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Rachel K

@xrkulik.bsky.social

health policy and political science PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, studying the politics of data in American institutions. GEO steward. mixed race Chinese American. she/her

292 Followers  |  489 Following  |  412 Posts  |  Joined: 10.10.2023  |  2.0705

Latest posts by xrkulik.bsky.social on Bluesky

I should add, horrifying and monstrous and evil

08.10.2025 03:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Bleak

08.10.2025 03:24 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

β€œConstant attempts to reach Kennedy’s office were fruitless, said Houry, who resigned on 27 August.”
β€œThen when Susan [Monarez] was ousted we knew that there was absolutely no scientific leadership at that point.”
Upper bureaucrats who care about health trying desperately to do their jobs.

05.10.2025 14:43 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

β€œβ€¦there are few experienced leaders left at the CDC; some 80% of experienced center leaders were laid off or terminated, or have resigned or retired. Houry was the only permanent career official in the CDC’s office of the director by the time she left; there were 10 political appointees remaining”

05.10.2025 14:39 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

WHO??
(this is the only time I get mad about passive voice)

04.10.2025 19:22 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Walking at a park is the best way to take organizing meetings, that is all

01.10.2025 22:24 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD
@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
I'm an epidemiologist. Sewage systems are sexy.

Dosco Jones @doscojones.bsky.social
I'm an engineer. Sewage systems are sexy.

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social I'm an epidemiologist. Sewage systems are sexy. Dosco Jones @doscojones.bsky.social I'm an engineer. Sewage systems are sexy.

I’m a sewage system. I also have a great personality.

30.09.2025 23:33 β€” πŸ‘ 8559    πŸ” 1062    πŸ’¬ 147    πŸ“Œ 77
My statement in a Google slides presentation "The implementation of a pregnancy checkbox caused some deaths to be inaccurately attributed as maternal deaths, even though the individual was not pregnant or postpartum" 

"inaccurately" has a red line under it, and Google"accurately" is trying to correct it to

My statement in a Google slides presentation "The implementation of a pregnancy checkbox caused some deaths to be inaccurately attributed as maternal deaths, even though the individual was not pregnant or postpartum" "inaccurately" has a red line under it, and Google"accurately" is trying to correct it to

AI is great! This is not the first time it's been suggested that I write the opposite of what I mean.

28.09.2025 18:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

@peoplesfabric.com is so good on so many Chicago topics. A vital part of our information ecosystem and was just exercising First Amendment rights to document government activity and the protests against it (the latter of which also used to be protected by 1A)

28.09.2025 00:45 β€” πŸ‘ 39    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

Happening now: at the Broadview ICE facility outside Chicago, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and other CBP/ICE agents emerge to patrol Beach Street and escort a vehicle out.

They ordered people out of the street, walked to the end of it and then back to the fence.

27.09.2025 23:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1675    πŸ” 706    πŸ’¬ 139    πŸ“Œ 127

I used this in an undergrad class ~10 years ago so it might be too low level and/or out of date, but I remember quite liking Keeling & Rohani Modeling Infectious Diseases

26.09.2025 03:27 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
β€œI’M THE TYPE of person where, like, if you push me I’ll push back. I don’t like to live in a mindset of despair and negativity. When these people do this shit, it just lights my fire. It makes me more fucking mad. This used to be the best job I’ve ever had, the best environment I’ve ever had, the best culture I’ve ever hadβ€”and they fucking ruined it. I will never ever forget how much they ruined it. I’m like, fuck these people. They can’t get me scared. I will not give them what they want. I will not just leave. I’m going to make it as difficult as possible for these fuckheads.” β€”FEMA employee

β€œI’M THE TYPE of person where, like, if you push me I’ll push back. I don’t like to live in a mindset of despair and negativity. When these people do this shit, it just lights my fire. It makes me more fucking mad. This used to be the best job I’ve ever had, the best environment I’ve ever had, the best culture I’ve ever hadβ€”and they fucking ruined it. I will never ever forget how much they ruined it. I’m like, fuck these people. They can’t get me scared. I will not give them what they want. I will not just leave. I’m going to make it as difficult as possible for these fuckheads.” β€”FEMA employee

it just lights my fire

25.09.2025 14:18 β€” πŸ‘ 46    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

I am mildly annoyed we're paying attention to Sunstein again and found the interview less comedic and more infuriating than I expected

24.09.2025 03:10 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
β€’ FAERS data alone cannot be used to establish event rates, evaluate changes in event rates over time, or compare event rates between products.

