Claire P. Smith
@clairepsmith.bsky.social
Postdoc epidemiologist in infectious disease dynamics at UNC Chapel Hill
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
I don't get how anyone can possibly be okay with ending the WHI. This study has accrued decades of data from 42000 women and it is still going. It helps to address critical research gaps that have been allowed to go unfilled because of durable misogyny and provides invaluable insight into aging.
NIH cancels its first and largest study centered on women
The Women’s Health Initiative has produced numerous influential findings
www.science.org
April 23, 2025 at 12:57 PM
I don't get how anyone can possibly be okay with ending the WHI. This study has accrued decades of data from 42000 women and it is still going. It helps to address critical research gaps that have been allowed to go unfilled because of durable misogyny and provides invaluable insight into aging.
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
The White House has turned COVID.gov from a public health resource into a politically charged platform promoting the lab-leak theory and attacking specific scientists and the pandemic response in general. Let’s fact check its 5 headline claims… 🧵
April 19, 2025 at 8:47 AM
The White House has turned COVID.gov from a public health resource into a politically charged platform promoting the lab-leak theory and attacking specific scientists and the pandemic response in general. Let’s fact check its 5 headline claims… 🧵
I fear there will be a missing generation of scientists and the effect of that absence may resonate for years if not decades to come.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...
Opinion | The Uncertain Fate of the Young American Scientist
Young researchers are choosing between staying in science or staying in the United States.
www.nytimes.com
April 3, 2025 at 1:27 PM
I fear there will be a missing generation of scientists and the effect of that absence may resonate for years if not decades to come.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Working with an interdisciplinary team, we have developed a website to communicate how the White House's proposed cuts to health research would cause losses of $16B and 68,500 jobs.
Find out how your community may be impacted.
Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org
a 🧵
Find out how your community may be impacted.
Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org
a 🧵
March 28, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Working with an interdisciplinary team, we have developed a website to communicate how the White House's proposed cuts to health research would cause losses of $16B and 68,500 jobs.
Find out how your community may be impacted.
Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org
a 🧵
Find out how your community may be impacted.
Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org
a 🧵
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
New report shows that NIH grants fueled $95 billion in economic activity and 407,782 jobs in 2024.
That's not to mention the countless lives that biomedical research has saved.
Show me a better investment than that.
www.forbes.com/sites/michae...
That's not to mention the countless lives that biomedical research has saved.
Show me a better investment than that.
www.forbes.com/sites/michae...
NIH Grants Fueled $95 Billion In FY 2024 Economic Activity, Finds New Report
National Institutes of Health grants generated almost $95 billion in economic activity nationwide in FY 2024 according to a new report by United for Medical Research.
www.forbes.com
March 12, 2025 at 8:47 PM
New report shows that NIH grants fueled $95 billion in economic activity and 407,782 jobs in 2024.
That's not to mention the countless lives that biomedical research has saved.
Show me a better investment than that.
www.forbes.com/sites/michae...
That's not to mention the countless lives that biomedical research has saved.
Show me a better investment than that.
www.forbes.com/sites/michae...
This is doubly disappointing considering this is the most adorable flu vaccination campaign I have ever seen.
What the actual… we’re in the middle of a severe flu season…
Trump administration yanks CDC flu vaccine campaign
As flu rages, the Trump administration has pulled the plug on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flu immunization campaign that targeted high-risk groups, including pregnant women.
www.npr.org
February 20, 2025 at 1:47 PM
This is doubly disappointing considering this is the most adorable flu vaccination campaign I have ever seen.
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
“Our ethical obligations do not vary according to the whims of politicians. We must forcefully take a stand against these profound violations” It feels fitting that this is my first publication since getting tenure; it is my duty to speak up. So grateful to @martinmckee.bsky.social for co-authoring
February 12, 2025 at 12:30 PM
“Our ethical obligations do not vary according to the whims of politicians. We must forcefully take a stand against these profound violations” It feels fitting that this is my first publication since getting tenure; it is my duty to speak up. So grateful to @martinmckee.bsky.social for co-authoring
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Wastewater from airplane toilets?
We introduce a global Aircraft-Based Wastewater Surveillance Network (WWSN) for pandemic monitoring in Nature Medicine 🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Aircraft-based wastewater surveillance allows for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of global pathogen spread
Short 🧵
We introduce a global Aircraft-Based Wastewater Surveillance Network (WWSN) for pandemic monitoring in Nature Medicine 🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Aircraft-based wastewater surveillance allows for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of global pathogen spread
Short 🧵
Pandemic monitoring with global aircraft-based wastewater surveillance networks - Nature Medicine
By simulating the implementation of airport-based wastewater surveillance sites at the global level, a modeling study shows how this early warning system would perform in identifying sources of pandem...
doi.org
February 12, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Wastewater from airplane toilets?
We introduce a global Aircraft-Based Wastewater Surveillance Network (WWSN) for pandemic monitoring in Nature Medicine 🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Aircraft-based wastewater surveillance allows for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of global pathogen spread
Short 🧵
We introduce a global Aircraft-Based Wastewater Surveillance Network (WWSN) for pandemic monitoring in Nature Medicine 🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Aircraft-based wastewater surveillance allows for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of global pathogen spread
Short 🧵
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Everyone who doesn't oppose this has blood on their hands. I will always welcome those who want to wash it off. But the longer you wait, the harder and more painful it will be to scrub.
