Marlene Wolfe
@marlenekwolfe.bsky.social
Environmental health scientist and faculty at Emory Public Health
Mom trying to make the world a better place
Runner trying to handle the world the way it is
(Views are my own)
Mom trying to make the world a better place
Runner trying to handle the world the way it is
(Views are my own)
Tuolumne Falls, just us and the waterfall. Highly recommend getting out into the backcountry (no cell service here, also a great perk)
July 28, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Tuolumne Falls, just us and the waterfall. Highly recommend getting out into the backcountry (no cell service here, also a great perk)
Tuolumne, Yosemite National Park
July 28, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Tuolumne, Yosemite National Park
I'm really glad that we were able to start testing wastewater in 40 states for measles this week. I often get the chance to be the face of our work (see below!) and it's such a privilege to represent the whole team of talented and incredibly dedicated folks at Emory, Stanford, and Verily + more.
After nationally scaling an assay to detect #measles in #wastewater, WastewaterSCAN principal investigator Dr. Marlene Wolfe spoke about the value of wastewater monitoring and how it can be used to respond to the current #measles outbreak in the U.S. and inform #PublicHealth decisions.
Read more:
Read more:
Measles Is Now Showing Up in Wastewater
Tracking measles through wastewater is giving health officials a new window into where the virus is spreading.
time.com
June 5, 2025 at 4:02 PM
I'm really glad that we were able to start testing wastewater in 40 states for measles this week. I often get the chance to be the face of our work (see below!) and it's such a privilege to represent the whole team of talented and incredibly dedicated folks at Emory, Stanford, and Verily + more.
Things I’m tired of hearing: “this is a great opportunity for us to reflect on our priorities as we learn how to do more with less.” Public health has always been a lean field. We don’t have low priority things to jettison. We can always become better but relentless cuts are not an opportunity.
May 7, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Things I’m tired of hearing: “this is a great opportunity for us to reflect on our priorities as we learn how to do more with less.” Public health has always been a lean field. We don’t have low priority things to jettison. We can always become better but relentless cuts are not an opportunity.
Reposted by Marlene Wolfe
SCOTUS holds that the EPA *cannot* order cities to maintain acceptable water quality standards by limiting the discharge—usually sewage—that they dump into nearby bodies of water (like oceans and bays). The four women justices, dissenting, say that's ridiculous. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
March 4, 2025 at 3:16 PM
SCOTUS holds that the EPA *cannot* order cities to maintain acceptable water quality standards by limiting the discharge—usually sewage—that they dump into nearby bodies of water (like oceans and bays). The four women justices, dissenting, say that's ridiculous. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...
I highly recommend forgetting about your problems for a while by giving yourself other problems (running a half marathon). Pictured: runners high!
March 2, 2025 at 6:08 PM
I highly recommend forgetting about your problems for a while by giving yourself other problems (running a half marathon). Pictured: runners high!
Parents, by and large, do their best to keep their kids safe, healthy, and happy. I’m so sad to hear that a child died of measles today, and that they were unvaccinated. Parents making these decisions are also often victims of powerful people who spread falsehoods for their own benefit. It’s tragic.
February 27, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Parents, by and large, do their best to keep their kids safe, healthy, and happy. I’m so sad to hear that a child died of measles today, and that they were unvaccinated. Parents making these decisions are also often victims of powerful people who spread falsehoods for their own benefit. It’s tragic.
We grabbed our kids and got down in the basement last night after our phone alerts and city tornado siren went off around 4:30 am, and one of the first things I thought of as I handed my scared 5 yo to my husband was how much we are screwed if these public safety services are privatized.
Reminding myself that I’m low-productivity and do not contribute to public safety as I issue several Tornado Warnings in the dead of night on an overtime overnight shift
February 16, 2025 at 10:08 PM
We grabbed our kids and got down in the basement last night after our phone alerts and city tornado siren went off around 4:30 am, and one of the first things I thought of as I handed my scared 5 yo to my husband was how much we are screwed if these public safety services are privatized.
