Giorgio Gilestro
@giorgio.gilest.ro
Associate Professor at Imperial College London. Geek. Curious. Opinionated.
https://lab.gilest.ro | lab website, science blog
https://giorgio.gilest.ro | politics and science comms
https://drosophila.social/@giorgiogilestro | mastodon
https://lab.gilest.ro | lab website, science blog
https://giorgio.gilest.ro | politics and science comms
https://drosophila.social/@giorgiogilestro | mastodon
Pinned
Giorgio Gilestro
@giorgio.gilest.ro
· Feb 26
Why do we need to sleep?
Humans spend one-third of their life sleeping, yet the purpose and function behind this regular state of unconsciousness remains a biological mystery. Sleep researcher Giorgio Gilestro is trying to un...
www.kcur.org
Wanna learn what we know about why we need to sleep? Here's a fun podcast I recorded for the excellent @npr.org "Seeking a scientist" show, conducted by Kate the Chemist. Enjoy!
@imperiallifesci.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
www.kcur.org/podcast/seek...
@imperiallifesci.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
www.kcur.org/podcast/seek...
Technically, a bruise is a form of internal bleeding
January 14, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Technically, a bruise is a form of internal bleeding
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
Excited to return to Lisbon this June for the epic 3-week Cajal course on Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and VR! 🐀🐟🪰🏃♀️🎥🖥📈🧪
Applications are open through Feb 13! Come join us.
cajal-training.org/on-site/quan...
Applications are open through Feb 13! Come join us.
cajal-training.org/on-site/quan...
January 14, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Excited to return to Lisbon this June for the epic 3-week Cajal course on Quantitative Approaches to Behavior and VR! 🐀🐟🪰🏃♀️🎥🖥📈🧪
Applications are open through Feb 13! Come join us.
cajal-training.org/on-site/quan...
Applications are open through Feb 13! Come join us.
cajal-training.org/on-site/quan...
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
Breaking News: The EPA will stop considering lives saved when setting pollution limits and instead calculate only the cost to businesses.
E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved by Limiting Air Pollution
In a reversal, the agency plans to calculate only the cost to industry when setting pollution limits, and not the monetary value of saving human lives, documents show.
nyti.ms
January 12, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Breaking News: The EPA will stop considering lives saved when setting pollution limits and instead calculate only the cost to businesses.
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
Strange isn't it... the people who actually live in London overwhelmingly think it's safe.... almost like everyone else is falling for a lie
I wonder what Londoners know that the rest of the country don’t?
January 11, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Strange isn't it... the people who actually live in London overwhelmingly think it's safe.... almost like everyone else is falling for a lie
I tried hard to get my employer to close their X account, months ago. Their very underwhelming answer was something of the line: "we have received no instructions from the govt that we should discontinue X". If the govt took action, many in the UK would follow.
January 9, 2026 at 5:45 PM
I tried hard to get my employer to close their X account, months ago. Their very underwhelming answer was something of the line: "we have received no instructions from the govt that we should discontinue X". If the govt took action, many in the UK would follow.
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
A friend in Minneapolis just sent me this video. Looks like thousands have come together for a vigil after an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. This was my neighborhood for several years before coming to Portland.
January 8, 2026 at 1:05 AM
A friend in Minneapolis just sent me this video. Looks like thousands have come together for a vigil after an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. This was my neighborhood for several years before coming to Portland.
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
I don't know who needs to hear this, but cops are not allowed to shoot people just because you didn't do what they said.
That is called murder when they do that.
Some cops are working hard to convince people otherwise.
That is called murder when they do that.
Some cops are working hard to convince people otherwise.
January 8, 2026 at 5:35 AM
I don't know who needs to hear this, but cops are not allowed to shoot people just because you didn't do what they said.
That is called murder when they do that.
Some cops are working hard to convince people otherwise.
That is called murder when they do that.
Some cops are working hard to convince people otherwise.
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
Right after Renée Good’s disgusting murder, a ICE goon was filmed kicking her memorial candles.
Absolutely vile.
Absolutely vile.
January 8, 2026 at 12:04 PM
Right after Renée Good’s disgusting murder, a ICE goon was filmed kicking her memorial candles.
Absolutely vile.
Absolutely vile.
