Parasite Lab
@parasitelab.bsky.social
Located on unceded Wurundjeri land at La Trobe University.
The Hedtke lab studies nematode parasites, their insect hosts, and bacterial endosymbionts to improve public health.
The Hedtke lab studies nematode parasites, their insect hosts, and bacterial endosymbionts to improve public health.
Pinned
Parasite Lab
@parasitelab.bsky.social
· Jun 2
Here's the Hedtke Lab for 2025!
Shannon Hedtke
Warwick Grant
Sindew Feleke
Millicent Opoku
Anusha Kode
Neha Sirwani
Shannon Hedtke
Warwick Grant
Sindew Feleke
Millicent Opoku
Anusha Kode
Neha Sirwani
Reposted by Parasite Lab
So we have this database for wildlife disease surveillance, and we made a data standard, and an R and Python package to help you clean your data, and two years in we just still cannot get first adopters, so here’s my new bit: I will personally Venmo you $20 of my personal money to share a dataset
August 8, 2025 at 2:20 AM
So we have this database for wildlife disease surveillance, and we made a data standard, and an R and Python package to help you clean your data, and two years in we just still cannot get first adopters, so here’s my new bit: I will personally Venmo you $20 of my personal money to share a dataset
I'm really honored to announce that I've been selected as the Marilyn Anderson Fellow at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science. This 4-year fellowship converts to a continuing position in teaching & research (Australian equivalent to American tenure).
www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announc...
www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announc...
Dr Shannon Hedtke awarded inaugural LIMS Marilyn Anderson Fellowship
LIMS announces genomicist and parasitic disease researcher Dr Shannon Hedtke as inaugural LIMS Marilyn Anderson Fellow.
www.latrobe.edu.au
July 19, 2025 at 11:23 PM
I'm really honored to announce that I've been selected as the Marilyn Anderson Fellow at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science. This 4-year fellowship converts to a continuing position in teaching & research (Australian equivalent to American tenure).
www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announc...
www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announc...
Fun times at the Australian Society for Parasitology Annual Congress showcasing the amazing (and gross) biodiversity of parasites!
Successful talks on genomics of blackflies that transmit River blindness by @nehassirwani.bsky.social @sindew.bsky.social @millicentopoku.bsky.social
Successful talks on genomics of blackflies that transmit River blindness by @nehassirwani.bsky.social @sindew.bsky.social @millicentopoku.bsky.social
July 1, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Fun times at the Australian Society for Parasitology Annual Congress showcasing the amazing (and gross) biodiversity of parasites!
Successful talks on genomics of blackflies that transmit River blindness by @nehassirwani.bsky.social @sindew.bsky.social @millicentopoku.bsky.social
Successful talks on genomics of blackflies that transmit River blindness by @nehassirwani.bsky.social @sindew.bsky.social @millicentopoku.bsky.social
Here's the Hedtke Lab for 2025!
Shannon Hedtke
Warwick Grant
Sindew Feleke
Millicent Opoku
Anusha Kode
Neha Sirwani
Shannon Hedtke
Warwick Grant
Sindew Feleke
Millicent Opoku
Anusha Kode
Neha Sirwani
June 2, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Here's the Hedtke Lab for 2025!
Shannon Hedtke
Warwick Grant
Sindew Feleke
Millicent Opoku
Anusha Kode
Neha Sirwani
Shannon Hedtke
Warwick Grant
Sindew Feleke
Millicent Opoku
Anusha Kode
Neha Sirwani
We've got some papers already in 2025...
Watch this space as we will have some really cool stuff come out this year!
Watch this space as we will have some really cool stuff come out this year!
April 10, 2025 at 10:49 AM
We've got some papers already in 2025...
Watch this space as we will have some really cool stuff come out this year!
Watch this space as we will have some really cool stuff come out this year!
Congrats to Sindew Feleke @sindew.bsky.social on his pre-submission PhD seminar!
Sindew comes to La Trobe via the Ethiopian Public Health Ministry. His work on river blindness and the blackflies that transmit it will be a real asset towards elimation.
(Pictured w/Millicent Opoku)
Sindew comes to La Trobe via the Ethiopian Public Health Ministry. His work on river blindness and the blackflies that transmit it will be a real asset towards elimation.
(Pictured w/Millicent Opoku)
March 29, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Congrats to Sindew Feleke @sindew.bsky.social on his pre-submission PhD seminar!
Sindew comes to La Trobe via the Ethiopian Public Health Ministry. His work on river blindness and the blackflies that transmit it will be a real asset towards elimation.