β€’ The number of reports cannot be interpreted in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with drug products.

β€’ Confirming whether a drug product caused a specific event can be difficult based solely on information provided in each report.

β€’ Therefore, FAERS data should be interpreted in the context of other available information when making drug or biologic-related
treatment decisions.

β€’ FAERS data alone cannot be used to establish event rates, evaluate changes in event rates over time, or compare event rates between products. β€’ The number of reports cannot be interpreted in isolation to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, or frequency of problems associated with drug products. β€’ Confirming whether a drug product caused a specific event can be difficult based solely on information provided in each report. β€’ Therefore, FAERS data should be interpreted in the context of other available information when making drug or biologic-related treatment decisions.

also, literally in the disclaimer to access FAERS data:

23.09.2025 22:03 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
printed out blue text messages saying 
"But some of the dumbest people ever have written dissertations and books. And ur decidedly not dumb"

printed out blue text messages saying "But some of the dumbest people ever have written dissertations and books. And ur decidedly not dumb"

a reminder from a friend that I printed and keep in my office

23.09.2025 18:20 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

I think Maude is my favorite cat-who-I-haven't-met

20.09.2025 17:37 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

what could go wrong?

(e.g. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...)

20.09.2025 03:19 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Data (alone) can’t solve social or health problems but lack of data & the dismantling of surveillance systems certainly doesn’t help

17.09.2025 16:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

RFKJ directed me to pre-approve, in advance, all ACIP recommendations. He also required me to fire career staff without cause. If I refused either directive I should resign.

17.09.2025 14:24 β€” πŸ‘ 146    πŸ” 33    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

"Wyoming did not consistently report data among kindergarteners, so the most consistent reported value was used instead: one-dose MMR among 19- to 35-month-olds."
^ this is *not the same* as being fully compliant with all required vaxes in kindergarten. They're showing both in the same graph?

17.09.2025 03:26 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

also: part of what is going on in NM-
"New Mexico includes 5- and 6-year-olds in its data, and state officials told NBC News that the inclusion of children before they enter kindergarten is one reason its vaccination rates are lower than in other places."

17.09.2025 03:22 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Behind the data: Tracking the rate of vaccination and school exemptions across the U.S. A generation ago, infectious childhood diseases were nearly wiped out in the U.S., thanks to immunization programs. In the most comprehensive data investigation of its kind, we show how that remarkabl...

I am annoyed that they provide neither the data nor the specific methodological choices

(www.nbcnews.com/health/healt... is not sufficient for data this complicated and non comparable!!)

and a google doc editable by literally anyone is not the way
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

17.09.2025 03:09 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

I feel your pain!

16.09.2025 00:57 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Not me panicking because I left my notebook with a bunch of dissertation notes in my APSA hotel room, but thankfully I have a friend still in Vancouver who will rescue it (I owe her one)

16.09.2025 00:57 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I just found a citation I’ve been looking for on and off for MONTHS in a text thread with a friend from April 2024. Note to self: save *everything* to Zotero

15.09.2025 04:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

As my APSA winds to a close I’m struck by how fortunate I am to be a grad student in such a supportive community of scholars. It’s been so nice to meet with and feel encouraged by mentors old and new. The health politics and policy section rocks

14.09.2025 04:30 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Exploring Chinatown in Vancouver and the Chinatown Storytelling Center is an *excellent* small museum. 10/10 highly recommend

13.09.2025 22:43 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Was just talking about thisβ€”it’s a game without stakes for so many of these bozos which is deeply bizarre and annoying

13.09.2025 18:31 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Hot pot pot with spicy Sichuan broth and loaded with veggies and noodles and tofu

Hot pot pot with spicy Sichuan broth and loaded with veggies and noodles and tofu

Made it to Vancouver nearly 6 hours late but I am in my happy place with hot pot and Discworld

11.09.2025 02:25 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

My 4 hour train ride has turned into what’s looking like an 8 hour one (for a pretty tragic reason) but I did meet another phd student who’s doing both 4S and APSA (!) and talked with her for like a hour which was cool

10.09.2025 22:09 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

@xrkulik is following 20 prominent accounts