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Arun Durvasula

@arundurvasula

Assistant Professor in the Center for Genetic Epidemiology at USC. My lab studies genetics and evolution. https://www.durvasula-lab.usc.edu

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30.08.2023
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Latest posts by Arun Durvasula @arundurvasula

Research | Seplyarskiy Lab | UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas

πŸ“’ Postdoc position available in my lab

We study mutagenesis, population genetics, and Mendelian genomicsβ€”linking the origins of mutations to their biological and disease consequences.

Details about research directions:
labs.utsouthwestern.edu/seplyarskiy-...

Please reach out if interested.

06.03.2026 17:38 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Page 2 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: constructive suggestions regarding how the already remarkable institutional efficiency and societal impact of NCAR could be further enhanced through increased (not decreased) federal support in the years to come.
Please note: To ensure the highest level of technical rigor, this response focuses exclusively on the core atmospheric and natural hazard science topics within the author’s primary domain of expertise; for this reason, I have omitted a response to Topic 4 (Space Weather)."


NCAR weather modeling and atmospheric observing capabilities
a) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as a stand-alone activity.
The proposed management of weather-related research as a stand-alone activity is a scientifically regressive path that ignores the fundamental physical reality of the Earth system. Modern atmospheric science has demonstrated (largely, it is worth noting, due to groundbreaking researc

Page 2 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: constructive suggestions regarding how the already remarkable institutional efficiency and societal impact of NCAR could be further enhanced through increased (not decreased) federal support in the years to come. Please note: To ensure the highest level of technical rigor, this response focuses exclusively on the core atmospheric and natural hazard science topics within the author’s primary domain of expertise; for this reason, I have omitted a response to Topic 4 (Space Weather)." NCAR weather modeling and atmospheric observing capabilities a) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as a stand-alone activity. The proposed management of weather-related research as a stand-alone activity is a scientifically regressive path that ignores the fundamental physical reality of the Earth system. Modern atmospheric science has demonstrated (largely, it is worth noting, due to groundbreaking researc

Page 3 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: b) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as combined with other NSF investments/facilities.
The highly specialized nature of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) infrastructure represents an extraordinary value proposition that cannot be replicated by combining it with more generalized NSF programs. The NWSC is not a generic high-performance computing (HPC) facility; it is a laboratory uniquely optimized for atmospheric science workflows, with a hardware and storage architecture specifically designed to handle the massive, high-bandwidth data demands of Earth system modeling. Furthermore, its model of providing an excellent, free-at-point-of-use technical support team ensures that the focus remains on the science rather than the overhead of systems administration. This centralized expertise allows individual researchers, smaller labs, and even entire universitiesβ€”who would otherwi

Page 3 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: b) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as combined with other NSF investments/facilities. The highly specialized nature of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) infrastructure represents an extraordinary value proposition that cannot be replicated by combining it with more generalized NSF programs. The NWSC is not a generic high-performance computing (HPC) facility; it is a laboratory uniquely optimized for atmospheric science workflows, with a hardware and storage architecture specifically designed to handle the massive, high-bandwidth data demands of Earth system modeling. Furthermore, its model of providing an excellent, free-at-point-of-use technical support team ensures that the focus remains on the science rather than the overhead of systems administration. This centralized expertise allows individual researchers, smaller labs, and even entire universitiesβ€”who would otherwi

Page 4 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: NCAR Mesa Lab (located in Boulder, Colorado)
a/b) Ownership of the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab building for public and private use.
Far more than just an office building, NSF NCAR Mesa Lab is an iconic and purpose-built facility designed specifically for the study of atmospheric science. Its position at the physical interface of the Rocky Mountain foothills and the Great Plains is a deliberate reflection of its mission, serving as a visible symbolβ€”in an iconically American settingβ€”of the federal government's enduring commitment to science in service of society. For many in the field, including myself, the Mesa Lab holds singular importance as a focal gathering point for the global atmospheric science community. My own early career exposure to weather and Earth system modeling, in fact, occurred within these walls, and I have long felt that the facility’s architecture and location inspire a necessary sense of awe regarding the atmosphere’s complexity a