(Pictured w/Millicent Opoku)
Sindew comes to La Trobe via the Ethiopian Public Health Ministry. His work on river blindness and the blackflies that transmit it will be a real asset towards elimation.
(Pictured w/Millicent Opoku)
Reposted by Parasite Lab
March 27, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Reposted by Parasite Lab
Newly published in Genetics:
academic.oup.com/genetics/adv...
We ask what gene flow & introgression do to gene coexpression networks. The answer is: a lot.
academic.oup.com/genetics/adv...
We ask what gene flow & introgression do to gene coexpression networks. The answer is: a lot.
March 27, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Newly published in Genetics:
academic.oup.com/genetics/adv...
We ask what gene flow & introgression do to gene coexpression networks. The answer is: a lot.
academic.oup.com/genetics/adv...
We ask what gene flow & introgression do to gene coexpression networks. The answer is: a lot.
Reposted by Parasite Lab
Mayfield et al. 2025
Lymphatic filariasis causes chronic physical disability and social ostracization.
The disease persists despite drug distribution. Ongoing infections are a likely cause: we report 2 doses of 3 drugs isn't sufficient for some in Samoa.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Lymphatic filariasis causes chronic physical disability and social ostracization.
The disease persists despite drug distribution. Ongoing infections are a likely cause: we report 2 doses of 3 drugs isn't sufficient for some in Samoa.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Recurrence of microfilaraemia after triple-drug therapy for lymphatic filariasis in Samoa: Recrudescence or reinfection?
Contrasting evidence is emerging on the long-term effectiveness of triple-drug therapy for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in the Pacific reg…
www.sciencedirect.com
March 4, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Mayfield et al. 2025
Lymphatic filariasis causes chronic physical disability and social ostracization.
The disease persists despite drug distribution. Ongoing infections are a likely cause: we report 2 doses of 3 drugs isn't sufficient for some in Samoa.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Lymphatic filariasis causes chronic physical disability and social ostracization.
The disease persists despite drug distribution. Ongoing infections are a likely cause: we report 2 doses of 3 drugs isn't sufficient for some in Samoa.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Parasite Lab
We’re hiring again! Our new Leader Systematic Botany role at Botanic Gardens of Sydney is an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive team of 15 scientists working on systematics, phylogenomics, and macroevolution of the Australian flora.
iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/leader-s...
iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/leader-s...
February 21, 2025 at 12:56 AM
We’re hiring again! Our new Leader Systematic Botany role at Botanic Gardens of Sydney is an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive team of 15 scientists working on systematics, phylogenomics, and macroevolution of the Australian flora.
iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/leader-s...
iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/leader-s...
Reposted by Parasite Lab
We've been getting really interesting responses to our research survey on attitudes to parasite conservation & have extended the deadline to 14th March to boost sample size & increase representation. 🌍🧪🪱🦠.
Survey form: forms.office.com/e/KBPhk6fgz3
Info sheet:
tinyurl.com/yxdbb7hs
Survey form: forms.office.com/e/KBPhk6fgz3
Info sheet:
tinyurl.com/yxdbb7hs
February 20, 2025 at 3:54 PM
We've been getting really interesting responses to our research survey on attitudes to parasite conservation & have extended the deadline to 14th March to boost sample size & increase representation. 🌍🧪🪱🦠.
Survey form: forms.office.com/e/KBPhk6fgz3
Info sheet:
tinyurl.com/yxdbb7hs
Survey form: forms.office.com/e/KBPhk6fgz3
Info sheet:
tinyurl.com/yxdbb7hs
Reposted by Parasite Lab
Thanks! In the meantime, you can see the preprint that's 98% identical to the eventual final copy:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Phylogenomic Insights into the Evolution and Origin of Nematoda
The phylum Nematoda represents one of the most cosmopolitan and abundant metazoan groups on Earth. In this study, we reconstructed the phylogenomic tree for phylum Nematoda. A total of 60 genomes, bel...
www.biorxiv.org
January 3, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Thanks! In the meantime, you can see the preprint that's 98% identical to the eventual final copy:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
This is... really bad. Elsevier is a giant, with many top journals, and researchers *must publish* or fail to get jobs, grants, etc.
Publishing is a massively profitable industry, because academics do most of the work. Yet publishers are shamefully cutting costs while increasing burdens on us!
Publishing is a massively profitable industry, because academics do most of the work. Yet publishers are shamefully cutting costs while increasing burdens on us!
