Soren Larsen
@sorenlouislarsen.bsky.social
Host heterogeneity and infectious disease dynamics. Postdoc @ UC Berkeley Demography. Views my own. (he/him)
Reposted by Soren Larsen
SCOOP: CDC officials on Monday linked for the first time the measles outbreak that began in Texas with another in Utah and Arizona, a finding that could end America’s status as a nation that has eliminated measles.
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
C.D.C. Links Measles Outbreaks in Multiple States for the First Time
www.nytimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:28 AM
SCOOP: CDC officials on Monday linked for the first time the measles outbreak that began in Texas with another in Utah and Arizona, a finding that could end America’s status as a nation that has eliminated measles.
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
Truly a tremendous loss for the world.
Our beloved Alice Wong has joined the ancestors. It was one of the great honors of my life to call Alice my friend, co-author & co-conspirator. She was a true genius, a force of nature the likes of which the world has never seen before. I love you, Alice, and am equal parts grateful and devastated
November 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Truly a tremendous loss for the world.
Reposted by Soren Larsen
Millions of dollars worth of contraceptives have been stored in Belgium since the U.S. froze foreign aid. A local official says some products were stored improperly and are largely unusable. n.pr/43Akhmy
A stock of U.S.-bought birth control, meant for sub-Saharan Africa, goes bad in Belgium
Millions of dollars worth of contraceptives have been stored in Belgium since the U.S. froze foreign aid. A local official says some products were stored improperly and are largely unusable.
n.pr
November 15, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Millions of dollars worth of contraceptives have been stored in Belgium since the U.S. froze foreign aid. A local official says some products were stored improperly and are largely unusable. n.pr/43Akhmy
Reposted by Soren Larsen
“Limiting booster eligibility risks further compromising the already fragile health status of many Black Americans,” Oni Blackstock, a physician and founder of Health Justice, a consulting firm that focuses on racial and health equity, previously told Capital B.
COVID Hits Black Americans Harder. New Vaccine Limits Increase the Risk
Regulatory disorder at the CDC leaves it unclear who will be eligible for the shots and whether the vaccine will be free.
capitalbnews.org
September 7, 2025 at 3:30 PM
“Limiting booster eligibility risks further compromising the already fragile health status of many Black Americans,” Oni Blackstock, a physician and founder of Health Justice, a consulting firm that focuses on racial and health equity, previously told Capital B.
Reposted by Soren Larsen
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
Reposted by Soren Larsen
I'd love to say lots of nice things about this invaluable preventable disease tracker from @monscience.bsky.social and team at Think Global Health. It's an incredible resource.
But I can't get over my anger & sadness that this resource is even needed.
www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/vacc...
But I can't get over my anger & sadness that this resource is even needed.
www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/vacc...
Vaccine-Preventable Disease: A Global Tracker | Think Global Health
This map is updated weekly and visualizes outbreaks of nine childhood diseases in collaboration with the International Society for Infectious Diseases
www.thinkglobalhealth.org
October 29, 2025 at 12:35 PM
I'd love to say lots of nice things about this invaluable preventable disease tracker from @monscience.bsky.social and team at Think Global Health. It's an incredible resource.
But I can't get over my anger & sadness that this resource is even needed.
www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/vacc...
But I can't get over my anger & sadness that this resource is even needed.
www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/vacc...
Reposted by Soren Larsen
ICE has been cracking down hard across the vast expanse of the greater Chicago area, and I wrote a little bit about what you need to understand about what it’s like here now. Plus, I compiled some resources for locals to get alerts and whistles. dansinker.com/posts/202…
October 24, 2025 at 6:57 PM
ICE has been cracking down hard across the vast expanse of the greater Chicago area, and I wrote a little bit about what you need to understand about what it’s like here now. Plus, I compiled some resources for locals to get alerts and whistles. dansinker.com/posts/202…
A tricky thing about transitioning in academia is forgetting who I've officially "told" and every email I'm like, "do I need to add my deadname to this?" So anyways I'm trans - if I look kinda familiar, you probably met me when I used a different name, which you can find in my orcid if desperate.
