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Li Zhao

@lizhao.bsky.social
580 followers 436 following 41 posts

Associate Professor at the Rockefeller University. We study gene origination, molecular evolution, and the genetic basis of adaptive traits.

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Reposted by Li Zhao
Graham Coop @gcbias.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I’m looking to hire an NIH funded postdoc to join our lab here at Davis (please RT). Ongoing areas of interest include: 1) polygenic signals of selection from time series, ARGs, GWAS, etc 2) The interpretation of GWAS, polygenic scores, & sources of confounding
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Dan Schrider @samurscicop.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Please circulate: I will have a postdoc opening soon, ideally with a start date sometime this summer or fall. If you're interested in empirical population genetics, computational methods development, and/or evolutionary modeling via simulation, don't hesitate to reach out. For more info on the lab:
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
In our recent paper in PLoS Computational Biology, we used AlphaFold2 Multimer to predict the structural details of ~28,000 protein-protein interactions from high-confidence STRING pairs in Drosophila, and identified interesting patterns in disordered regions. journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org
A predicted structural interactome reveals binding interference from intrinsically disordered regions
Author summary Understanding which proteins interact with each other and how they interact is essential for uncovering fundamental biology and for identifying new pathways involved in health and disea...
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
We wrote a review on using machine learning to study evolutionary genetics and molecular evolution in Trends in Genetics. It is open access—please take a look if you are interested in this topic www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @cp-trendsgenetics.bsky.social
sciencedirect.com
Machine learning for evolutionary genetics and molecular evolution
Over the past decade, the rapid expansion of large-scale data and advances in computational power have allowed machine learning (ML), especially deep …
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Reposted by Li Zhao
Jun Ishigohoka @junishigohoka.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Strain variation identifies a neural substrate for behavioral evolution in Drosophila
Sexual selection acts on heritable differences within species, driving the parallel diversification of signal production in one sex and behavioral res…
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Reposted by Li Zhao
Nature Reviews Genetics @natrevgenet.nature.com · 29/01/2026
De novo genes arise from previously non-coding sequences. This evolutionary path — when randomly expressed sequences become folded and active proteins — challenges our understanding of genetic innovation. New Review by @bornberglab.bsky.social and @lacholt.bsky.social out now!
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Very excited to share the work by Alice Gadau. We found that D. suzukii (the invasive pest that loves ripe fruit) doesn’t hate CO₂, while classic lab flies avoid it. That tiny sensory shift helps explain a big ecological transition. journals.plos.org/plosgenetics...
journals.plos.org
Molecular evolution of CO2-sensing ab1C neurons underlies divergent sensory responses in the Drosophila suzukii species group
Author summary Animals rely on their senses to locate food sources and identify suitable reproductive sites in their environment. Closely related species can evolve strikingly different preferences as...
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Reposted by Li Zhao
Molly Przeworski @mollyprz.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Registration for the 2026 NY Area Population Genetics meeting is now open, at events.simonsfoundation.org/e0mEoL?rt=8k.... Registration is free but required; if you are submitting an abstract, note that the deadline is *January 30th*.
events.simonsfoundation.org
Home - NY Population Genetics meeting
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Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Fly Friends: The Larry Sandler Award recognizes the PhD student with the most amazing these using Drosophila as a model. Just three days left to nominate someone. For more info on the process and the link to nominations, see: genetics-gsa.org/drosophila-2...
Dear Mark,

Only three days left to nominate for the Larry Sandler Award! The award recognizes excellent recent graduates who have completed a PhD in Drosophila research. The awardee will receive a fantastic opportunity to present the Larry Sandler Memorial Lecture at the 67th Annual Drosophila Research Conference in Chicago, IL!

The deadline to nominate is Monday, December 15, 2025. 

