Asher Leeks
@asherleeks.bsky.social
We study social evolution in viruses.
Assistant Professor @zoology.ubc.ca & @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social
asherleeks.com
Assistant Professor @zoology.ubc.ca & @ubcbiodiversity.bsky.social
asherleeks.com
Pinned
Asher Leeks
@asherleeks.bsky.social
· Oct 7
The social lives of viruses | Asher Leeks | TEDxNewEngland
YouTube video by TEDx Talks
www.youtube.com
I gave a talk last year at TEDxNewEngland aimed at introducing the idea of viral sociality to a general audience, including implications for evolution & virology. Video now available online below.
#socialviruses #evosky #virosky 🧪
#socialviruses #evosky #virosky 🧪
Reposted by Asher Leeks
🏔️ EMPSEB31 is heading to the mountains!
This year we’ll meet in Oberwiesenthal, Germany (8–12 June 2026), a quiet mountain town in the Ore Mountains, right on the Czech border. Think forest trails, open skies, and fresh air.
Join us for a week of science and fun!🌿
#EMPSEB31 #EvoBio #PhD
This year we’ll meet in Oberwiesenthal, Germany (8–12 June 2026), a quiet mountain town in the Ore Mountains, right on the Czech border. Think forest trails, open skies, and fresh air.
Join us for a week of science and fun!🌿
#EMPSEB31 #EvoBio #PhD
November 14, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Applications are currently being accepted for UBC's ✨️ Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship ✨️ (two positions!!), due Jan. 15
Please share far and wide 🚀
(See thread)
Please share far and wide 🚀
(See thread)
Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunities
Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2-year (2026-2028) - 2 positions OPENAt UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in resea...
biodiversity.ubc.ca
November 3, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Applications are currently being accepted for UBC's ✨️ Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship ✨️ (two positions!!), due Jan. 15
Please share far and wide 🚀
(See thread)
Please share far and wide 🚀
(See thread)
@rowancallumg.bsky.social and @liyamiksovsky.bsky.social demonstrating our newest lab tradition - creating virus snowflakes (designed by @socialinfluenza.bsky.social ) out of submitted grants and fellowships.
🧪 #socialviruses
🧪 #socialviruses
October 31, 2025 at 9:51 PM
@rowancallumg.bsky.social and @liyamiksovsky.bsky.social demonstrating our newest lab tradition - creating virus snowflakes (designed by @socialinfluenza.bsky.social ) out of submitted grants and fellowships.
🧪 #socialviruses
🧪 #socialviruses
Reposted by Asher Leeks
The Hopkins Lab (hopkins-lab.com) at the University of Florida is looking to recruit a postdoc to work on the genetics of organ function and evolution across Drosophila and beyond. Please visit tinyurl.com/vcsjpmzz or email me for more info. And please RT or send to anyone who might be interested!
October 15, 2025 at 8:42 PM
The Hopkins Lab (hopkins-lab.com) at the University of Florida is looking to recruit a postdoc to work on the genetics of organ function and evolution across Drosophila and beyond. Please visit tinyurl.com/vcsjpmzz or email me for more info. And please RT or send to anyone who might be interested!
Reposted by Asher Leeks
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
October 8, 2025 at 11:29 PM
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
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Very happy to share that I will be starting as an Assistant Professor in the department of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina in January! My group will be working on environmental phage ecology and evolution, and I am recruiting for the upcoming year (more info below).
October 8, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Very happy to share that I will be starting as an Assistant Professor in the department of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina in January! My group will be working on environmental phage ecology and evolution, and I am recruiting for the upcoming year (more info below).
I gave a talk last year at TEDxNewEngland aimed at introducing the idea of viral sociality to a general audience, including implications for evolution & virology. Video now available online below.
#socialviruses #evosky #virosky 🧪
#socialviruses #evosky #virosky 🧪
The social lives of viruses | Asher Leeks | TEDxNewEngland
YouTube video by TEDx Talks
www.youtube.com
October 7, 2025 at 10:38 PM
I gave a talk last year at TEDxNewEngland aimed at introducing the idea of viral sociality to a general audience, including implications for evolution & virology. Video now available online below.
#socialviruses #evosky #virosky 🧪
#socialviruses #evosky #virosky 🧪
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Population Biology Modeling & Theory (PBMT) is a peer-reviewed journal reporting advances in modeling and theory within population biology. Its scope spans demography, ecology, epidemiology, evolutionary biology, population genetics, and phylogenetics. PBMT will be online soon.
