I never studied molecular biology, but have found epigenetics to be an exciting substrate to probe evo-devo theories (lifespan plasticity, developmental origins of health and disease, life history, gene X social inequality). Cheers to reuniting the divorcées "social science" and "life science" 💗
23.02.2026 09:15 — 👍 8 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 1Open access via SharedIt rdcu.be/eThTl & Table 1 Suggestions to fostering a lower stress academic workplace for individuals, groups, and institutions >> osf.io/p6yut/files/...
05.12.2025 12:06 — 👍 15 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 2
💼 💔 Academia’s toxic love language is playing “hard to get”
🧪 💓 Science is the beautiful pursuit of building knowledge
I wrote an essay for Nature Human Behaviour on treating academia as “just a job” www.nature.com/articles/s41...
What ideas would you add? 💡
#HigherEd #PhDLife #DiversityInSTEM
We have an open postdoc position in Social Science Genomics in Berlin!
Includes gene-environment interplay within German population cohorts & experimental online survey studies to probe public perceptions of potential DNA biomarker applications
🔗 www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/2196134/2025...
If you are enthusiastic about making developmental sociogenomics magic using AI, I just signed up as an "X" advisor in the new Max Planck AI Network.
PhD applications open from October 1 - 31 >>> ai.mpg.de/@maxplanck.de
The new application cycle for our fully funded international graduate program has just started. You can now apply via our website, sign up for a Q&A, or participate in the Applicant Support Program cognition.maxplanckschools.org/en ! 👍🏻🧠👏🏾#passionforscience, #maxplanckschools
04.09.2025 11:20 — 👍 14 🔁 15 💬 1 📌 5
“The impact on health of a childhood in poverty may not be apparent until later life.”
@laraffington.bsky.social studies how children’s early environments become embedded in their biology and may affect later outcomes. #ChildDev
boldscience.org/the-developm...
Using saliva DNA methylation to study genetic susceptibility to common diseases given limitations of GWAS to identify molecular mechanisms (LD between nearby polymorphisms and most of the identified markers are in non-coding regions of the genome) >>> www.nature.com/articles/s41...
22.07.2025 09:59 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Interesting application "Epigenetic clocks may enhance IVF success prediction, particularly in women between 31 and 35.... importance of developing epigenetic models specifically tailored to fertility outcomes " link.springer.com/article/10.1...
21.07.2025 10:32 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
• Linked emergence of racial disparities in mental health and epigenetic biological aging across childhood and adolescence >>> www.nature.com/articles/s41...
• Genetic Pinball Videogame on gene X wealth/ health/ and education inequality >>> purplesloth.itch.io/genetic-pinb...
Polygenic Associations with Educational Attainment in East Versus West Germany: Differences Emerge After Reunification >>> pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
• Social determinants of health and epigenetic clocks: Meta-analysis of 140 studies >>> www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
Some of our research >>> Utilizing epigenetics to study the shared nature of development and biological aging across the lifespan >>> www.nature.com/articles/s41...
• Beyond a Shared History: A Biosocial Perspective on Sociogenomics and Racism in Germany >>> link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Humbled to receive the BGA's early career award ☺️ Thank you to my brilliant team #MPRGBiosocial, the @maxplanck.de for investing in early career researchers, @mpib-berlin.bsky.social for the excellent environment, and my many mentors incl @kph3k.bsky.social @tuckerdrob.bsky.social #ScienceTeamSport
03.07.2025 06:20 — 👍 22 🔁 3 💬 2 📌 2
Two line graphs (A and B) display log-transformed CBCL scores across ages 3, 5, 9, and 13. Graph A shows Externalizing scores; Graph B shows Internalizing scores. Lines represent racial groups—Black (blue), Latinx (green), Asian (red), White (brown)—with shaded confidence intervals.
🔍 Behind the paper: 'Racism Gets Under the Skin: Social Disparities in Children’s Mental Health and Epigenetic-Clock-Measured Biological Aging' by @munaaikins.bsky.social, @denizfraemke.bsky.social, @laraffington.bsky.social, Yayouk Willems & Bridget Goosby. Read more ➡️ bit.ly/43fLZVN
11.06.2025 15:00 — 👍 4 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
Planning to apply for #research #funding from the ERC?
