Thom Marchbank
@thommarchbank.bsky.social
Deputy Principal Academic, IGS | PhD candidate, UNE | Ed Psych | quant methods | poetry nerd | All views my own etc.
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
Excited to share our latest work on the factors that determine what genes we find (and don't find!) in GWAS and burden tests.
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
How do GWAS and rare variant burden tests rank gene signals?
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Specificity, length and luck drive gene rankings in association studies - Nature
Genetic association tests prioritize candidate genes based on different criteria.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Excited to share our latest work on the factors that determine what genes we find (and don't find!) in GWAS and burden tests.
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
Here are two "I can't believe these are free" online stats texts books that cover both underlying principles and practical applications in R that I regularly refer to.
Learning Statistics with R
learningstatisticswithr.com
Doing Meta-Analysis with R bookdown.org/MathiasHarre...
Learning Statistics with R
learningstatisticswithr.com
Doing Meta-Analysis with R bookdown.org/MathiasHarre...
October 17, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Here are two "I can't believe these are free" online stats texts books that cover both underlying principles and practical applications in R that I regularly refer to.
Learning Statistics with R
learningstatisticswithr.com
Doing Meta-Analysis with R bookdown.org/MathiasHarre...
Learning Statistics with R
learningstatisticswithr.com
Doing Meta-Analysis with R bookdown.org/MathiasHarre...
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
As a neurologist, I see the term "dopamine" everywhere: dopamine fasting, dopamine hits, dopamine culture. It's become a cultural shorthand for pleasure.
But the real story is far more complex and fascinating. Here’s a thread on what we actually know 🧠
But the real story is far more complex and fascinating. Here’s a thread on what we actually know 🧠
July 6, 2025 at 8:11 PM
As a neurologist, I see the term "dopamine" everywhere: dopamine fasting, dopamine hits, dopamine culture. It's become a cultural shorthand for pleasure.
But the real story is far more complex and fascinating. Here’s a thread on what we actually know 🧠
But the real story is far more complex and fascinating. Here’s a thread on what we actually know 🧠
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
Episode 4 of Screen Sense is out now! This week, we explore why our public conversations about tech often get stuck in fear, and how we might move toward more helpful ways of thinking and talking about screens, wellbeing and family life:
screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-4-...
screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-4-...
Episode 4: Why do we find it so difficult to talk about tech effects?
We often have a very real sense that digital technology can do damage to our wellbeing, and sometimes in ways that feel seriously worrying.
screensensepodcast.substack.com
July 5, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Episode 4 of Screen Sense is out now! This week, we explore why our public conversations about tech often get stuck in fear, and how we might move toward more helpful ways of thinking and talking about screens, wellbeing and family life:
screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-4-...
screensensepodcast.substack.com/p/episode-4-...
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
Large Language models are powerful prediction tools. Based on short aspirational essays written at age 11, these models predicted cognitive and non-cognitive traits up to the level of teacher assessments.
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Large language models predict cognition and education close to or better than genomics or expert assessment - Communications Psychology
Large Language models are powerful prediction tools. Based on short aspirational essays written at age 11, these models predicted cognitive and non-cognitive traits up to the level of teacher assessme...
www.nature.com
July 4, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Large Language models are powerful prediction tools. Based on short aspirational essays written at age 11, these models predicted cognitive and non-cognitive traits up to the level of teacher assessments.
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
How do autistic young people experience universal mental health interventions at school?
Please read/share this 🙏
A mum recently got in touch with me to share a story about her autistic daughter’s experience of mental health lessons in school
(🧵)
Please read/share this 🙏
A mum recently got in touch with me to share a story about her autistic daughter’s experience of mental health lessons in school
(🧵)
July 4, 2025 at 10:46 AM
How do autistic young people experience universal mental health interventions at school?
Please read/share this 🙏
A mum recently got in touch with me to share a story about her autistic daughter’s experience of mental health lessons in school
(🧵)
Please read/share this 🙏
A mum recently got in touch with me to share a story about her autistic daughter’s experience of mental health lessons in school
(🧵)
June 21, 2025 at 9:30 AM
5/ differ in systematic ways pre-intervention.