September 30, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Population Biology Modeling & Theory (PBMT) is a peer-reviewed journal reporting advances in modeling and theory within population biology. Its scope spans demography, ecology, epidemiology, evolutionary biology, population genetics, and phylogenetics. PBMT will be online soon.
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Job alert ‼️ UChicago Micro is hiring! Open to tenured/tenure track faculty at all levels in any area of microbiology. Come join our amazing and growing department. apply.interfolio.com/174404
October 4, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Job alert ‼️ UChicago Micro is hiring! Open to tenured/tenure track faculty at all levels in any area of microbiology. Come join our amazing and growing department. apply.interfolio.com/174404
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Thrilled to share our paper that just came out in PNAS!
We asked a deceptively simple question: What happens when S. aureus adapts to vancomycin, a critical first-line antibiotic?
1/5
We asked a deceptively simple question: What happens when S. aureus adapts to vancomycin, a critical first-line antibiotic?
1/5
September 27, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Thrilled to share our paper that just came out in PNAS!
We asked a deceptively simple question: What happens when S. aureus adapts to vancomycin, a critical first-line antibiotic?
1/5
We asked a deceptively simple question: What happens when S. aureus adapts to vancomycin, a critical first-line antibiotic?
1/5
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Interested in #virulence? Not sure what it is - or how to explain it? Just curious? 🧐🦠🧬🦋
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
Ecology and evolution of virulence
Silva and King discuss the concept of virulence and the ecological and evolutionary
factors that shape it.
www.cell.com
September 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Interested in #virulence? Not sure what it is - or how to explain it? Just curious? 🧐🦠🧬🦋
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
@kayla-king.bsky.social and I just wrote a Primer for @currentbiology.bsky.social on the ecology and evolution of virulence!
Check it below and share :)
#MicroSky #EvoSky #pathogens
Reposted by Asher Leeks
In as much as a third of flu infections, parasitic "cheating" viruses 🦠 come to outnumber normal viruses - which helps limit the severity of infections 🧪
That's what @asherleeks.bsky.social and co have found by analysing sequencing data
www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
That's what @asherleeks.bsky.social and co have found by analysing sequencing data
www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
Some viruses like to cheat – and that may be good for our health
Mutations can result in viruses that infect cells, but can't copy themselves without help from other viruses - now it seems these cheats may outnumber normal viruses in a third of influenza cases, red...
www.newscientist.com
September 22, 2025 at 11:53 AM
In as much as a third of flu infections, parasitic "cheating" viruses 🦠 come to outnumber normal viruses - which helps limit the severity of infections 🧪
That's what @asherleeks.bsky.social and co have found by analysing sequencing data
www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
That's what @asherleeks.bsky.social and co have found by analysing sequencing data
www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
Reposted by Asher Leeks
The constant barrage of terrible news on bluesky has made me feel weird about promoting papers, but people in the lab have been doing so much amazing work over the past few months that I want to share a few brief teasers/links:
September 10, 2025 at 4:46 PM
The constant barrage of terrible news on bluesky has made me feel weird about promoting papers, but people in the lab have been doing so much amazing work over the past few months that I want to share a few brief teasers/links:
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Center for Living Systems -- seeking strong post docs at the interface of physics and biology. Consider applying by Oct. 13! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
September 4, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Center for Living Systems -- seeking strong post docs at the interface of physics and biology. Consider applying by Oct. 13! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by Asher Leeks
I'm super excited to have joined @ubcmath.bsky.social
and @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social !! Please get in touch if you might be interested in graduate studies or postdoctoral research opportunities!
and @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social !! Please get in touch if you might be interested in graduate studies or postdoctoral research opportunities!
Help us give a warm welcome to Dr. Chadi Saad-Roy, who is joining UBC Mathematics this fall as an Assistant Professor, jointly appointed in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology (@ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social).
Full details tinyurl.com/4zwdmr8b
Full details tinyurl.com/4zwdmr8b
September 2, 2025 at 3:29 AM
I'm super excited to have joined @ubcmath.bsky.social
and @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social !! Please get in touch if you might be interested in graduate studies or postdoctoral research opportunities!
and @ubcmicroimmuno.bsky.social !! Please get in touch if you might be interested in graduate studies or postdoctoral research opportunities!
Reposted by Asher Leeks
🎙️ JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: @ciddpsu.bsky.social Ctr for Infectious Disease Dynamics at PSU is searching for a Full or Associate Professor in Infectious Disease Modeling. This is a unique, cross-university search for someone to become a leader in our community!
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Ac...
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Ac...
