Fantastic to welcome and hear from @systemsvirology.bsky.social in the @biology.ox.ac.uk, and hear about past and current research into SARS-CoV-2 and other sarbecoviruses. A source of so much insight into these viruses.

Pleased to have written this with my @independentsage.bsky.social friends @sheencr.bsky.social, @duncanrobertson.bsky.social, and @helensalisbury.bsky.social We must reverse the decline in MMR and other vaccines, urgently... bmj.com/cgi/content/...

This would be a good time for people in relevant age groups to check they are up to date with polio schedules. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

This one is a first; a made up quote attributed to me that I definitely didn't say, in a story on a SARS-CoV-2 variant:

Crikey. Meanwhile on Twitter we have meningococcus denialists and meningococcus antivaxxers? What a legacy.

This is really not a headline I expected to have to read in 2026. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Neat work, showing that the entire evolution of a variant of concern can happen in one persistently infected individual over about a year.

A tribute to William Foege, and a reminder of how much can be achieved in public health (eradication of smallpox) with top class science and political determination. news.emory.edu/features/202...

Pleased to see our research team's work on the @erc.europa.eu funded PALVIREVOL project feature on this ERC report into frontier research for one health @biology.ox.ac.uk. erc.europa.eu/sites/defaul...

Austria loses its WHO status as measles-free, too, together with Armenia, Azerbaijan Uzbekistan and Spain. This comes as no surprise, considering the rise in numbers in recent years and the decline in MMR vaccine coverage #VaccineHesitancy #PublicHealthImpact #AllChildrenNeedProtection

UK loses WHO status as measles-free after rise in deaths and fall in jab uptake www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

I suppose the current US administration's vaccine stance shouldn't be so surprising. Vaccines sit awkwardly with their worldview: they rely on collective action, trust in institutions, expertise, and shared responsibility. Accepting an individual inconvenience, for shared benefit.

Wanting to do some paleovirology of your own? We recently published HI-FEVER, enabling users to run their own fast searches for endogenous viral elements. Huge thanks to @humanceae.bsky.social, @emma-harding.bsky.social, José Gabriel and Cormac. @biology.ox.ac.uk academic.oup.com/bioinformati...

NEW article by me! We can now visualize pathogens down to atoms; design vaccines in weeks; manufacture them in microbial factories; engineer them more precise than ever before. We're living through a golden age of vaccine development, but only if we continue to invest in them.

Wanting to do some paleovirology of your own? We recently published HI-FEVER, enabling users to run their own fast searches for endogenous viral elements. Huge thanks to @humanceae.bsky.social, @emma-harding.bsky.social, José Gabriel and Cormac. @biology.ox.ac.uk academic.oup.com/bioinformati...

Good news, if a little overdue www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Sometimes, viruses don't have to be the bad guys... Sometimes we can use one to treat another! Chuffed to present excellent work from Dr Samantha Garcia-Cardenas showing how the innate immune system can be "rewired" by a benign Reovirus to eliminate SARS2 infection. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

🧵1/ Flu is surging again, & patterns look uncomfortably familiar. The lesson from covid remains unchanged: individual responsibility isn’t enough. We need systemic measures that make protective behaviours easy. @profstevegriffin.bsky.social Stephen Reicher & I offer some thoughts @bmj.com

Why are virologists thinking and talking about this year's strain of influenza? We are dealing with a version of H3N2 that is unusual compared to what we might expect year on year. At the same time, it is not as unusual as, say, a novel pandemic strain, far from it.

Why are virologists thinking and talking about this year's strain of influenza? We are dealing with a version of H3N2 that is unusual compared to what we might expect year on year. At the same time, it is not as unusual as, say, a novel pandemic strain, far from it.

So, to those who say "masks don't work", cite the flawed Cochrane report, insist upon an unfeasible RCT, accuse folks of panic, and undermine public health on social and mainstream media during a flu/RSV epidemic... 1. Seasonal viruses may be "normal", but they do immense harm.