Nominate Here
For more information visit the website.
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Our NY area population genetics meeting is back and "upgraded", as Simons Foundation @simonsfoundation.org generously agreed to host. Please save the date: March 9, 2026. Look forward to seeing many of you from NY and beyond.
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Reposted by Li Zhao
The Rockefeller University @rockefeller.edu · 18/08/2025
We are deeply saddened to share that our friend and colleague Jim Hudspeth passed away on Saturday. We will remember and continue to be inspired by Jim’s integrity, his humility, and his unwavering commitment to discovery.
rockefeller.edu
A. James Hudspeth, neuroscientist who unlocked secrets of hearing, has died - News
A. James Hudspeth, a Rockefeller neuroscientist who discovered how sound waves are converted into electrical signals in the ear's cochlea, died Saturday at his home in Manhattan. A pioneering scientist and dedicated mentor, he was the university's F.M. ...
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Ben Hopkins @brhopkins92.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
I am delighted to be starting as an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology at the University of Florida in January 2026. The lab is broadly interested in the functional, developmental, and evolutionary genetics of cell types and organs across flies and beyond 🪰🧬
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
Our latest paper is out: rdcu.be/ev6Ym — one of my favorite projects. It began about 8 years ago when Nobel laureate Torsten Wiesel asked me: what transcription factors regulate new genes? I had no idea then. Now we have some answers.
rdcu.be
Gene regulatory networks and essential transcription factors for de novo-originated genes
Nature Ecology & Evolution - A combination of computational methods applied to single-cell RNA sequencing data and genetic experiments shows that a small number of transcription factors are...
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Jae Young Choi @jychoi.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
I'm very excited to share a new method my grad student @linhngk.bsky.social and I have developed. Here's Topsicle a new computational method for analyzing long read sequencing data and estimate telomere length. Please see our preprint or this thread for detail! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Topsicle: a method for estimating telomere length from whole genome long-read sequencing data
Telomeres protect chromosome ends and its length varies significantly between organisms. Because telomere length variation is associated with various biomedical and eco-evolutionary phenotypes, many b...
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Reposted by Li Zhao
The Rockefeller University @rockefeller.edu · 14/07/2025
Rockefeller's @lizhao.bsky.social has spent nearly a decade cataloguing evolutionarily young genes. Now, complementary studies in @pnas.org and @natecoevo.nature.com are the first to demonstrate how these new genes are regulated and expressed.
rockefeller.edu
How new genes get switched on - News
Scientists discovered an identical neural circuit that operates differently in male and female mice.
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
If you are an SMBE member and received the election email (it may have gone to your junk folder), I would be honored if you would consider voting for me for councilor. You may also choose to vote for other scientists, and I encourage you to participate in the election. Thank you!
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Casey Dunn @caseywdunn.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
I hope to take a PhD student in the coming application cycle. Please reach out if you are interested in joining our lab in EEB at Yale, especially if interested in working on the natural history/ phylogenetics/ morphology/ population biology/ development/ genomics of siphonophores. dunnlab.org
dunnlab.org
The Dunn Lab
Casey Dunn's laboratory in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University.
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Marc Robinson-Rechavi @marcrr.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Postdoc job opportunity! We're looking for ECR in evolutionary genomics to study the relation between intra-specific gene expression variability, polymorphism, and macro-evolutionary rates. We have the data in 3 fishes & amphioxus, just waiting for your expertise and enthusiasm! tinyurl.com/3aewk286
tinyurl.com
Opportunités de carrière : Postdoctoral position in evolutionary genomics (22280)
Saisissez une liste de termes, que nous allons rechercher dans le titre du poste et sa description. \nAstuces\xa0:\n\nNous rechercherons tous les mots figurant dans la recherche.\nLes r\xe9sultats…
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Reposted by Li Zhao
The Vallee Foundation @valleefoundation.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Congratulations to Feng Zhang (Vallee Scholar 2013) (Broad Inst, MIT, HHMI Investigator) who received an honorary doctorate from Duke University on Sunday! today.duke.edu/2025/04/duke...
today.duke.edu
Duke to Award Three Honorary Degrees at 2025 Commencement Ceremony | Duke Today
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
I’m very glad to share our recent publication @pnas.org , led by UnJin Lee from our lab at @rockefelleruniv.bsky.social : pnas.org/doi/10.1073/.... In this work, he 1) developed a method to efficiently compare single-cell RNA-seq data from rapidly evolving tissues across multiple species, and
pnas.org
Comparative single-cell analysis of transcriptional bursting reveals the role of genome organization in de novo transcript origination | PNAS
Spermatogenesis is a key developmental process underlying the origination of newly evolved genes. However, rapid cell type–specific transcriptomic ...
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 09/04/2025