Trans people do not cease to exist based on ctrl+f and delete. This is so deeply and unnecessarily cruel.
The National Park Service has removed "T" and all mention of transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument.
Trans women were some of the most influential activists behind the Stonewall movement and what followed.
3 articles of clothing laws were why raids happened.
Erasure.
Trans women were some of the most influential activists behind the Stonewall movement and what followed.
3 articles of clothing laws were why raids happened.
Erasure.
February 14, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Trans people do not cease to exist based on ctrl+f and delete. This is so deeply and unnecessarily cruel.
This is something that I find especially frustrating about all the recent cuts - USAID, NIH, etc. These aren’t just costs the federal government. They are INVESTMENTS that have returns. We are losing a lot and saving very little.
Executive wants to frame the NIH indirects cut as $4B in savings.
But given that NIH returns $2.5 on every $1 investment, this would actually cost US economy a net $6 BILLION (per year!). Not to mention the human costs of wrecking education and research sectors and the communities they serve.
But given that NIH returns $2.5 on every $1 investment, this would actually cost US economy a net $6 BILLION (per year!). Not to mention the human costs of wrecking education and research sectors and the communities they serve.
Direct Economic Contributions
NIH directly supports the economy through investments in research institutions and job formation.
www.nih.gov
February 8, 2025 at 4:13 PM
This is something that I find especially frustrating about all the recent cuts - USAID, NIH, etc. These aren’t just costs the federal government. They are INVESTMENTS that have returns. We are losing a lot and saving very little.
Reposted by Marlene Wolfe
The Pickering lab is hiring! We are looking for a postdoc or project manager to lead research on expanding access to chlorinated drinking water in Nigeria and India. Read more and how to apply here docs.google.com/document/d/1...
ILC Research Engineer/Postdoc - Job Description.docx
Pickering Lab Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley Job Description Research Engineer or Postdoctoral Scholar Opportunity (In-line Chlorination Research) Base Location: Berk...
docs.google.com
February 4, 2025 at 8:49 PM
The Pickering lab is hiring! We are looking for a postdoc or project manager to lead research on expanding access to chlorinated drinking water in Nigeria and India. Read more and how to apply here docs.google.com/document/d/1...
I'm doing this cute thing where each day of Feb I add a heart to my kids' doors with something I love about them on it. Adorable, right? When I asked how they liked it my 5 yo said "Mom, this is also Black History Month!" and now the kids want me to also put a #BHM fact a day on the door. Brilliant!
February 3, 2025 at 2:19 PM
I'm doing this cute thing where each day of Feb I add a heart to my kids' doors with something I love about them on it. Adorable, right? When I asked how they liked it my 5 yo said "Mom, this is also Black History Month!" and now the kids want me to also put a #BHM fact a day on the door. Brilliant!
Gender is an extremely common & important variable used in public health studies. And no, not just biological sex (which we can’t talk about, apparently?) because our biology and our society both impact our health greatly. Are we going to be prohibited from studying age next? It’s that fundamental.
BREAKING NEWS: CDC orders mass retraction and revision of submitted research across all science and medicine journals. Banned terms must be scrubbed.
Goes beyond MMWR +other CDC pubs. Applies to research already submitted to top medical journals.
Take a look.
open.substack.com/pub/insideme...
Goes beyond MMWR +other CDC pubs. Applies to research already submitted to top medical journals.
Take a look.
open.substack.com/pub/insideme...
BREAKING NEWS: CDC orders mass retraction and revision of submitted research across all science and medicine journals. Banned terms must be scrubbed.
Any unpublished manuscript mentioning certain topics, including gender and "LGBT," must be pulled or revised.
open.substack.com
February 2, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Gender is an extremely common & important variable used in public health studies. And no, not just biological sex (which we can’t talk about, apparently?) because our biology and our society both impact our health greatly. Are we going to be prohibited from studying age next? It’s that fundamental.