Full or Associate Professor in Infectious Disease Modeling
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
August 27, 2025 at 4:25 PM
🎙️ JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: @ciddpsu.bsky.social Ctr for Infectious Disease Dynamics at PSU is searching for a Full or Associate Professor in Infectious Disease Modeling. This is a unique, cross-university search for someone to become a leader in our community!
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Ac...
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Ac...
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Our EEB department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is hiring an assistant professor in evo-devo. See go.illinois.edu/EEBAsstProf for details. Please share!
August 26, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Our EEB department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is hiring an assistant professor in evo-devo. See go.illinois.edu/EEBAsstProf for details. Please share!
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Come join us in the @biology.ox.ac.uk at @ox.ac.uk! New Associate Professor position in Animal Behaviour, with Merton College:
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Job Details
my.corehr.com
August 26, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Come join us in the @biology.ox.ac.uk at @ox.ac.uk! New Associate Professor position in Animal Behaviour, with Merton College:
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Coming December 16!
August 26, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Coming December 16!
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Hey Bsky, I’m Luís, a 🇵🇹 disease ecologist in Vancouver 🇨🇦
I study the drama between hosts 🪱🦟 and parasites 🦠 - who wins, who loses, and which cards get played - and why it matters for evolution & health.
Always up for collabs, chats & making science fairer ✨
Say hi 👉 luis-m-silva.com
#AcademicSky
I study the drama between hosts 🪱🦟 and parasites 🦠 - who wins, who loses, and which cards get played - and why it matters for evolution & health.
Always up for collabs, chats & making science fairer ✨
Say hi 👉 luis-m-silva.com
#AcademicSky
August 25, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Hey Bsky, I’m Luís, a 🇵🇹 disease ecologist in Vancouver 🇨🇦
I study the drama between hosts 🪱🦟 and parasites 🦠 - who wins, who loses, and which cards get played - and why it matters for evolution & health.
Always up for collabs, chats & making science fairer ✨
Say hi 👉 luis-m-silva.com
#AcademicSky
I study the drama between hosts 🪱🦟 and parasites 🦠 - who wins, who loses, and which cards get played - and why it matters for evolution & health.
Always up for collabs, chats & making science fairer ✨
Say hi 👉 luis-m-silva.com
#AcademicSky
Reposted by Asher Leeks
I'll be presenting poster 327 at #ESEB2025 today - come have a look if you're interested in the evolution of sex and haploid-diploid life cycles!
August 21, 2025 at 2:32 PM
I'll be presenting poster 327 at #ESEB2025 today - come have a look if you're interested in the evolution of sex and haploid-diploid life cycles!
Reposted by Asher Leeks
@rowancallumg.bsky.social @knightjar.bsky.social @rokkrasovec.bsky.social et al. study the antimutator ΔnudJ to highlight the value of considering mutation rate and mutational spectrum to understand the evolution of mutation rate-modifying alleles.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf182
#evobio #molbio
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf182
#evobio #molbio
Antimutator and Mutational Spectrum Effects Can Combine to Reduce Evolutionary Potential in Escherichia coli ΔnudJ
Abstract. The rate of spontaneous mutation is a key factor in determining the capacity of a population to adapt to a novel environment, for example, a bact
doi.org
August 20, 2025 at 5:02 PM
@rowancallumg.bsky.social @knightjar.bsky.social @rokkrasovec.bsky.social et al. study the antimutator ΔnudJ to highlight the value of considering mutation rate and mutational spectrum to understand the evolution of mutation rate-modifying alleles.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf182
#evobio #molbio
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf182
#evobio #molbio
Reposted by Asher Leeks
I'm very excited (and a bit nervous) to talk all about the work I did on Zonotrichia sparrows with @darrenirwin.bsky.social at UBC tomorrow morning at 10:30 am in the JEB Stearns Prize Symposium at #ESEB2025!
August 20, 2025 at 2:14 PM
I'm very excited (and a bit nervous) to talk all about the work I did on Zonotrichia sparrows with @darrenirwin.bsky.social at UBC tomorrow morning at 10:30 am in the JEB Stearns Prize Symposium at #ESEB2025!
Reposted by Asher Leeks
Super interesting session on post-phylogenomics this morning at #eseb2025
I have a poster on the new version of Orthofinder - there will be a suggestion box 🎁
P03.076 on Thursday
I have a poster on the new version of Orthofinder - there will be a suggestion box 🎁
P03.076 on Thursday
August 18, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Super interesting session on post-phylogenomics this morning at #eseb2025
I have a poster on the new version of Orthofinder - there will be a suggestion box 🎁
P03.076 on Thursday
I have a poster on the new version of Orthofinder - there will be a suggestion box 🎁
P03.076 on Thursday