Natalie Linton
@nlintonepi.bsky.social
Infectious disease epidemiologist and modeler, AIxBio researcher.
Reposted by Natalie Linton
I want to spell this out in case the implications aren't clear:
This means all public tools/webapps of GISAID data (all the ones you've been used to seeing thru the pandemic, as far as we can tell) are prohibited.
The file allowed this. Cut that - cut off all tools the public & others were using.
This means all public tools/webapps of GISAID data (all the ones you've been used to seeing thru the pandemic, as far as we can tell) are prohibited.
The file allowed this. Cut that - cut off all tools the public & others were using.
On Oct 1, 2025, GISAID informed us that they had ended updates to the flat file of SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences and associated metadata that we had used to update Nextstrain analyses since Feb 2020. GISAID's stated rationale was that their "resources are limited". 1/5
November 7, 2025 at 2:41 PM
I want to spell this out in case the implications aren't clear:
This means all public tools/webapps of GISAID data (all the ones you've been used to seeing thru the pandemic, as far as we can tell) are prohibited.
The file allowed this. Cut that - cut off all tools the public & others were using.
This means all public tools/webapps of GISAID data (all the ones you've been used to seeing thru the pandemic, as far as we can tell) are prohibited.
The file allowed this. Cut that - cut off all tools the public & others were using.
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Concerning: for a high emissions scenario, the model found a 37% increase in daily extreme precipitation over land by 2100. “Much of the increase was driven by shifts in wind patterns that created chains of severe thunderstorms hundreds of kilometers long that traditional models fail to capture.”
My latest for @science.org: A remarkable set of high-resolution climate model runs, computed over 900 (!) days of supercomputing time, are revealing how warming-induced changes to Earth's wind patterns due can prime huge spikes in extreme rainfall.
But the MESACLIP runs also do much more than that.
But the MESACLIP runs also do much more than that.
High-resolution climate model forecasts a wet, turbulent future
With details as fine as short-term weather forecasts, model achieves newfound accuracy
www.science.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Concerning: for a high emissions scenario, the model found a 37% increase in daily extreme precipitation over land by 2100. “Much of the increase was driven by shifts in wind patterns that created chains of severe thunderstorms hundreds of kilometers long that traditional models fail to capture.”
Reposted by Natalie Linton
My last research project showed that many mammals now live in climates different from the ones they occupied for thousands of years.
Publishing it made me realize how often important science stays inaccessible
and why I now focus on sharing it clearly.
Full story ↓
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/WMgl3kB
Publishing it made me realize how often important science stays inaccessible
and why I now focus on sharing it clearly.
Full story ↓
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/WMgl3kB
The Climate Study That Changed My Life Forever
How research showing mammals in the wrong climates made me leave the lab for storytelling The last scientific research that I led made me quit...
climateages.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:24 PM
My last research project showed that many mammals now live in climates different from the ones they occupied for thousands of years.
Publishing it made me realize how often important science stays inaccessible
and why I now focus on sharing it clearly.
Full story ↓
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/WMgl3kB
Publishing it made me realize how often important science stays inaccessible
and why I now focus on sharing it clearly.
Full story ↓
🧪 #SciComm
buff.ly/WMgl3kB
Reposted by Natalie Linton
The fact that China's green economy has outpaced our fossil fuel one was totally predictable 10 years ago. And US companies and economic policies continue to put their head in the sand. Even as we wrangle against facism, the physical effects of our CO2 emissions continue inexorably. Science.
The US is the world's largest oil and gas producer. Yet, "China is now making more money from exporting green technology than America makes from exporting fossil fuels."
China’s clean-energy revolution will reshape markets and politics
The world’s biggest manufacturer now has an interest in the world decarbonising
www.economist.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:49 PM
The fact that China's green economy has outpaced our fossil fuel one was totally predictable 10 years ago. And US companies and economic policies continue to put their head in the sand. Even as we wrangle against facism, the physical effects of our CO2 emissions continue inexorably. Science.
Reposted by Natalie Linton
I lived with my dad when I was very young and he didn’t apply for food stamps or free school lunches, though we qualified.
So, I went hungry. It was awful. I begged neighbors for saltine crackers. I can say it was the worst time of my life.
