Kelsey Florek
@k-florek.net
Infectious Disease Genomics and Data Scientist @ Wisconsin State Laboratory
#publichealth, #genomics, #infectiousdiseases, #openscience, #opendata
Personal account, art and opinions are my own.
#publichealth, #genomics, #infectiousdiseases, #openscience, #opendata
Personal account, art and opinions are my own.
A painting I made as appreciation for all the work our public health labs do! With a subtle nod to genomics as a part of that ☺️
#publichealth #art #watercolor
#publichealth #art #watercolor
September 17, 2025 at 10:16 PM
A painting I made as appreciation for all the work our public health labs do! With a subtle nod to genomics as a part of that ☺️
#publichealth #art #watercolor
#publichealth #art #watercolor
Reposted by Kelsey Florek
It is certainly reasonable to question exactly how helpful covid boosters are for younger people, but the new FDA policy goes beyond that...
hsph.harvard.edu/news/new-cov...
hsph.harvard.edu/news/new-cov...
New COVID vaccine policy limits choice, could raise risk for younger groups | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Bill Hanage discusses the implications of a new FDA policy that will limit the COVID-19 vaccine to people over age 65 and those with certain medical conditions.
hsph.harvard.edu
May 22, 2025 at 8:33 PM
It is certainly reasonable to question exactly how helpful covid boosters are for younger people, but the new FDA policy goes beyond that...
hsph.harvard.edu/news/new-cov...
hsph.harvard.edu/news/new-cov...
I am very excited to share that we have a publication describing the State Public Health Bioinformatics (StaPH-B) Docker container project!! 🧬🖥️ Amazing work by the community and a special thanks to the co-authors who keep this project going!!
#Bioinformatics #StaPH-B
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
#Bioinformatics #StaPH-B
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
Advantages of Software Containerization in Public Health Infectious Disease Genomic Surveillance
Software Containerization in Disease Surveillance
wwwnc.cdc.gov
May 12, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I am very excited to share that we have a publication describing the State Public Health Bioinformatics (StaPH-B) Docker container project!! 🧬🖥️ Amazing work by the community and a special thanks to the co-authors who keep this project going!!
#Bioinformatics #StaPH-B
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
#Bioinformatics #StaPH-B
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
Just finished a proof-of-concept using an LLM (Anthropic Claude) to connect genomic metadata fields from an internal LIMS system to NCBI's BioSample and SRA submission templates.
A fantastic collaboration between Cal Poly, AWS, DCLS, and WSLH!
aws.amazon.com/blogs/public...
#bioinformatics
A fantastic collaboration between Cal Poly, AWS, DCLS, and WSLH!
aws.amazon.com/blogs/public...
#bioinformatics
Leveraging generative AI to accelerate public health genomics data standardization | Amazon Web Services
In this post, we discuss the AI Genomic Schema Harmonizer, a generative AI–powered application that revolutionizes how laboratories prepare genomic data for submission to public repositories.
aws.amazon.com
May 5, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Just finished a proof-of-concept using an LLM (Anthropic Claude) to connect genomic metadata fields from an internal LIMS system to NCBI's BioSample and SRA submission templates.
A fantastic collaboration between Cal Poly, AWS, DCLS, and WSLH!
aws.amazon.com/blogs/public...
#bioinformatics
A fantastic collaboration between Cal Poly, AWS, DCLS, and WSLH!
aws.amazon.com/blogs/public...
#bioinformatics
May 3, 2025 at 11:11 PM
It's been a bit since I've had the emotional bandwidth to be creative but it felt good to paint this
#art #watercolor
#art #watercolor
April 16, 2025 at 3:27 AM
It's been a bit since I've had the emotional bandwidth to be creative but it felt good to paint this
#art #watercolor
#art #watercolor
Reposted by Kelsey Florek
This has been a fantastic workshop. Great takes and participation from everyone!
Fun way to kick off @aphl.org #IDLabCon with the next steps for next generation sequencing pre conference workshop! Thanks @drkfo.bsky.social @k-florek.net and Dan Evans for speaking!
March 24, 2025 at 9:01 PM
This has been a fantastic workshop. Great takes and participation from everyone!