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
Just seen Grok putting the body of the victim of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis into a bikini. Digital corpse desecration now available to the public.
January 8, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Just seen Grok putting the body of the victim of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis into a bikini. Digital corpse desecration now available to the public.
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
I appreciate a lot of us will think "they've always been like this" but the utter moral decay on the right in the last few years has been notable.
A shift from love the sinner, hate the sin fig leaf to "yeah, kill she/her, haha, pronouns in bio."
A shift from love the sinner, hate the sin fig leaf to "yeah, kill she/her, haha, pronouns in bio."
Jesse Watters highlights that Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by ICE, had "pronouns in her bio" and "leaves behind a lesbian partner and a child from a previous marriage"
January 8, 2026 at 9:28 AM
I appreciate a lot of us will think "they've always been like this" but the utter moral decay on the right in the last few years has been notable.
A shift from love the sinner, hate the sin fig leaf to "yeah, kill she/her, haha, pronouns in bio."
A shift from love the sinner, hate the sin fig leaf to "yeah, kill she/her, haha, pronouns in bio."
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
Jesse Watters highlights that Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by ICE, had "pronouns in her bio" and "leaves behind a lesbian partner and a child from a previous marriage"
January 8, 2026 at 3:49 AM
Jesse Watters highlights that Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by ICE, had "pronouns in her bio" and "leaves behind a lesbian partner and a child from a previous marriage"
This is 3 weeks old but explains very well (without saying it) why the move in Venezuela is particularly bad news for Canada. It disarms Carney and opens the narrative to Canada annexation once again.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgwn...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgwn...
The real reason Venezuela matters
YouTube video by Sky News
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:41 PM
This is 3 weeks old but explains very well (without saying it) why the move in Venezuela is particularly bad news for Canada. It disarms Carney and opens the narrative to Canada annexation once again.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgwn...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgwn...
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
The IMF and the World Bank are quoting Gramsci www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/b...
December 19, 2025 at 12:42 PM
The IMF and the World Bank are quoting Gramsci www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/b...
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
Exactly. You're being asked to review because you're considered an expert, not because you're good at using ChatGPT.
If this keeps going, grant awarding bodies will just stop bothering with experts and do the AI review in-house, and we'll all be so much worse off.
If this keeps going, grant awarding bodies will just stop bothering with experts and do the AI review in-house, and we'll all be so much worse off.
Just decline the peer review invitation.
What are you people even doing?
What are you people even doing?
More than half of researchers now use AI for peer review — often against guidance
A survey of 1,600 academics found that more than 50% have used artificial-intelligence tools while peer reviewing manuscripts.
www.nature.com
December 16, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Exactly. You're being asked to review because you're considered an expert, not because you're good at using ChatGPT.
If this keeps going, grant awarding bodies will just stop bothering with experts and do the AI review in-house, and we'll all be so much worse off.
If this keeps going, grant awarding bodies will just stop bothering with experts and do the AI review in-house, and we'll all be so much worse off.
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
🧠🪰 The adult Drosophila brain connectome now gives us a complete wiring diagram of ~140k neurons. But a wiring diagram alone isn’t understanding.
How is this massive network organized?
Our paper tackles that question by mapping community structure across the entire fly brain. 1/
How is this massive network organized?
Our paper tackles that question by mapping community structure across the entire fly brain. 1/
New lab paper - will say more about this in a little while
December 15, 2025 at 3:11 PM
🧠🪰 The adult Drosophila brain connectome now gives us a complete wiring diagram of ~140k neurons. But a wiring diagram alone isn’t understanding.
How is this massive network organized?
Our paper tackles that question by mapping community structure across the entire fly brain. 1/
How is this massive network organized?
Our paper tackles that question by mapping community structure across the entire fly brain. 1/
That'd be hardly anyone left! A C1 English proficiency is equivalent to a grade 9 in GCSE. About 3-5% of students achieve that.
December 10, 2025 at 11:36 AM
That'd be hardly anyone left! A C1 English proficiency is equivalent to a grade 9 in GCSE. About 3-5% of students achieve that.
It makes it clear that immigrants are never going to be as good as native. They must speak English better than a native, earn more than 90% of natives, volunteer, and what else? Starmer's approval is lower than even Truss or Johnson ever was, and it can only go down. And it will.
