Kiersten Stead

Scientist entrepreneur investing in the world I want to live in, and a bit of spam for my friends

[Dr. Angela Rasmussen @angie_rasmussen]

Hey this reminds me of that time CBER Director Vinay Prasad forced FDA scientists to withdraw a manuscript on a similar topic from the journal I edit. Now it’s Podcast Jay’s turn!

The actual standards for Gold Standard Science are unclear besides “vaccines bad, corruption good”

[Scott Gottlieb, MD 🇺🇸 @ScottGottliebMD]

New study has strengthened link between infectious mono and Multiple Sclerosis. By analyzing 2 decades of health records, researchers found people who contracted mono as teenagers or adults were 3x more likely to develop MS later vs those who didn’t

https://t.co/6DLZMEWyU6

[Jonathan Wosen, Ph.D. @JonathanWosen]

@statnews conducted a national survey of NIH-funded researchers and found that, a year after Trump's return, many scientists are reeling, with some closing labs entirely. ‘This is like the Titanic,' one respondent told me. For full details, see our story
https://t.co/2SlWv4jfWj

[Pearl Freier @PearlF]

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb ('17-'19) told CNBC's @BeckyQuick at CNBC's rare disease summit that FDA has lost 40% of the oncology review staff for new cancer drugs. Was 100 reviewers & now below 60. He said this could lead to increase in CRLs in '26 $IBB $BBC $XBI

[Kiersten Stead @2kstead]

The FDA of today is missing deadlines and slowing research👇the threat of losing leadership in #biotech nicely described by @fjeg1987 of @8vc

[Select Committee on China @ChinaSelect]

💊 “Without bold action, we face an existential threat to one of the greatest innovation engines in human history.” – @8vc's Dr. Francisco Gimenez warns Congress that China is already disrupting U.S. biotech.

📈 From $3.2T in economic output to 10M jobs supported, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

[PNASNews @PNASNews]

Concentrations of toxic lead in modern hair samples are 100 times lower than samples from before the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. Average lead values fell from around 50 ppm in the 1970s to less than 1 ppm in 2020. In PNAS: https://t.co/hx8jXGJTsb

[Scott Gottlieb, MD 🇺🇸 @ScottGottliebMD]

My Op Ed in Today's @PostOpinions "The long-lasting effects of viruses — and the anti-vaccine movement. For some people, a viral infection can have devastating long-term effects."

https://t.co/lbPSaBikxv

[Ian Copeland, PhD @IanCopeland5]

Antivaxxers have some explaining to do.

In this four-year mRNA safety study from France, which includes:

• 23 million vaccinated people
• 6 million unvaccinated people
• Ages 18–59

Vaccinated individuals had a significantly lower all-cause mortality rate, as well as lower COVID-19 death and disease rates, compared to unvaccinated individuals.

This included lower rates of:

• Cancer
• Pregnancy complications
• Birth defects
• Heart problems
• Mental disorders

So it appears that the antivaxxers were wrong yet again.

Further evidence that mRNA vaccines are safe and effective.

Let’s see whether they will acknowledge this data — or continue to deny it and lie.

@MakisMedicine
@MaryBowdenMD
@stkirsch
@BretWeinstein

I'm talking to you...

https://t.co/GIaPS1514b

#MedTwitter
#MedEd
#ClinicalTwitter
#Residency
#MedEd

[Kiersten Stead @2kstead]

Ug Sad for @lindseyvonn

[Matthew Herper @matthewherper]

I don't know how to ask for a moment of silence amid the madness that is X.

But please take a moment to reflect on the heroism of William Foege.

Foege, who died Saturday at 89, was a key architect of the eradication of smallpox using the vaccine. This is one of humanity's great victories over a terrible disease and a triumph of science. If you haven't, go order or download his book, "House on Fire," which chronicles that epic fight. He was head of the CDC from 1977 to 1983.

He was a towering, six-foot-seven reminder that rationality can win against scourges that have beset mankind for all of history.

[Kiersten Stead @2kstead]

Wastewater analysis is way more interesting than i want it to be

[Marc Johnson @SolidEvidence]

This is cool, the KC zoo only has 1 or 2 hippos, but we've detected them in KC wastewater 9 times.

Usually I get in trouble when I talk about detecting individuals from wastewater, I hope they don't feel like I've invaded their privacy.

[Sabanto @SabantoAg]

Contrary to popular belief, autonomy isn't a feature. It's a structural change to the equipment industry. #CapExKiller #BuiltByFarmers

[Brian S. Kim @itchdoctor]

This is something I talk about a lot now. For our lab, proprietary know-how derives from decades of negative data. Not positive data. Positive data is always public domain and low value. Negative data is buried in lab notebooks, not peer reviewed, not even accessible by AI, and is what avoids pitfalls in future work and drug development and clinical trials. This should be in the blockchain.

[Kiersten Stead @2kstead]

@AndrewE_Dunn Abcellera is generally believed to be the first AI/ ML backed antibody drug approved

[Simon Maechling @simonmaechling]

A massive global review just confirmed it.

Clinical trials + real-world data from 132 million people across the globe.

The HPV vaccine doesn’t just reduce cervical cancer.
It almost eliminates it.

Yes, you read that right.

Girls vaccinated before 16 have an 80% lower risk of cervical cancer.

Not a small reduction. Not “maybe.”
Eighty percent.

The protection isn’t only for the cervix.

HPV causes cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva, mouth, throat - the vaccine blocks the virus before the damage ever starts.

This isn’t one study. It’s Cochrane, the gold standard of independent science.

They analyzed clinical trials + real-world data from 132 million people across the globe.

Not pharma PR.
Not a lab press release.
Global. Independent. Verified.

The #1 fear? Side effects.
Here’s what the data says:

Arm soreness? Sure.
Serious complications? No evidence.

Rare side effects? Same rate as unvaccinated people.
Translation: social media invented the danger.
Cochrane couldn’t find it.

Lawsuits against HPV vaccines?
Courts dismissed claims as “speculative inferences.”
Translation: conspiracy theories don’t hold up under evidence.

Meanwhile, cervical cancer kills 350,000 women every year.

Mostly young women. Mostly preventable.

We don’t need more fear.
We need more vaccination.

And yes - boys should get the vaccine too.
HPV doesn’t only cause cancer in women.
Vaccinating boys protects everyone.

Some countries are on track to eliminate HPV cancers entirely.

Others are falling behind because misinformation spreads faster than vaccines.
That shouldn’t be our legacy.

We already have the tool to end cervical cancer.
Not reduce it. End it.

The only thing standing in the way is fear.

Science isn’t asking for blind trust.
It’s showing its receipts.

Stop sharing rumors.
Start preventing cancer.

[DCVC Bio @DCVCBio]

How is Grove Biopharma archi­tecting its way around traditional drug limits? Learn from @DCVCBio principal Dr. Emily Park and managing partner @2kstead 👇 (link in 🧵)

[DCVC Bio @DCVCBio]

Very exciting progress from Latus Bio! Read more from @DCVCBio Managing Partner @2kstead--link below 👇

[Josh Wolfe @wolfejosh]

Divest or delete TikTok. Holy moly.

[Kiersten Stead @2kstead]

This dog is a pirate. @SabantoAg must recruit.

[Kiersten Stead @2kstead]

Augmented RNA reality is emerging! @creyonbio has the ability to program­mat­i­cally engineer knowably safe and effective siRNAs, ASOs, and other oligo therapies to unlock a huge range of therapeutic advances👇
https://t.co/z5bvIpKRrH