Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson

Great healthcare system. Good preventative healthcare system. Access to fish. You watch any kind of wild animal show these days and the world isn't so friendly anymore for animals. It's getting harder and harder for wildlife.

Great healthcare system. Good preventative healthcare system. Access to fish. You watch any kind of wild animal show these days and the world isn't so friendly anymore for animals. It's getting harder and harder for wildlife.

Great healthcare system. Good preventative healthcare system. Access to fish. You watch any kind of wild animal show these days and the world isn't so friendly anymore for animals. It's getting harder and harder for wildlife.

That's a good question. I do think there are things, there are studies that have shown that there were times that dolphins might have lived slightly longer, like maybe a few years, but nothing on the average like what we're seeing at the Navy. So there I was, right? So taking care of this older geriatric dolphin population.

That's a good question. I do think there are things, there are studies that have shown that there were times that dolphins might have lived slightly longer, like maybe a few years, but nothing on the average like what we're seeing at the Navy. So there I was, right? So taking care of this older geriatric dolphin population.

That's a good question. I do think there are things, there are studies that have shown that there were times that dolphins might have lived slightly longer, like maybe a few years, but nothing on the average like what we're seeing at the Navy. So there I was, right? So taking care of this older geriatric dolphin population.

And what we started seeing, Mark, was an increase in that some of the dolphins were developing aging-associated diseases. like chronic inflammation, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, and even the full suite of changes consistent with Alzheimer's. And what was really important was that some of the dolphins were developing these conditions, which has now culminated in what we understand

And what we started seeing, Mark, was an increase in that some of the dolphins were developing aging-associated diseases. like chronic inflammation, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, and even the full suite of changes consistent with Alzheimer's. And what was really important was that some of the dolphins were developing these conditions, which has now culminated in what we understand

And what we started seeing, Mark, was an increase in that some of the dolphins were developing aging-associated diseases. like chronic inflammation, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, and even the full suite of changes consistent with Alzheimer's. And what was really important was that some of the dolphins were developing these conditions, which has now culminated in what we understand

now understand as a syndrome, that some dolphins were developing this and others were not. So we were able to go in, use metabolomics, which is this advanced technology to study thousands of small molecules.

now understand as a syndrome, that some dolphins were developing this and others were not. So we were able to go in, use metabolomics, which is this advanced technology to study thousands of small molecules.

now understand as a syndrome, that some dolphins were developing this and others were not. So we were able to go in, use metabolomics, which is this advanced technology to study thousands of small molecules.

Yeah, exactly, in the blood. And we had this amazing archived inventory of dolphin serum. Look at those molecules in their blood and in their all-fish diet. to find which small molecules predicted the healthiest aging dolphins, we expected omega-3s to be at the tip top of the list.

Yeah, exactly, in the blood. And we had this amazing archived inventory of dolphin serum. Look at those molecules in their blood and in their all-fish diet. to find which small molecules predicted the healthiest aging dolphins, we expected omega-3s to be at the tip top of the list.

Yeah, exactly, in the blood. And we had this amazing archived inventory of dolphin serum. Look at those molecules in their blood and in their all-fish diet. to find which small molecules predicted the healthiest aging dolphins, we expected omega-3s to be at the tip top of the list.

And instead it was C15, which none of us even knew what C15 was, but pentadecanoic acid was the top predictor of healthy aging dolphins. So that was 10 years ago and what started the next 10 years of research now over 100 papers on C15.

And instead it was C15, which none of us even knew what C15 was, but pentadecanoic acid was the top predictor of healthy aging dolphins. So that was 10 years ago and what started the next 10 years of research now over 100 papers on C15.

And instead it was C15, which none of us even knew what C15 was, but pentadecanoic acid was the top predictor of healthy aging dolphins. So that was 10 years ago and what started the next 10 years of research now over 100 papers on C15.

Right, right. So the first important discovery that we made, and this was alongside Dr. Ed Dennis, who's a leader in fatty acids. So he was the editor-in-chief for the Journal for Lipid Research for 15 years. And when we first made the discovery of C15 association, right, because in the dolphins, this was just association with better health.

Right, right. So the first important discovery that we made, and this was alongside Dr. Ed Dennis, who's a leader in fatty acids. So he was the editor-in-chief for the Journal for Lipid Research for 15 years. And when we first made the discovery of C15 association, right, because in the dolphins, this was just association with better health.