Page 4 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: NCAR Mesa Lab (located in Boulder, Colorado) a/b) Ownership of the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab building for public and private use. Far more than just an office building, NSF NCAR Mesa Lab is an iconic and purpose-built facility designed specifically for the study of atmospheric science. Its position at the physical interface of the Rocky Mountain foothills and the Great Plains is a deliberate reflection of its mission, serving as a visible symbolβ€”in an iconically American settingβ€”of the federal government's enduring commitment to science in service of society. For many in the field, including myself, the Mesa Lab holds singular importance as a focal gathering point for the global atmospheric science community. My own early career exposure to weather and Earth system modeling, in fact, occurred within these walls, and I have long felt that the facility’s architecture and location inspire a necessary sense of awe regarding the atmosphere’s complexity a

Page 1 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: Dear Acting Director Stone and the NSF NCAR restructuring team:

I am writing to provide a formal response to the Request for Information (RFI) regarding the proposed restructuring of the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and its critical weather science infrastructure contained within the January 23, 2026 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) entitled β€œNSF Intent to Restructure Critical Weather Infrastructure.” I submit these comments in my professional capacity as an atmospheric research scientist within the University of California, where my research focuses on the physics and dynamics of atmospheric processes related to extreme weather events and their role in shifting natural hazard and disaster risk.

My perspective is informed by a public-sector career dedicated to bridging the gap between fundamental atmospheric research and real-world application in an academic context, with a particular focus on understanding and mitigating

Page 1 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: Dear Acting Director Stone and the NSF NCAR restructuring team: I am writing to provide a formal response to the Request for Information (RFI) regarding the proposed restructuring of the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and its critical weather science infrastructure contained within the January 23, 2026 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) entitled β€œNSF Intent to Restructure Critical Weather Infrastructure.” I submit these comments in my professional capacity as an atmospheric research scientist within the University of California, where my research focuses on the physics and dynamics of atmospheric processes related to extreme weather events and their role in shifting natural hazard and disaster risk. My perspective is informed by a public-sector career dedicated to bridging the gap between fundamental atmospheric research and real-world application in an academic context, with a particular focus on understanding and mitigating

I just submitted my letter to NSF responding to its proposal to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). I argue that doing so would be an astonishing and avoidable misstep, and that federal support for the institution should in fact be *increased.* [1/4]

06.03.2026 04:25 πŸ‘ 516 πŸ” 162 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 3

Have you ever wondered how many archaic populations contributed DNA to modern humans? We know about Neanderthals and Denisovans, but the fossil and genetic evidence suggests a much more complex history!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

05.03.2026 18:17 πŸ‘ 28 πŸ” 16 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 4
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Five Pages of Fun #003 Almost every Friday we're posting a short, shareable collection of pages from the Bystander's 31 (!) issues. This Friday is no exception, featuring work from Dave Hanson, Adam Koford, River Clegg and...

Wheeee! The @americanbystander.bsky.social has posted another Five Pages of Fun for all! #magazine #humor #comics #publishing Best damn humor mag in the US!

online.americanbystander.org/five-pages-o...

27.02.2026 18:49 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Excited to share our new preprint! πŸ‡πŸ§¬

We analyzed 639 genomes across 48 grape species to understand how hybridization drives adaptation.

β€’ ~14% of average Vitis genome is introgressed

β€’ Most parallel adaptations are shared via gene flow

β€’ Two "hybrid species" are actually hybrid swarms

02.03.2026 06:33 πŸ‘ 22 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

For folks that have tried both codex (5.3-codex) and claude, what are your thoughts? I've been using codex with some success, but it seems very limited compared to the subagent and plugin capability that claude has.

12.02.2026 23:02 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Can confirm

29.01.2026 17:56 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Not Just Ne Ne-More: New Applications for SMC from Ecology to Phylogenies Abstract. Genomes contain the mutational footprint of an organism’s evolutionary history, shaped by diverse forces including ecological factors, selective

In a new GBE Review, @david-peede.bsky.social et al. overview the SMC model and extensions, discuss examples of discoveries made with the help of SMC-based inference, and comment on the assumptions, benefits, and drawbacks of various methods.

πŸ”— doi.org/10.1093/gbe/...

