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GidMK's profile
Health Nerd
Health Nerd
Health Nerd
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@GidMK

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Health NerdVerified account

@GidMK

Epidemiologist. Writer (Guardian, Observer etc). "Well known research trouble-maker". PhDing at @UoW Host of @senscipod Email gidmk.healthnerd@gmail.com he/him

Sydney, New South Wales
theguardian.com/profile/gideon…
Joined November 2015

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    1. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      5/n For example, this recent systematic review of seroprevalence studies found that even after including more than 400 pieces of research total there was insufficient evidence to infer a truly global estimatehttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00026-7/fulltext …

      3 replies 16 retweets 427 likes
      Show this thread
    2. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      6/n On the other side of the coin, there’s evidence that in some countries that the death figures from COVID-19 may underestimate the true toll by an order of magnitude (or more!) https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n334 …pic.twitter.com/RSZJXEiJCE

      9 replies 24 retweets 457 likes
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    3. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      7/n So I don't know if the primary purpose of this paper makes sense But what is it exactly? Well, it’s mostly a review of systematic reviewspic.twitter.com/sDUTgBUIMF

      4 replies 7 retweets 328 likes
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    4. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      8/n The author looks at each review and discusses his view on their limitations and successes, then concludes that the best estimate is his ownpic.twitter.com/FmYoX73sLx

      6 replies 18 retweets 491 likes
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    5. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      9/n He spends quite a bit of time on my and @LeaMerone's paper, arguing that we “cherry-picked” evidence to suit our conclusions and that our analysis methods are “overtly implausible”pic.twitter.com/IYmo9fuxZl

      4 replies 5 retweets 330 likes
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    6. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      10/n Now, one thing to note is that these are judgement calls rather than actual scientific critiques. We laid out our methodology quite transparently – saying that this is “implausible” is an opinion, not a fact

      1 reply 11 retweets 514 likes
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    7. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      11/n That being said, I disagree with many of these statements. For example, this passage argues that we excluded studies in “overtly biased ways” with these three pieces of researchpic.twitter.com/owWid1tW7s

      2 replies 5 retweets 314 likes
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    8. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      12/n I’m not sure how it is possible to say that something is “overtly biased” when it is transparent and open, but nevertheless there are quite obvious explanations for all of these things (that we give in the paper)

      4 replies 6 retweets 334 likes
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    9. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      13/n For example, this tabulated estimate includes studies that we reference elsewhere in the review, with 5 of these estimates ~included in our meta-analysis~ It would actually be BAD scientific practice to include these figures twice!pic.twitter.com/INsey09yZo

      3 replies 8 retweets 324 likes
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    10. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      14/n The paper which he co-authored is, I suppose, a matter for discussion – perhaps @LeaMerone and I were presumptuous in reading “selection bias is likely...” as an explicit warning against extrapolating to the entire population of LA County

      1 reply 5 retweets 292 likes
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      Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

      15/n There are also parts of this paper that are bizarre. It is, for example, not a strength of meta-research to include MORE studies. Indeed, the phrase “garbage in garbage out” is commonly used to describe analyses that do not attempt to exclude poorly-done studiespic.twitter.com/fmkl2t8JbP

      3:45 PM - 28 Mar 2021
      • 11 Retweets
      • 445 Likes
      • (((Asa Zernik))) Artis Schlossberg 🌻 Thatcher Ulrich Shelley DeVost lilo eec mariabeatricebelluco Atomsk's Sanakan Tom Morris
      3 replies 11 retweets 445 likes
        1. New conversation
        2. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          16/n I would argue that one of the biggest STRENGTHS of our meta-analysis was the time we spent EXCLUDING biased research, because as has now become fairly obvious these studies often overestimate seroprevalence in a population

          1 reply 10 retweets 458 likes
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        3. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          17/n But overall, I think that Prof Ioannidis' review really shows the issues with having people who have staked their reputation on an issue author perspective pieces on the issue. We all tend to think that our own research is the best

          1 reply 31 retweets 578 likes
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        4. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          18/n Now, to the personal attacks I must admit, I was quite shocked to read this published in a scientific paper I’m not going to go over them, but please do have a read in the paper itself (appendix 1)

          7 replies 12 retweets 522 likes
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        5. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          19/n For my followers who don’t publish academic research, it’s worth noting that these attacks not only were written by the author, but approved by at least one editor and (usually) 2-3 peers as well

          10 replies 20 retweets 673 likes
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        6. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          20/n I make no secret of my junior status (it’s there in my twitter bio and every paper I publish), but to say that my research is flawed because of it is a remarkable piece of gatekeeping and I think really quite harmful

          8 replies 30 retweets 1,106 likes
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        7. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          21/n It is also worth noting that while I am still doing my PhD, I have been working in public health for more than half a decade, because often the more sought-after qualification is an MPH not PhD

