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"River Building" is approved by community board

by ZACH VEILLEUX The university’s formal application for city zoning approval to build a 160,000 square foot laboratory building over the FDR Drive has been approved by Community Board 8, a key step in the city’s multi-agency review of the project. The “River Building” proposal grew out ...

Tim O’Connor named VP and chief of staff

by ZACH VEILLEUX When Timothy P. O’Connor left his faculty position in the department of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in 2009, it was for an opportunity he couldn’t pass up — to be associate provost for science and technology at Yale University. He would be a key part of ...

New faculty member studies ribosome structure

by ZACH VEILLEUX Sebastian Klinge, named to Rockefeller’s faculty in June as its newest tenure-track member, is a biochemist and structural biologist interested in understanding the ribosome, the cell’s protein factory. Dr. Klinge’s laboratory, the Laboratory of Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemi...

John Tooze, VP of scientific and facility operations, retires

by LESLIE CHURCH John Tooze, known as much for his wry British wit as for the immense role he’s had in shaping the university’s scientific infrastructure over the last eight years, retired from his position as vice president of scientific and facility operations in May 2013. Dr. Tooze leaves a...

Events celebrate longtime employee service at Rockefeller

Several ceremonies were held last year to commemorate years of service to the university by Rockefeller employees. In November, 33 members of the university were celebrated for 10 years of service. And in May, an Employee Recognition Reception was held to honor 31 employees who have worked at Roc...

New university Board members have backgrounds in medicine and finance

by LESLIE CHURCH The university’s Board of Trustees elected three new members in 2013: Anna Chapman, a psychiatrist in private practice in New York; Elizabeth Rivers Curry, founder and managing director of Eagle Capital Management, an investment firm; and Jonathan M. Nelson, chief executive offi...

James Simons honored with Life Trusteeship; Pat Rosenwald voted Emeritus Trustee

by LESLIE CHURCH The Rockefeller Board of Trustees has conferred its highest honor — one that has been given only twice previously — on James Simons, the philanthropist, mathematician and investment manager who has served on the univeristy’s Board since 2000. For his exceptional service to Roc...

Psychologist and author Kay Redfield Jamison awarded 2012 Lewis Thomas Prize

by LESLIE CHURCH There has always been a fine line between madness and genius. As a clinical psychologist, Kay Redfield Jamison has been able to examine that line from a scientific perspective; and as a writer, she has shared both her scientific and personal findings on mental illness with the pu...

Obituaries

Grant Martin Grant Martin, a research assistant in Paul Greengard’s lab, died unexpectedly at age 26 on July 26. Mr. Martin joined the Greengard lab in 2010 and worked under the supervision of Yong Kim, where he managed the lab’s microscopy facilities. His research interests were in Alzheimer...

Milestones

Awarded: Titia de Lange, the 2013 Jill Rose award from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, in recognition of her fundamental contributions to research on telomeres and their relationship to aging and cancer. The award was presented at the foundation’s annual symposium and awards luncheon in Ne...

Michael A. Foley named director of Tri-I Therapeutics Discovery Institute

Michael A. Foley, an accomplished chemist and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of industry and academic experience, has been named director of the new Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, a pioneering collaboration of Weill Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University an...

Rockefeller scientists among those involved in search for Higgs boson

This week’s announcement that two physicists have received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of the Higgs boson is also a victory for thousands of scientists, including more than 2,000 from the United States, who worked to collect data and analyze results from particle collisions con...

Trio of New York biomedical institutions join forces to accelerate drug development

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University and Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that they have formed the pioneering Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, Inc. (Tri-I TDI) and have partnered with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd. This new, grou...

Structural biologist, interested in ribosome assembly, to join Rockefeller faculty

At the heart of the central dogma of biology — that DNA makes RNA and RNA makes proteins — is the ribosome. Ribosomes serve as a cell’s protein factories, linking amino acids together into complex proteins according to instructions encoded in the cell’s messenger RNAs. It’s a process that ...

Convocation 2013

The 2013 Convocation awarded 17 Ph.Ds to Rockefeller graduate fellows, bringing the total number of Rockefeller alumni to 1,127. Although rain in the early afternoon forced the cancellation of the traditional academic procession from Weiss to Caspary Auditorium, it did not dampen spirits. Followi...