It's rubbish how the dismantling of our education system is treated like an everyday bullet point 🤬🤬🤬
March 20, 2025 at 5:55 PM
It's rubbish how the dismantling of our education system is treated like an everyday bullet point 🤬🤬🤬
Big thanks to @torstenseemann.bsky.social for hosting me at the Centre for Pathogen Genomics. It was lovely to meet everyone and see the awesome binfo work happening in Asia-Pacific!
#Austrakka #Bioinformatics #PublicHealth
#Austrakka #Bioinformatics #PublicHealth
February 28, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Big thanks to @torstenseemann.bsky.social for hosting me at the Centre for Pathogen Genomics. It was lovely to meet everyone and see the awesome binfo work happening in Asia-Pacific!
#Austrakka #Bioinformatics #PublicHealth
#Austrakka #Bioinformatics #PublicHealth
Reposted by Kelsey Florek
🎤 Ask us anything! 🙋♂️🙋♀️🙋
In honor of reaching 100K (❣️) followers, we are holding an AMA right now!
This is an #AltGov tradition and since we stand on the shoulders of our AltGov fam, we have gathered our team and are happy to take questions in the responses.
⚠️ We do not give medical or legal advice.
In honor of reaching 100K (❣️) followers, we are holding an AMA right now!
This is an #AltGov tradition and since we stand on the shoulders of our AltGov fam, we have gathered our team and are happy to take questions in the responses.
⚠️ We do not give medical or legal advice.
February 28, 2025 at 1:59 AM
🎤 Ask us anything! 🙋♂️🙋♀️🙋
In honor of reaching 100K (❣️) followers, we are holding an AMA right now!
This is an #AltGov tradition and since we stand on the shoulders of our AltGov fam, we have gathered our team and are happy to take questions in the responses.
⚠️ We do not give medical or legal advice.
In honor of reaching 100K (❣️) followers, we are holding an AMA right now!
This is an #AltGov tradition and since we stand on the shoulders of our AltGov fam, we have gathered our team and are happy to take questions in the responses.
⚠️ We do not give medical or legal advice.
Reposted by Kelsey Florek
Make no mistake. This is an all-out attack on health in America.
Not only is the EIS vital to controlling infectious disease; it was where a remarkably high fraction of our public health leaders received formative training and experience.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...
Not only is the EIS vital to controlling infectious disease; it was where a remarkably high fraction of our public health leaders received formative training and experience.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...
CDC cuts expected to devastate Epidemic Intelligence Service, a ‘crown jewel’ of public health
Members of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service were warned Friday that many of them were about to be fired
www.statnews.com
February 14, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Make no mistake. This is an all-out attack on health in America.
Not only is the EIS vital to controlling infectious disease; it was where a remarkably high fraction of our public health leaders received formative training and experience.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...
Not only is the EIS vital to controlling infectious disease; it was where a remarkably high fraction of our public health leaders received formative training and experience.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...
Reposted by Kelsey Florek
ASM is an embarrassment - plain and simple. Just disgraceful.
@vscooper.micropopbio.org, will we see more courageous leadership this summer? If there's anything left by then, it's going to be necessary, I'm sad to say.
@vscooper.micropopbio.org, will we see more courageous leadership this summer? If there's anything left by then, it's going to be necessary, I'm sad to say.
I'm gonna say the quiet part aloud. Sadly there are many in scientific, academic & healthcare ranks as well as in the leadership of professional societies who support the purge of DEI.
The failure to peak out forcefully and rush to comply by some is unsurprising.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/03/t...
The failure to peak out forcefully and rush to comply by some is unsurprising.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/03/t...
Removal of DEI content from a microbiology group’s website shows reach of Trump executive orders
The professional society for microbiologists stripped content about Black, female, and LGBTQ scientists from its website
www.statnews.com
February 3, 2025 at 9:45 PM
ASM is an embarrassment - plain and simple. Just disgraceful.
@vscooper.micropopbio.org, will we see more courageous leadership this summer? If there's anything left by then, it's going to be necessary, I'm sad to say.
@vscooper.micropopbio.org, will we see more courageous leadership this summer? If there's anything left by then, it's going to be necessary, I'm sad to say.
Crow friends are the best!
February 3, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Crow friends are the best!
