Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
@pvanheus.bsky.social
#bioinformatics at @SANBI_SA, building bioinformatics workflows for (Pan-)African PH. health & justice! married. @[email protected]
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
I have been writing critically about twin studies of behavior for many years. Here is a brief overview article I published online last year.
www.madinamerica.com/2024/09/the-...
www.madinamerica.com/2024/09/the-...
November 22, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I have been writing critically about twin studies of behavior for many years. Here is a brief overview article I published online last year.
www.madinamerica.com/2024/09/the-...
www.madinamerica.com/2024/09/the-...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
#socialjustice #politicalcommunication
My latest (open access) article.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Analysis identified extent to which key frames were useful to build solidarity (logic of membership) and/or challenge the status quo in inner-city Johannesburg (logic of influence).
My latest (open access) article.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Analysis identified extent to which key frames were useful to build solidarity (logic of membership) and/or challenge the status quo in inner-city Johannesburg (logic of influence).
November 22, 2025 at 10:58 AM
#socialjustice #politicalcommunication
My latest (open access) article.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Analysis identified extent to which key frames were useful to build solidarity (logic of membership) and/or challenge the status quo in inner-city Johannesburg (logic of influence).
My latest (open access) article.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Analysis identified extent to which key frames were useful to build solidarity (logic of membership) and/or challenge the status quo in inner-city Johannesburg (logic of influence).
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
I wrote a little bit about the "missing heritability" question and several recent studies that have brought it to a close. A short 🧵
The missing heritability question is now (mostly) answered
Not with a bang but with a whimper
theinfinitesimal.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I wrote a little bit about the "missing heritability" question and several recent studies that have brought it to a close. A short 🧵
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in.
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
November 21, 2025 at 5:01 PM
About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in.
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
It’s good to explain that the CDC is lying and vaccines still unequivocally do not cause autism, even if it just reaches one person on here who has doubts. But the fight is out there, not in here; and the time to let go of the information deficit model of science communication was decades ago
November 20, 2025 at 5:40 AM
It’s good to explain that the CDC is lying and vaccines still unequivocally do not cause autism, even if it just reaches one person on here who has doubts. But the fight is out there, not in here; and the time to let go of the information deficit model of science communication was decades ago
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Can we please discuss accessibility at conferences?
When organizers and schedules assume that everyone can walk fast and climb stairs, people with mobility issues (visible or invisible) might feel excluded.
/
When organizers and schedules assume that everyone can walk fast and climb stairs, people with mobility issues (visible or invisible) might feel excluded.
/
November 20, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Can we please discuss accessibility at conferences?
When organizers and schedules assume that everyone can walk fast and climb stairs, people with mobility issues (visible or invisible) might feel excluded.
/
When organizers and schedules assume that everyone can walk fast and climb stairs, people with mobility issues (visible or invisible) might feel excluded.
/
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
How awful. This is outright health disinformation, lying to the American people. Not only is there massive evidence showing no link between vaccines & autism, there’s not even a plausible mechanism based on what we’ve learned about the genetics of autism, some environmental exposures in pregnancy
HEADS UP: CDC website now officially asserts that vaccines may cause autism.“Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities.” Also says the “vaccines do not cause autism” header remains b/c of an agreement with Cassidy.
November 20, 2025 at 3:18 AM
How awful. This is outright health disinformation, lying to the American people. Not only is there massive evidence showing no link between vaccines & autism, there’s not even a plausible mechanism based on what we’ve learned about the genetics of autism, some environmental exposures in pregnancy
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Weaponization of the premier public health agency in the country for personal clout and gain. The CDC website should not be trusted given the fact that it is controlled by people who will profit from spurious and false attempts to link vaccines to autism.
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
Autism and Vaccines
Answers to common questions about vaccine safety and autism.
www.cdc.gov
November 20, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Weaponization of the premier public health agency in the country for personal clout and gain. The CDC website should not be trusted given the fact that it is controlled by people who will profit from spurious and false attempts to link vaccines to autism.
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
For this week’s Whopper of the Week, we have a look at RFK Jr.’s appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and their ties to the anti-vaccine movement.
You can read it below.
You can read it below.
Whopper of the Week: Kennedy's “Unbiased” Vaccine Panel is actually packed with Anti-vaxxers | Defend Public Health
ACIP will meet in December and is considering some major changes to childhood vaccines. In June Secretary Kennedy fired the panel of experts and installed a group of vaccine cynics. To justify this ch...
www.defendpublichealth.org
November 19, 2025 at 8:22 PM
For this week’s Whopper of the Week, we have a look at RFK Jr.’s appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and their ties to the anti-vaccine movement.
