Alexander Arguello

Yes, science works. Can science work better? Also yes.

The aphorism needs the addendum “and the rest useless”

Which Kind of Science Reform What hope is there for science reform, if we can't agree on what to reform? Right now, principles are more important than practices.

How can we reform science? I have some ideas. But I am not sure you’ll like them, because they don’t promise much. elevanth.org/blog/2025/07...

Avoiding scientific questions out of fear of how the worst of society will react is corrosive to science. The solution is careful, rigorous work that justifies the importance of the questions and acknowledges the implications and limitations of findings with a hefty dose of intellectual humility.

But this is a fool’s errand. No matter what scientists do, whether avoiding research topics or not publishing politically or socially sensitive findings, ideologues will never be satisfied. They’ll twist findings regardless of their outcome or decry the lack of research as censorship.

In science there are fears that some research areas or questions will be misinterpreted, exploited, and weaponized by bad actors. One solution offered is to avoid these topics altogether lest we add fuel to ideological fire.

There’s a lot of uncertainty for the NIH right now in terms of its future budget and organization, but we hope this new aDMG program can come to fruition. 🦴🧬🌍

Funding opportunities will be posted on grants.gov at a future date.

In essence, we’d like the program to address the geographic sampling bias and genome coverage bias that currently exists for aDNA but in a manner that’s ethical, equitable, and non-extractive.

5. Support individual research projects using aDNA data to address the biology, epidemiology, and/or evolution of disease and health-related traits.

3. Generate and harmonize high-quality, whole-genome aDNA data from new and existing sources sampling global genetic diversity.

4. Create a centralized, federated data resource.

The goals of the program would be:

1. To survey and identify sources of aDNA across the globe by engaging and partnering with local investigators and communities.

2. Establish an ethical and regulatory framework for collecting samples, generating sequences, and sharing data.

Map from the Allen Ancient DNA resource showing the geographic origins of published ancient DNA data. (Mallick et al 2024)

Current aDNA data is biased towards Western Eurasian samples and consists mostly of targeted sequences. Higher coverage genomes that better represent past global genetic diversity would allow new insights into recent human evolution and the potential origins of modern disease risk.

Photo of the skeletal remains of a man buried about 8000 years ago in Turkey (Photo credit: JACOB ROODENBERG)

Last week the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research met and approved a new initiative: ancient DNA for Modern Genomics (aDMG).

You can watch the presentation and discussion here at the 1:54:00 mark. videocast.nih.gov/watch=56826

screenshot from an online job application form. the question reads "Can you describe specific ways you have integrated AI tools into your development workflow? Please include any custom setups, automations, or use cases beyond single prompt usage" (a red asterisk indicates that this is a required question). an answer has been typed in the textbox below the question: "there is a monster in the forest and it speaks with a thousand voices. it will answer any question you pose it, it will offer insight to any idea. it will help you, it will thank you, it will never bid you leave. it will even tell you of the darkest arts, if you know precisely how to ask. it feels no joy and no sorrow, it knows no right and no wrong. it knows not truth from lie, though it speaks them all the same. it offers its services freely to any passerby, and many will tell you they find great value in its conversation. “you simply must visit the monster—i always just ask the monster.” there are those who know these forests well; they will tell you that freely offered doesn’t mean it has no price for when the next traveler passes by, the monster speaks with a thousand and one voices. and when you dream you see the monster; the monster wears your face."

applying for jobs again

I have an opportunity to hire a staff scientist for my lab. Looking for someone with outstanding skillset in ML/statistics, genomics applications; interest in mentoring, strong publication record, PD experience required.

Email CV to me+cc my assistant (see 'contact' on my website). Ad to follow.

FIMM-EMBL Group Leaders in Molecular Medicine FIMM-EMBL Group Leaders in Molecular Medicine

We have 2-3 group leader positions opening @fimm-uh.bsky.social !!

We are looking for outstanding candidates in human genetics and precision medicine.

This time we have a focus on population health data science. E.g. AI for EHR/health data       

Generous starting package 💰

shorturl.at/FAk6n

A graphic detailing the NINDS Early-Career Rigor Champions Prize on a turquoise and blue background. In the top left is the NINDS logo. Below it is a bullhorn with the text, “Deadline Extended! June 6th, 2025”. To the right is the text, “Early-Career Rigor Champions Prize”. Below is a white box with yellow arrows on the left side and a fallout saying, “WE WANT YOU”. To the right is the text: “-For individuals and small teams of early-career rigor champions enhancing attention to rigor, -Provide responses to six prompts describing your efforts, -Up to two $10,000, three $5,000, and six $2,500 cash awards!” Learn more: Details and how to enter: https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=ninds-early-career-rigor-champions-prize Informational video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyszRbPyfHY” In the bottom right is an image of Rodin’s “The Thinker” sculpture.

📢 Calling all early-career scientists who have promoted enhanced research rigor:

The deadline for the NINDS Early-Career Rigor Champions prize has been extended to 6/6/25!

Describe your efforts in six short prompts for your chance to win a CASH prize of up to $10k!

Up to 11 awards will be made!

📢 HPRC Release 2 is here!

Now with phased genomes from 200+ individuals, a 5x increase from Release 1.

Explore sequencing data, assemblies, annotations & alignments in our interactive data explorer ⬇️:

humanpangenome.org/hprc-data-re...

I am recruiting a quantitative/computational postdoc to my group at UCLA. This is a great opportunity to work on foundational theory, methods, and software in statistical genetics. Link to apply: recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF10275. Please repost!

😳 de extinction just unlocked new alignment problem

You can just watch Game of Thrones to find out.

21st century technology.
18th century taxonomy.

The subject which I am discussing has at this moment a peculiar poignancy. In certain large areas-Germany and Italy especially-the effort is now being made to clamp down the freedom of the human spirit. Universities have been so reorganized that they have become tools of those who believe in a special political, economic, or racial creed. Now and then a thoughtless individual in one of the few democracies left in this world will even question the fundamental importance of absolutely untrammeled academic freedom. The real enemy of the human race is not the fearless and irresponsible thinker, be he right or wrong. The real enemy is the man who tries to mold the human spirit so that it will not dare to spread its wings, as its wings were once spread in Italy and Germany, as well as in Great Britain and the United States.

Reading “The usefulness of useless knowledge” by Abraham Flexner, founding director of the Institute for Advanced Study. Writing in 1939, this passage stood out:

sometimes very smart people go down blind alleys because they are enamored with their own hypothesis, enabled by a credulous community, and fueled by perverse incentives and other systemic faults of the scientific enterprise.

this looks like a great meeting on complex trait genetics. looking forward to hearing about it from those who attend. www.grc.org/quantitative...

watch out for frozen iguanas falling from trees

Newton was obsessed with deciphering scripture and decoding biblical prophecy

ASHG-NHGRI Post-Baccalaureate Genomics Analyst Fellowship This is a fellowship program designed for recent undergraduates to gain exposure to and training in multiple career paths that advance public service for human genetics and genomics

Are you a (or do you know a) recent college graduate who wants to work in human genetics and genomics? Applications are open for the ASHG-NHGRI Post-Baccalaureate Genomics Analyst Fellowship! Great chance to understand how grants and societies work AND get paid. www.ashg.org/careers-lear...

quite strange to see in the year of our lord 2024 a paper report “genes for…” anything let alone a complex trait