Katherine McVay
@katherinemcvay.bsky.social
PhD candidate @Duke Evolutionary Anthropology with @amygoldberg.bsky.social | pop gen, primates, and pathogens 🧬🐒🦠
https://katherinemcvay.weebly.com
https://katherinemcvay.weebly.com
Pat and Pedro are wonderful collaborators and colleagues! Definitely give this book a read if you’re interested in conservation genetics in the context of the rich diversity of the Neotropics.
Why Study Biodiversity in the Neotropics? 🌍 Explore how population genetics reveals the impact of human activity on the world’s richest ecosystems. A must-read for conservation biology and sustainability: bit.ly/46Tkq6G. #Biodiversity #PopGen
October 16, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Pat and Pedro are wonderful collaborators and colleagues! Definitely give this book a read if you’re interested in conservation genetics in the context of the rich diversity of the Neotropics.
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Now published in Cell! We found that ~15% of SNPs from divergent refs did not liftover as SNPs in the gray fox ref—half mapped to monomorphic sites, half failed to map. Co-authored with Matthew Genchev, @elliecat.bsky.social, and @jazlynmooney.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
September 22, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Now published in Cell! We found that ~15% of SNPs from divergent refs did not liftover as SNPs in the gray fox ref—half mapped to monomorphic sites, half failed to map. Co-authored with Matthew Genchev, @elliecat.bsky.social, and @jazlynmooney.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Katherine McVay
🦇🦠 New preprint - in a long-term effort led by the amazing @mayajuman.bsky.social, we've shown that the ML tools developed by @viralemergence.org let us efficiently screen museum collections for pathogens with pandemic potential
🎉🔓 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🎉🔓 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Museum collections and machine learning guide discovery of novel coronaviruses and paramyxoviruses
Natural history museum collections are valuable but underutilized resources for viral discovery, offering opportunities to test hypotheses about viral occurrence across space, time, and taxonomic grou...
www.biorxiv.org
September 22, 2025 at 6:46 PM
🦇🦠 New preprint - in a long-term effort led by the amazing @mayajuman.bsky.social, we've shown that the ML tools developed by @viralemergence.org let us efficiently screen museum collections for pathogens with pandemic potential
🎉🔓 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🎉🔓 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Our paper Genomic diversity of the African malaria vector Anopheles funestus was published in Science today! It features inversions, selection in action, museum specimens and putative new ecotypes. doi.org/10.1126/scie...
September 18, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Our paper Genomic diversity of the African malaria vector Anopheles funestus was published in Science today! It features inversions, selection in action, museum specimens and putative new ecotypes. doi.org/10.1126/scie...
My first Perspective piece was just published in Science! I discuss the new findings by @amandalea.bsky.social and colleagues showing adaptations to water stress in the Turkana, and the implications of past adaptations for future disease risk.
Trade-offs and human adaptation at the extremes | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Trade-offs and human adaptation at the extremes
Genomic analyses of Turkana pastoralists identify variants that increase water retention
www.science.org
September 19, 2025 at 5:13 PM
My first Perspective piece was just published in Science! I discuss the new findings by @amandalea.bsky.social and colleagues showing adaptations to water stress in the Turkana, and the implications of past adaptations for future disease risk.
I’m excited to be attending #ESEB2025 this week in Barcelona! If you’re interested in chatting about primate population genetics, come chat with me at my poster this evening - P01.275 Genomics of Brazilian howler monkeys reveals recent inbreeding and species-specific positive selection
August 18, 2025 at 8:35 AM
I’m excited to be attending #ESEB2025 this week in Barcelona! If you’re interested in chatting about primate population genetics, come chat with me at my poster this evening - P01.275 Genomics of Brazilian howler monkeys reveals recent inbreeding and species-specific positive selection
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Inside me there are two wolves. One of them has a 15 genome edits the other 20 genome edits. Neither of them is a dire wolf.
April 8, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Inside me there are two wolves. One of them has a 15 genome edits the other 20 genome edits. Neither of them is a dire wolf.