People say “don’t worry a lot of this is just temporary.” Okay - but a lot of it is not! Removing information on health of marginalized groups is something to very much worry about. And stuff that’s gone temporarily isn’t temporarily unimportant. We rely on this public health data & infrastructure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed or edited references to transgender people, gender identity and equity from its website Friday, racing to meet a late-afternoon deadline imposed by the federal Office of Personnel Management.
CDC removes gender, equity references in public health material
Large sets of data are being scrubbed of references to transgender and LGBTQ people, among others, which could compromise their use in research
wapo.st
February 1, 2025 at 2:36 AM
People say “don’t worry a lot of this is just temporary.” Okay - but a lot of it is not! Removing information on health of marginalized groups is something to very much worry about. And stuff that’s gone temporarily isn’t temporarily unimportant. We rely on this public health data & infrastructure.
Reposted by Marlene Wolfe
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed or edited references to transgender people, gender identity and equity from its website Friday, racing to meet a late-afternoon deadline imposed by the federal Office of Personnel Management.
CDC removes gender, equity references in public health material
Large sets of data are being scrubbed of references to transgender and LGBTQ people, among others, which could compromise their use in research
wapo.st
February 1, 2025 at 12:52 AM
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed or edited references to transgender people, gender identity and equity from its website Friday, racing to meet a late-afternoon deadline imposed by the federal Office of Personnel Management.
Reposted by Marlene Wolfe
If you’re a straight, cis person who has ever posted some version of a rainbow with “you’re safe with me” or similar, it’s time to back up the words with action— contact your reps and ask them what they’re going to do to protect trans people from this administration, particularly trans kids.
January 29, 2025 at 6:10 PM
If you’re a straight, cis person who has ever posted some version of a rainbow with “you’re safe with me” or similar, it’s time to back up the words with action— contact your reps and ask them what they’re going to do to protect trans people from this administration, particularly trans kids.
It was a pleasure to talk to @fenitn.bsky.social about what we see in our wastewater monitoring data during this respiratory virus season! It’s critical that we have data on these important viruses to inform public health. Wastewater is a great source of information.
As #COVID19 and flu cases rise this winter, @fenitn.bsky.social emphasizes the importance of #wastewater monitoring in understanding the winter viruses circulating in communities nationwide.
@washingtonpost.com: www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
@washingtonpost.com: www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Covid isn’t as bad this winter. Flu is worse. Here’s why.
The covid wave this winter is less severe compared with previous years, with hospitalization rates down and wastewater levels lower.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 28, 2025 at 2:08 AM
It was a pleasure to talk to @fenitn.bsky.social about what we see in our wastewater monitoring data during this respiratory virus season! It’s critical that we have data on these important viruses to inform public health. Wastewater is a great source of information.
This is a really important thread outlining a host of specific, terrible impacts of halting foreign aid. This hurts us all, and helps no one. We are all connected.
I ran @USAID health programs for the last 3 years. Trump’s 90 day Stop Work Order on foreign assistance does serious damage to the world and the US. Examples:🧵
January 26, 2025 at 11:37 PM
This is a really important thread outlining a host of specific, terrible impacts of halting foreign aid. This hurts us all, and helps no one. We are all connected.
Reposted by Marlene Wolfe
CDC data is still only dripping out. High level covid, flu, and RSV was released as scheduled today but the weekly not deeper dive into flu (also known as Fluveiw) or ILI (general count of cough and fever). Also still no bird flu MMWRs.
This sure doesn’t seem like freedom to me.
This sure doesn’t seem like freedom to me.
January 24, 2025 at 8:30 PM
CDC data is still only dripping out. High level covid, flu, and RSV was released as scheduled today but the weekly not deeper dive into flu (also known as Fluveiw) or ILI (general count of cough and fever). Also still no bird flu MMWRs.
