iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I’m really excited for this new development!

Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Creating a template on GitHub so I can run "quarto use template" when I am ready to start a new manuscript and writing a function that pulls references from PubMed into my references.bib file were probably my biggest workflow improvements.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

You can render to either a PDF or Word file. I created a template that I liked and saved it as a Quarto extension on GitHub so I can run "quarto use template" when I'm ready to start a new manuscript. github.com/bhelsel/quar...

github.com

GitHub - bhelsel/quarto-manuscript: A template for writing manuscripts with Quarto

A template for writing manuscripts with Quarto. Contribute to bhelsel/quarto-manuscript development by creating an account on GitHub.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The biggest takeaway? Your manuscript doesn’t have to be a single Word document. Writing, references, analysis, figures, tables, and formatting can all be connected into one reproducible workflow.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

5️⃣ CUSTOMIZE CITATION STYLE. Quarto supports a huge range of citation styles, and you can even edit the CSL file when you need something more specific.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

4️⃣ GENERATE FIGURES AND TABLES WITH CODE. Figures and tables are created directly from my analysis code. When I render the manuscript, publication ready image files are automatically created.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

3️⃣ WRITE SECTIONS INDEPENDENTLY. Instead of working in one massive document, I can write individual sections separately and have Quarto assemble them into the final manuscript. This makes it much easier to focus on one piece at a time.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

2️⃣ EASY RETRIEVAL OF REFERENCES. I wrote a function that queries the PubMed API and saves references directly to my bibliography file.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

1️⃣ SAVE YOUR FORMATTING. A Quarto extension lets me save manuscript formatting once and reuse it. No more repeatedly adjusting fonts, margins, headings, and other formatting details.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I just finished my first paper written entirely in Quarto, and it has changed how I think about the manuscript-writing process. If you’re not an #RStats or #Quarto user, the biggest benefit is that you can automate repetitive workflows. Here are 5 things that made my writing process more efficient.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I recently got a Rocketbook that lets you transcribe handwritten notes. It turns out you can write your notes using Markdown and then render it with #RStats. A customized script can also be set up to organize notes into folders and name the document using the first level-one heading and date.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

What if creating a manuscript title page took less than a minute? Here is a small web app that allows you to: + Store collaborators and their affiliations + Add guest authors not in your saved list. + Rearrange authors by dragging the "sticky notes" + Automatically generate numbered affiliations

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

We've heard from participants that receiving their results is a motivator for joining a study. The challenge was developing a process that could return results quickly while minimizing staff burden, integrating data from multiple systems, and remaining flexible to support multiple research studies.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

A development milestone that I'm proud to share is that we've now generated over 200 research disclosure reports for individuals with Down syndrome and their families! Each report is automatically generated through an R package (with Quarto) I've been developing over the past few years. #RStats

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Jan Broder Engler @jbengler.de · 31/05/2026

In case you ever wondered about the differences between magrittr pipe and base pipe 🤔 This table is taken from a great stackoverflow answer by @GeorgKindermann stackoverflow.com/questions/6763302… #rstats #dataviz #phd

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

I’m excited to meet this cohort of scientists committed to learning R. I’m especially looking forward to the diverse research interests this group will bring and seeing how participants use R to solve real-world problems in lifestyle and brain health research. #RStats

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Dreaming of a #Shiny app that turns report building into an interactive experience. Imagine being able to choose variables interactively, apply custom filters, edit variable labels, and then render the tables in a #Quarto report. #RStats

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

I’ve been experimenting with embedding a Shiny app directly inside my Quarto presentations. Instead of moving through static slides, the audience can now actively engage with data in real time. It changes the dynamic from “here’s what I found” to “let’s explore this together.” #RStats #Quarto

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Are you an early-career scientist working in lifestyle and brain health research? Learning R has helped me build practical, career-advancing programming skills that have strengthened my research. I'm leading a small group through the R for Data Science and Advanced R books this summer. Come join us!

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

The full code connects to a database via API, retrieving only the variables needed by parsing the equations from a csv file. It then either returns the data to R or writes it to an xlsx file — organized by cognitive test or site — to help address any incorrect values.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Recently had a great experience using {rlang} in #RStats. I had over 50 equations for scoring cognitive tests that needed checking across hundreds of participants. Instead of writing checks for each one, parse_expr + eval_tidy let me map through equations and flag discrepancies. A simple example:

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Haha, I’d love to see it! Maybe someday I’ll have that many but I’m dealing with 8 cores now.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Counting as high as you can in 10 seconds: Me: 41 R: 1,152,791 C++: 448,971,124 Same task. Very different speeds. Programming is fun. #RStats

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Reposted by Brian Helsel

Federica Gazzelloni @fgazzelloni.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

I’ve just published {typeR}, a small R package that lets you simulate live typing. It prints code To install: devtools::install_github("fgazzelloni/typeR") If you teach or demo R, I’d love your feedback on how it works for you. #rstats #rpackages

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Very nice! A clear example and better alternative to the one I posted so that only the needed branch is evaluated. Thanks for sharing the code!