Session 4, which the authors hang a lot on, had 9 participants per cell, and there appears to be no attempt to handle order effects, carry-over, etc.
It’s a very interesting paper, but isn’t being tagged for its exploratory qualities.
Session 4, which the authors hang a lot on, had 9 participants per cell, and there appears to be no attempt to handle order effects, carry-over, etc.
It’s a very interesting paper, but isn’t being tagged for its exploratory qualities.
June 21, 2025 at 9:21 AM
5/ differ in systematic ways pre-intervention.
Session 4, which the authors hang a lot on, had 9 participants per cell, and there appears to be no attempt to handle order effects, carry-over, etc.
It’s a very interesting paper, but isn’t being tagged for its exploratory qualities.
Session 4, which the authors hang a lot on, had 9 participants per cell, and there appears to be no attempt to handle order effects, carry-over, etc.
It’s a very interesting paper, but isn’t being tagged for its exploratory qualities.
4/ network dynamics and infer plausible roles for these dynamics based on prior mappings.
Perhaps most fatally for me is that it’s a) incredibly underpowered (n = 54), and b) had no baseline performance assessment (e.g., writing skill, cognitive ability, or prior AI experience) … the groups might
Perhaps most fatally for me is that it’s a) incredibly underpowered (n = 54), and b) had no baseline performance assessment (e.g., writing skill, cognitive ability, or prior AI experience) … the groups might
June 21, 2025 at 9:19 AM
4/ network dynamics and infer plausible roles for these dynamics based on prior mappings.
Perhaps most fatally for me is that it’s a) incredibly underpowered (n = 54), and b) had no baseline performance assessment (e.g., writing skill, cognitive ability, or prior AI experience) … the groups might
Perhaps most fatally for me is that it’s a) incredibly underpowered (n = 54), and b) had no baseline performance assessment (e.g., writing skill, cognitive ability, or prior AI experience) … the groups might
3/ better. There were no retention or transfer tasks in these studies. There were also no tests of depth of processing of the “rich associative processes” of writing. EEG can’t assess depth of idea generation or richness of thought, or quality of associative processes. It can only approximate
June 21, 2025 at 9:14 AM
3/ better. There were no retention or transfer tasks in these studies. There were also no tests of depth of processing of the “rich associative processes” of writing. EEG can’t assess depth of idea generation or richness of thought, or quality of associative processes. It can only approximate
2/ methodological issues.
The authors get way out over their skis on what the EEG data in particular shows. There’s no longitudinal or behavioural evidence of memory loss. At best, the EEG data shows evidence of altered activation patterns under different task demands. More activation doesn’t =
The authors get way out over their skis on what the EEG data in particular shows. There’s no longitudinal or behavioural evidence of memory loss. At best, the EEG data shows evidence of altered activation patterns under different task demands. More activation doesn’t =
June 21, 2025 at 9:11 AM
2/ methodological issues.
The authors get way out over their skis on what the EEG data in particular shows. There’s no longitudinal or behavioural evidence of memory loss. At best, the EEG data shows evidence of altered activation patterns under different task demands. More activation doesn’t =
The authors get way out over their skis on what the EEG data in particular shows. There’s no longitudinal or behavioural evidence of memory loss. At best, the EEG data shows evidence of altered activation patterns under different task demands. More activation doesn’t =
1/ This paper is currently blowing up across the internet.
arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
While I’m intrigued by the integration across modalities and the entirely valid questions that are thoroughly pedagogically relevant, there are some highly speculative claims in this paper, not to mention
arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
While I’m intrigued by the integration across modalities and the entirely valid questions that are thoroughly pedagogically relevant, there are some highly speculative claims in this paper, not to mention
Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task
This study explores the neural and behavioral consequences of LLM-assisted essay writing. Participants were divided into three groups: LLM, Search Engine, and Brain-only (no tools). Each completed thr...
arxiv.org
June 21, 2025 at 9:08 AM
1/ This paper is currently blowing up across the internet.
arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
While I’m intrigued by the integration across modalities and the entirely valid questions that are thoroughly pedagogically relevant, there are some highly speculative claims in this paper, not to mention
arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
While I’m intrigued by the integration across modalities and the entirely valid questions that are thoroughly pedagogically relevant, there are some highly speculative claims in this paper, not to mention
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World, the new podcast from @shuhbillskee.bsky.social and I - first episode is now live. We hope you enjoy it. open.substack.com/pub/screense...