David Rockefeller Fellowship awarded to neuroscientist Jason Pitts

by LESLIE CHURCH Jason Pitts wasn’t entirely sure what to do with his life after graduating from college, back in 2008. So like any good scientist facing a big question, he came up with a series of experiments. Mr. Pitts tested out several careers — from medicine to teaching to pharmaceuticals ...

Coming soon, to The David Rockefeller Graduate Program

As the graduating class of 2013 moves on to the next stages of life and career, the Rockefeller community welcomes the incoming group of graduate fellows. There were 719 applications received this year, and after careful consideration by the admissions committee, 69 applicants were offered admiss...

Four leaders in science and philanthropy given honorary degrees

by LESLIE CHURCH At this year’s Convocation ceremony, honorary degrees were awarded to four proponents of basic science who have made invaluable contributions to science, through research and philanthropy. Günter Blobel, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Professor at Rockefeller; Paul Greengard, Vincent A...

Marraffini and Tavazoie recognized for excellence in teaching

Two Rockefeller faculty members were honored at the Convocation luncheon with this year’s Distinguished Teaching Awards: Assistant Professor Luciano Marraffini and Leon Hess Assistant Professor Sohail Tavazoie. It is the 10th year that the awards, which recognize excellence in and dedication to t...

Pinar Ayata

Pinar Ayata Presented by Nathaniel Heintz B.S., Sabanci University Decoding 5hmC as an Active Chromatin Mark in the Brain and its Link to Rett Syndrome           As I stand here before you, I feel a real sense of pride in Pinar Ayata’s achievements. This young woman has so many facets ...

Nicole Bowles

Nicole Bowles Presented by Bruce S. McEwen B.A., New York University Cannabinoid CB1R Receptor Mediates Metabolic Syndrome in Models of Circadian and Glucocorticoid Dysregulation           Nicole Bowles graduated from New York University in May 2008 with a B.S. in chemistry and minor in m...

Fabio Casadio

Fabio Casadio Presented by C. David Allis B.S., M.S., University of Bologna Discovery and Characterization of Methylation of Arginine 42 on Histone H3: A Novel Histone  Modification with Positive Transcriptional Effects           Fabio Casadio came to my lab from Italy, which is relevant...

Emily Conn Gantman

Emily Conn Gantman Presented by Robert B. Darnell B.A., University of Pennsylvania RNA Dynamics in T Cell Activation             Emily Conn Gantman came to The Rockefeller University as an extraordinarily promising young talent and emerged an outstanding multi-disciplined scientist, huma...

Teresa Davoli

Teresa Davoli Presented by Sidney Strickland on behalf of Titia de Lange B.S., University of Pisa M.S., San Raffaele University Telomere-driven Tetraploidy and its Relevance to Cancer           I will read remarks prepared by Titia de Lange who unfortunately couldn’t be here today: It ...

Paul Daniel Dossa

Paul Daniel Dossa Presented by Howard C. Hang B.S., Harvey Mudd College Analysis of Small Molecule Inhibitors Aimed at Bacterial Virulence             Humans are constantly exposed to bacteria. The colonization of our tissues with beneficial microbes after birth can help our metabolism...

Amy Grunbeck

Amy Grunbeck Presented by Thomas P. Sakmar B.S., Dickinson College Application of Genetically-encoded Photoactivatable Crosslinkers to Map Ligand-binding Sites on G Protein Coupled Receptors           It is a privilege to present to you Amy Grunbeck. Before coming to New York, Amy receiv...

Adam Michael Knepp

Adam Michael Knepp Presented by Thomas P. Sakmar B.S., Stanford University Studies of G Protein Coupled Receptor Stability and Dimerization Using Novel Fluorescence and Crosslinking Approaches           It is a privilege to present to you Adam Knepp. Adam’s thesis research focused on h...

Suchit H. Patel

Suchit H. Patel * Presented by Sidney Strickland of behalf of A. James Hudspeth B.S., New York Institute of Technology Frequency Selectivity of Synaptic Exocytosis in Hair Cells of the Bullfrog’s Amphibian Papilla           I will read remarks prepared by Jim Hudspeth who unfortunately ...

Dennis Justin Spencer

Dennis Justin Spencer * Presented by Vincent A. Fischetti B.S., Morehouse College Determining the Phenotypic and Genotypic Response Exhibited by Streptococcus Pyogenes at the Human Palatine Tonsil           A child that gets a group A streptococcal infection that is adequately treated wil...