This sure doesn’t seem like freedom to me.
This sure doesn’t seem like freedom to me.
Huge shoutout to our team that puts these updates together every week - there is a lot of great detail in these threads! It’s still flu and RSV season, and while COVID levels are lower than past years it’s certainly surging too. Stay informed and stay safe, friends.
📊 WWSCAN Weekly Data:
Respiratory weekly update: SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A and RSV are in the “High” category nationwide. The other respiratory viruses (Influenza B, HMPV, and EV-D68) we monitor remain in the “Low” wastewater category nationwide and not in seasonal onset. 🛟😷🧪
Respiratory weekly update: SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A and RSV are in the “High” category nationwide. The other respiratory viruses (Influenza B, HMPV, and EV-D68) we monitor remain in the “Low” wastewater category nationwide and not in seasonal onset. 🛟😷🧪
January 24, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Huge shoutout to our team that puts these updates together every week - there is a lot of great detail in these threads! It’s still flu and RSV season, and while COVID levels are lower than past years it’s certainly surging too. Stay informed and stay safe, friends.
Reposted by Marlene Wolfe
CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has provided real-time data and analysis about disease outbreaks and emerging health threats without a break every week since 1960.
Until today.
Until today.
January 23, 2025 at 6:38 PM
CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has provided real-time data and analysis about disease outbreaks and emerging health threats without a break every week since 1960.
Until today.
Until today.
A great new paper by my brilliant colleagues Elana and Ali, showing how incredibly useful ww monitoring data is to track seasonal outbreaks. It's interesting to compare outbreaks of different viruses in a year, and for each virus over multiple years. The data is still rolling in for '24-'25!
📣 New WastewaterSCAN publication: Respiratory Virus Season Surveillance in the United States Using Wastewater Metrics, 2023–2024
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.4c01013”
January 22, 2025 at 9:42 PM
A great new paper by my brilliant colleagues Elana and Ali, showing how incredibly useful ww monitoring data is to track seasonal outbreaks. It's interesting to compare outbreaks of different viruses in a year, and for each virus over multiple years. The data is still rolling in for '24-'25!
It’s a “remote learning” snow day here and I learned by listening in on my 2nd grader’s morning meeting that everyone has the flu. Not surprised given what the wastewater data shows. It’s certainly flu season (though it seems flu in ww peaked nationally, it doesn’t look that way yet in the south!).
🚨Influenza is categorized as “High" in #wastewater nationally.
Influenza is one of a dozen infectious diseases that WastewaterSCAN monitors across the country. We share data on influenza A and B, along with the H1, H3, and H5 influenza subtypes. Check levels near you: data.wastewaterscan.org
Influenza is one of a dozen infectious diseases that WastewaterSCAN monitors across the country. We share data on influenza A and B, along with the H1, H3, and H5 influenza subtypes. Check levels near you: data.wastewaterscan.org
January 22, 2025 at 1:34 AM
It’s a “remote learning” snow day here and I learned by listening in on my 2nd grader’s morning meeting that everyone has the flu. Not surprised given what the wastewater data shows. It’s certainly flu season (though it seems flu in ww peaked nationally, it doesn’t look that way yet in the south!).
Reposted by Marlene Wolfe
A sample from a remote Tanzanian region tests positive for Marburg disease, confirming WHO fears
A sample from a remote Tanzanian region tests positive for Marburg disease, confirming WHO fears
Tanzania’s president says one sample from a remote northern part of the country has tested positive for Marburg disease.
apnews.com
January 20, 2025 at 7:10 PM
A sample from a remote Tanzanian region tests positive for Marburg disease, confirming WHO fears
Well. This is a very bad idea. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
WITHDRAWING THE UNITED STATES FROM THE WORLDHEALTH ORGANIZATION – The White House
WITHDRAWING THE UNITED STATES FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the
www.whitehouse.gov
January 21, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Well. This is a very bad idea. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...