Kayla Demarest

@open_phil | @mcgillu alum | ex-@idinsight | fan of Irish goodbyes followed by thank you notes. tweets mine, rts ≠ endorsements

[Jacob Trefethen @JacobTref]

I'm joining the OpenAI Foundation to lead the Life Sciences & Curing Diseases program.

We're starting with three areas of grantmaking:

* AI for Alzheimer's
* Public Data for Health
* Accelerating Progress on High-Mortality and High-Burden Diseases

Time to get to work!

[Kayla Demarest @KaylaDemarest]

that feeling when you’re at a bar and just know you’re watching a work function hit the point of no return

[Alexander Berger @albrgr]

.@coeff_giving directed over $1b in 2025, the most in our history.

I wrote a more personal annual letter this year, focusing on what a decade of grantmaking has taught me, how I'm thinking about AI, and how we're grappling with giving at this scale. 🧵

[brit @booritney]

kindness toward beginners when you are an expert is a sign of good character

[Otis Reid @otis_reid]

Cool story about snakebite in the @nytimes — high burden and very limited work on it overall. Finding more universal antivenin and/or drugs that help slow or limit venom effects is high return and something @coeff_giving is working on (gift link in next post)

[Alec Stapp @AlecStapp]

The world is a museum of passion projects.

[Michael Nielsen @michael_nielsen]

US spending on new data centers is set to outpace spending on new office space:

[Alexander Berger @albrgr]

Some news: Open Philanthropy is now Coefficient Giving! Our mission is unchanged but the new name reflects our growing work with other donors to multiply the impact of their giving.

🧵 on our work to make philanthropy a more efficient "market" and plans going forward:

[Alec Stapp @AlecStapp]

In rich countries, people spend less than 10% of their money on food.

In poor countries, people spend more than 50% of their money on food.

[Alexander Berger @albrgr]

New in the NYT: pesticides like paraquat cause >100k deaths to suicide per year, and means restriction works - following bans in China, their pesticide suicide rate fell ~60%. Props to @jsnwden and @GiveWell for their early work here; @open_phil is proud to continue it.

[Alexander Berger @albrgr]

Cool to see Cari and Dustin highlighted in TIME100 Philanthropy today. They don't toot their own horns much, but they've given over $4b so far - I believe they're the youngest billionaires to have given such a high proportion of their wealth away.

[Alexander Berger @albrgr]

Big announcement today from @billgates that he'll sunset his foundation in 20 years. I think he and the Gates Foundation get more credit than any other individual or foundation for the massive reduction in child mortality over the last 25yrs - very excited to see their final 20!

[Kayla Demarest @KaylaDemarest]

amplifying this article from @IDinsight on which countries will need the most funding support following the usaid cuts!

https://t.co/8Z5UqiOPxE

[Sharon Yang @sharonjqyang]

TB is one of the deadliest infectious diseases on earth –killing 1 million+ every year.

@open_phil has long supported TB vaccine research, including Dr. Sarah Fortune's.

This week, we were able to step in on 24 hrs notice to ensure her work continues >>
https://t.co/ORUdRTuZWN

[Deena Mousa (SF June 22-26) @deenamousa]

New post about a few "big if true" health interventions that might be much more important than we think. They’re strange, they’re striking - and they need more research.

[Ken Opalo @kopalo]

What competition? There is no competition.

Which African countries trade more with the U.S. vs China? via @carnegieafrica

[Kayla Demarest @KaylaDemarest]

feeling nj proud of @CoryBooker !!

[Aaron Rupar @atrupar]

Booker: "I confess that I have been imperfect. I confess that I've been inadequate to the moment. I've confess that the Democratic Party has made terrible mistakes that gave a lane to this demagogue. I confess we all must look in the mirror and say 'we will do better.'"

[Kayla Demarest @KaylaDemarest]

got to see @ezraklein and @DKThomp talk about Abundance today with @deenamousa! i’m in for more science, more housing, and more clean energy!

[Matt Clancy @mattsclancy]

A kind of different essay from my usual in the Works in Progress substack today. https://t.co/9USyFNwzLF

[Kayla Demarest @KaylaDemarest]

just got called maam by a little kid. please no one talk to me for the next three hours while i go and mourn my youth