Lauren Gonzalez
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lgonzalez.bsky.social
Lauren Gonzalez
@lgonzalez.bsky.social
180 followers 150 following 4 posts
Assistant Director of Scientific Communication at Yale's Graduate Writing Lab / Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. PhD from Yale Genetics. Loves talking about storytelling, data viz, developmental biology, RNA, faith & science, etc. She/her
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Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
hansonmark.bsky.social
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:

a 🧵 1/n

Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
A table showing profit margins of major publishers. A snippet of text related to this table is below. 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. A figure detailing the drain on researcher time. 1. The four-fold drain 1.2 Time The number of papers published each year is growing faster than the scientific workforce, with the number of papers per researcher almost doubling between 1996 and 2022 (Figure 1A). This reflects the fact that publishers’ commercial desire to publish (sell) more material has aligned well with the competitive prestige culture in which publications help secure jobs, grants, promotions, and awards. To the extent that this growth is driven by a pressure for profit, rather than scholarly imperatives, it distorts the way researchers spend their time. The publishing system depends on unpaid reviewer labour, estimated to be over 130 million unpaid hours annually in 2020 alone (9). Researchers have complained about the demands of peer-review for decades, but the scale of the problem is now worse, with editors reporting widespread difficulties recruiting reviewers. The growth in publications involves not only the authors’ time, but that of academic editors and reviewers who are dealing with so many review demands. Even more seriously, the imperative to produce ever more articles reshapes the nature of scientific inquiry. Evidence across multiple fields shows that more papers result in ‘ossification’, not new ideas (10). It may seem paradoxical that more papers can slow progress until one considers how it affects researchers’ time. While rewards remain tied to volume, prestige, and impact of publications, researchers will be nudged away from riskier, local, interdisciplinary, and long-term work. The result is a treadmill of constant activity with limited progress whereas core scholarly practices – such as reading, reflecting and engaging with others’ contributions – is de-prioritized. What looks like productivity often masks intellectual exhaustion built on a demoralizing, narrowing scientific vision. A table of profit margins across industries. The section of text related to this table is below: 1. The four-fold drain 1.1 Money Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis, which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024 alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher (Elsevier) always over 37%. Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor & Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year. The costs of inaction are plain: wasted public funds, lost researcher time, compromised scientific integrity and eroded public trust. Today, the system rewards commercial publishers first, and science second. Without bold action from the funders we risk continuing to pour resources into a system that prioritizes profit over the advancement of scientific knowledge.
November 11, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
genetics-gsa.bsky.social
Curious how scientists influence policy? Join @abankston.bsky.social on Nov 13, 12–1 p.m. EST, for "From the lab to the legislature" and learn how your research experience can drive change in Congress. Register now: buff.ly/kDO5sln 🔗
October 29, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
rachelzamzow.bsky.social
Excited to join this conversation with @needhibhalla.bsky.social, @richardsever.bsky.social & @gabestein.com! We'll be talking about open science's role in public trust in science and how journalists and scientists can adapt to changes in academic publishing.
shorensteincenter.org/new-event/ca...
How Can Open Science Practices Increase Trust In Research? | Shorenstein Center
Join representatives from each stage of open science for a frank discussion of how each part of the publishing process must adapt to make sure open science advances not just science itself, but societ...
shorensteincenter.org
September 24, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
socdevbio.bsky.social
Applications are now open for the 2026 SDB Science Communication Internship. Graduate student and postdoc members of the Society for Developmental Biology are eligible to apply. Deadline: August 15. Learn more: www.sdbonline.org/science_comm...
SDB logo, Science Communication Internship, Apply Now SDB trainees (graduate students and postdocs) gain practical writing skills, mentoring, and the opportunity to work with the SDB community. Engage, Build Relationships, Create Content Program Features 1-on-1 with writing faculty mentors Monthly virtual team meetings 3 writing projects per year Receive credit through bylines 1 year program, renewable $500 support to attend SDB meeting Application Deadline: August 15
July 23, 2025 at 7:51 PM
lgonzalez.bsky.social
🌟 New podcast alert! 🌟 In “The Write In: Grad Student Narratives,” PhD students share tips for navigating grad school & grad-level writing. 3 short & sweet episodes out now - designing writing practices for your style and deadlines, crafting your career path, and finding your perfect lab.
Logo for “The Write In: Grad Student Narratives” podcast, featuring a pen writing in an open book and a glowing lightbulb above that book.
July 23, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
mariamhincapie.bsky.social
I’m so happy to share a project very close to my ❤️ launching this September: Atlas de Científicxs Latinoamericanxs que Inspiran ✨
We’re currently collecting nominations!
This atlas spotlights researchers from LATAM who trained in the North & returned home to lead labs. Here’s why this matters 🧵👇
July 3, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
neillewisjr.bsky.social
We're hiring!

academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/30219

The Cornell Department of Communication is hiring an Assistant Professor in Science, Environment, and Risk Communication!