Episode 1: Why does (digital) parenting feel so hard?
Listen now | How should we think about parenting in a digital age?
open.substack.com
June 13, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Screen Sense: Parenting in a Digital World, the new podcast from @shuhbillskee.bsky.social and I - first episode is now live. We hope you enjoy it. open.substack.com/pub/screense...
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
This is a *key* new paper in the world of school mental health interventions
A very large trial (N=6388) testing a universal CBT-based app for adolescent depression (13-14y)
No effects found (on depression, anxiety, distress or insomnia)
(🧵)
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1...
A very large trial (N=6388) testing a universal CBT-based app for adolescent depression (13-14y)
No effects found (on depression, anxiety, distress or insomnia)
(🧵)
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1...
April 25, 2025 at 8:30 AM
This is a *key* new paper in the world of school mental health interventions
A very large trial (N=6388) testing a universal CBT-based app for adolescent depression (13-14y)
No effects found (on depression, anxiety, distress or insomnia)
(🧵)
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1...
A very large trial (N=6388) testing a universal CBT-based app for adolescent depression (13-14y)
No effects found (on depression, anxiety, distress or insomnia)
(🧵)
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/28/1...
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
Continental influx and pervasive matrilocality in Iron Age Britain rdcu.be/d72Fj - a fascinating paper from my @tcddublin.bsky.social colleagues Lara Cassidy, Dan Bradley and others, shedding light on the prominent role of women in Celtic societies
Continental influx and pervasive matrilocality in Iron Age Britain
Nature - An analysis of ancient mitochondrial and nuclear DNA shows evidence of matrilocal communities in Iron Age Britain.
rdcu.be
January 30, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Continental influx and pervasive matrilocality in Iron Age Britain rdcu.be/d72Fj - a fascinating paper from my @tcddublin.bsky.social colleagues Lara Cassidy, Dan Bradley and others, shedding light on the prominent role of women in Celtic societies
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
January 24, 2025 at 10:06 AM
This will be fascinating to follow. Eager to see what emerges from it.
The OII's Prof. @shuhbillskee.bsky.social is collaborating with the Cambridge team (Amy Orben and Amrit Kaur Purba) on a new government research project on the impact of smartphones and social media on young people.
Read more here: www.cam.ac.uk/research/new...
Read more here: www.cam.ac.uk/research/new...
Cambridge leads governmental project to understand impact of smartphones and social media on young people
Cambridge researchers are leading the first phase of a new research project that will lay the groundwork for future studies into the impact on children of
www.cam.ac.uk
January 17, 2025 at 7:18 AM
This will be fascinating to follow. Eager to see what emerges from it.
Fantastic preprint on the pitfalls of dichotomising continuous data (and what goes on under the hood when you do) from @tomohiroinoue.bsky.social www.researchgate.net/publication/...
(PDF) Stop Splitting Hairs: The Problems with Dichotomizing Continuous Data in Language Research
PDF | It is common in the language sciences to dichotomize continuous data in order to fit this data to statistical tests. However, several... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on Resear...
www.researchgate.net
January 16, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Fantastic preprint on the pitfalls of dichotomising continuous data (and what goes on under the hood when you do) from @tomohiroinoue.bsky.social www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
#AcademicSky
I still see many students taking notes by hand
Turns out, there's a benefit! See meta-analysis:
Laptop users take more notes, but under-perform.
Students, resist temptation to write down everything we say!
Listen, think, capture the key essence
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
I still see many students taking notes by hand
Turns out, there's a benefit! See meta-analysis:
Laptop users take more notes, but under-perform.
Students, resist temptation to write down everything we say!