Children shouldn’t go hungry. Restore SNAP benefits.
So, I went hungry. It was awful. I begged neighbors for saltine crackers. I can say it was the worst time of my life.
Children shouldn’t go hungry. Restore SNAP benefits.
October 22, 2025 at 2:40 PM
I lived with my dad when I was very young and he didn’t apply for food stamps or free school lunches, though we qualified.
So, I went hungry. It was awful. I begged neighbors for saltine crackers. I can say it was the worst time of my life.
Children shouldn’t go hungry. Restore SNAP benefits.
So, I went hungry. It was awful. I begged neighbors for saltine crackers. I can say it was the worst time of my life.
Children shouldn’t go hungry. Restore SNAP benefits.
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Rita Hamad, professor of social epidemiology and public policy, explains why losing the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System puts the health of mothers and infants at risk, and how she hopes to help keep its data accessible. “Without data, we can’t fix problems,” says @ritahamad.bsky.social
With federal maternal health database in limbo, a risk to mother and infant health | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Rita Hamad explains why losing PRAMS puts the health of mothers and infants at risk, and how she hopes to help keep its data accessible.
hsph.harvard.edu
October 17, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Rita Hamad, professor of social epidemiology and public policy, explains why losing the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System puts the health of mothers and infants at risk, and how she hopes to help keep its data accessible. “Without data, we can’t fix problems,” says @ritahamad.bsky.social
Reposted by Natalie Linton
If the ostriches are not culled, Canada will violate its trade agreements for managing avian flu outbreaks. This could cause our trading partners to ban Canadian poultry imports and cut off the entire $2B poultry export market. Three countries have already restricted Canadian imports on this basis.
October 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
If the ostriches are not culled, Canada will violate its trade agreements for managing avian flu outbreaks. This could cause our trading partners to ban Canadian poultry imports and cut off the entire $2B poultry export market. Three countries have already restricted Canadian imports on this basis.
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Recently published work from colleagues Morgan Wack (postdoc at University of Zurich) & Joey Schafer (UW PhD candidate) showing how state election policies that delayed vote counting fueled rumoring and conspiracy theorizing around the 2020 election: blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...
The 2020 US election shows how state election policies can fuel conspiracy theories about voting | USAPP
States that allowed pre-Election Day processing saw a reduction of over a third in expected misinformation compared to states with restrictive rules.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
October 7, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Recently published work from colleagues Morgan Wack (postdoc at University of Zurich) & Joey Schafer (UW PhD candidate) showing how state election policies that delayed vote counting fueled rumoring and conspiracy theorizing around the 2020 election: blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
With deportation continuing apace amid the federal government shutdown, advocates speculated that the latest scheme to pay off immigrant children was deliberately timed by ICE and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, to minimize public attention.
ICE Targets Unaccompanied Immigrant Children, Offering Payment for Deportation
ICE confirmed its plan to pay unaccompanied immigrant children in exchange for their agreement to be deported.
interc.pt
October 3, 2025 at 8:04 PM
With deportation continuing apace amid the federal government shutdown, advocates speculated that the latest scheme to pay off immigrant children was deliberately timed by ICE and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, to minimize public attention.
Reposted by Natalie Linton
In my latest for @nytopinion.nytimes.com, I break down the health care provisions Democrats are fighting for in this government shutdown. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/o...
Opinion | These 6 Charts Explain Why the Government Shut Down
www.nytimes.com
October 1, 2025 at 8:44 PM
In my latest for @nytopinion.nytimes.com, I break down the health care provisions Democrats are fighting for in this government shutdown. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/o...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
A drug that provides near-perfect protection against HIV with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope for ending the HIV epidemic.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
Philanthropies Strike a Promising Deal to Turn Back H.I.V.