"In 2023 Elsevier began using AI during production without informing the board, resulting in many style and formatting errors, as well as reversing versions of papers that had already been accepted and formatted by the editors."
very innovative, very cool
very innovative, very cool
Evolution journal editors resign en masse
Board members expressed concerns over high fees, editorial independence, and use of AI in editorial processes.
arstechnica.com
January 3, 2025 at 1:12 AM
This is... really bad. Elsevier is a giant, with many top journals, and researchers *must publish* or fail to get jobs, grants, etc.
Publishing is a massively profitable industry, because academics do most of the work. Yet publishers are shamefully cutting costs while increasing burdens on us!
Publishing is a massively profitable industry, because academics do most of the work. Yet publishers are shamefully cutting costs while increasing burdens on us!
Nematodes and phylogenetics to ring in the new year!
It looks like this paper is not open access 😞
Dr Zhang summarizes the results in the thread below:
It looks like this paper is not open access 😞
Dr Zhang summarizes the results in the thread below:
Our paper on the phylogeny of Nematoda 🪱came out on the last day of 2024 in @systbiol.bsky.social. Well at least the link is, the PDF will come later...
What started off as a collaboration invitation to design UCE probes snowballed building a phylogeny of the whole phylum using BUSCOs...
What started off as a collaboration invitation to design UCE probes snowballed building a phylogeny of the whole phylum using BUSCOs...
Phylogenomic Insights into the Evolution and Origin of Nematoda
Abstract. The phylum Nematoda represents one of the most cosmopolitan and abundant metazoan groups on Earth. In this study, we reconstructed the phylogenom
doi.org
January 2, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Nematodes and phylogenetics to ring in the new year!
It looks like this paper is not open access 😞
Dr Zhang summarizes the results in the thread below:
It looks like this paper is not open access 😞
Dr Zhang summarizes the results in the thread below:
Chronic parasite infections are found in wealthy nations like the US and Australia, contributing to inequity. These parasite infections are treatable and preventable! Sanitation infrastructure should be built for all.
Hookworm never went away, we just stopped looking for it. New research suggests parasitic infections are widespread across the South.
My latest:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
My latest:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Infrastructure neglect and poverty lead to parasites in the Mississippi Delta
New research suggests parasitic infections in US south are far more widespread than previously acknowledged
www.theguardian.com
January 2, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Chronic parasite infections are found in wealthy nations like the US and Australia, contributing to inequity. These parasite infections are treatable and preventable! Sanitation infrastructure should be built for all.
One last paper from our team in 2024!
Mayfield et al. present evidence that providing only one round of triple-drug treatment to people in communities in Samoa was not enough to interrupt disease transmission.
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/rM_eCE8kD9...
Mayfield et al. present evidence that providing only one round of triple-drug treatment to people in communities in Samoa was not enough to interrupt disease transmission.
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/rM_eCE8kD9...
Epidemiology of Lymphatic Filariasis Antigen and Microfilaria in Samoa, 2019: 7–9 Months Post Triple-Drug Mass Administration
The elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem remains an ongoing challenge in the Pacific region. This study reports on antigen (Ag) and microfilaria (Mf) prevalence in Samoa...
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com
December 25, 2024 at 10:40 PM
One last paper from our team in 2024!
Mayfield et al. present evidence that providing only one round of triple-drug treatment to people in communities in Samoa was not enough to interrupt disease transmission.
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/rM_eCE8kD9...
Mayfield et al. present evidence that providing only one round of triple-drug treatment to people in communities in Samoa was not enough to interrupt disease transmission.
url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/rM_eCE8kD9...
Reposted by Parasite Lab
#Australians on bluesky...callout for #citizenscience participants willing to #count #christmasbeetles #science @sydneyuni.bsky.social www.sydney.edu.au/science/our-...
Christmas Beetle Population Project
www.sydney.edu.au
December 17, 2024 at 9:30 PM
#Australians on bluesky...callout for #citizenscience participants willing to #count #christmasbeetles #science @sydneyuni.bsky.social www.sydney.edu.au/science/our-...
Reposted by Parasite Lab
Hey All, plz repost, and share with grads, post-docs and disease folks! We are hiring a post-doc to work on mechanisms of immune responses of frog hosts to Bd infections. Deadline is February 1, 2025. Details for the position can be found at the link below. 🐸🐸🐸
zamudiolab.org/2024/12/17/p...
zamudiolab.org/2024/12/17/p...
Post-Doc position in the KZLab! Immune responses to pathogen infections in frogs
We are looking for an NSF-funded post-doc in our lab in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin. The work will examine immune mechanisms that potentially underlie…
zamudiolab.org
December 18, 2024 at 2:07 AM
Hey All, plz repost, and share with grads, post-docs and disease folks! We are hiring a post-doc to work on mechanisms of immune responses of frog hosts to Bd infections. Deadline is February 1, 2025. Details for the position can be found at the link below. 🐸🐸🐸
zamudiolab.org/2024/12/17/p...
zamudiolab.org/2024/12/17/p...
