
We are literally letting orphans die rather than make this guy pay taxes.
We are literally letting orphans die rather than make this guy pay taxes.
Reposted by John Gilleard
UPDATE: We have data on >1000 terminated #NSF grants at grant-watch.us. Thanks to all who have been contributing data the past few days.
We've also added a "Reports" section with some analyses. For NSF, we see that the STEM education directorate has been absolutely pummeled.
We've also added a "Reports" section with some analyses. For NSF, we see that the STEM education directorate has been absolutely pummeled.
April 30, 2025 at 10:49 PM
UPDATE: We have data on >1000 terminated #NSF grants at grant-watch.us. Thanks to all who have been contributing data the past few days.
We've also added a "Reports" section with some analyses. For NSF, we see that the STEM education directorate has been absolutely pummeled.
We've also added a "Reports" section with some analyses. For NSF, we see that the STEM education directorate has been absolutely pummeled.
Reposted by John Gilleard
Did you know? 99% of all new medications resulted from federally-funded university research through #NIH
Learn more about #ResearchSavesLives: hub.jhu.edu/research-sav....
Learn more about #ResearchSavesLives: hub.jhu.edu/research-sav....
April 16, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Did you know? 99% of all new medications resulted from federally-funded university research through #NIH
Learn more about #ResearchSavesLives: hub.jhu.edu/research-sav....
Learn more about #ResearchSavesLives: hub.jhu.edu/research-sav....
Reposted by John Gilleard
Bluesky has overtaken its flailing rival X in hosting posts related to new academic research, indicating the platform is fast becoming the go-to place for scholars to share their work
#AcademicSky #EduSky
#AcademicSky #EduSky
X’s dominance ‘over’ as Bluesky becomes new hub for research
Data indicates more scholars turning to alternative social media site to post about their work after Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover
www.timeshighereducation.com
April 9, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Bluesky has overtaken its flailing rival X in hosting posts related to new academic research, indicating the platform is fast becoming the go-to place for scholars to share their work
#AcademicSky #EduSky
#AcademicSky #EduSky
Reposted by John Gilleard
New @sihorses.bsky.social publication by @mstothart.bsky.social on the toxicity of Beach Pea on Sable Island doi.org/10.22621/cfn...
Little evidence that Beach Pea (<i>Lathyrus japonicus</i>) toxins cause gait abnormalities in Sable Island Feral Horse (<i>Equus ferus caballus</i>)
| The Canadian Field-Naturalist
doi.org
March 29, 2025 at 11:05 PM
New @sihorses.bsky.social publication by @mstothart.bsky.social on the toxicity of Beach Pea on Sable Island doi.org/10.22621/cfn...
Many congratulations to Faculty of Veterinary Medicine’s own Rachael Coon on winning the university of Calgary postdoc slam!! Great work!! www.ucalgary.ca/news/three-m...
Three minutes, endless impact: UCalgary’s Postdoc Research Slam celebrates innovation and storytelling
Annual postdoc competition highlights groundbreaking research – from sustainable innovation to medical breakthroughs – while fostering community among postdoc scholars.
www.ucalgary.ca
February 28, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Many congratulations to Faculty of Veterinary Medicine’s own Rachael Coon on winning the university of Calgary postdoc slam!! Great work!! www.ucalgary.ca/news/three-m...
Reposted by John Gilleard
How SPPIRIT is transforming early career profiles in Parasitology in Scotland
www.cell.com/action/showP...
www.cell.com/action/showP...
www.cell.com
January 8, 2025 at 4:03 PM
How SPPIRIT is transforming early career profiles in Parasitology in Scotland
www.cell.com/action/showP...
www.cell.com/action/showP...
Our paper describing a new STH species Trichuris incognita which is resistant to albendazole-ivermectin combination therapy is out in Emerging Infectious Diseases wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/... Great work Abhinaya Venkatesan & collaborators @jsoghigian.bsky.social , Jennifer Keiser and team.
January 8, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Our paper describing a new STH species Trichuris incognita which is resistant to albendazole-ivermectin combination therapy is out in Emerging Infectious Diseases wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/... Great work Abhinaya Venkatesan & collaborators @jsoghigian.bsky.social , Jennifer Keiser and team.