Chan Lek Tan

Chan Lek Tan Presented by Paul Greengard B.A., Christ’s College, University of Cambridge Tuning of Neuronal Excitation by a Brain Specific MicroRNA miR-128: From Targets to Behavior           Chan Lek Tan is a brave young traveler on a historic path to conquer the Wild West. Born in Mal...

Sarah Van Driesche

Sarah Van Driesche Presented by Robert B. Darnell on behalf of himself and Jennifer C. Darnell B.A., Wellesley College Mechanism of Translational Control by the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein and Creation of the FMRP cTAG Mouse           Sarah Van Driesche came to The Rockefeller Un...

Amy Wells Quinkert

Amy Wells Quinkert Presented by Bruce S. McEwen on behalf of Donald W. Pfaff B.S., Rhodes College Deep Brain Stimulation to Increase Generalized Arousal in Intact Mice and a Mouse Model of Traumatic Brain Injury           Don Pfaff had an obligation that prevents him from being here. As a...

Laura Winzenread

Laura Winzenread Presented by Leslie B. Vosshall on behalf of Cori Bargmann B.S., University of Kansas An Analysis of Synaptotagmins in Caenorhabditis elegans             Cori Bargmann was unable to be here today and I am pleased to present Laura Winzenread on her behalf. To me, Laura ...

Rockefeller president joins U.S. university leaders in Israel to explore collaborative opportunities

A delegation of presidents and chancellors from top U.S. universities, including Rockefeller’s Marc Tessier-Lavigne, travel to Israel this week to explore opportunities for bilateral academic partnerships and collaboration. The visit has been arranged by Project Interchange, a non-profit educatio...

17 students receive Ph.D.s at Rockefeller's 55th Convocation

The Rockefeller University awarded doctoral degrees to 17 students at its convocation ceremony yesterday. Additionally, two Nobel winning scientists and members of the Rockefeller faculty, Günter Blobel and Paul Greengard, received honorary degrees along with James H. Simons, a mathematician, inv...

Rockefeller hosts British Prime Minister David Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron led a life sciences roundtable, featuring pharmaceutical and biotech industry leaders, at The Rockefeller University this week, part an effort by the British government to acknowledge the value and investment that U.S. companies bring to the UK. The group disc...

Nobel laureate Christian de Duve dies at 95

Christian de Duve, Andrew W. Mellon Professor emeritus at The Rockefeller University and one of the founding fathers of the modern field of cell biology, died Saturday, May 4, at the age of 95. He chose to die by an act of euthanasia, surrounded by all four of his children. de Duve was a cell bio...

Announcements

Bring your child to work. In celebration of national Take Your Child to Work Day, Human Resources will host activities for 8- to 12-year-olds from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 25. Children must be registered by April 19 and must be accompanied by an adult to attend. Space is limited. For more inform...

Welch Hall reopens as library and student center

By Zach Veilleux After nearly five years of construction, the final piece of the north campus modernization process is now complete and opens to the campus this month. The Welch Hall refurbishment, which began in January 2011, has finished on time and on budget and will link the north and south p...

Frozen in time: Flexner’s historic lab re-opens with early inventions on display

by LESLIE CHURCH You don’t always know you’re making history when it’s happening. But it’s a good idea to hang on to all the evidence, just in case. That’s exactly what Merrill W. Chase did when he began collecting instruments invented at Rockefeller throughout the twentieth century. And ...

CRC auditorium is named for Russ Carson

By Zach Veilleux For the first time since 1958, there’s a new auditorium in town. The CRC auditorium, the last piece of the Collaborative Research Center to be finished, opened January 25, and has been named the Carson Family Auditorium in honor of Russ Carson, chair of the university’s Board o...

Scientists displaced by Sandy take refuge at Rockefeller

by LESLIE CHURCH When Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, Susan Zolla-Pazner thought her lab would be fine. On the 18th floor of the Veterans Affairs Hospital at First Avenue and 23rd Street, the lab wasn’t in danger of flooding. But when millions of gallons of water surged over the banks of the E...

New security initiatives focus on “active shooter” threat

New training for guards, additional shifts at 66th Street, community outreach initiatives and more restrictive access controls are among improvements being made to campus security with an eye toward preventing an “active shooter” incident like those that have caused mass casualties in Newtown, C...