          6 replies 17 retweets 669 likes
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        8. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          22/n I appreciate the many wonderful people who have come to my defense against these attacks, but in all honesty it’s not me that I’m worried about. For better or worse, I have a large platform, and I’m not in any huge danger from a professor being publicly mean to mepic.twitter.com/94u313SGFy

          4 replies 11 retweets 517 likes
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        9. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          23/n But imagine, for a second, that I had not been in the news a bit and grown a social media platform. Imagine I was one of 1,000s of faceless PhD students watching a tenured professor at Stanford publicly defame one of their comrades It’s quite chilling

          10 replies 75 retweets 1,186 likes
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        10. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          24/n I may have the wherewithal to defend myself, and I’ll be writing to the journal, but the implication that PhD students have no place in scientific discourse, that their papers are worthless scientifically will, I think, have far greater ramifications

          6 replies 55 retweets 1,061 likes
          Show this thread
        11. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          25/n Imagine reading this as a PhD student at Stanford. This is a senior faculty member telling these students that no matter what work they do, their opinions will always come second to professors Not what I would hope the scientific discourse to be

          10 replies 65 retweets 979 likes
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        12. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          26/n This issue is not a new one by a long shot. @hertzpodcast covered the issues that PhD students face several times in great detail – I recommend you listenhttps://everythinghertz.com/96 

          1 reply 19 retweets 395 likes
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        13. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          27/n I could point out that our paper was reviewed by several very senior epis before we submitted it (including one of the most senior epis in Australia), but that they did not feel they contributed enough to add their names – perhaps this would’ve saved me a tongue-lashing

          2 replies 10 retweets 435 likes
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        14. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          28/n But the point is that we should not have to have Big Fancy Professors on our paper for it to be considered on its own merits. I’m sure we could have twisted our colleagues’ arms, but we did not think that a professor would stoop to our PhDs as a means of attack

          1 reply 18 retweets 643 likes
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        15. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          29/n I will be writing to the European Journal of Clinical Investigation. Given that the immediate past Editor In Chief was one professor John Ioannidis, I’m not sure it will do much good, but at least I will have my saypic.twitter.com/oJ6qTSvHoS

          3 replies 24 retweets 637 likes
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        16. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          30/n But for anyone reading this who is mentoring PhD students, particularly people at Stanford, I would suggest strongly that you check in and assure them that you do indeed find their opinions and perspectives useful

          3 replies 28 retweets 645 likes
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        17. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          Health Nerd Retweeted Atomsk's Sanakan

          31/n As to the paper itself? There are obviously more issues – covered here in depth by @AtomsksSanakan – but oddly enough there are also places where Prof Ioannidis and I agree about our paperhttps://twitter.com/AtomsksSanakan/status/1375935382139834373?s=20 …

          Health Nerd added,

          Atomsk's Sanakan @AtomsksSanakan
          1/J John Ioannidis published an article defending his low estimate of COVID-19's fatality rate. It contains so many distortions that I'll try something I've never done on Twitter for a paper: Go thru distortions page-by-page. This will take awhile. 😑 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eci.13554 … pic.twitter.com/AyV5RiwQnh
          Show this thread
          6 replies 11 retweets 337 likes
          Show this thread
        18. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          32/n Perhaps that is because many of the issues he raises about our meta-analysis are pointed out by ourselves in our discussion. Regardless, it would perhaps have been interesting to discuss these in the Journal if not for the unfortunate attacks

          1 reply 4 retweets 203 likes
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        19. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          33/n Oddly enough, I think that the personal nature of the attack has effectively “silenced” criticism, at least in the EJCI. I do not think I would ever trust the editors of a journal that published attacks such as this and I’m not going to submit an official letter in response

          5 replies 10 retweets 247 likes
          Show this thread
        20. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          34/n That being said, it’s worth noting that I’m not the only person being targeted here. @LeaMerone, my co-author and a spectacular public health physician, is also being derided for still working on her (I believe) 4th postgraduate degree

          3 replies 12 retweets 274 likes
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        21. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          35/n More broadly, I think that this sort of punching down is truly unacceptable in academic debate. It is unprofessional, unscientific, and quite depressing to see

          9 replies 21 retweets 416 likes
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        22. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          36/n Thanks again for every person who has reached out. I cannot express how much it means to me to have the support of such wonderful people as all of you ❤️

          15 replies 6 retweets 406 likes
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        23. Health Nerd‏Verified account @GidMK Mar 28

          37/ One other thing - I do not think it is reasonable to infer from Prof Ioannidis' behaviour to anyone else. I know some of his former colleagues and students and they are all lovely people and excellent researchers

          11 replies 2 retweets 205 likes
          Show this thread
        24. End of conversation

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