Reposted by Katherine McVay
🚨😷🧪 NEW: A growing body of evidence shows that pandemics, biodiversity loss, and climate change are part of a broader polycrisis - but there are no simple solutions. A sweeping overview of "Pathogens and planetary change" for the first issue of @natrevbiodiv.bsky.social, out now 🔓 rdcu.be/d6lHl
January 15, 2025 at 2:16 PM
🚨😷🧪 NEW: A growing body of evidence shows that pandemics, biodiversity loss, and climate change are part of a broader polycrisis - but there are no simple solutions. A sweeping overview of "Pathogens and planetary change" for the first issue of @natrevbiodiv.bsky.social, out now 🔓 rdcu.be/d6lHl
Reposted by Katherine McVay
*BREAKING*
"The results revealed that this community was centred around bonds of female-line descent.”
#Archaeology #Prehistory #IronAge
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"The results revealed that this community was centred around bonds of female-line descent.”
#Archaeology #Prehistory #IronAge
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Continental influx and pervasive matrilocality in Iron Age Britain - Nature
An analysis of ancient mitochondrial and nuclear DNA shows evidence of matrilocal communities in Iron Age Britain.
www.nature.com
January 15, 2025 at 4:45 PM
*BREAKING*
"The results revealed that this community was centred around bonds of female-line descent.”
#Archaeology #Prehistory #IronAge
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"The results revealed that this community was centred around bonds of female-line descent.”
#Archaeology #Prehistory #IronAge
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Absolutely loved hearing about this work at SMBE24 this past summer and subsequently leading a lab meeting discussion on the preprint. Fantastic to see it published!
Another great paper from the PanAf family, focusing on local adaptaion in chimpanzee populations: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Fecal samples 💩 and target capture 🧬 (exome) going to another level. So proud to have been part of it, amazing work led by Harrison Ostridge and @aidaandres.bsky.social
Fecal samples 💩 and target capture 🧬 (exome) going to another level. So proud to have been part of it, amazing work led by Harrison Ostridge and @aidaandres.bsky.social
January 12, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Absolutely loved hearing about this work at SMBE24 this past summer and subsequently leading a lab meeting discussion on the preprint. Fantastic to see it published!
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Preprint is out! We investigated the genomic diversity and evolutionary history of Anopheles funestus mosquitoes, one of the main species transmitting human malaria across Africa. Here’s a visual summary. Art by @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social . 1/8 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
December 18, 2024 at 4:40 PM
Preprint is out! We investigated the genomic diversity and evolutionary history of Anopheles funestus mosquitoes, one of the main species transmitting human malaria across Africa. Here’s a visual summary. Art by @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social . 1/8 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Congrats to my fellow Duke EvAnth grad student Alisha Anaya 🎉 She put in so much effort scanning and recording this material, it’s great to see it come together!!
Our new paper announcing a freely available database of 3D scans of primate skeletal material--a major effort led by Sergio Almécija & his team at the American Museum of Natural History.
🧪 🏺 #paleosky #anatomy #primates #anthropology #morphology #zoology #paleoanthropology #openscience
🧪 🏺 #paleosky #anatomy #primates #anthropology #morphology #zoology #paleoanthropology #openscience
Primate Phenotypes: A Multi-Institution Collection of 3D Morphological Data Housed in MorphoSource - Scientific Data
Scientific Data - Primate Phenotypes: A Multi-Institution Collection of 3D Morphological Data Housed in MorphoSource
www.nature.com
December 19, 2024 at 3:09 AM
Congrats to my fellow Duke EvAnth grad student Alisha Anaya 🎉 She put in so much effort scanning and recording this material, it’s great to see it come together!!
Being able to accurately identify physical interactions between host and receptor proteins is critical for research on host shifts/zoonoses as these interactions often mediate susceptibility. This type of research is important for future pandemics and research on treatment and vaccine development.
December 18, 2024 at 8:15 PM
Being able to accurately identify physical interactions between host and receptor proteins is critical for research on host shifts/zoonoses as these interactions often mediate susceptibility. This type of research is important for future pandemics and research on treatment and vaccine development.
Reposted by Katherine McVay
With the Crane Foundation & amazing co-authors, we analyzed 150+ years of genomic data, revealing whooping cranes have lost 70% of their genetic diversity and accumulated harmful mutations. Despite conservation successes, they remain vulnerable. We argue keeping their endangered status
I'm super happy to share our newest preprint on whooping crane genomics 🐣🧬
🚨Persistent genomic erosion in whooping cranes despite demographic recovery🚨 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Extremely thankful to @hernmoral.bsky.social and all co-authors!
