You could always carry round some black and white 6x4 copies, for precisely this eventuality ... and when you whip them out, it also solves the issue of wondering how you're perceived by them!

Pleased to be spending all day at a eurospa.eu collaboration meeting. Sometimes we meet face-to-face in Copenhagen. And sometimes online. The view is never as good for the latter!

Did no-one think of this?

Never knew that.

This year marks 20 years of the Epi Group at the University of Aberdeen! 🎉 Over the next year, we'll share stories from our journey including the studies, people and partnerships that have driven our impact 🤝 Here's to many more successful years to come! 🔬✨ #EpiGroup20 #Epidemiology #Aberdeen

Transport for London, evening light.

Currently in Marylebone Station. Have only just realised that the four stations in Monopoly correspond roughly to where they are (N, E, S, W) in London. Makes navigating using the rest of the board a nightmare.

Come and work with us. At @uoaepi.bsky.social we run the UK Antimicrobial Registry (www.abdn.ac.uk/ukar). We're looking for an analyst to work on the study - someone with a degree in maths, stats, or a closely related discipline. www.abdnjobs.co.uk/vacancy/rese... < Please feel free to re-post >

Right listen here Microsoft, if you're going to insist on correcting grammar, the least you could do is get it right.

The worst feature of Microsoft Teams is not being allowed to arrange Teams into sensible groups. And being, therefore, at the mercy of others' relentless pursuit of creating a new Team every time someone walks past their office, with a Team name and file structure courtesy of a squirrel on espresso.

Calling all healthcare professionals who see people with #AxialSpondyloarthritis! Please spare 2-3 minutes to complete this short survey to help us understand current practices when requesting MRIs for axSpA patients: forms.cloud.microsoft/e/CQWu6e2LVy Please share with colleagues!

Nice little ego boost from Strava. I'll be so disappointed if I subsequently find out that only seven people have ever done it!

Are you a healthcare professional who sees people with #AxialSpondyloarthritis? We're keen to determine current practices when requesting MRI for these patients. Please complete this short (2-3mins) survey: forms.cloud.microsoft/e/CQWu6e2LVy (And please forward to others.) Many thanks.

🎉 BOOKING OPEN 🎉 Aberdeen Short Course in Epidemiology 2026 Our 3-week intensive online course (March 2026) - from beginner to MPH-level understanding - is perfect for clinicians, researchers & healthcare professionals. Places limited - book early! Find out more: www.abdn.ac.uk/epi-short-co...

Maybe they look that way because they're scared witless that when they go to school they're going to be shot.

Students who arrive late (2-3wks into the course) do less well than students who are present from week 1.

OLD: @uoaepi.bsky.social Intensive Course in Applied Epidemiology. Gain skills and knowledge in epidemiological study design, research methods, analysis, bias, confounding. NEW: Revamped, refreshed, and moving online for 2026. NEWS: Booking opens Monday 01-Sept-2025. abdn.ac.uk/epi-short-co...

George Osborne looks like a toddler struggling to hold in a wee.

Listening to self-chosen music was effective in music-induced analgesia. Whereas, researcher-chosen music is most effective in enhancing parasympathetic activity. doi.org/10.1002/ejp.... Online supplementary data includes a list of researcher-chosen music ... shame they didn't provide it as an MP3.

Results from a systematic review: "There were consistent findings that fitness for work interventions were no more effective than control interventions." Conclusion: "These results suggest that fitness for work interventions may be somewhat effective in facilitating return to work." Helpful!

Reviewing proofs of a manuscript. Author Query 4: Journal style does not permit complete sentences in the article title. Please revise so that it does not make a complete statement. Oh right, so you want me to make it LESS easy to understand? Got it. That makes sense. Sorry, how silly of me.

Let's be more like Paris.

One of the disadvantages of going on holiday earlier in the summer is that, thereafter, there's someone in every meeting saying: "today's my last day for 3wks".

What do we do in @uoaepi.bsky.social? As part of a collection of written histories collected alongside the Oral Histories Project of Medical Care in Northeast Scotland, we've written: A History of the Epidemiology Group in Aberdeen, 2005-2025. med-chi.co.uk/heritage/arc... @aberdeenepi.bsky.social

And don't send the agenda/documents separately. Append them to the meeting invite.

