Valentina Di Santo
@vdisanto.bsky.social
Comparative physiologist and biomechanist studying fish locomotion at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego 🌊🦈🐟🐠🐡
www.valentinadisanto.com
www.valentinadisanto.com
Pinned
1/8 For years, it’s been assumed that when fishes hover in open water, they’re just resting. Our new @pnas.org paper shows otherwise: hovering can double metabolic costs compared to true rest in near-neutrally buoyant fishes. Here’s what we found: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
a 🧪 🧵..
a 🧪 🧵..
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Please repost!
Drexel announced that it will close the Academy of Natural Sciences public museum- the oldest nat history museum in the US.
There are 2 petitions to support the academy. Please sign both & come to our rally Tues.
actionnetwork.org/petitions/pe...
www.change.org/p/the-academ...
Drexel announced that it will close the Academy of Natural Sciences public museum- the oldest nat history museum in the US.
There are 2 petitions to support the academy. Please sign both & come to our rally Tues.
actionnetwork.org/petitions/pe...
www.change.org/p/the-academ...
September 5, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Please repost!
Drexel announced that it will close the Academy of Natural Sciences public museum- the oldest nat history museum in the US.
There are 2 petitions to support the academy. Please sign both & come to our rally Tues.
actionnetwork.org/petitions/pe...
www.change.org/p/the-academ...
Drexel announced that it will close the Academy of Natural Sciences public museum- the oldest nat history museum in the US.
There are 2 petitions to support the academy. Please sign both & come to our rally Tues.
actionnetwork.org/petitions/pe...
www.change.org/p/the-academ...
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Keep making noise, it’s working! www.inquirer.com/education/ac...
Academy of Natural Sciences and Drexel University reach tentative terms on the academy’s future
Patricia “Trish” Wellenbach, the city's deputy mayor and former president of the Please Touch Museum, will be senior adviser to the Academy of Natural Sciences. She's on loan from the mayor's office.
www.inquirer.com
September 2, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Keep making noise, it’s working! www.inquirer.com/education/ac...
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
It appears that the oldest natural history institute in the United States - the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia - is closing. A real shame and not something I fully understand or can comprehend. #naturalhistory #museums
drexel.edu/news/archive...
drexel.edu/news/archive...
Preserving the Academy of Natural Sciences' Legacy and Collections for the Future
As part of this broader effort and following careful consideration, grounded in deep respect for the Academy’s extraordinary legacy, Academy and Drexel leadership have made the difficult decision to c...
drexel.edu
September 1, 2026 at 7:15 PM
It appears that the oldest natural history institute in the United States - the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia - is closing. A real shame and not something I fully understand or can comprehend. #naturalhistory #museums
drexel.edu/news/archive...
drexel.edu/news/archive...
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Come be my colleague!! 🎉 We’re hiring an Assistant Professor in Developmental Biology at UCSD! If you’re doing exciting work in development or regeneration, come join us!!
Please spread the word and apply!
apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04591
Please spread the word and apply!
apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04591
Assistant Professor of Developmental Biology
University of California, San Diego is hiring. Apply now!
apol-recruit.ucsd.edu
September 2, 2026 at 3:25 AM
Come be my colleague!! 🎉 We’re hiring an Assistant Professor in Developmental Biology at UCSD! If you’re doing exciting work in development or regeneration, come join us!!
Please spread the word and apply!
apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04591
Please spread the word and apply!
apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04591
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
The Cost of Free Labor:
Will Nature Ever Pay for Peer Review?
Will Nature Ever Pay for Peer Review?
July 2, 2026 at 3:52 AM
The Cost of Free Labor:
Will Nature Ever Pay for Peer Review?
Will Nature Ever Pay for Peer Review?
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Paying peer reviewers works. Benefits authors, editors & reviewers. Hopefully other journals will try this.
A biology journal trialled paying their reviewers and found it led to faster first editorial decisions – and increased review quality.
go.nature.com/446SaLu
go.nature.com/446SaLu
Why paying peer reviewers works, according to a journal’s editor-in-chief
A biology journal which paid peer reviewers found that the approach cut the time to a first editorial decision by 85% and maintained high-quality reviews.
go.nature.com
July 1, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Paying peer reviewers works. Benefits authors, editors & reviewers. Hopefully other journals will try this.