www.nytimes.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:29 PM
A drug that provides near-perfect protection against HIV with shots just twice a year will be made available at $40 per patient annually in low- and middle-income countries, offering new hope for ending the HIV epidemic.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/h...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
There is only one major company in the world that makes monovalent measles vaccine: Serum Institute of India. The only reason it continues to do so is that, until recently, 19 countries in the world had not yet introduced rubella vaccination to their national schedules 1/
September 24, 2025 at 3:10 PM
There is only one major company in the world that makes monovalent measles vaccine: Serum Institute of India. The only reason it continues to do so is that, until recently, 19 countries in the world had not yet introduced rubella vaccination to their national schedules 1/
Reposted by Natalie Linton
To be clear, there are no data that provide a link between short-term use of Tylenol during pregnancy and autism. In fact, one of the best prospective studies w/ sibling controls, if anything, pointed to a protective effect for use less than 7 days
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
September 23, 2025 at 3:05 PM
To be clear, there are no data that provide a link between short-term use of Tylenol during pregnancy and autism. In fact, one of the best prospective studies w/ sibling controls, if anything, pointed to a protective effect for use less than 7 days
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
When the vaccine first came out, the US actually only vaccinated “high-risk” individuals and children born to Hepatitis-B-positive parents. And it didn’t work out well. Disease rates only declined - by ~99% - after making the vaccine a universal recommendation on Day1 www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
September 16, 2025 at 10:19 PM
When the vaccine first came out, the US actually only vaccinated “high-risk” individuals and children born to Hepatitis-B-positive parents. And it didn’t work out well. Disease rates only declined - by ~99% - after making the vaccine a universal recommendation on Day1 www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Hyperlocal forecasting that provides real time, practical information for people to use when navigating extreme weather events is perhaps one of the first steps in climate adaptation today. An institute in Mumbai, in partnership with the local met department, is on it
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
New ‘hyperlocal’ forecasts aim to give Indian cities early warning of monsoon floods
In Mumbai, new tools provided up to 3 days notice of dangerous downpours
www.science.org
September 5, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Hyperlocal forecasting that provides real time, practical information for people to use when navigating extreme weather events is perhaps one of the first steps in climate adaptation today. An institute in Mumbai, in partnership with the local met department, is on it
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
it’s hard to overstate:
-how beneficial vaccines are
-how massively overwhelming the evidence is showing no link between vaccines and autism
-how impossible it is that RFK will somehow “find the cause” (at all, let alone in his first year)
-how much RFKjr want to get rid of childhood vaccines
-how beneficial vaccines are
-how massively overwhelming the evidence is showing no link between vaccines and autism
-how impossible it is that RFK will somehow “find the cause” (at all, let alone in his first year)
-how much RFKjr want to get rid of childhood vaccines
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told President Donald Trump to expect “announcements” in September around his quest to find the cause of autism, the developmental disorder that affects the brain.
https://to.pbs.org/45RUyGy
https://to.pbs.org/45RUyGy
WATCH: Trump claims 'we maybe know' the cause of autism, teases September announcement
The health secretary had promised the president in April that he would undertake a “research effort” using “scientists from around the world” to determine the cause of the disorder, but the health dep...
www.pbs.org
August 26, 2025 at 9:30 PM
it’s hard to overstate:
-how beneficial vaccines are
-how massively overwhelming the evidence is showing no link between vaccines and autism
-how impossible it is that RFK will somehow “find the cause” (at all, let alone in his first year)
-how much RFKjr want to get rid of childhood vaccines
-how beneficial vaccines are
-how massively overwhelming the evidence is showing no link between vaccines and autism
-how impossible it is that RFK will somehow “find the cause” (at all, let alone in his first year)
-how much RFKjr want to get rid of childhood vaccines
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Must read for all teams consulting infectious diseases #idsky #idmeded #meded #stewardship #voicesofID @cidjournal.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/cid/advance-...
academic.oup.com/cid/advance-...
August 27, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Must read for all teams consulting infectious diseases #idsky #idmeded #meded #stewardship #voicesofID @cidjournal.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/cid/advance-...
academic.oup.com/cid/advance-...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Reposted by Natalie Linton
The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, or CBER, was one of the hardest hit divisions.
It ensures the safety and quality of biological products for human use, like red blood cells, immunotherapy, and vaccines.
Since January, the center has lost about 500 people, or 26% of its workforce.
It ensures the safety and quality of biological products for human use, like red blood cells, immunotherapy, and vaccines.
Since January, the center has lost about 500 people, or 26% of its workforce.
August 21, 2025 at 11:49 AM
The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, or CBER, was one of the hardest hit divisions.