Applications received by September 15, 2025, will be given full consideration.
Cornell University, Department of Communication
Job #AJO30219, WDR-00053939 Assistant Professor in Science, Environment, and Risk Communication, Department of Communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, US
academicjobsonline.org
July 15, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
princess-vimentin.bsky.social
Featuring @isakoditomassi.bsky.social
🧪 The McClintock Letters is getting the attention it needs.

Graduate students facing uncertainty as a result of Trump’s cuts want to draw attention to the disruptive research funding cuts by writing local Op Eds.

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/s...
To Protest Budget Cuts, Young Scientists Try Letters to the Editor
www.nytimes.com
June 17, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
angelaandersen.bsky.social
Opportunity Alert for Scientists Facing Unfair, Systemic Barriers!

Apply for a Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion award & receive in-depth feedback on a manuscript, grant proposal, or job application.

We have three great awardees this year - could YOU be next? 😊
lifescienceeditors.org/apply/
Apply for a JEDI Award - Life Science Editors Foundation
“Before this backlash worsens, DEI advocates, the scientific community, universities, and federal agencies need to collectively call out the dangers of setting aside DEI and come up with robust ways t...
lifescienceeditors.org
June 4, 2025 at 8:48 PM
lgonzalez.bsky.social
“‘The genome is a really big place…It kind of feels like detective work because you’re trying to see where in this really big space it’s telling us to be human.’ By tweaking bits of human and chimp DNA so they behave more like their counterparts—a sort of genetic Freaky Friday—Reem can do just that”
caleb-m-gordon.bsky.social Caleb M. Gordon @caleb-m-gordon.bsky.social · May 28
Hey BlueSky! Want to learn more about some almost literally mind-bending brain research being done by @noonanlab.bsky.social?

Check out the story below for one scientist's perspective on the importance of basic scientific research and the pursuit of open-ended questions about what makes us human.
Hybrid brains and the search for what makes us human - the Node
It lives. It lives! What lives, you may ask? Well, somewhere in a lab at Yale University, one young scientist has stuck human brain cells and chimp brain
thenode.biologists.com
June 2, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
joshuasweitz.bsky.social
The National Science Foundation marks its 75th anniversary this week.

Rather than celebrate, it's time to save it.

www.savensf.com/nsf-at-75-to...
NSF at 75 years, image of planetary shapes and starlight
May 9, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
jpflores.rbind.io
Decided to drop a big op-ed project to help in this effort instead! (Sorry for those heavily invested lol 😬)

Super collaborative effort from STUDENTS @ Cornell, Penn, UNC, UCLA, UAB, Hopkins, Georgetown, UCSF, Stanford, Yale, Florida, Notre Dame, Cold Springs Harbor & more

@sciforgood.bsky.social
cornellasap.bsky.social Cornell Advancing Science and Policy Club (ASAP) @cornellasap.bsky.social · Apr 21
Federal research cuts impact local economies, and stall progress.

Publish an opinion piece in your hometown paper on June 16th to SPREAD THE WORD about how scientific research contributes to the everyday health and wealth of the general public.

#McClintockLetters

blogs.cornell.edu/asap/events-...
April 22, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
cantlonlab.bsky.social
Join us! Science Homecoming helps scientists reconnect with communities by writing about the importance of science funding in their hometown newspapers. We’ve mapped every small newspaper in the U.S. and provide resources to get you started. Help science get back home 🧪🔬🧬 🏠

sciencehomecoming.com
Science Homecoming
sciencehomecoming.com
February 18, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
mariahhoye.bsky.social
#neuroscience #metasci #science

📢 Calling all early-career scientists who are trying to change the culture of science and promote more rigorous research practices:

The NINDS Office of Research Quality just launched the NINDS Early-Career Rigor Champions Prize:

www.challenge.gov?challenge=ni...
An image with dark blue and turquoise brushstrokes with 3 yellow arrows on the left and an image of The Thinker on the right. In the top left is the logo: NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. In the center is the text, which increases in size as it descends: Early-Career Rigor Champions Prize. In the top right is the text: 2025.
January 6, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
skypeascientist.bsky.social
Scientists!

We are trying to get 1000 of us into the volunteer database by Jan 1.

You'll be volunteering to speak with classrooms over video chat about your work, and answer their questions! You can volunteer for up to 5 sessions per semester.

Sign up here! www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html
a graphic that says Scientists we need you, then an old school rotary phone that has a speech bubble saying "talk with classrooms across the globe" and a bulleted list Volunteer for 1-5 Q&As per semester Get matched with the right teacher for you via email 35+ categories of scientist, from squid to space It’s free for teachers" and then "sign up at skypeascientist.com"
December 30, 2024 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Lauren Gonzalez
the-node.bsky.social
Are you a #DevBio/#StemCell researcher and keen to do more #SciComm?

We're looking for new correspondents to work together with the Node team to develop and produce content over the coming year. We're open to any ideas💡

📅Apply by 20 Jan

Find out more:
thenode.biologists.com/become-a-nod...
Become a Node correspondent! Are you passionate about developmental and stem cell biology, writing, and communicating science? Apply to join the team.
December 28, 2024 at 3:28 PM