Alison Feder

We are a computational lab focusing on developing machine learning algorithms for biological data. Currently we are working on inference tasks related to natural selection and demographic inference, as well as generative models for genomic data from humans, mosquitos, and other species.

The Mathieson Lab at the University of Pennsylvania is hiring a computational postdoc in machine learning and evolutionary biology. Apply with a CV and references: smathi@sas.upenn.edu. More info: https://saramathieson.github.io/lab #postdoc

I am seeking a postdoc for my group at UCLA. We work at the intersection of population genetics x microbiome (garud.eeb.ucla.edu). If interested, please message me!

Junior, Assistant, or Associate Specialist – Xue Lab University of California, Irvine is hiring. Apply now!

The Xue lab at UC Irvine is looking for a staff scientist to support our work investigating how microbes interact and evolve in the gut microbiome! Open to a wide range of previous experience levels, see ad for more.
recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09601

Extensive parallelism at the level of font choice suggests avenir is adaptive at the microbial population biology GRC

Looking forward to seeing everyone, new and old, at the Microbial Population Biology GRS + GRC in just a couple days!

go.bsky.app/GGxRjzC

Simons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and Evolution The purpose of these awards is to provide support for students entering U.S.-based Ph.D. programs with a plan to perform research in ecology and evolution. While we will consider all projects in ecolo...

There is one month left to apply for our Simons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and Evolution! These awards provide support for students entering U.S.-based Ph.D. programs with a plan to perform research in #ecology and #evolution. www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons... #science

📣 Applications now open
PATH award supports early-career researchers studying the pathogenesis of infectious diseases in humans

💰 $505K over 5 years
🔬 For mid-to-late assistant professors
📅 LOI due: 07/17/25

Apply now 👉 buff.ly/qcSSxbq

I’m grateful to SMBE for this recognition of the lab’s work, but also much more generally for the important role that they play in our scientific community.

Two scientists standing in front of a SMBE 2024 Puerto Vallarta sign

Five scientists on an ornate balcony at a conference venue

Since starting my lab, I’ve been back to meetings with several of my graduate students. Elena Romero got to go to SMBE 2023 enabled by one of SMBE's Young Investigator Travel Awards.

Elevated HIV Viral Load is Associated with Higher Recombination Rate In Vivo Abstract. HIV’s exceptionally high recombination rate drives its intrahost diversification, enabling immune escape and multidrug resistance within people l

I’ve since been back to many SMBEs/regional meetings. SMBE has enabled me to organize symposia, including one with @ksxue.bsky.social when we were only graduate students! I’ve had the opportunity to publish in MBE, and to review for MBE and GBE. academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...

Four scientists wearing conference badges standing in front of a big tree at a conference venue.

SMBE was my first real conference. I went as an undergrad in 2011 (with many thanks to @jplotkin.bsky.social). It was a completely mind-blowing experience to get to go to Kyoto and talk about science for four days. It solidified my decision to go to graduate school in this field.

I'm really honored to have received the early career award from @official-smbe.bsky.social, a society that has been an important part of my scientific experience.

POSTDOC ALERT: Applications now open for SeaBridge postdoc fellowship; opportunity to work on leading-edge biotech w/researchers at the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology.
brotmanbaty.org/news/new-pos...
@marionpepper.bsky.social
@jshendure.bsky.social
@coletrapnell.bsky.social

Thanks, Josh!

Thanks, Jeremy!

Thanks, Nandita!!

Thanks, Louise!

Thanks, Asher!

Thanks so much, Dmitri!

Replaying germinal center evolution on a quantified affinity landscape Darwinian evolution of immunoglobulin genes within germinal centers (GC) underlies the progressive increase in antibody affinity following antigen exposure. Whereas the mechanics of how competition be...

Wanted to highlight our latest preprint--a huge effort by multiple people and labs, but led primarily by @wsdewitt.github.io, Tatsuya Araki, and Ashni Vora, in a very close wet-dry collaboration with @matsen.bsky.social’s lab at the Hutch

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Simons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and Evolution The purpose of these awards is to provide support for students entering U.S.-based Ph.D. programs with a plan to perform research in ecology and evolution. While we will consider all projects in ecolo...

Get the word out far and wide. New opportunity from the Simons Foundation in the Eco-Evo space.

2026 Simons Graduate Fellowship in Ecology and Evolution Awards, due July 31, 2025, only for incoming PhD students who plan to start their PhDs in Fall 2026.

www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...

I called my senators about the NIH and NSF cuts this morning (made easy with @5calls.org)! I'll be calling every day this week and encouraging friends & family to do the same

How can one efficiently simulate phylodynamics for populations with billions of individuals, as is typical in many applications, e.g., viral evolution and cancer genomics? In this work with M. Celentano, @wsdewitt.github.io , & S. Prillo, we provide a solution. doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
1/n

Announcing the 2025 Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease - Burroughs Wellcome Fund DURHAM, N.C. – The Burroughs Wellcome Fund proudly announces the 2025 Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease (PATH) award recipients. This year’s cohort represents a diverse group of…

Announcing the 2025 Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease www.bwfund.org/news/announc... #bwfpath

Really excited about this new work from Sam Hart (and joint with @kelleyharris.bsky.social) trying to disentangle mutational differences between groups of cancers. Check out Kelley's thread with the major results!

A screenshot of the termination notice showing "Outstanding Investigator Grants"

A screenshot of the termination notice with "This award is terminated effective the date of this award, due to unsafe antisemitic actions that suggest the institution lacks concern for the safety and wellbeing of Jewish students." highlighted

Yesterday, the NIH R35 “Outstanding Investigator” grant to fund scientists in my lab studying antibiotic resistance was terminated for reasons not related to the content of the science, or any actions taken by me or members of my lab

Screenshot of email stating "The subaward and the associated amounts listed above will need to be removed from the current and future year awards, and any other amounts budgeted for activities related to the Hong Kong research must also be removed. No rebudgeting of these funds is permitted, and no involvement or collaboration with researchers in Hong Kong or China is permitted in connection with the activities of this award, regardless of whether any funds are transferred," with the "no involvement" clause highlighted.

I received a surprising and disturbing request from NIH on Friday. They wrote to cancel a subaward to Hong Kong on one of my grants. (This was disturbing but not surprising.) They also ordered us not to interact with our collaborators in Hong Kong on any work under the award:

Hearty congratulations to Anurag Agrawal, Amy Angert, and Graham Coop upon their election to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, for their work illuminating the natural world around us. This recognition is very much deserved.

Interested in postdoc opportunities in Seattle, WA? Join us May 6th for Seattle DROP, a virtual event about biomedical research in Seattle. Hear from recruiting faculty, finding the right mentor and enjoy lunch on us via a delivery voucher within the US!

Registration: tinyurl.com/seattledrop25