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Q&A story by @nature.com on how @biologyopen.bsky.social found that paying reviewers cut time to first decisions by 85% while maintaining or even improving review quality.
Q&A 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Pre-print 🔗: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Q&A 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Pre-print 🔗: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
July 2, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Q&A story by @nature.com on how @biologyopen.bsky.social found that paying reviewers cut time to first decisions by 85% while maintaining or even improving review quality.
Q&A 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Pre-print 🔗: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Q&A 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Pre-print 🔗: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Apply to be a reviewer at Biology Open
To expand the Fast & Fair peer review experiment to more subject areas, @biologyopen.bsky.social are inviting researchers to join their peer reviewer pool. Find out more and apply at
To expand the Fast & Fair peer review experiment to more subject areas, @biologyopen.bsky.social are inviting researchers to join their peer reviewer pool. Find out more and apply at
BiO - Fast and fair peer review
Biology Open – Fast & Fair peer review To accelerate our publication process, we are testing an initiative that prioritises fast but fair peer review. This approach pays reviewers (220 GBP per…
www.biologists.com
June 15, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Apply to be a reviewer at Biology Open
To expand the Fast & Fair peer review experiment to more subject areas, @biologyopen.bsky.social are inviting researchers to join their peer reviewer pool. Find out more and apply at
To expand the Fast & Fair peer review experiment to more subject areas, @biologyopen.bsky.social are inviting researchers to join their peer reviewer pool. Find out more and apply at
Introducing the undulating tripod gait, the walking strategy used by many fishes. We tracked the fishes, built a model, a robot, and found that 3 body segments, 2 fins, and friction are all it takes. No specialized anatomy required. Out today in Nature Communications www.nature.com/articles/s41...
June 2, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Introducing the undulating tripod gait, the walking strategy used by many fishes. We tracked the fishes, built a model, a robot, and found that 3 body segments, 2 fins, and friction are all it takes. No specialized anatomy required. Out today in Nature Communications www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Zebrafish <5 days post fertilisation are used in large numbers in experiments. The impact of a range of anaesthetics was investigated so researchers can make scientifically informed anaesthesia choices. Thanks to lead author Sylvia Dimitriadou #3Rs #fishsci
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Evaluating Anesthetics for Improving Scientific Research and Welfare Using Larval Zebrafish
Using physiological and behavioral assays, we quantified the effectiveness and appropriateness of six commonly used fish anesthetics on zebrafish embryos. Different anesthetics performed better under...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 20, 2026 at 5:28 AM
Zebrafish <5 days post fertilisation are used in large numbers in experiments. The impact of a range of anaesthetics was investigated so researchers can make scientifically informed anaesthesia choices. Thanks to lead author Sylvia Dimitriadou #3Rs #fishsci
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Fish have served as models to understand how organ systems both allow and respond to exercise for almost a century. In their SI Commentary, Lauder & co suggest 6 outstanding questions that remain unanswered in fish locomotion
doi.org/10.1242/jeb....
doi.org/10.1242/jeb....
April 17, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Fish have served as models to understand how organ systems both allow and respond to exercise for almost a century. In their SI Commentary, Lauder & co suggest 6 outstanding questions that remain unanswered in fish locomotion
doi.org/10.1242/jeb....
doi.org/10.1242/jeb....
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Tierney Thys was truly an amazing advocate for the oceans and for the wonderful ocean sunfish, Mola mola, and its relatives. A grad school friend in the Wainwright lab at Duke, truly saddened to hear that she is gone. Great tribute by her sister. 🐟🧪🌿🦑
thys-danielle.medium.com/the-ocean-le...
thys-danielle.medium.com/the-ocean-le...
The Ocean Legacy of National Geographic Explorer Dr. Tierney Thys
In Memoriam
thys-danielle.medium.com
April 1, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Tierney Thys was truly an amazing advocate for the oceans and for the wonderful ocean sunfish, Mola mola, and its relatives. A grad school friend in the Wainwright lab at Duke, truly saddened to hear that she is gone. Great tribute by her sister. 🐟🧪🌿🦑
thys-danielle.medium.com/the-ocean-le...
thys-danielle.medium.com/the-ocean-le...
