Andrew Roger

Protein Domain Designer tool for the generation of publication-ready protein domain diagrams

New week, new tool: Find our Protein Domain Designer tool to generate publication-ready protein domain diagrams here: domaindesigner.farnunglab.com

I am extremely happy to see that our review on fossil tip-dating is out in early view in Systematic Biology! A huge thanks to all the authors of this massive project (@heckeberg.bsky.social, @basantakhakurel.bsky.social, Gustavo Darlim, and @hoehna.bsky.social)! academic.oup.com/sysbio/advan...

Maybe we need to write a letter to the Globe & Mail signed by academics and researchers Canada-wide pointing out that long-term investment in Canada's future depends on investing in research and intellectual infrastructure....the alternative is further slide into Trumpland

Massive investment in science in the upcoming Canadian budget would send a strong message that rationality and reason should lead the world, not charlatanism. People will return to science-based policies and health measures, and countries that have not given up will have a strong economic lead!

This is really interesting work!!

Sounds familiar. Is this the same playbook used by the Dal BoG in the current labour dispute with @dalfaculty.bsky.social Dalhousie faculty members? What's the role of the NS govt? @keepdalstrong.bsky.social

I've written a short follow up to this post, addressing the possibility that Dalhousie is, in fact, hiding money from operations in the capital budget. I hope someone shows me I'm wrong.

A very interesting post discussing: "Is Dalhousie diverting investment income to capital spending?" @dalhousieu.bsky.social @dalfaculty.bsky.social
mchugh-russell.ca/2025/09/15/i...

From the Dalhousie community on Reddit Explore this post and more from the Dalhousie community

Here is a detailed and truthful account of what is going on with the Dalhousie labour dispute. @dalhousieu.bsky.social @dalfaculty.bsky.social #keepdalstrong www.reddit.com/r/Dalhousie/...

"Here we are, with a legally-trained President once again electing to violate the duty to bargain in good faith as a tactic". Every member of the @dalfaculty.bsky.social wants to work. Stop this nonsense @dalhousie.bsky.social & bargain in good faith! #KeepDalStrong www.reddit.com/r/Dalhousie/...

I teach phylogenetics in my BIOC 4010/5010 "Bioinformatics" course to students in the basic biomedical sciences. For those who wonder about the relevance of these 'evolutionary' techniques to medical research, this excellent seminar showcases their application in public health settings.

I’m hopeful this will finally be resolved, but am increasingly frustrated by the lose-lose position faculty are in.

In addition to the institutional damage, which impacts us all, every week delay means we’ll have to work twice as hard to cover the required material in fall term.

#KeepDalStrong

With several grant deadlines coming up in the next few days, @dalfaculty.bsky.social researchers remain locked out by @dalhousieu.bsky.social and won’t be able to submit. #keepdalstrong

Another day of #DalLockout2025 means another day of research lost. @dalfaculty.bsky.social members want to get back to work asap. @noreenkamal.bsky.social shares the impacts of the lockout on her research program and long term consequences that @dalhousieu.bsky.social faces #keepdalstrong

Global segment focusing on the impact of the @dalhousieu.bsky.social lockout on nursing. #keepdalstrong

It’s disappointing that some of these so called leaders are in the health care industry. Yet their failure to negotiate & faculty lockout has crippled our ability to advance biomedical research & educating health care professionals. They are causing lasting damage to @dalhousie.bsky.social

MIG Seminar: Prof. Rob Lanfear, Australian National University Title: Models and Truth in Phylogenomics Abstract: How do you estimate a good phylogeny? Phylogenetic trees form the backbone of much of ou...

📢 MIG Seminar: Models and Truth in Phylogenomics

🗓️ Fri, Sep 19 | ⏰ 12 - 1 pm AEST
📍 Ian Potter Auditorium (G52), Kenneth Myer Building (144)
🎙️ Prof. Rob Lanfear (ANU)
💻 Zoom available

#Phylogenetics #Evolution #Bioinformatics #MIGseminar

Dalhousie leadership has made it clear that they want more precarious employment, even though it will make it very difficult to recruit and retain the outstanding highly-motivated teachers and researchers that do the heavy lifting of our academic mission.
#KeepDalStrong
@dalfaculty.bsky.social

I’m incensed. The lockout is crippling my research programme; a project over 2 decades in the making. Laying waste to the aggregate of our scientific expertise and research opportunities to fund the lab. They are reckless.