#conservationgenomics #genomics #whoopingcranes
🚨Persistent genomic erosion in whooping cranes despite demographic recovery🚨 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Extremely thankful to @hernmoral.bsky.social and all co-authors!
#conservationgenomics #genomics #whoopingcranes
December 18, 2024 at 3:12 PM
With the Crane Foundation & amazing co-authors, we analyzed 150+ years of genomic data, revealing whooping cranes have lost 70% of their genetic diversity and accumulated harmful mutations. Despite conservation successes, they remain vulnerable. We argue keeping their endangered status
Fantastic to see this research come together! These questions can be addressed with significantly higher certainty using pathogen paleogenomics as shown here.
It's a debate that's raged for more than 500 years: Where did syphilis, first reported in Europe in 1494, originate? DNA from ancient bones, analyzed by @jrockdrigo.bsky.social and colleagues, may help close the case. @science.org
Syphilis microbe circulated in the Americas thousands of years before European contact
But ancient DNA from bony lesions suggests original bacterial strains may not have spread sexually
www.science.org
December 18, 2024 at 7:51 PM
Fantastic to see this research come together! These questions can be addressed with significantly higher certainty using pathogen paleogenomics as shown here.
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Nearly five years after publication, and after 4,000 retractions, the paper that sparked the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 has been retracted.
The publisher cites a range of scientific and ethical concerns.
I have some thoughts 1/n
The publisher cites a range of scientific and ethical concerns.
I have some thoughts 1/n
December 17, 2024 at 11:08 PM
Nearly five years after publication, and after 4,000 retractions, the paper that sparked the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 has been retracted.
The publisher cites a range of scientific and ethical concerns.
I have some thoughts 1/n
The publisher cites a range of scientific and ethical concerns.
I have some thoughts 1/n
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Using hair found in the teeth of the infamous lions named the "Tsavo Man-Eater's," scientists uncover their diet consisted of humans, giraffes, and more. @currentbiology.bsky.social
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
December 18, 2024 at 2:10 AM
Using hair found in the teeth of the infamous lions named the "Tsavo Man-Eater's," scientists uncover their diet consisted of humans, giraffes, and more. @currentbiology.bsky.social
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Beautiful paper from the Elizabeth Winzeler laboratory at UC San Diego out today in Science building a predictive model of malaria drug resistance by analyzing the genomes of 724 parasite genomes evolved in the lab to resist one of 118 different antimalarial compounds
today.ucsd.edu/story/a-new-...
today.ucsd.edu/story/a-new-...
A New Approach to Predicting Malaria Drug Resistance
Researchers at UC San Diego analyzed the genomes of hundreds of malaria parasites to determine which genetic variants are most likely to confer drug resistance.
today.ucsd.edu
December 10, 2024 at 8:49 PM
Beautiful paper from the Elizabeth Winzeler laboratory at UC San Diego out today in Science building a predictive model of malaria drug resistance by analyzing the genomes of 724 parasite genomes evolved in the lab to resist one of 118 different antimalarial compounds
today.ucsd.edu/story/a-new-...
today.ucsd.edu/story/a-new-...
Host specificity can be a super complex phenotype so to see such a clear example of a single mutation driving the shift is both fascinating and worrying!
New @science.org
from my Scripps Research colleagues on H5N1
A single mutation can increase the virus's binding to human receptors, highlighting the need for rigorous surveillance
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
from my Scripps Research colleagues on H5N1
A single mutation can increase the virus's binding to human receptors, highlighting the need for rigorous surveillance
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
December 6, 2024 at 3:23 AM
Host specificity can be a super complex phenotype so to see such a clear example of a single mutation driving the shift is both fascinating and worrying!
Reposted by Katherine McVay
My sister’s got an epic new paper out!