Trump Administration Live Updates: Nearly All USAID Jobs Are Said to Be Cut (Gift Article)
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Everyone who doesn't oppose this has blood on their hands. I will always welcome those who want to wash it off. But the longer you wait, the harder and more painful it will be to scrub.
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Yeah so the Constitution isn’t really in effect right now
Opinion | There Is No Going Back
The president’s opponents, whoever they are, cannot expect a return to the Constitution as it was.
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Yeah so the Constitution isn’t really in effect right now
The words on this list are deeply telling. Censorship of science in an attempt to make it conform to an specific ideological agenda is incredibly dystopian.
www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...
www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...
Here are the words putting science in the crosshairs of Trump’s orders
National Science Foundation staff have been combing through thousands of active science research projects, alongside a list of keywords, to determine if they include activities that violate Trump’s ex...
www.washingtonpost.com
February 4, 2025 at 6:15 PM
The words on this list are deeply telling. Censorship of science in an attempt to make it conform to an specific ideological agenda is incredibly dystopian.
www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...
www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
It’s a really tough time to make an argument for equity and global health
Which means it’s the most important time to make an argument for equity in global health
Read, share, and envision our safer, better future
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Which means it’s the most important time to make an argument for equity in global health
Read, share, and envision our safer, better future
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Ebola and a Decade of Disparities — Forging a Future for Global Health Equity | NEJM
Since the 2014–2016 West African Ebola outbreak, there have been numerous proposals
and promises to reform global health infrastructure. Yet inequity remains deeply entrenched.
www.nejm.org
February 3, 2025 at 3:55 AM
It’s a really tough time to make an argument for equity and global health
Which means it’s the most important time to make an argument for equity in global health
Read, share, and envision our safer, better future
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Which means it’s the most important time to make an argument for equity in global health
Read, share, and envision our safer, better future
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
American science and medicine has been thrown into chaos and uncertainty over the past week. Here are some stories to get up to speed. 1/12
January 28, 2025 at 3:58 AM
American science and medicine has been thrown into chaos and uncertainty over the past week. Here are some stories to get up to speed. 1/12
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Many people have asked me how can they best stay informed and protect their health while we navigate the indefinite pause on communications from NIH, CDC, & FDA. Here’s a thread on concrete steps YOU can take to protect yourself & your community. 🧵
January 28, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Many people have asked me how can they best stay informed and protect their health while we navigate the indefinite pause on communications from NIH, CDC, & FDA. Here’s a thread on concrete steps YOU can take to protect yourself & your community. 🧵
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Walter Orenstein on miracles:
www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/mira...
"I was 7 years old in 1955 when the Salk polio vaccine became available. I was a real anti-vaxxer, not wanting a shot for something I knew nothing about. My mother said to me, 'Better you should cry, than I should cry.'"
www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/mira...
"I was 7 years old in 1955 when the Salk polio vaccine became available. I was a real anti-vaxxer, not wanting a shot for something I knew nothing about. My mother said to me, 'Better you should cry, than I should cry.'"
The "Miracle" of the Polio Vaccine | Think Global Health
Polio expert Walter Orenstein speaks about the important legacy of the polio vaccine following efforts to undermine it
www.thinkglobalhealth.org
January 15, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Walter Orenstein on miracles:
www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/mira...
"I was 7 years old in 1955 when the Salk polio vaccine became available. I was a real anti-vaxxer, not wanting a shot for something I knew nothing about. My mother said to me, 'Better you should cry, than I should cry.'"
www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/mira...
"I was 7 years old in 1955 when the Salk polio vaccine became available. I was a real anti-vaxxer, not wanting a shot for something I knew nothing about. My mother said to me, 'Better you should cry, than I should cry.'"
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Rwanda’s Marburg response is a masterclass in how to prevent pandemics www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
Rwanda’s Marburg response is a masterclass in how to prevent pandemics
Today marks the official end of the outbreak. Swift action saved many lives and helped protect the rest of the world from potential disaster
www.telegraph.co.uk
December 21, 2024 at 11:16 AM
Rwanda’s Marburg response is a masterclass in how to prevent pandemics www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Don't drink raw milk, folks.
Update on possible #H5N1 case in a #MarinCounty child:
-Fever & vomiting after drinking #rawmilk
-Positive for #Influenza A, now recovered
-No illness in family members
-Investigation ongoing with @capublichealth.bsky.social & CDC
PSA: Don’t drink raw milk.
More info: marinhhs.org/h5n1-bird-flu
-Fever & vomiting after drinking #rawmilk
-Positive for #Influenza A, now recovered
-No illness in family members
-Investigation ongoing with @capublichealth.bsky.social & CDC
PSA: Don’t drink raw milk.
More info: marinhhs.org/h5n1-bird-flu
December 11, 2024 at 9:17 AM
Don't drink raw milk, folks.