We are witnessing the destruction of science in America | Paul Darren Bieniasz
theguardian.com
We are witnessing the destruction of science in America | Paul Darren Bieniasz
If we stay on this administration’s course, future life-saving medicines may never be invented
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Matthew Herron @matthewherron.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
I lost my job at the National Science Foundation yesterday, along with 167 of my colleagues, including some dear friends. This was the best job I've ever had, and I thought it would be my last. The PI community has been sympathetic and supportive, without exception. I will miss working for you.
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Genetics Society of America @genetics-gsa.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
We're excited to announce the 2025 Larry Sandler Award recipient, @peiwei-chen.bsky.social 🎉 This award recognizes students completing a PhD in Drosophila research. Dr. Chen will present the Larry Sandler Memorial Lecture on evolutionary innovation in genome defense at #Dros25 in March. 1/3🧵
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Wanhe Li @xseedling.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Dear All, I believe that this thread will become one of my most important contributions to the fly field (I hope I will make other contributions)! Here, I introduce the Soy Milk Machine Fly Food Method, a.k.a., DeepCook!#Drosophila#NewPI
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
So sad to hear of the passing of Scott Hawley. In 2008, Michael Ashburner, Scott Hawley, and Casey Bergman held a Drosophila genetics and genomics course in China. This course was instrumental in shaping me as a junior researcher, and I am forever grateful about this eye-opening experience.
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Yoav Gilad @ygilad.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
My book, An Intuitive Primer on Effective Functional Genomics Study Design, is published! I’d really appreciate it if you could help spread the word, and I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. I hope people will find it useful. It’s available on Amazon: tinyurl.com/mx2hewen
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Matt Rockman @wormsrock.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Undergrads: apply to NYU's Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Biology! 10 weeks of research in a structured setting, featuring terrific mentors, exciting biology, housing in New York, and a stipend. as.nyu.edu/biology/outr...
as.nyu.edu
Simons Foundation-NYU Biology Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Abstract submission for SMBE2025 in Beijing is open. If you study gene duplication or new genes, please consider submitting an abstract for a talk for Symposium 7, The Origin, Evolution, and Phenotypic Contributions of New Genes. smbe2025.scimeeting.cn/en/web/index.... Deadline is Jan 30, 2025.
smbe2025.scimeeting.cn
SMBE 2025 - Annual Meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution, 2025
2025年国际分子与生物进化,在线会议,会议直播平台,网络会议直播,美迪康会务通,学术会议管理系统,会议活动管理,注册签到管理,会场幻灯片传输转播,PPT传输,会议网络直播,电子壁报管理系统,医学会,会员管理系统
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Dear Drosophila PIs, Please consider nominating your excellent recent graduate students for the Larry Sandler Award. The required materials are straightforward: their CV, thesis abstract, and your letter. genetics-gsa.smapply.io/prog/larry_s...
genetics-gsa.smapply.io
Larry Sandler Award Dros25 - Genetics Society of America
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Nicolas Svetec, David Begun, and I wrote a review article about de novo genes. If you are interested in this topic please take a look at this final open-access version at AnnualReviews www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
When I feel discouraged by the immigration policy, I often find comfort in watching Yo-Yo Ma and his sister's performance for President Kennedy - and the introduction by Leonard Bernstein. Share this with those who might also like it www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiwk...
youtube.com
7-Year-Old Cellist Prodigy Yo-Yo Ma's Debut Performance for President JFK | The Kennedy Center
YouTube video by The Kennedy Center
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 13/06/2024
I am very glad to share a perspective from our lab, led by the talented postdoc UnJin Lee, w help from Shawn Mozeika academic.oup.com/gbe/article/.... We proposed a regulation-focused cultivator model for de novo gene evolution in this work.
academic.oup.com
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 23/05/2024
Hello @elife.bsky.social and colleagues who have published papers in eLife under the new model. A bioRxiv reference we cited in our manuscript is "published" in eLife in Dec 2023 but is not indexed in NCBI. Is this the new normal for elife papers or the authors omission of certain steps? Thanks
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 30/01/2024
Do de novo-originated proteins have a stable structure? If so, what do they look like, and how do they evolve? I am thrilled to introduce one of our most proud work: www.nature.com/articles/s41... led by the excellent Junhui Peng!
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 26/10/2023
Nature Reviews Genetics editors asked me to write about an inspiring article, and one immediately came to my mind. Whether you've read the original article or not, I hope you'll take 5-10 minutes to read my professional and personal perspective rdcu.be/dpwTH . Weblink: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Li Zhao @lizhao.bsky.social · 26/10/2023
Very proud to share our new study on the evolution of genomic regulatory regions in Drosophila species. Sam Khodursky, Eric Zheng and the lab studied sequence determinants underlying chromatin accessibility using deep neural networks genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10..... #DeepLearning
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