"Shock and awe" was the strategy from the start. Its goal, create confusion and paralysis. Pick issues and fight them, coordinate and resist. Write senators and representatives and donate to organizations taking action if you can.
As a Sociologist, I need to tell you
the chaos cascade (200+ exec orders) isn't dysfunction — it's disaster capitalism's playbook. your confusion = their strategy.
the chaos cascade (200+ exec orders) isn't dysfunction — it's disaster capitalism's playbook. your confusion = their strategy.
January 31, 2025 at 3:32 AM
"Shock and awe" was the strategy from the start. Its goal, create confusion and paralysis. Pick issues and fight them, coordinate and resist. Write senators and representatives and donate to organizations taking action if you can.
Reposted by Kelsey Florek
Withdrawing US funding from the World Health Organization is a potential disaster for public health worldwide, due to the impact it will have on the important work the WHO does. Preventing the CDC from even *talking* with WHO personnel is a step much farther toward undermining global health & safety
CDC ordered to stop working with WHO immediately, upending expectations of an extended withdrawal
U.S. public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately. The surprise decision is focused on the U.S.
apnews.com
January 27, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Withdrawing US funding from the World Health Organization is a potential disaster for public health worldwide, due to the impact it will have on the important work the WHO does. Preventing the CDC from even *talking* with WHO personnel is a step much farther toward undermining global health & safety
Amongst sailors, the swallow represents a hope of returning home. Perched on a sunflower of warmth and joy it is a symbol of hope. That we can return from the insanity that has begun.
#watercolor #swallow #art #painting
#watercolor #swallow #art #painting
January 23, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Amongst sailors, the swallow represents a hope of returning home. Perched on a sunflower of warmth and joy it is a symbol of hope. That we can return from the insanity that has begun.
#watercolor #swallow #art #painting
#watercolor #swallow #art #painting
It's Friday afternoon, it's 18 F outside, I'm in the basement with a space heater, it's dark, and I don't have any more meetings today...
It's time to code!
It's time to code!
January 17, 2025 at 9:16 PM
It's Friday afternoon, it's 18 F outside, I'm in the basement with a space heater, it's dark, and I don't have any more meetings today...
It's time to code!
It's time to code!
As one of the faculty helping with this program I am really excited for the content that is being put together for this program!
I wish something like this existed when I was starting in public health
I wish something like this existed when I was starting in public health
Are you an early- to mid-career bioinformatician working in the US Public Health system?
A reminder that the inaugural Bioinformatics Leadership Program is accepting applications and nominations through February 14, 2025. 🧬🖥️ #publichealth #bioinformatics
www.aphl.org/Materials/ID...
A reminder that the inaugural Bioinformatics Leadership Program is accepting applications and nominations through February 14, 2025. 🧬🖥️ #publichealth #bioinformatics
www.aphl.org/Materials/ID...
www.aphl.org
January 17, 2025 at 9:08 PM
As one of the faculty helping with this program I am really excited for the content that is being put together for this program!
I wish something like this existed when I was starting in public health
I wish something like this existed when I was starting in public health
My first Bluesky painting post and also my first duck! Here is a Barrow's goldeneyes watercolor from a reference photo taken by @carlbergstrom.com
January 17, 2025 at 5:25 AM
My first Bluesky painting post and also my first duck! Here is a Barrow's goldeneyes watercolor from a reference photo taken by @carlbergstrom.com
Reposted by Kelsey Florek
Strategic investment in innovative laboratory and informatic technologies is critical for both public health and national security. Read more about our work to build resilient, adaptable, and pathogen agnostic infectious disease surveillance across the US public health system www.cdc.gov/amd
January 13, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Strategic investment in innovative laboratory and informatic technologies is critical for both public health and national security. Read more about our work to build resilient, adaptable, and pathogen agnostic infectious disease surveillance across the US public health system www.cdc.gov/amd
Agreed, It will be sad to leave Instagram since I follow so many amazing artists. I was concerned when they started scraping images to train meta AI models but this officially the end for me.
Yep. Time to leave all Meta platforms.
Meta literally created a LGBTQ exception for calling someone mentally ill as an insult. You can't do it for any other group except LGBTQ people.
January 9, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Agreed, It will be sad to leave Instagram since I follow so many amazing artists. I was concerned when they started scraping images to train meta AI models but this officially the end for me.