December 10, 2025 at 11:24 AM
It makes it clear that immigrants are never going to be as good as native. They must speak English better than a native, earn more than 90% of natives, volunteer, and what else? Starmer's approval is lower than even Truss or Johnson ever was, and it can only go down. And it will.
Ashamed of the British government today. Once again politicians are ready to hurt the country's economy and social cohesion in order to try and get some more votes. Labour, like Tories, choose their seat first, putting the country second. This will be incredibly damaging in real terms and reputation
December 10, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Ashamed of the British government today. Once again politicians are ready to hurt the country's economy and social cohesion in order to try and get some more votes. Labour, like Tories, choose their seat first, putting the country second. This will be incredibly damaging in real terms and reputation
Want to carry a PhD in London, in one of the best Universities in the world?
We have two calls for PhD students to join our lab at Imperial College. Deadline January 12th. More details for applications in the link below. Feel free to keep in touch!
We have two calls for PhD students to join our lab at Imperial College. Deadline January 12th. More details for applications in the link below. Feel free to keep in touch!
Available Jobs – gilestro laboratory
lab.gilest.ro
December 5, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Want to carry a PhD in London, in one of the best Universities in the world?
We have two calls for PhD students to join our lab at Imperial College. Deadline January 12th. More details for applications in the link below. Feel free to keep in touch!
We have two calls for PhD students to join our lab at Imperial College. Deadline January 12th. More details for applications in the link below. Feel free to keep in touch!
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
BBC News - Top UK scientist says research visa restrictions endanger economy
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Top UK scientist says research visa restrictions endanger economy
Prof Sir Paul Nurse says the UK is "shooting itself in the foot" with its visa system for researchers.
www.bbc.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:35 AM
BBC News - Top UK scientist says research visa restrictions endanger economy
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
US national security strategy.
Something sure is unrecognisable here, but it’s not Europe.
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
Something sure is unrecognisable here, but it’s not Europe.
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
December 5, 2025 at 5:06 AM
US national security strategy.
Something sure is unrecognisable here, but it’s not Europe.
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
Something sure is unrecognisable here, but it’s not Europe.
www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
Just to clarify: your collaboration prompted the piece but I wanted to try and make a general point because I believe this is likely to grow beyond biorxiv and beyond qed and I could see journals using this "under the table".
December 3, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Just to clarify: your collaboration prompted the piece but I wanted to try and make a general point because I believe this is likely to grow beyond biorxiv and beyond qed and I could see journals using this "under the table".
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
A timely opinion piece on AI in reviewing by European Drosophila Board member Giorgio Gilestro.
@nature.com asked me to write an op-ed on the perspective of the AI reviewing process, prompted by the recent partnership between @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social and @qedscience.bsky.social
Hope my perspective adds value to the conversation.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Hope my perspective adds value to the conversation.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
AI reviewers are here — we are not ready
Artificial intelligence promises rapid and polite feedback on papers — but we must first review the reviewer.
www.nature.com
December 3, 2025 at 3:40 PM
A timely opinion piece on AI in reviewing by European Drosophila Board member Giorgio Gilestro.
I would not be so categorical. I think the potential is there but as with everything we do with AI it needs to be assessed and possibly even benchmarked.
December 3, 2025 at 3:39 PM
I would not be so categorical. I think the potential is there but as with everything we do with AI it needs to be assessed and possibly even benchmarked.
Reposted by Giorgio Gilestro
Artificial intelligence promises rapid and polite feedback on papers — but we must first review the reviewer. This stand first says it all…
A timely World View Colin in our pages by Giorgio Gilestro
🧪 #academicSky
@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
A timely World View Colin in our pages by Giorgio Gilestro
🧪 #academicSky
@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
AI reviewers are here — we are not ready
Artificial intelligence promises rapid and polite feedback on papers — but we must first review the reviewer.
www.nature.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Artificial intelligence promises rapid and polite feedback on papers — but we must first review the reviewer. This stand first says it all…
A timely World View Colin in our pages by Giorgio Gilestro
🧪 #academicSky
@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
A timely World View Colin in our pages by Giorgio Gilestro
🧪 #academicSky
@nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...