From the next application rounds, expect changes to the:
• proposal structure
• evaluation process
• extra funding you can request
• eligibility for Starting & Consolidator #Grants (from 2027)
More 👇 europa.eu/!RPHWvv
Lower socioeconomic status and marginalized race/ethnicity is associated with more accelerated and faster biological aging as measured by epigenetic clocks and there was NO evidence of publication bias - a rare finding for biomarkers 🤯 Meta-analytic dataset will be released soon! 🔖
16.05.2025 07:48 — 👍 21 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
You’ve collected saliva and want to work with epigenetic clocks⏱️ developed in blood DNAm, will you get the same measure? Check out @sepidehzarandooz.bsky.social first pub and thread for the answer!
doi.org/10.1186/s131... #MPRGBiosocial @imprs-life.bsky.social
It would be scientifically catastrophic to end this decades long study with 42k women continuing to be followed up, providing unique opportunities to learn new insights into women’s health and characterize risk of many health ailments including chronic disease
www.science.org/content/arti...
New #MPRGBiosocial paper in Molecular Psychiatry:
“Linked emergence of racial disparities in mental health & epigenetic biological aging across childhood & adolescence”
w/ @yayoukwillems @denizfraemke.bsky.social @laraffington.bsky.social
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Blog Post: lnkd.in/dKsgagYc
General infos on postdoc positions in Germany >> www.research-in-germany.org/en/your-goal...
21.03.2025 10:33 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0We are looking for a scientist passionate about developmental psychology, sociogenomics, and DNA methylation in a cash gift RCT postdocprogram.mpg.de/node/692! 3.5+ yr position in Berlin (until April 30, 2029) integrated into a new Max Planck postdoc program www.mpg.de/en/max-planc... #MPRGBiosocial
21.03.2025 10:33 — 👍 14 🔁 10 💬 2 📌 19/9. In line with transactional models of human development, rooted in evocative/active gene-environment correlation, children seek out environmental experiences that align with their genetic dispositions, partly based on their non-cognitive characteristics, leading to different learning outcomes.🧬🌳
28.02.2025 10:58 — 👍 2 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
🧬🌳 New CoDE lab preprint: From genetic disposition to academic achievement: The mediating role of non-cognitive skills across development.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
On 🦋: @andrealle.bsky.social @kailirimfeld.bsky.social @laraffington.bsky.social
A short thread 👇 (1/9)
(plus German social systems incl paid parental leave, child benefit payments, free daycare & schools)
19.02.2025 12:59 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Watch this space for an MPRG Biosocial postdoc call within this dreamwork postdoc program (at least three years, extended mentorship program, science & industry career coaching)!
19.02.2025 12:56 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
King's College London launches the Atlas of Longitudinal Datasets, in partnership with @wellcometrust.bsky.social / @mqmentalhealth.bsky.social, a free platform with over 1,600 datasets, to support mental health research worldwide. 🌍
Read more and learn how to access: www.kcl.ac.uk/news/kings-l...
Genetic correlations between MDD and each neuroticism cut point. The line of best fit is shown, based on a linear regression model, with parameters estimated using generalized least squares (GLS).
Standardized results (with standard errors) for two-factor genomic structural equation model as estimated using GenomicSEM software.
Standardized results (with standard errors) for three-severity factor genomic structural equation model as estimated using GenomicSEM software.
Are mental disorders extreme manifestations of continuous traits or genetically distinct entities? We present Genomic Taxometric Analysis of Continuous and Case-Control data (GTACCC) for evaluating genetic continuity and differentiation of traits across the severity spectrum. Tweetorial coming soon.
05.02.2025 01:15 — 👍 33 🔁 13 💬 2 📌 2
Our “Genetic Pinball” gamifies the interplay between genetics and social inequality in life course outcomes. I was asked: “How do you define freedom?” And replied: “To live your genetically influenced preferences”. Visit the boat or play a few rounds here >>> purplesloth.itch.io/genetic-pinb...
13.12.2024 15:31 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0