If Dal doesn’t support my expertise, another university might.

Ren Thomas has a nice blog discussing Nous Group and Dalhousie @dalfaculty.bsky.social @dalhousieu.bsky.social : renthomas.ca/theres-a-nou...

And munaca.com/open-letter-...

It looks to me like Nous Group are advising Dal. on all of this and they use the same strategy everywhere they go. qcaa.ca/resources/no...

Nous Group and UniForum Resource List ResourceDescriptionExcerptDeb Verhoeven and Ben Eltham. “Nousferatu”: Are corporate consultants extracting the lifeblood from universities?Analysis of the ‘vampiric’ tende…

Want to know more about Nous Group activities @dalfaculty.bsky.social @dalhousieu.bsky.social #keepdalstrong? The Queens Coalition Against Austerity has a nice summary: qcaa.ca/resources/no...

“I’d wear it on a t-shirt”: The National Post Defangs Nous Thursday’s National Post has a cracker of a story on Nous, the consulting firm that has taken up residence in at least 20 Canadian universities since the start of the pandemic. The article follows …

Almost the same thing is happening at Queens: qcaa.ca/2025/08/29/i...

As soon as the senate reconvenes, we need a motion to investigate Nous contracting & cost, followed by a mechanism to review activities by the leadership that has harmed the academic mission of the university.

From the Anu community on Reddit Explore this post and more from the Anu community

You can get the article on reddit: www.reddit.com/r/Anu/commen...

When a university locks out its faculty, freezing email, suspending research grants, halting partnership projects, blocking award and grant submissions, it sends a message that short-term disruption is worth more than long-term sustainability. These decisions don’t just pause work; they erode credibility, research momentum, and the ability to attract and retain talent. Faculty bring in external grants and form collaborations that sustain Dalhousie’s reputation as a research leader. By freezing grants and stopping submissions, the university jeopardizes millions in future funding and undermines partnerships with industry and community groups. Once trust is broken, it takes years, not weeks, to rebuild. Universities thrive when their people thrive. Faculty cannot give their best when struggling with childcare or healthcare access. I know this first-hand: when I had no childcare for months, the university’s demands did not pause. I seriously considered quitting. No one should be pushed to the brink of leaving a career they love because basic needs aren’t met. Supporting families is not a luxury, it is the infrastructure that enables innovation, teaching excellence, and research breakthroughs. Early career researchers, librarians, and LTAs form the backbone of Dalhousie’s teaching and research mission. Yet they are often paid the least while carrying some of the heaviest workloads. Fair pay is not just about equity; it is about retention. Dal’s reliance on limited-term appointments and precarious contracts creates instability at every level. Precarity erodes both academic quality and morale. How can anyone take Dal’s public commitments to equity seriously in light of recent events? Most years, the Friday before Labour Day weekend, I would have launched my course Brightspace page, finalized early assessments, and enjoyed a restful weekend before an action-packed but rewarding semester. The anticipation of meeting a new cohort, hearing new questions, and training new p…

Hey, @dalhousie.bsky.social, are you listening to your faculty? They are the ones who teach the courses, supervise the research, and keep Dal running.
How are they supposed to do their work properly if they're feeling exploited and unsupported? My supervisor, Dr. Mita Dasog, deserves better.

More than 1,000 HHS workers demand RFK Jr. resign in new letter "Kennedy's actions are compromising the health of this nation," the Wednesday letter reads.

Take it from over 1,000 health care professionals: RFK Jr. is a threat to your health, your family's health, and the health of our country. 

Innocent people will die at the hands of his incompetence.

He must resign.
www.axios.com/2025/09/03/r...

From the Anu community on Reddit Explore this post and more from the Anu community

But I do think that, given the scandals involving Nous Group in Australia and problems involving them at Queens, we should try to find out how much they have been paid every year. This article will worry any thinking person: www.reddit.com/r/Anu/commen...

UniForum UniForum is an international benchmarking exercise that supports postsecondary institutions in achieving service excellence.

My understanding is that they were first contracted for their Uniforum product by Gitta Kulczycki (VP Finance/Admin) in 2022. See www.dal.ca/about/missio...