Listen, think, capture the key essence
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
January 14, 2025 at 3:59 PM
#AcademicSky
I still see many students taking notes by hand
Turns out, there's a benefit! See meta-analysis:
Laptop users take more notes, but under-perform.
Students, resist temptation to write down everything we say!
Listen, think, capture the key essence
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
I still see many students taking notes by hand
Turns out, there's a benefit! See meta-analysis:
Laptop users take more notes, but under-perform.
Students, resist temptation to write down everything we say!
Listen, think, capture the key essence
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
January 15, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
Great to see work from our team lead by the fantastic @fassiluisa.bsky.social being written up for a general audience by The Mental Elf! Worth a read if you are interested in the evidence base on social media and clinical anxiety/depression in young people ⬇️
Critical lack of evidence about social media use and youth mental health in clinical populations www.nationalelfservice.net?p=209615
#SocialMedia #YouthMentalHealth #Research
#SocialMedia #YouthMentalHealth #Research
Critical lack of evidence about social media use and youth mental health
Impact of social media use on internalising symptoms in adolescents from clinical and community samples.
www.nationalelfservice.net
January 15, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Great to see work from our team lead by the fantastic @fassiluisa.bsky.social being written up for a general audience by The Mental Elf! Worth a read if you are interested in the evidence base on social media and clinical anxiety/depression in young people ⬇️
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
Our new paper on why people love sad art
The key question: You probably wouldn’t enjoy it if someone started telling you about how she is addicted to drugs and her life is failing apart. So why do you love it when she creates a work of art about that very same thing?
osf.io/preprints/ps...
The key question: You probably wouldn’t enjoy it if someone started telling you about how she is addicted to drugs and her life is failing apart. So why do you love it when she creates a work of art about that very same thing?
osf.io/preprints/ps...
January 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Our new paper on why people love sad art
The key question: You probably wouldn’t enjoy it if someone started telling you about how she is addicted to drugs and her life is failing apart. So why do you love it when she creates a work of art about that very same thing?
osf.io/preprints/ps...
The key question: You probably wouldn’t enjoy it if someone started telling you about how she is addicted to drugs and her life is failing apart. So why do you love it when she creates a work of art about that very same thing?
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by Thom Marchbank
New Preprint! "Reproducibility and replicability of qualitative research: An integrative review of concepts, barriers and enablers" - osf.io/preprints/me...
A nice ouput from our TIER2 project, led by Nicki Lisa Cole :)
A nice ouput from our TIER2 project, led by Nicki Lisa Cole :)
January 7, 2025 at 10:42 AM
New Preprint! "Reproducibility and replicability of qualitative research: An integrative review of concepts, barriers and enablers" - osf.io/preprints/me...
A nice ouput from our TIER2 project, led by Nicki Lisa Cole :)
A nice ouput from our TIER2 project, led by Nicki Lisa Cole :)
Nosferatu is lovingly crafted horror that skilfully revives old tropes. The world of sepulchral, snow-dusted birch forests, candlelit prayers, and crumbling towers is at the same time a meticulous love letter to the 19th century and a homage to German Expressionist cinema.
youtu.be/nulvWqYUM8k?...
youtu.be/nulvWqYUM8k?...
NOSFERATU - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters December 25
YouTube video by Focus Features
youtu.be
January 3, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Nosferatu is lovingly crafted horror that skilfully revives old tropes. The world of sepulchral, snow-dusted birch forests, candlelit prayers, and crumbling towers is at the same time a meticulous love letter to the 19th century and a homage to German Expressionist cinema.
youtu.be/nulvWqYUM8k?...
youtu.be/nulvWqYUM8k?...
The balance has been restored right before Christmas 😃
Halfway through the one on the right, but keen to hear what @wiringthebrain.bsky.social has to say.
Halfway through the one on the right, but keen to hear what @wiringthebrain.bsky.social has to say.
December 23, 2024 at 3:57 AM
The balance has been restored right before Christmas 😃
Halfway through the one on the right, but keen to hear what @wiringthebrain.bsky.social has to say.
Halfway through the one on the right, but keen to hear what @wiringthebrain.bsky.social has to say.