October 23, 2025 at 12:56 AM
A tricky thing about transitioning in academia is forgetting who I've officially "told" and every email I'm like, "do I need to add my deadname to this?" So anyways I'm trans - if I look kinda familiar, you probably met me when I used a different name, which you can find in my orcid if desperate.
Now out in Epidemics - we adapted traditional serocatalytic models to explore the development of a gradient of seropositivity for seasonal human coronaviruses. Our method is flexible and can be applied to other pathogens. Read it here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reimagining the serocatalytic model for infectious diseases: A case study of common coronaviruses
Despite the increased availability of serological data, understanding serodynamics remains challenging. Serocatalytic models, which describe the rate …
www.sciencedirect.com
October 13, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Now out in Epidemics - we adapted traditional serocatalytic models to explore the development of a gradient of seropositivity for seasonal human coronaviruses. Our method is flexible and can be applied to other pathogens. Read it here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Soren Larsen
Matthew Shepard was murdered right when I was trying to come out of the closet. So like, this hit me pretty hard. Maybe that’s why I understand how important it is for trans kids to know they deserve to live.
27 years ago, hateful violence took the life of Matthew Shepard. His story reminds us of what happens when intolerance goes unchecked.
Today, as extremists target our LGBTQ+ neighbors for who they are, we must recommit to building a nation rooted in love, safety, and equality for all.
Today, as extremists target our LGBTQ+ neighbors for who they are, we must recommit to building a nation rooted in love, safety, and equality for all.
October 12, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Matthew Shepard was murdered right when I was trying to come out of the closet. So like, this hit me pretty hard. Maybe that’s why I understand how important it is for trans kids to know they deserve to live.
Reposted by Soren Larsen
The editors of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were apparently fired today.
The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.
We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.
The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.
We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.
October 11, 2025 at 4:09 AM
The editors of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were apparently fired today.
The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.
We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.
The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.
We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.
Reposted by Soren Larsen
#CDC is renaming #Mpox using the old misleading and stigmatizing term. #Mpox was set as global consensus by @who.int and there is no scientific or public health reason to go back to an outdated terminology.
What we need is action: vaccination, awareness & equitable access, not backward naming.
What we need is action: vaccination, awareness & equitable access, not backward naming.
Monkeypox
Monkeypox is a viral disease related to smallpox that spreads mainly through close contact.
www.cdc.gov
September 30, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Reposted by Soren Larsen
1. It's shutdown day, and anti-trans provisions are on the line... either today, or in a few more weeks if a clean continuing resolution passes.
Trump posted a video this morning blaming a shutdown on trans people and immigrants.
Here is your shutdown guide.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Trump posted a video this morning blaming a shutdown on trans people and immigrants.
Here is your shutdown guide.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Shutdown Day Guide For LGBTQ+ People: "Continuing Resolutions" And New Anti-Trans Posts From The White House
Shutdown day is here, and there has been a lot of competing coverage on Republican priorities, Democrat's demands, and what shutdown politics means for LGBTQ+ people in America.
www.erininthemorning.com
September 30, 2025 at 2:45 PM
1. It's shutdown day, and anti-trans provisions are on the line... either today, or in a few more weeks if a clean continuing resolution passes.
Trump posted a video this morning blaming a shutdown on trans people and immigrants.
Here is your shutdown guide.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Trump posted a video this morning blaming a shutdown on trans people and immigrants.