#genome #evolution #compbio

08.01.2026 08:05 πŸ‘ 36 πŸ” 20 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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Integrating perturbational screens, eQTL, and GWAS data identifies mediating genes for complex traits Most current GWAS-eQTL approaches prioritize genes whose mediating effects on complex traits act through cis-regulation, while trans-acting genes remain largely underexplored. Recent perturbational sc...

Happy to share our new preprint from @sashagusevposts.bsky.social and @nmancuso.bsky.social labs! We introduce Mr. PEG, a framework integrating perturbational screens, eQTL, and GWAS data to identify mediating genes for complex traits. (1/n) www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...

05.01.2026 22:27 πŸ‘ 31 πŸ” 10 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 4
Observability of mutation rate histories from ancestral recombination graphs This post explores mathematical aspects of recovering mutation rate histories from an ancestral recombination graph (ARG) Vs a sample frequency spectrum (SFS), expanding on a recent collaborative pape...

How much better is an ancestral recombination graph (ARG) than a site frequency spectrum (SFS)? For recovering mutation rate history, we can answer fairly precisely because both ARG and SFS are linear transforms of mutation rate history. This blog post uses spectral analysis to clarify the picture.

22.12.2025 18:19 πŸ‘ 14 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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🧬 Just out in Bioinformatics Advances: β€œtskit arg visualizer: Interactive plotting of ancestral recombination graphs.” 

Read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1093/bioadv/vbaf302

Authors include: @kitchensjn.bsky.social, @yanwong.bsky.social

18.12.2025 10:02 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Determining the driving factors shaping genetic architecture of complex traits in recently admixed populations Understanding the genetic architecture of complex traits in admixed populations remains challenging due to heterogeneous genetic backgrounds and demographic histories. Mischaracterizing admixture can ...

Preprint online right before the holidays! Excited to share the first piece of work from the Zhang Lab, led by my absolutely stellar postdoc Michelle Kim! In this work, we ask how admixture, selection and demography shape complex trait genetics and GWAS performance www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

16.12.2025 13:47 πŸ‘ 44 πŸ” 21 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Amazing to have a byline with @cbo.bsky.social - read our take on Watson’s ultimate legacy in the Boston Globe. Will be in Sunday’s print edition.

14.11.2025 17:48 πŸ‘ 33 πŸ” 18 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

We're excited to share the final version of our paper, where we demonstrate how confounding remains a thorny problem for claims about causal genetic influences on human behavioral and socioeconomic outcomes. (w/ @jedidiahcarlson.com @oliviarxiv.bsky.social Ruth Shaw @arbelharpak.bsky.social) πŸ§΅πŸ‘‡

07.11.2025 19:06 πŸ‘ 39 πŸ” 19 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3

JOB POSTING: Director, National Human Genome Research Institute hr.nih.gov/careers/open...

07.11.2025 15:57 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

We're excited to be recruiting an NIH funded postdoc to work in the Coop lab at UC Davis. We're specifically interested in candidates who are want to work at the intersection of human genetics, GWAS, and population genetics modeling. Please RT

15.10.2025 15:53 πŸ‘ 162 πŸ” 211 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 5
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If you are at #ASHG2025 and would like to chat in person, please reach out! My lab is looking for curious scientists to join us, especially (but not limited to) postdoctoral researchers.

14.10.2025 15:45 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Thread:

A year ago yesterday was a very happy day for me. I had lost my prostate. It was good riddance, as it was riddled with cancer. I’m now cancer-free β€” and thankful for the tax-funded technology that saved my life.

10.10.2025 01:11 πŸ‘ 1667 πŸ” 248 πŸ’¬ 32 πŸ“Œ 21
MBE Best Student Paper of 2024 award | Julien Joseph (Winner), William S. Henriques (Honorable mention)

MBE Best Student Paper of 2024 award | Julien Joseph (Winner), William S. Henriques (Honorable mention)

The MBE Best Student Paper award of 2024 goes to Julien Joseph (winner) and William S. Henriques (runner-up).

πŸ‘ Congratulations Julien and William for this recognition of your amazing work!