You can read it below.
You can read it below.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
The HHS report on gender affirming care released it's updated report showing they stacked its authors with anti-trans hate-group affiliated members, several of whom aren't even doctors with any sort of clinical experience. They selected their own ideologically friendly peer reviewers.
It's a joke.
It's a joke.
November 19, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The HHS report on gender affirming care released it's updated report showing they stacked its authors with anti-trans hate-group affiliated members, several of whom aren't even doctors with any sort of clinical experience. They selected their own ideologically friendly peer reviewers.
It's a joke.
It's a joke.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Experimental mRNA flu vaccine is more effective than conventional flu shot, but causes more side effects
In a phase 3 trial, participants who received the shot were 29% less likely to be diagnosed with flu than those who received a conventional flu shot.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...
In a phase 3 trial, participants who received the shot were 29% less likely to be diagnosed with flu than those who received a conventional flu shot.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...
November 19, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Experimental mRNA flu vaccine is more effective than conventional flu shot, but causes more side effects
In a phase 3 trial, participants who received the shot were 29% less likely to be diagnosed with flu than those who received a conventional flu shot.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...
In a phase 3 trial, participants who received the shot were 29% less likely to be diagnosed with flu than those who received a conventional flu shot.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
This is not what the problem is. We have many excellent, talented, engaging science communicators.
Their reach is deliberately truncated by the social media companies, and billionaire-owned news outlets do not platform them.
Their reach is deliberately truncated by the social media companies, and billionaire-owned news outlets do not platform them.
Scientists are partly to blame by not learning to effectively communicate in lay language on modern communication channels. That information void is then ripe for disinformation to fill.
Embed lay comms & accessibility skills into academia.
Embed lay comms & accessibility skills into academia.
November 19, 2025 at 11:18 PM
This is not what the problem is. We have many excellent, talented, engaging science communicators.
Their reach is deliberately truncated by the social media companies, and billionaire-owned news outlets do not platform them.
Their reach is deliberately truncated by the social media companies, and billionaire-owned news outlets do not platform them.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
#AMR #Klebsiella cause >100,000 neonatal deaths globally each year.
Our new preprint shows more than half of #Klebsiella pneumoniae neonatal sepsis cases in African and South Asian are nosocomial, acquired through transmission in neonatal units. #WAAW
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Our new preprint shows more than half of #Klebsiella pneumoniae neonatal sepsis cases in African and South Asian are nosocomial, acquired through transmission in neonatal units. #WAAW
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
![figure showing estimated proportion of cases in clusters, for each site. range from 0.04 to 0.93, mean estimate in random effects model is 0.57 [0.46,0.68]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q5nky4heg5sfix4get4zh2pw/bafkreibshmuvkuafxwd2uk3r42ss6ma2dhmaidbysgvufnbkbv5cn4guai@jpeg)
November 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
#AMR #Klebsiella cause >100,000 neonatal deaths globally each year.
Our new preprint shows more than half of #Klebsiella pneumoniae neonatal sepsis cases in African and South Asian are nosocomial, acquired through transmission in neonatal units. #WAAW
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Our new preprint shows more than half of #Klebsiella pneumoniae neonatal sepsis cases in African and South Asian are nosocomial, acquired through transmission in neonatal units. #WAAW
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Bellingcat’s contact email has always been a magnet for people with fairly unusual views; paranoid delusions, sprawling conspiracies, the works. But recently, the pattern has shifted, we’re seeing more and more emails clearly written with ChatGPT.
November 19, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Bellingcat’s contact email has always been a magnet for people with fairly unusual views; paranoid delusions, sprawling conspiracies, the works. But recently, the pattern has shifted, we’re seeing more and more emails clearly written with ChatGPT.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
"Decision-based evidence-making" — that's how one former #CDC leader described the approach to scientific decision making under the HHS secretary in a meaty examination of Kennedy's unprecedented tenure by several @statnews.com colleagues. www.statnews.com/2025/11/18/r...
How RFK Jr., America's celebrity health secretary, is steamrolling science
RFK Jr. is plowing ahead with sweeping changes to U.S. health care that have thrilled supporters, purged opponents, and horrified critics.
www.statnews.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:47 PM
"Decision-based evidence-making" — that's how one former #CDC leader described the approach to scientific decision making under the HHS secretary in a meaty examination of Kennedy's unprecedented tenure by several @statnews.com colleagues. www.statnews.com/2025/11/18/r...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
"There are stupid fabricators and there are more competent ones.
