John M. Drake
Professor of Ecology at the University of Georgia. Views are my own.
daphnia.ecology.uga.edu/drakelab/
- New paper out today 🧵 Flexible methods for species distribution modeling with small samples (Ecography, OA). nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
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- After experimenting for a few months, I've decided mostly to migrate over to Substack. I hope those who follow me here and previously followed me on Twitter will forgive the disruption and click below to follow me there.
- Trying something new: a Substack. It’s called Drake’s Dispatches. Occasional essays, columns, and notes on science, health, environment, and other stuff. First post is up: jdrakephd.substack.com
- Our new paper in #HealthSecurity argues that epidemic intelligence needs a #systems-of-systems framework—integrating #epidemiology, behavior, supply chains, policy, and ecology—rather than siloed models that talk past one another. Includes an #H5N1 case study. www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1177/...
- A challenge in epidemic forecasting is that ML models overfit while mechanistic models miss changing transmission conditions. Our new JR Soc Interface paper tests whether physics-informed neural networks—which embed an epidemiological ODE system inside a neural net—can address this.
- Excited to share that I’m joining @bigbiology.bsky.social this season as a recurring guest host. Marty Martin and I teamed up on my first episode with @jaapderoode.bsky.social, and it's just dropped. Hope you enjoy it. #diseaseecology
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- Biological modeling is organized inquiry, but how should we think about the process? My new paper in #EcologyLetters argues that we should model like experimentalists: define treatments, measure responses, validate, perturb, repeat. 👉 doi.org/10.1111/ele.... Do you agree?
- Why are flu vaccination rates stuck? We studied how “medical mindsets” (naturalist/technologist, minimalist/maximalist, doubter/believer) affect vaccine hesitancy. These attitudes matter and could help tailor communication to boost uptake. Read about it in #Vaccine 👉 doi.org/10.1016/j.va...
- What if we take a systems approach to thinking about transboundary animal diseases? Our framework, just out in #TrendsInParasitology, suggests common vulnerabilities and opportunities for intervention. #TADs authors.elsevier.com/a/1lshW5Eb1x...
- New essay out in #Science: why is the human fatality rate from the current #H5N1 outbreak so much lower than in past outbreaks? I explore three possible explanations—and what they mean for pandemic risk. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Newly expanded version of my guide to scientific writing -- known as the “15 steps” -- published in PLOS Computational Biology. Special thanks to Éric Marty for creating a fantastic visualization. Check it out: journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol... #ScientificWriting #PLOSComputationalBiology
- How do human-wildlife interfaces and seasonality interact during disease emergence? Our team has created a model, inspired by the #spillover of #Ebola, to better understand the interplay. Read more about our research: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
- Science philanthropy is alive and well. Schmidt Sciences has just announced eight new awards through its Schmidt Polymaths program. www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
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- Interesting work by Kris Parag and Sandor Beregi using model predictive control for timing NPIs. 👉 Read my Forbes piece: www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
- Universities everywhere are now grappling with policies on the use of AI in research and writing, raising fascinating broader questions about how AI might (or should) figure in scholarly work. What are your thoughts—beyond the usual tropes (“AI isn’t an author,” “the human is responsible,” etc.)?
- Full details of #H5N1 infection in a San Francisco child last year—with no known source—were just published in the MMWR. Case report → www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes... My take at forbes.com → www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
- Trying something new: a Substack. It’s called Drake’s Dispatches. Occasional essays, columns, and notes on science, health, environment, and other stuff. First post is up: jdrakephd.substack.com
- What stands out to me is not only the scale of the mobilization, but the silence it has met. When the top 0.1% of scientists, engineers, and physicians are compelled to act collectively, you would expect their message to command attention. www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
- We finally have a proper breakdown of the 70 human cases of H5N1 in the USA thanks to Melissa Rolfes and other CDC scientists. Great paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41... My thoughts here: www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
- An ambitious new report, commissioned by #TheLancet, seeks to reframe #OneHealth to be an even more encompassing framework. I spoke with co-chairs Andrea Winkler and John Amuasi about their process. The report: www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... My interview: www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
- A rare Salmonella strain has reemerged in the US, traced to pet bearded dragons. 27 cases, mostly infants. Same strain as 10 yrs ago. My take in Forbes on what this means for public health—and for the reptile trade. www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
- Given the tremendous diversity of microorganisms in the world, why do only a small fraction cause disease? My essay in #PLOSBiology argues that the answer is lack of opportunity and that humans encounter only one new bacterial pathogen for every 1.4b years lived. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
- I spoke with Kari Jordan and Erin Becker of The Carpentries about why they declined a $1.5M NSF grant intended to expand data science training. Their decision highlights the growing intersection of #science, #DEI, and federal policy. Read the full story on Forbes: www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
- New in #EcologyLetters: How does extinction time scale with habitat size? An experiment with #Daphnia found strong support for power law—not exponential—scaling. A rare test of a big theoretical question. Link: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #Ecology #Extinction #Scaling #Microcosms
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