It's ironic that most of the organisations that send e-mails saying: "How was your experience with ...? Click here to tell us what you think" would actually probably prefer me not to.

The @britspa.bsky.social Executive Committee is looking for a rheumatology resident to join the committee. Someone with expertise/enthusiasm in curating web and social media presence would be particularly welcome.

Annoyed I couldn't get the paper I wanted. (Paywall.) But pleased to see that @elsevierconnect.bsky.social have a background of Jon Snow's cholera map, from the 1850s. #Epidemiology

Good news Friday. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articl...

The Intensive Course in Applied Epidemiology that's been running in Aberdeen for nearly 20yrs is getting a rebrand and a refresh. Launching in March 2026, welcome to the 'Aberdeen Short Course in Epidemiology'. Registration available from 01-Sep-2025. For details, see: tinyurl.com/AberdeenEpiC...

I'd separate that. (a) One cool thing about Scandinavian countries with comprehensive public health insurance is places like Denmark can do a study to evaluate COVID vaccine safety. This is a good thing, irrespective of the results. However, as it happens: (b) The study showed that they're safe.

OK, so the information about Pneumonic Plague Death is probably more important ... But it really bothers me that that M is clearly just an upside down W.

Working on a paper. Have just written the phrase: "the deleterious effect was somewhat attenuated". In the plain English summary that'll become: "for some people it wisnae as bad". #AcademicWriting

The memory of a fantastic two-week, two-destination family holiday is being slightly tarnished by the repeated e-mails to give feedback to every travel, hotel and car hire company that we had any contact with. The only people who haven't yet asked for feedback is my family.

Are you a rheumatologist or AHP who routinely sees or assess PsA patients? Please consider filling in the EXPLORE-PsA survey (5-10mins). Further info (and a link to the survey) is available from: app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/oxford/exp...

Garry Ringrose deserves huge respect for this. Apparently fit, but voluntarily withdrawing from the biggest game in his career, saying he was suffering a recurrence of concussion symptoms. There's a lesson there for players at all levels. Lead by example. Bravo. www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/...

Last day of the holiday. I knew I shouldn't have looked at the weather at home.

Cassisi argues that it's time to revise the diagnostic criteria for #fibromyalgia. In this, I'd urge you to include epidemiologists and other methodologists to ensure that any new criteria are not only fit for purpose clinically, but also easy to operationalise for research. doi.org/10.55563/cli...

It's a start I suppose, but what about those people who have a disability but don't have an elderly person? #OxfordComma

In the news: Jeff Bezos is marrying Steve Tyler! Oh yeah, and something about inflatable crocodiles. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

It might have been 32°C in London today. But in Royal Deeside, it was in the low to mid 20s. Perfect for a long cycle: 57 miles, 2,634 ft ascent, and a shade over 3hrs 47mins. Being the solstice, sunset tonight is after 10pm. ... I could go round again but the legs won't let me!

Medical research is special because it's too often led by high-status novices that don't know they are novices. The worst of these are also arrogant and insecure. Literally everyone else involved in the research has to work around these people. Good morning! 😀 (ICYMI)

Using automatic transcription in #Microsoft #Teams seemed such a good idea to produce minutes of meetings. But the transcript had Trial Steering Committee down as 'Child Stealing Committee' ... and now the project's gone in a very strange direction.

Changing trains in Montrose. Not a bad place to wait when you have this view.

June 15th is very soon. Have you submitted your abstract(s)?

Great-looking course in prognosis research in healthcare, from University of Keele. Covers key principles of study design and methods, interpretation of statistical results about prognosis, the use of prognosis research evidence tinyurl.com/Keele2025

🌐 Great to attend #BSAC2025 at ICC Birmingham! The UK #Antimicrobial Registry #UKAR team was out in force—Gary Macfarlane, Gareth Jones, Rebecca Parr & Jisha Babu joined discussions on antimicrobial resistance, stewardship, and innovation. @aberdeenepi.bsky.social @bsacandjac.bsky.social

A strong start from Jin et al., for the June edition of Scientific Buzzword Bingo. DOI: 10.1186/s13148-025-01875-3

Are they going paintballing? www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...

Challenge to @uoaepi.bsky.social. (OK, these aren't research studies, but) we seriously need to up our game on the study logo front. These are genius.