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tj nightmahr 🧟‍♂️ @tjmahr.com · 03/02/2026

# tweak to avoid running both branches `%?%` <- function(test, yes) { t <- function() test y <- function() yes list(test = t, yes = y) } `%:%` <- function(lhs, no) { if (lhs$t()) lhs$y() else no } if (TRUE) 1 else 0 if (FALSE) stop() else 0 TRUE %?% 1 %:% stop() FALSE %?% stop() %:% 0

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

R is a flexible programming language. You can even shape function syntax to resemble other languages. Here is an example of a ternary style operator with infix functions—the same logic as ifelse. Is this something you need? Probably not. But it is fun to explore these ideas within your code. #RStats

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Yes, there are so many options! Thanks for all your work on the Rcpp package. I've enjoyed using it and learning more about C++.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

One of my favorite parts of R is that there are many paths to the same result. A simple task can be written with a for loop, the apply family, purrr, vectorized base R, or even Rcpp. The real skill isn’t memorizing syntax—it’s knowing when to choose each option. #RStats

An image of R code that shows different ways to the mean of a squared vector. The code uses a for loop, the apply family, purrr package, vectorized base R and a C++ function.

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Reposted by Brian Helsel

Ondrej Mottl 🌿💻📈🌍⏳ @ondrejmottl.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

I am always amazed by the amount of useful tools that R can provide. Truly a multipurpose programming language! #RStats

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

I’ve been experimenting with tidyverse and the idea of an interactive console for data exploration. This would let you quickly explore, filter, and summarize data without writing code. The idea is to support a fast, conversational-style data workflow, especially useful for early exploration. #RStats

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Jan Broder Engler @jbengler.de · 24/01/2026

tidyheatmaps.org just got a hex logo refresh 🤩 Happy heatmapping! #rstats #dataviz #phd

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

I found that I was rewriting the same R function to read in data for a research study. A function factory returns a function and allows you to reuse logic, creating consistent readers that still allow custom processing. Less duplication, clearer intent, and much easier to extend. #rstats

R Code Illustrating a Function Factory Example

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

I really like using air in Positron too! There have been a few instances where I didn’t like the formatting and found that adding # fmt: skip on the line above was an easy solution. It is also great at letting you know when you have a formatting error as nothing changes when you save it.

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Reposted by Brian Helsel

David Conroy @conroylab.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

We're hiring @umkines.bsky.social - two open searches for new faculty with expertise in the Social and Behavioral Science of Physical Activity (one open-rank tenure-line, one academic clinical asst/assoc). Details at myumi.ch/A1DDM

myumi.ch

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Truly a unique and innovative position! I don’t think I’ve seen a Data Science & AI focus within a Kinesiology program but it will be interesting to read the research that results from these hires.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

I’m always amazed by what you can do with maps in R. They’re not part of my everyday workflow, but I’ve started learning more and want to dive deeper.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

foundational to maintaining our physical and cognitive health as we get older. We are grateful for this opportunity to bridge research and real-world impact in partnership with the community. Read more about our project! frontiersctsi.org/news-events/...

frontiersctsi.org

Integrating Special Populations Trailblazer Award: Amy Bodde, Ph.D. and Brian Helsel, Ph.D.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

trials into an accessible, community-driven digital health tool that promotes healthy lifestyles for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our focus is on helping people get fit, move more, eat healthy, manage stress, sleep well, and stay connected. These areas are…

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Dr. Amy Bodde, PhD, MPH and I were recently awarded the Frontiers CTSI Integrating Special Populations Trailblazer Award to support our team’s work with the Community Health Improvement Program for Intellectual Disabilities (CHIP-ID). Through this project, we will translate evidence from clinical…

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

I was glad to be able to attend with a few people from our University of Kansas Medical Center team. The take home message from our workshop was that sleep and physical activity have an important role in brain health and that the whole day matters. So let’s move more, sit less, and sleep well!

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

I enjoyed presenting at the 2025 annual meeting for the National Down Syndrome Congress this year. The energy and excitement at this conference is unmatched! Presenting for families and self-advocates was an honor.

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

2. Weight loss may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s in adults with Down syndrome, tracking with brain & memory changes. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40545561/ 3. We share best practices for online exercise programs tailored to individuals with intellectual disabilities. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40492527/

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

New research published in the past month by team on physical activity, Alzheimer's, and Down syndrome: 1. A 12-month remote group exercise trial increased physical activity and fitness and showed promise for Alzheimer’s prevention in adults with Down syndrome. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40520478/

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

New pubication! Resting metabolic rate (RMR) equations often overestimate energy needs in adults with #DownSyndrome. Our study found that most equations over-predicted RMR, except the Bernstein fat-free mass equation, which showed statistical equivalency. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

A Comparison of Commonly Used Prediction Equations for Estimating Resting Metabolic Rate in Adults With Down Syndrome

Background Resting metabolic rate (RMR), the energy required by the body at rest, is the largest part of total daily energy expenditure. Commonly used prediction equations may overestimate RMR in ad.....

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

These findings emphasize the importance of tailored interventions to promote physical activity across different populations. Let’s work toward a future where everyone has access to movement-friendly environments! #DownSyndrome #Alzheimers #PhysicalActivity #InclusiveHealth

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Caregiver activity levels are linked to how much movement individuals with Alzheimer's disease get. Strength, aerobic fitness, and agility play a role in physical activity, and caregivers' movement patterns influence their loved ones. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

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Brian Helsel @bchelsel.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

New research from our team! Adults with Down syndrome (DS) who had congenital heart disease (CHD) may have low activity levels but not impaired cardiovascular fitness. Thus, we need for inclusive programs promoting movement regardless of CHD status! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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