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
🏅Congratulations to Scripps marine biologist @vdisanto.bsky.social on being named a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow! Her research explores how fish move through changing oceans. Meet other @ucsandiego.bsky.social scientists who earned the @sloanfoundation.bsky.social honor. ⤵️
Four UC San Diego Faculty Earn Prestigious 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships
UC San Diego faculty members Valentina Di Santo, Fleur Ferguson, Mattia Serra and Hao Zhang have been named 2026 Sloan Research Fellows. The four scientists represent UC San Diego’s Halıcıoğlu Data Sc...
today.ucsd.edu
February 19, 2026 at 6:40 PM
🏅Congratulations to Scripps marine biologist @vdisanto.bsky.social on being named a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow! Her research explores how fish move through changing oceans. Meet other @ucsandiego.bsky.social scientists who earned the @sloanfoundation.bsky.social honor. ⤵️
Fish use more energy to stay still than previously thought
theconversation.com/fish-use-mor...
theconversation.com/fish-use-mor...
Fish use more energy to stay still than previously thought
Fish that appear to hang motionless in water are working harder than expected.
theconversation.com
February 19, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Fish use more energy to stay still than previously thought
theconversation.com/fish-use-mor...
theconversation.com/fish-use-mor...
Honored to be named a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow @sloanfoundation.bsky.social. Grateful to my students, collaborators, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography @scrippsocean.bsky.social community as we work to understand the mechanics and energetics of animal locomotion. #SloanFellow
February 17, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Honored to be named a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow @sloanfoundation.bsky.social. Grateful to my students, collaborators, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography @scrippsocean.bsky.social community as we work to understand the mechanics and energetics of animal locomotion. #SloanFellow
Congrats, Neil! @neilshubin.bsky.social
Neil H. Shubin has been elected as the next NAS President! A leading evolutionary biologist and science communicator, Shubin will succeed Marcia McNutt on July 1. The Academy also named Cherry Murray as International Secretary and elected new councilors. Read more: www.nasonline.org/news/2026_pr...
February 5, 2026 at 1:08 AM
Congrats, Neil! @neilshubin.bsky.social
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
"Alex Kleytman, an 87-year-old Ukrainian Holocaust survivor, was celebrating Hanukkah with his wife of 57 years, Larisa Kleytman, also a Holocaust survivor, when the attack began. He was killed while shielding Larisa from the bullets with his own body."
www.timesofisrael.com/chabad-rabbi...
www.timesofisrael.com/chabad-rabbi...
Chabad rabbis, Holocaust survivor, 10-year-old among victims of Sydney terror attack
At least 15 people were killed when two gunmen opened fire on 'Chanukah by the Sea' event at Bondi Beach. These are some of their stories
www.timesofisrael.com
December 15, 2025 at 1:18 PM
"Alex Kleytman, an 87-year-old Ukrainian Holocaust survivor, was celebrating Hanukkah with his wife of 57 years, Larisa Kleytman, also a Holocaust survivor, when the attack began. He was killed while shielding Larisa from the bullets with his own body."
www.timesofisrael.com/chabad-rabbi...
www.timesofisrael.com/chabad-rabbi...
💔
Rob Reiner, who died yesterday, built a remarkable acting and directing career that went far beyond his comic origins. David Sims on his quiet brilliance and always-surprising versatility: theatln.tc/naZHqbaY
December 15, 2025 at 5:29 PM
💔
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
426.40 parts per million (ppm) CO2 in air 14-Dec-2025
keelingcurve.ucsd.edu
keelingcurve.ucsd.edu
The Keeling Curve
The Keeling Curve is a daily record of global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration maintained by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
keelingcurve.ucsd.edu
December 15, 2025 at 5:19 PM
426.40 parts per million (ppm) CO2 in air 14-Dec-2025
keelingcurve.ucsd.edu
keelingcurve.ucsd.edu
Reposted by Valentina Di Santo
Bruce Collette is a national treasure!🐟
60 Years of Research on Tunas — and Not Done Yet! Dr. Bruce Collette, Retired Research Associate
YouTube video by Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
www.youtube.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Bruce Collette is a national treasure!🐟
Finally!
BREAKING: This is huge news, the EU's equivalent of the 🇺🇸Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
www.reuters.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Finally!
When oxygen becomes very low, do schools fall apart, or do fish change how they swim to maintain the formation? We tested this in a new project just published in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics:
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...
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iopscience.iop.org
November 22, 2025 at 11:15 PM
When oxygen becomes very low, do schools fall apart, or do fish change how they swim to maintain the formation? We tested this in a new project just published in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics:
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...