It ensures the safety and quality of biological products for human use, like red blood cells, immunotherapy, and vaccines.
Since January, the center has lost about 500 people, or 26% of its workforce.
It ensures the safety and quality of biological products for human use, like red blood cells, immunotherapy, and vaccines.
Since January, the center has lost about 500 people, or 26% of its workforce.
Reposted by Natalie Linton
A natural experiment provides evidence for promoting moderate-vigorous physical activity: the importance of walkable cities
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Countrywide natural experiment links built environment to physical activity - Nature
By analysing the smartphone data of 2,112,288 participants, in particular observing and comparing the activity of the same individual in two different environments, we find that increases in the walka...
www.nature.com
August 13, 2025 at 5:28 PM
A natural experiment provides evidence for promoting moderate-vigorous physical activity: the importance of walkable cities
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Concern for airborne H5N1 on US dairy farm…(🎁 article) #IDSky
Not yet peer reviewed 👉
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/h...
Not yet peer reviewed 👉
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/h...
Bird Flu May Be Airborne on Dairy Farms, Scientists Report
www.nytimes.com
August 7, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Concern for airborne H5N1 on US dairy farm…(🎁 article) #IDSky
Not yet peer reviewed 👉
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/h...
Not yet peer reviewed 👉
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/h...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
A fascinating new paper in @nature.com found that infection w/ influenza or SARS-CoV-2 caused dormant breast cancer cells in the lungs to “awaken” & grow...*IN MICE*.
The data for people was *suggestive* but not super compelling IMO. #episky #medsky #idsky
jenndowd.substack.com/p/can-covid-...
The data for people was *suggestive* but not super compelling IMO. #episky #medsky #idsky
jenndowd.substack.com/p/can-covid-...
Can COVID rekindle cancer?
Yes...in mice. And *maybe* in people too.
jenndowd.substack.com
August 4, 2025 at 10:47 AM
A fascinating new paper in @nature.com found that infection w/ influenza or SARS-CoV-2 caused dormant breast cancer cells in the lungs to “awaken” & grow...*IN MICE*.
The data for people was *suggestive* but not super compelling IMO. #episky #medsky #idsky
jenndowd.substack.com/p/can-covid-...
The data for people was *suggestive* but not super compelling IMO. #episky #medsky #idsky
jenndowd.substack.com/p/can-covid-...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Advice for academics on finding their public voice: www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
Don’t Wait for Permission to Write for the Public
You don’t need a public engagement grant or media team to begin. Here’s how—and why—to share your expertise now.
www.insidehighered.com
August 4, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Advice for academics on finding their public voice: www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Unsettling case: A UK baby develops #botulism after eating peanut butter. Father is peanut allergic; parents were trying to lower baby's risk of peanut allergy by gradually introducing peanut to its diet, per medical guidance. Baby was very ill but recovered. www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2...
Peanut butter confirmed as the source in a case of infant botulism, United Kingdom, 2024
A 6-month-old infant was hospitalised with suspected infant botulism after being given peanut butter to reduce their risk of developing peanut allergy. Clostridium botulinum type A was detected in the...
www.eurosurveillance.org
July 31, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Unsettling case: A UK baby develops #botulism after eating peanut butter. Father is peanut allergic; parents were trying to lower baby's risk of peanut allergy by gradually introducing peanut to its diet, per medical guidance. Baby was very ill but recovered. www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2...
Reposted by Natalie Linton
Thanks for this useful thread.
What about changing of the focus from immunity, the outcome of NPIs or other changes to pathogen circulation, to *infection*, the actual thing that is causing an impact. So...
"Infection pause" works best here I think. 1/2
What about changing of the focus from immunity, the outcome of NPIs or other changes to pathogen circulation, to *infection*, the actual thing that is causing an impact. So...
"Infection pause" works best here I think. 1/2
July 30, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Thanks for this useful thread.
What about changing of the focus from immunity, the outcome of NPIs or other changes to pathogen circulation, to *infection*, the actual thing that is causing an impact. So...
"Infection pause" works best here I think. 1/2
What about changing of the focus from immunity, the outcome of NPIs or other changes to pathogen circulation, to *infection*, the actual thing that is causing an impact. So...
"Infection pause" works best here I think. 1/2