She’s a PhD candidate working on infectious diseases, including this work on malaria therapeutics:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
She’s a PhD candidate working on infectious diseases, including this work on malaria therapeutics:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Potent AMA1-specific human monoclonal antibody against Plasmodium vivax Pre-erythrocytic and Blood Stages - Nature Communications
Here the authors isolate monoclonal antibodies specific for Plasmodium vivax apical membrane antigen 1, and characterize the epitope of one antibody that inhibits invasion of reticulocytes and hepatoc...
www.nature.com
December 4, 2024 at 9:24 PM
My sister’s got an epic new paper out!
She’s a PhD candidate working on infectious diseases, including this work on malaria therapeutics:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
She’s a PhD candidate working on infectious diseases, including this work on malaria therapeutics:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Excited to share a new preprint with @jnovembre.bsky.social ! We use a combination of population genetic theory, simulation, and data analysis to ask: how does study design in genetic studies (including biobanks) impact the discovery of rare, deleterious variants?
Study design and the sampling of deleterious rare variants in biobank-scale datasets https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.02.626424v1
Study design and the sampling of deleterious rare variants in biobank-scale datasets https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.02.626424v1
One key component of study design in population genetics is the "geographic breadth" of a sample (i.
www.biorxiv.org
December 4, 2024 at 5:17 PM
Excited to share a new preprint with @jnovembre.bsky.social ! We use a combination of population genetic theory, simulation, and data analysis to ask: how does study design in genetic studies (including biobanks) impact the discovery of rare, deleterious variants?
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Thank you so much to whoever put this very comprehensive list of #science Bsky starter packs together. This is just amazing: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Starter packs
BIOLOGY General Science community https://go.bsky.app/HVYAMEA Research Institutions in Life Sciences https://go.bsky.app/LxXpcvJ LGBTQIA+ in STEM https://go.bsky.app/BFc4wgf LGBTQIA+ in STEM 2 h...
docs.google.com
November 26, 2024 at 2:47 AM
Thank you so much to whoever put this very comprehensive list of #science Bsky starter packs together. This is just amazing: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Love to see genomics and linguistics analyzed together! Cool paper importantly demonstrating how ancient DNA can answer questions in other disciplines. #aDNA
Ancient genomics support deep divergence between Eastern and Western Mediterranean Indo-European languages https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.02.626332v1
Ancient genomics support deep divergence between Eastern and Western Mediterranean Indo-European languages https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.02.626332v1
The Indo-European languages are among the most widely spoken in the world, yet their early diversifi
www.biorxiv.org
December 3, 2024 at 1:38 AM
Love to see genomics and linguistics analyzed together! Cool paper importantly demonstrating how ancient DNA can answer questions in other disciplines. #aDNA
Reposted by Katherine McVay
Work by PhD student @jayatirsharma.bsky.social on how grouping Hispanic/Latino participants into a single group can obfuscate substantial substructure, leading to false conclusions.
We show how heterogeneity by background group wrt genetic ancestry and environment can affect genetic risk models.
We show how heterogeneity by background group wrt genetic ancestry and environment can affect genetic risk models.
New preprint! Within the HCHS/SOL study, we looked at the roles of self-identified background and genetic ancestry in describing GxE interactions of a PGS and sociocultural variables in a Hispanic/Latino population. www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Influence of Genetic Ancestry on Gene-Environment Interactions of Polygenic Risk and Sociocultural Factors: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos
Background Many present analyses of Hispanic/Latino populations in epidemiologic research aggregate all members of this ethnic group, despite immense diversity in genetic backgrounds, environment, and...
www.medrxiv.org
December 2, 2024 at 7:09 PM
Work by PhD student @jayatirsharma.bsky.social on how grouping Hispanic/Latino participants into a single group can obfuscate substantial substructure, leading to false conclusions.
We show how heterogeneity by background group wrt genetic ancestry and environment can affect genetic risk models.
We show how heterogeneity by background group wrt genetic ancestry and environment can affect genetic risk models.
Reposted by Katherine McVay
A forest is more than its trees: haplotypes and inferred ARGs https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.30.626138v1
A forest is more than its trees: haplotypes and inferred ARGs https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.30.626138v1
Foreshadowing haplotype-based methods of the genomics era, it is an old observation that the ``junct
www.biorxiv.org
December 2, 2024 at 8:33 AM
A forest is more than its trees: haplotypes and inferred ARGs https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.30.626138v1