Festive potluck lab lunch and opportunity for team photo ! An awesome group and a pleasure to work with👏🎉
December 18, 2024 at 6:31 AM
Festive potluck lab lunch and opportunity for team photo ! An awesome group and a pleasure to work with👏🎉
Fantastic piece of work. Congratulations Micky and Jocelyn !
Thank you to my supervisor @jocelynpoissant.bsky.social and my co-authors, Elizabeth Redman, Stefan Gavriliuc, Jennifer Bellaw, @johngilleard.bsky.social, Phil McLoughlin!
December 13, 2024 at 4:52 PM
Fantastic piece of work. Congratulations Micky and Jocelyn !
Reposted by John Gilleard
Hello! I'm Micky, a PhD Candidate at the University of Calgary studying the ecology and evolution of parasites in Sable Island horses using DNA metabarcoding. I spent 3 summers on a deserted island as a glorified poop picker and amateur horse photographer.
November 27, 2024 at 2:29 AM
Hello! I'm Micky, a PhD Candidate at the University of Calgary studying the ecology and evolution of parasites in Sable Island horses using DNA metabarcoding. I spent 3 summers on a deserted island as a glorified poop picker and amateur horse photographer.
Official end of barbecue season in Calgary
November 23, 2024 at 8:11 PM
Official end of barbecue season in Calgary
Congrats! Neat to see how these tools are developing!
Excited to share our latest work:
Optimisation of single-nuclei isolation and RNA sequencing of parasitic nematodes
Super work & effort from @SarahBuddenborg
with lots of great collaboration. It is just the beginning....🤩🥳
doi.org/10.1101/2024...
#UKRIFLF @sangerinstitute
Optimisation of single-nuclei isolation and RNA sequencing of parasitic nematodes
Super work & effort from @SarahBuddenborg
with lots of great collaboration. It is just the beginning....🤩🥳
doi.org/10.1101/2024...
#UKRIFLF @sangerinstitute
Optimisation of single-nuclei isolation and RNA sequencing of parasitic nematodes
Single-cell/nuclei transcriptomics has revolutionised our understanding of cell, tissue, and organismal biology during health and disease of humans and model organisms. However, for non-model species,...
doi.org
November 21, 2024 at 5:20 AM
Congrats! Neat to see how these tools are developing!
Reposted by John Gilleard
Fanstastic opportunity for undergraduates in low and middle income countries. A fully funded 3 month internship at Sanger. Get in touch if interested! www.sanger.ac.uk/about/the-sa...
The Sanger Prize Competition 2025
Sanger Prize competiton 2025 for undergraduates interested in genomics, who are from low- and middle-income countries
www.sanger.ac.uk
November 19, 2024 at 9:36 PM
Fanstastic opportunity for undergraduates in low and middle income countries. A fully funded 3 month internship at Sanger. Get in touch if interested! www.sanger.ac.uk/about/the-sa...
Reposted by John Gilleard
Congratulations to Viraj Muthye (@awesomebiology.bsky.social) and the team for this latest study from the lab. We sequenced, assembled, & annotated the genome of a new described myxozoan parasites, found in a pond in Lethbridge Alberta.
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...
The Highly Repetitive Genome of Myxobolus rasmusseni, an Emerging Myxozoan Parasite of Fathead Minnows
Abstract. Myxozoans are a monophyletic taxon of approximately 2,400 described species of parasites from the phylum Cnidaria. The recent focus on their nega
academic.oup.com
November 19, 2024 at 6:59 PM
Congratulations to Viraj Muthye (@awesomebiology.bsky.social) and the team for this latest study from the lab. We sequenced, assembled, & annotated the genome of a new described myxozoan parasites, found in a pond in Lethbridge Alberta.
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...
academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...
Awesome way to visualize area distortion is standard world maps
What A Circle With 5,000km Radius Centred On Paris Looks Like On A Mercator Map
brilliantmaps.com/5000km-ra...
brilliantmaps.com/5000km-ra...
November 19, 2024 at 1:46 PM
Awesome way to visualize area distortion is standard world maps