Check below for details on their research ⬇️

09.10.2025 10:08 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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Homepage - 2026 Population, Evolutionary, and Quantitative Genetics Conference Visit our website to learn more.

PEQG website live! genetics-gsa.org/peqg-2026/

09.10.2025 16:08 πŸ‘ 41 πŸ” 23 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Science is intertwined with eugenics, and eugenic ideologies continue to negatively impact #Indigenous communities and science today.

Read a timely and important perspective piece in #GENETICS from @jazlynmooney.bsky.social and colleagues: buff.ly/T7rbV3k

08.10.2025 20:03 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Strober Lab The Strober lab is a computational group at Boston Children's Hospital (a Harvard Medical School affiliated hospital) focused on developing statistical and machine learning tools applied to human gene...

Exciting updates!!
(1) I just opened my lab at Boston Children’s Hospital (Harvard-affiliated)
(2) I’m hiring a postdoc focused on integrating GWAS and functional genomic data. Reach out if you’re interested or connect at ASHG next week!
(3) Learn more at stroberlab.com

07.10.2025 18:55 πŸ‘ 31 πŸ” 10 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Population Biology Modeling & Theory (PBMT) is a peer-reviewed journal reporting advances in modeling and theory within population biology. Its scope spans demography, ecology, epidemiology, evolutionary biology, population genetics, and phylogenetics. PBMT will be online soon.

30.09.2025 21:02 πŸ‘ 42 πŸ” 14 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3
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The Length of Haplotype Blocks and Signals of Structural Variation in Reconstructed Genealogies Abstract. Recent breakthroughs have enabled the accurate inference of large-scale genealogies. Through modelling the impact of recombination on the correla

Delighted that our paper about the distribution of genomic spans of clades/edges in genealogies (ARGs), and using this for detecting inversions and other SVs (and other phenomena that cause local disruption of recombination) is out in MBE academic.oup.com/mbe/article/... (1/n)

03.10.2025 09:54 πŸ‘ 66 πŸ” 38 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 1
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

Would be excited to chat with folks looking for a postdoc in AI to develop models for genomic prediction...

A great opportunity for funding coming up soon is the Schmidt AI in Science fellowship, due October 13th! apply.interfolio.com/173322

19.09.2025 16:20 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Home The SCalE Meeting is a free, one day regional academic meeting focused on evolutionary genetics and genomics. This year's SCalE Meeting is hosted by UCLA, sponsored by the Institute for Quantitative ...

In the midst of the darkness, I am pleased to announce that UCLA will be hosting the upcoming Southern California Evolutionary Genetics (SCalE) conference on November 1! Registration & abstract submission is here: www.scalemeeting.org/home Deadline is October 13! Hope to see you at UCLA!

16.09.2025 16:47 πŸ‘ 24 πŸ” 14 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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πŸ“£Online now from @arundurvasula.bsky.social & co!
πŸ“„Pathway-specific polygenic scores substantially increase the discovery of gene-adiposity interactions impacting liver biomarkers
πŸ‘‰https://bit.ly/47HmkYW

12.09.2025 17:31 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Pathway-specific polygenic scores substantially increase the discovery of gene-adiposity interactions impacting liver biomarkers The authors describe a strategy for using pathway-specific polygenic scores to increase the detection and interpretability of gene-environment interactions, with an applied analysis uncovering genetic...

Our work on leveraging pathway-specific polygenic scores to discover gene-environment interactions is now online at HGG Advances (@hggadvances.bsky.social). 10/10 great review process!

www.cell.com/hgg-advances...
cc @kewesterman.bsky.social

12.09.2025 16:39 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Exposure accumulation drives age-dependent disease architectures and polygenic risk scores Our understanding of the dependence of the genetic and environmental architecture of common diseases on age is incomplete. Here, we use longitudinal data to quantify age-dependent genetic and environm...

Excited to share our latest manuscript, "Exposure accumulation drives age-dependent disease architectures and polygenic risk scores," led by Xilin Jiang: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

I am attempting an explainer thread for the first time here:
(I am usually too exhausted to post one)

02.09.2025 23:08 πŸ‘ 54 πŸ” 25 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 4

We regret to inform you we have returned to social media. Sorry.

12.09.2025 19:36 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1