Here is your shutdown guide.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Reposted by Soren Larsen
What is the impact of the HHS decision to no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy? In our new research letter in @jamapediatrics.com, we provide estimates on the number of infant hospitalizations under different vaccine scenarios here. @mathewkiang.com, @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social
Modeling the Health Impact of Discontinuing COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy in the US
This decision analytical model study estimates the number of avertable COVID-19 hospitalizations in US infants younger than 6 months and pregnant persons with vaccinations during pregnancy.
jamanetwork.com
September 29, 2025 at 11:30 PM
What is the impact of the HHS decision to no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy? In our new research letter in @jamapediatrics.com, we provide estimates on the number of infant hospitalizations under different vaccine scenarios here. @mathewkiang.com, @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social
Reposted by Soren Larsen
"This is what made parenting so much more interesting in the good old days. You young folks—Millennials, GenZ, GenAlpha, and whatever the heck comes after that—have no idea how much fun you’ve been missing. Now, though, you may get the chance to find out."
Measles and Mumps Are Great, but Don’t Overlook the Awesomeness of Congenital Rubella Syndrome
“CDC panel recommends multiple shots for measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox instead of a single vaccine… Experts react with concern that incre...
buff.ly
September 28, 2025 at 1:02 PM
"This is what made parenting so much more interesting in the good old days. You young folks—Millennials, GenZ, GenAlpha, and whatever the heck comes after that—have no idea how much fun you’ve been missing. Now, though, you may get the chance to find out."
Reposted by Soren Larsen
Very disturbing and unethical. Akido, a medical startup, is using an AI system to diagnose patients & provide treatment reca at clinical visits with medical assistants.
The worst part of all of this is who is being targeted (or tested) first w. this technology: Medicaid patients who are unhoused.
The worst part of all of this is who is being targeted (or tested) first w. this technology: Medicaid patients who are unhoused.
This medical startup uses LLMs to run appointments and make diagnoses
www.technologyreview.com
September 24, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Very disturbing and unethical. Akido, a medical startup, is using an AI system to diagnose patients & provide treatment reca at clinical visits with medical assistants.
The worst part of all of this is who is being targeted (or tested) first w. this technology: Medicaid patients who are unhoused.
The worst part of all of this is who is being targeted (or tested) first w. this technology: Medicaid patients who are unhoused.
It's not too late to register for our manuscript writing event tomorrow! We hope to see you there 📝
Ever read a paper & think, "wow 🤩 that was well written"?
Learn how to write your own *wow* paper with @midas-network.bsky.social trainees on Thurs 9/25 @ noon ET.
We'll hear from @jdrakephd.bsky.social on strategies for crafting & communicating a good story.
🔗 georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Learn how to write your own *wow* paper with @midas-network.bsky.social trainees on Thurs 9/25 @ noon ET.
We'll hear from @jdrakephd.bsky.social on strategies for crafting & communicating a good story.
🔗 georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
September 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
It's not too late to register for our manuscript writing event tomorrow! We hope to see you there 📝
Reposted by Soren Larsen
Ever read a paper & think, "wow 🤩 that was well written"?
Learn how to write your own *wow* paper with @midas-network.bsky.social trainees on Thurs 9/25 @ noon ET.
We'll hear from @jdrakephd.bsky.social on strategies for crafting & communicating a good story.
🔗 georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Learn how to write your own *wow* paper with @midas-network.bsky.social trainees on Thurs 9/25 @ noon ET.
We'll hear from @jdrakephd.bsky.social on strategies for crafting & communicating a good story.
🔗 georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
September 11, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Ever read a paper & think, "wow 🤩 that was well written"?
Learn how to write your own *wow* paper with @midas-network.bsky.social trainees on Thurs 9/25 @ noon ET.
We'll hear from @jdrakephd.bsky.social on strategies for crafting & communicating a good story.
🔗 georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Learn how to write your own *wow* paper with @midas-network.bsky.social trainees on Thurs 9/25 @ noon ET.
We'll hear from @jdrakephd.bsky.social on strategies for crafting & communicating a good story.
🔗 georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Reposted by Soren Larsen
MIDAS Trainee Network Hosts Event on How to Write a Strong Manuscript.