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
This brilliant article on mpox *perfectly* encapsulates all the challenges and complexities of responding to outbreaks in places like rural DR Congo.
Access, resources, stigma, and so much more.
Gift link below. Wonderful reporting @stephanienolen.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h...
Access, resources, stigma, and so much more.
Gift link below. Wonderful reporting @stephanienolen.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h...
Sex, a Hex and a Sick Child Offer Clues to an Epidemic’s Birth (Gift Article)
In a remote Congolese town, a medical mystery led to the discovery of alarming changes in the mpox virus and, eventually, to a global health emergency.
www.nytimes.com
December 9, 2024 at 4:47 PM
This brilliant article on mpox *perfectly* encapsulates all the challenges and complexities of responding to outbreaks in places like rural DR Congo.
Access, resources, stigma, and so much more.
Gift link below. Wonderful reporting @stephanienolen.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h...
Access, resources, stigma, and so much more.
Gift link below. Wonderful reporting @stephanienolen.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/h...
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
The lab results from Panzi, DRC still aren't in — for completely understandable reasons — so it's not yet known what is causing the outbreak there. But an update from @who.int suggests known diseases exacerbated by severe malnutrition could be the cause. www.statnews.com/2024/12/08/d...
WHO sheds some light on factors possibly at play in DRC outbreak
The WHO has shed some light on factors possibly at play in a mysterious outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
www.statnews.com
December 8, 2024 at 10:05 PM
The lab results from Panzi, DRC still aren't in — for completely understandable reasons — so it's not yet known what is causing the outbreak there. But an update from @who.int suggests known diseases exacerbated by severe malnutrition could be the cause. www.statnews.com/2024/12/08/d...
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Are you interested in analysing serological data for infectious disease epidemiology? Check out our new review article on serodynamics! With Saki Takahashi at JHU and Isobel Routledge at UCSF. (See next comment if you're into serology modeling) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Serodynamics: A primer and synthetic review of methods for epidemiological inference using serological data
We present a review and primer of methods to understand epidemiological dynamics and identify past exposures from serological data, referred to as ser…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 7, 2024 at 9:59 PM
Are you interested in analysing serological data for infectious disease epidemiology? Check out our new review article on serodynamics! With Saki Takahashi at JHU and Isobel Routledge at UCSF. (See next comment if you're into serology modeling) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Epidemiologists be like
an orange and white cat is playing with a cardboard box
ALT: an orange and white cat is playing with a cardboard box
media.tenor.com
December 6, 2024 at 10:38 PM
Epidemiologists be like
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
"What's happening with this mystery illness in the Congo"
I've gotten this text dozens of times in the past few days.
Here's what we know. What we don't.
And what really matters 🧵
I've gotten this text dozens of times in the past few days.
Here's what we know. What we don't.
And what really matters 🧵
December 6, 2024 at 4:53 AM
"What's happening with this mystery illness in the Congo"
I've gotten this text dozens of times in the past few days.
Here's what we know. What we don't.
And what really matters 🧵
I've gotten this text dozens of times in the past few days.
Here's what we know. What we don't.
And what really matters 🧵
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Congrats to team member Carl Pearson and his co-authors @lucygoodfellow.bsky.social and @mert0248.bsky.social. An important tool for a pervasive problem in modeling infectious disease data www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
paramix : An R package for parameter discretisation in compartmental models, with application to calculating years of life lost
Compartmental infectious disease models are used to calculate disease transmission, estimate underlying rates, forecast future burden, and compare benefits across intervention scenarios. These models ...
www.medrxiv.org
December 6, 2024 at 4:03 PM
Congrats to team member Carl Pearson and his co-authors @lucygoodfellow.bsky.social and @mert0248.bsky.social. An important tool for a pervasive problem in modeling infectious disease data www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Official statement from the #DRC Ministry of Health on an unknown disease with 376 cases and 76 deaths since Oct 24, 2024 in Kwango.
Symptoms include fever, headache, anemia, and respiratory issues.
Monitoring closely—could be many things. More details needed.
Translation via Google translate
Symptoms include fever, headache, anemia, and respiratory issues.
Monitoring closely—could be many things. More details needed.
Translation via Google translate
December 4, 2024 at 3:47 AM
Official statement from the #DRC Ministry of Health on an unknown disease with 376 cases and 76 deaths since Oct 24, 2024 in Kwango.
Symptoms include fever, headache, anemia, and respiratory issues.
Monitoring closely—could be many things. More details needed.
Translation via Google translate
Symptoms include fever, headache, anemia, and respiratory issues.
Monitoring closely—could be many things. More details needed.
Translation via Google translate
Reposted by Claire P. Smith
Humanity’s history is a battle against infectious diseases. And for most of our history we were losing very decisively.
From my article about vaccines:
ourworldindata.org/microbes-bat...
From my article about vaccines:
ourworldindata.org/microbes-bat...
November 19, 2024 at 4:34 PM
Humanity’s history is a battle against infectious diseases. And for most of our history we were losing very decisively.
From my article about vaccines:
ourworldindata.org/microbes-bat...
From my article about vaccines:
ourworldindata.org/microbes-bat...