Do we need a short thread on this year's flu strain.

Really unhelpful to see infectious disease 'experts' reviving the covid culture wars in the middle of a serious influenza wave. If you have flu, staying home if your employment allows, is a great idea. And if you must see others, wear a mask, its will help. Nobody is talking about mandates here.

Key takehome, a lot of us were highlighting: "If a lockdown had been imposed on 16 March, a week earlier than took place, modelling suggests this could have cut the number of deaths in England in the first wave of the virus by almost half, equating to 23,000 lives saved, the inquiry authors say."

1/ How does the COVID Inquiry's Module 2 report align with what we said in @independentsage.bsky.social at the time? A 🧵on Transparency, Early & Decisive Action, Scientific Advice, Integration of Social & Economic Harms, Communication and Behavioural Science, Governance, Data and Preparedness

With much regret, I have resigned my long standing membership of the Labour party. I refuse to be a member of a political party that incorporates far right talking points into its immigration policy.

I'm excited to introduce our new workflow for detecting endogenous viral elements - HI-FEVER. 🖥️🧬 academic.oup.com/bioinformati... 🧵 Big thanks to @ariskatzourakis.bsky.social, @humanceae.bsky.social, José Gabriel and Cormac for bringing this from conception to fruition!

👌

Fact for the day: paracetamol does not cause autism

Three jobs in our shiny new building:

Re-upping this....

Give me your post code, your body mass index and your smoking status and I’ll come close to that.

Uh.. www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

A life and mind building selfie....getting ready for the new @biology.ox.ac.uk era, exciting times ahead!

New paper alert 🎉 We explore the origins of deltaviruses and find they have infected and co-evolved with termites for 141 million years 🐜🕑🦴 This was a fascinating story to work on with @ariskatzourakis.bsky.social, Jose Gabriel and @anselmojiro.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Termites have fused a viral gene into their own genome, making them symbionts, not just pathogens. Researchers found 13 deltavirus-like sequences in the genomes of 5 termite species. These are called endogenous viral elements (EVEs), viral DNA that has been integrated into host genomes. 🧵(1/6)

Termite genomes shed light on the enigmatic deltaviruses, their ancient origins, and an intriguing example of co-option of viral genes by a host. www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Obituary for David Baltimore; huge influence in more aspects of virology than can possibly be listed in a post. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/s...

“The research highlights the potential of mRNA technology beyond vaccines," says @ariskatzourakis.bsky.social "The current trajectory in the US with mRNA vaccines will certainly and tragically slow down progress on both of these fronts”

This is incredible - early stage research suggests drugs based on mRNA vaccine technology could protect against just about any virus 🦠 🧪 Essentially, the mRNAs turn on innate defences ahead of infection, which can give the body a crucial edge www.newscientist.com/article/2492...

Really good points in here: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

In the arms race between viruses and their hosts, viruses have found a dependable ally..

Outbreaks and inequalities - researcher spotlight on @mghafari.bsky.social at @biology.ox.ac.uk www.biology.ox.ac.uk/article/prof...

What a team. Go lionesses ⚽⚽

Two PhD studentships available in real-time infectious disease modelling, jointly with LSHTM, Imperial and UKHSA. January 2026 start + 3.5 years of funding: www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/fees-a...

Uh, no it doesn't - you do. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Nooo Ozzy. And we has gigging just a couple of weeks ago. Always with us.

Yeah, I think somehow saying would you mind terribly if you resign because you are embarrassing us, isn't going to have the desired effect www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

🧵1/ Big changes are coming for the occupational group now termed physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) in England. Our new @bmj.com piece (@trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social & me) unpacks the implications of the Leng Review, commissioned by @wesstreeting. Here are our thoughts. 👇

OUR NEW PAPER: Comment on the Leng Review on physician associates. #healthpolicy @bmj.com www.bmj.com/content/390/...