Register: georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Register: georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
September 10, 2025 at 12:50 PM
MIDAS Trainee Network Hosts Event on How to Write a Strong Manuscript.
Register: georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Register: georgetown.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Reposted by Soren Larsen
So I have a question...
RFK, Jr. says he does not believe "modeling studies" to estimate the number of premature deaths prevented by COVID vaccines, He want to see real data.
Question: What data does he have in mind?
1/2
RFK, Jr. says he does not believe "modeling studies" to estimate the number of premature deaths prevented by COVID vaccines, He want to see real data.
Question: What data does he have in mind?
1/2
September 4, 2025 at 4:54 PM
So I have a question...
RFK, Jr. says he does not believe "modeling studies" to estimate the number of premature deaths prevented by COVID vaccines, He want to see real data.
Question: What data does he have in mind?
1/2
RFK, Jr. says he does not believe "modeling studies" to estimate the number of premature deaths prevented by COVID vaccines, He want to see real data.
Question: What data does he have in mind?
1/2
Reposted by Soren Larsen
"The day the paper was published should have been a moment of pride. Instead, it felt like a quiet erasure." #ScienceWorkingLife https://scim.ag/4p3eH5g
August 25, 2025 at 1:24 PM
"The day the paper was published should have been a moment of pride. Instead, it felt like a quiet erasure." #ScienceWorkingLife https://scim.ag/4p3eH5g
Reposted by Soren Larsen
Atlanta’s HIV epidemic is real and it’s driven by structural factors: lack of Medicaid expansion, racism, poverty, homelessness, limited comprehensive sex education, and barriers to HIV testing and PrEP access. Fear mongering to stigmatize certain communities is unhelpful and wrong.
August 21, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Atlanta’s HIV epidemic is real and it’s driven by structural factors: lack of Medicaid expansion, racism, poverty, homelessness, limited comprehensive sex education, and barriers to HIV testing and PrEP access. Fear mongering to stigmatize certain communities is unhelpful and wrong.
Reposted by Soren Larsen
No, Atlanta has NOT had 20,000 new HIV cases in 2025. That’s a viral falsehood spreading on TikTok and Facebook .
As of 2022, ~43k people were living with HIV in metro ATL, and annual new diagnoses are in the hundreds locally (low thousands statewide) not tens of thousands in one city.
As of 2022, ~43k people were living with HIV in metro ATL, and annual new diagnoses are in the hundreds locally (low thousands statewide) not tens of thousands in one city.
August 21, 2025 at 7:24 PM
No, Atlanta has NOT had 20,000 new HIV cases in 2025. That’s a viral falsehood spreading on TikTok and Facebook .
As of 2022, ~43k people were living with HIV in metro ATL, and annual new diagnoses are in the hundreds locally (low thousands statewide) not tens of thousands in one city.
As of 2022, ~43k people were living with HIV in metro ATL, and annual new diagnoses are in the hundreds locally (low thousands statewide) not tens of thousands in one city.
Incredible
Several people have suggested that I compile my emails to Bhattacharya and I am delighted to do so.
Announcing the first cut of "Fifty Shades of 'Jay'
jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...
This contains just the first few exchanges. I will be adding more as time permits.
Announcing the first cut of "Fifty Shades of 'Jay'
jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...
This contains just the first few exchanges. I will be adding more as time permits.
August 18, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Incredible
Reposted by Soren Larsen
Thank you, Jeremy, for always speaking truth to power. The recent NIH "priorities" with regard to trans kids are based on a false, dehumanizing narrative that puberty blockers and gender affirming care is dangerous, when in fact, it is life saving. Our kids deserve better.
August 16, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Thank you, Jeremy, for always speaking truth to power. The recent NIH "priorities" with regard to trans kids are based on a false, dehumanizing narrative that puberty blockers and gender affirming care is dangerous, when in fact, it is life saving. Our kids deserve better.