Reposted by Parasite Lab
Do you work in wildlife health management in conservation? We are seeking participants for an academic research study of practitioner/researcher attitudes to parasite conservation. Participation is open to all roles and experience levels. DM me for more info. Please repost. 🧪🌍🪱🪰🦟 #biodiversity
December 20, 2024 at 3:58 PM
Do you work in wildlife health management in conservation? We are seeking participants for an academic research study of practitioner/researcher attitudes to parasite conservation. Participation is open to all roles and experience levels. DM me for more info. Please repost. 🧪🌍🪱🪰🦟 #biodiversity
We need an "official" lab photo, but until then:
Shannon Hedtke
Emily Hendrickson (now in the PhD program at USD)
Sindew Feleke @sindew.bsky.social
Anusha Kode
Millicent Opoku
Not pictured: Neha Sirwani @nehassirwani.bsky.social
Warwick Grant
I am recruiting PhD students for 2025.
Shannon Hedtke
Emily Hendrickson (now in the PhD program at USD)
Sindew Feleke @sindew.bsky.social
Anusha Kode
Millicent Opoku
Not pictured: Neha Sirwani @nehassirwani.bsky.social
Warwick Grant
I am recruiting PhD students for 2025.
December 18, 2024 at 12:41 AM
We need an "official" lab photo, but until then:
Shannon Hedtke
Emily Hendrickson (now in the PhD program at USD)
Sindew Feleke @sindew.bsky.social
Anusha Kode
Millicent Opoku
Not pictured: Neha Sirwani @nehassirwani.bsky.social
Warwick Grant
I am recruiting PhD students for 2025.
Shannon Hedtke
Emily Hendrickson (now in the PhD program at USD)
Sindew Feleke @sindew.bsky.social
Anusha Kode
Millicent Opoku
Not pictured: Neha Sirwani @nehassirwani.bsky.social
Warwick Grant
I am recruiting PhD students for 2025.
Lymphatic filariasis is a preventable parasitic disease that is the #1 cause of chronic physical disability worldwide.
Our team is trying to eliminate this scourge in South Pacific Islands.
Our team is trying to eliminate this scourge in South Pacific Islands.
December 18, 2024 at 12:33 AM
Lymphatic filariasis is a preventable parasitic disease that is the #1 cause of chronic physical disability worldwide.
Our team is trying to eliminate this scourge in South Pacific Islands.
Our team is trying to eliminate this scourge in South Pacific Islands.
Welcome to Bluesky @nehassirwani.bsky.social and @sindew.bsky.social !
Both are part of our team combating neglected tropical disease... and are also lovely people :)
Both are part of our team combating neglected tropical disease... and are also lovely people :)
December 10, 2024 at 7:46 AM
Welcome to Bluesky @nehassirwani.bsky.social and @sindew.bsky.social !
Both are part of our team combating neglected tropical disease... and are also lovely people :)
Both are part of our team combating neglected tropical disease... and are also lovely people :)
Reposted by Parasite Lab
If it helps with your anxiety at all, four fifths of all animals are nematodes.
December 9, 2024 at 4:51 AM
If it helps with your anxiety at all, four fifths of all animals are nematodes.
Reposted by Parasite Lab
NEMATODE MONDAY: Do you need a Christmas 🎄 present for that special Nematologist 🪱 in your life? Consider the open access book coauthored by my brother Richard Sikora. It contains 65 chapters written by 80 experts! The e-book is available on CABI @cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/book/10.10… 🧪
December 9, 2024 at 4:17 PM
NEMATODE MONDAY: Do you need a Christmas 🎄 present for that special Nematologist 🪱 in your life? Consider the open access book coauthored by my brother Richard Sikora. It contains 65 chapters written by 80 experts! The e-book is available on CABI @cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/book/10.10… 🧪
Reposted by Parasite Lab
The fish parasite sessions at conferences are fun to attend--they are full of "we found a new one" talks
Parasites do not get enough attention in marine research. They’re absolutely everywhere when we collect specimens. Eyes, tongues, gills, and even burrowed under the skin like this one I found embedded in a Grenadier’s tail. I have no idea what it is, just that it’s freaking cool.
🧪
🧪
December 6, 2024 at 3:40 PM
The fish parasite sessions at conferences are fun to attend--they are full of "we found a new one" talks