Vaughn Cooper
@vscooper.micropopbio.org
7.6K followers 1.5K following 1.4K posts
Evangelist for the study of evolution in action by everyone. Pitt Prof | EvolvingSTEM | biofilms | EvMed | genomics entrepreneur (@SeqCoast.bsky.social, @midauthorbio.bsky.social) | ASM President-Elect | exercise addict ~ swim bike run
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vscooper.micropopbio.org
I'm incredibly honored by this opportunity to serve as President-Elect of @asm.org starting this summer. Looking forward to working with the Board, ASM leadership ,and staff to help advance the microbial sciences. I'm also glad to share my Vision statement, please join us!
asm.org/Press-Releas...
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
rebeccasear.bsky.social
“the manosphere generates its own untested and speculative evolutionary hypotheses, or “just-so stories”, about men, women, and society…

..we reflect on implications for evolutionary scholars and for the field as a whole, in terms of ethics and public image”

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
A Hundred and Two Just-So Stories: Exploring the Lay Evolutionary Hypotheses of the Manosphere | Evolutionary Human Sciences | Cambridge Core
A Hundred and Two Just-So Stories: Exploring the Lay Evolutionary Hypotheses of the Manosphere
www.cambridge.org
vscooper.micropopbio.org
Great article that shows progress at the elite level. The challenge remains to get this knowledge in the hands of amateur coaches and athletes. I think Lauren Fleshman’s book ought to be mandatory reading!
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
bachynski.bsky.social
“There’s the historic lack of scientific research into, and education around, menstrual health and its influence on sporting success; bygone or unrealistic ideals of elite sporting physiques; a dearth of education among coaches and athletes; and the historic taboo of discussing sexual health openly”
In women’s sports, athletes losing their periods was long considered normal. Not anymore
A byproduct of wider issues, periods continue to be missed, ignored or misunderstood in elite sports
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
frogandtoadbot.bsky.social
The shadow of a hawk fell over them.

Frog and Toad jumped under a rock.

The hawk flew away.

“We are not afraid!” screamed Frog and Toad at the same time.
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
angierasmussen.bsky.social
For more information about the Friday night massacre at CDC, I wrote up an analysis of who got terminated and what that means for public health.

Grateful to @saveamericamvmt.bsky.social for supporting and amplifying. We are in really terrible trouble.

rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/the-death-...
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
gbaucom.bsky.social
I'm the incoming SSE president and am behind this idea -- if you're interested in putting together an app and have questions, pls reach out!
sse-evolution.bsky.social
Now accepting proposals for new Research Synthesis Working Groups! Each funded group will present a symposium at the Evolution meeting, collaborate on a publication, and establish a lasting research network. Submit your proposal by January 6: www.evolutionsociety.org/content/soci...
Text: Society for the Study of Evolution Call for Proposals: Research Synthesis Working Groups. Deadline: January 6.
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
frogandtoadbot.bsky.social
He banged his head against the wall, but he still could not think of a story.
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
hormiga.bsky.social
Y'all. I just got ChatGPT to do everything in R for this manuscript. I mean EVERYTHING. And it's all legit and reproducible. I'm shook.

How are we mentoring our trainees in statistics now? Who needs to learn coding in R line by line, and who doesn't?

scienceforeveryone.science/statistics-i...
Statistics in the era of AI
How do we mentor, teach, and do stats when AI can do so much of the work?
scienceforeveryone.science
vscooper.micropopbio.org
That was a brutal season ender
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
carlzimmer.com
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
nyti.ms
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
arnausebe.bsky.social
A thoughtful and beautifully written @quantamagazine.bsky.social article about genome regulatory innovation at the origin of animals. Featuring some of our work and highlighting key open questions. Thanks to @philipcball.bsky.social for this fantastic piece.
philipcball.bsky.social
I adored writing this piece. It brings together several of the things preoccupying me right now, like chromatin organization and gene regulation. There's so much more to be said on that. Also, these marine critters look gorgeous.
www.quantamagazine.org/loops-of-dna...
Loops of DNA Equipped Ancient Life To Become Complex | Quanta Magazine
New work shows that physical folding of the genome to control genes located far away may have been an early evolutionary development.
www.quantamagazine.org
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
asm.org
ASM @asm.org · 3d
Dr. Jacinda Abdul-Mutakabbir (JAM), an antimicrobial researcher and assistant professor at the University of California, provides insights on communicating complex scientific topics as a community educator. youtu.be/giyAR9XIEO0
Change Clothes and Go: Viral Mutations and the Remix of Infection
YouTube video by American Society for Microbiology
youtu.be
vscooper.micropopbio.org
So deserving, congratulations Jason!
vscooper.micropopbio.org
this is lovely, thanks for sharing!
vscooper.micropopbio.org
for example:
-the NSF budget
-scientific peer review of grants
-independence of scientific advisory committees
-the value of foreign collaborations
-benefits of inclusion of all groups in science

i know the list is longer but the silence is awful
vscooper.micropopbio.org
Reposting, submit soon!
vscooper.micropopbio.org
🚨 Microbiologists! We are recruiting Assistant / Associate Professors in 3 collaborative areas of our U. Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
1) MMG (my dept): fundamental research in med micro
2) Peds ID / I4Kids institute
3) Center for Vaccine Research
🔗 to all 3 w/info: www.linkedin.com/posts/vaughn...
Faculty Professor Associate - Full-Time | Vaughn Cooper
We are recruiting Faculty microbiologists in three (3) different, complementary, and collaborative areas at the University of Pittsburgh associated with the School of Medicine. 1) Fundamental researc...
www.linkedin.com
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
vscooper.micropopbio.org
thanks for your service!
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
alanmcn1.bsky.social
After being with the journal since its very inception, the time has come for me to step back from Microbial Genomics. This is a wonderful opportunity to have a leadership role in one of the leading journals for microbial genomics research

microbiologysociety.org/news/society...
<i>Microbial Genomics </i> Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Call for Expressions of interest
microbiologysociety.org
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
tomlevenson.bsky.social
Two things of note in today's announcement of the 2025 Nobel physics prize (besides the work being honored).

1: The US institutional dominance of the prize continues.
2: 2 of the three laureates are immigrants, drawn here decades ago by the then-unmatched opportunities for science here...

1/
Nobel Prize in Physics Is Awarded for Work in Quantum Mechanics
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Vaughn Cooper
devoevomed.bsky.social
#MammothMonday factoids: A comparison of 23 woolly mammoths (how cool is it to have that many mammoth genomes!) and 28 living elephants identified at least 1.2 million mammoth-specific genetic changes, including 4,786 amino acid substitutions in 3,097 genes 1/n 🧪 🐘 🦣

PMID: 37030294