Potentially, LLMs lower the bar and allow the stupid ones to do a better job"
~a chilling problem highlighted by Jack Wilkinson at the International Research Integrity Conference
Potentially, LLMs lower the bar and allow the stupid ones to do a better job"
~a chilling problem highlighted by Jack Wilkinson at the International Research Integrity Conference
November 17, 2025 at 11:38 PM
"There are stupid fabricators and there are more competent ones.
Potentially, LLMs lower the bar and allow the stupid ones to do a better job"
~a chilling problem highlighted by Jack Wilkinson at the International Research Integrity Conference
Potentially, LLMs lower the bar and allow the stupid ones to do a better job"
~a chilling problem highlighted by Jack Wilkinson at the International Research Integrity Conference
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
The utterly fucked thing about this is that if any of that happens it's because of basic life science research investments (currently being gutted), not because of large language models.
Dario Amodei can eat shit and then do whatever it is that Bluesky would ban me for saying
Dario Amodei can eat shit and then do whatever it is that Bluesky would ban me for saying
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei thinks AI could help find cures for most cancers, prevent Alzheimer’s, and even double the human lifespan. cbsn.ws/4oRZ8Nm
November 17, 2025 at 4:09 AM
The utterly fucked thing about this is that if any of that happens it's because of basic life science research investments (currently being gutted), not because of large language models.
Dario Amodei can eat shit and then do whatever it is that Bluesky would ban me for saying
Dario Amodei can eat shit and then do whatever it is that Bluesky would ban me for saying
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Want to look through Jeffrey Epstein’s documents yourself?
We published a searchable database of the entire set of new Epstein files and emails.
Despite Trump saying this is a scam, Trump is mentioned more than anyone else. Search for yourself here: journaliststudio.google.com/pinpoint/sea...
We published a searchable database of the entire set of new Epstein files and emails.
Despite Trump saying this is a scam, Trump is mentioned more than anyone else. Search for yourself here: journaliststudio.google.com/pinpoint/sea...
November 14, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Want to look through Jeffrey Epstein’s documents yourself?
We published a searchable database of the entire set of new Epstein files and emails.
Despite Trump saying this is a scam, Trump is mentioned more than anyone else. Search for yourself here: journaliststudio.google.com/pinpoint/sea...
We published a searchable database of the entire set of new Epstein files and emails.
Despite Trump saying this is a scam, Trump is mentioned more than anyone else. Search for yourself here: journaliststudio.google.com/pinpoint/sea...
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
November 15, 2025 at 9:48 PM
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Jeffrey Epstein Was a Warlord. We Have to Talk About It.
www.thenation.com
November 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
This is important context from Julie K. Brown.
With alt text.
With alt text.
November 15, 2025 at 3:18 PM
This is important context from Julie K. Brown.
With alt text.
With alt text.
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Microsoft, Google say their data centers create thousands of jobs. Their permit filings say otherwise
https://restofworld.org/2025/data-centers-jobs-microsoft-google-chile/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1763146621
https://restofworld.org/2025/data-centers-jobs-microsoft-google-chile/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1763146621
November 14, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Microsoft, Google say their data centers create thousands of jobs. Their permit filings say otherwise
https://restofworld.org/2025/data-centers-jobs-microsoft-google-chile/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1763146621
https://restofworld.org/2025/data-centers-jobs-microsoft-google-chile/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1763146621
Reposted by Peter van Heusden (he/him) 🗿
Attacks on Palestinians across the occupied West Bank have surged to record levels, with Israeli settlers and soldiers operating in near-total symbiosis.
In this special report by Oren Ziv, victims of shootings and beatings reveal their ordeals.
projects.972mag.com/portraits-se...
In this special report by Oren Ziv, victims of shootings and beatings reveal their ordeals.
projects.972mag.com/portraits-se...
The lives and bodies forever scarred by Israeli state-backed settler violence
Attacks on Palestinians across the West Bank have surged to record levels, with Israeli settlers and soldiers operating in near-total symbiosis. Victims of shootings, beatings, and stonings reveal the...
projects.972mag.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Attacks on Palestinians across the occupied West Bank have surged to record levels, with Israeli settlers and soldiers operating in near-total symbiosis.
In this special report by Oren Ziv, victims of shootings and beatings reveal their ordeals.
projects.972mag.com/portraits-se...
In this special report by Oren Ziv, victims of shootings and beatings reveal their ordeals.
projects.972mag.com/portraits-se...