Howard Hang promoted to associate professor

By Zach Veilleux Howard Hang, a chemist who works to develop new tools for the study of host-pathogen interactions, has been promoted to associate professor. The promotion was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees at its recent meeting and is effective as of January 1. Dr. Hang is Richar...

Milestones

Awarded: C. David Allis, a $1 million grant from the Starr Foundation’s Sixth Starr Cancer Consortium Grant Competition to investigate epigenetic contributions to the development of pediatric gliomas. Dr. Allis is the Joy and Jack Fishman Professor and head of the Laboratory of Chromatin Biology ...

Rockefeller announces 31 percent reduction in carbon emissions

Five years after the university committed to reducing its carbon footprint as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 2030 Carbon Challenge, the results from several institutions have been announced. Rockefeller’s carbon emissions fell by nearly 31 percent, based on 2005 levels. Rockefeller was one of...

Howard Hang promoted to associate professor

Howard Hang, a chemist who works to develop new tools for the study of host-pathogen interactions, has been promoted to associate professor. The promotion was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees at its recent meeting and is effective January 1. Hang is Richard E. Salomon Family Associa...

Rockefeller University hosts workshop on Next Generation Science Standards

A series of workshops, to be held this weekend at The Rockefeller University, is designed to help scientists and educators prepare for the adoption of new standards for teaching science in elementary and high schools. The event, titled "Improving Dialogue between Scientists & Educators: Implicati...

New book explores history of cell biology at Rockefeller

The story of how a Rockefeller University laboratory contributed to the founding of the new science of modern cell biology has been published by The Rockefeller University Press. Entering an Unseen World: A Founding Laboratory and Origins of Modern Cell Biology 1910–1974, by Carol L. Moberg, is a...

Announcements

Annual holiday party is December 20. Celebrate the season with friends and colleagues: this year’s holiday party will showcase the diversity of New York City with food, drinks, music, dancing and entertainment, in Abby Lounge and Dining Room and throughout the CRC, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. For more...

No scientific losses from Hurricane Sandy

by ZACH VEILLEUX When water from the East River first spilled over its banks and began washing onto the FDR Drive late in the evening of October 29, the several dozen or so administrators and essential personnel monitoring the storm knew it was not likely to stop at the curb. The lowest levels of...

Implementing the Strategic Plan

As many of you know, a major activity during my first year at the university was the development of a strategic plan that will guide the university over the next several years. This plan, which reflects many months of intensive work by the strategic planning committee as well as essential input f...

Rockefeller opens its doors to Open House NY

by LESLIE CHURCH For those without access, the Rockefeller campus can seem shrouded in mystery. But on a rainy weekend this October, the university opened its doors and let the city in as part of Open House New York weekend. The annual event showcases hundreds of the city’s most architecturally a...

University honors Norton Zinder with symposium and annual lecture

by LESLIE CHURCH Norton D. Zinder, the pioneering geneticist and molecular biologist who helped lay the foundation for the new field of molecular biology in the 1950s and ’60s, was honored with a memorial symposium in November. An annual endowed lecture is also being established in his name. Dr. ...

Rockefeller’s Pearl Meister Greengard Prize awarded to RNA researcher Joan Steitz

Joan A. Steitz, a pioneer in the field of RNA biology whose discoveries involved patients with a variety of autoimmune diseases, was awarded the 2012 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize from The Rockefeller University last month. The prize honors female scientists who have made extraordinary contributi...

Venture capitalist David Sze named to Board

by ZACH VEILLEUX The university’s newest Board member, elected at the June 6 meeting, is David Sze, a partner in the Menlo Park, California offices of venture capital firm Greylock Partners. Mr. Sze, who was introduced to Rockefeller by President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, will serve on the Committee ...

New science outreach director aims to show students it’s cool to be nerdy

by LESLIE CHURCH The first goal of the Science Outreach Program’s new director is to squash the stereotype that all scientists have Albert Einstein hair and socially awkward personalities. She won’t have to look hard for evidence: she herself is living proof. Jeanne Garbarino, who was named dir...

Robert Darnell named president of New York Genome Center

By Zach Veilleux Sometime during the last decade, as he developed technology to explore the role of RNA in neurological disease, Robert B. Darnell realized that the talented, highly educated molecular biologists in his lab were spending more and more of their time doing something that they had ne...

Structural biology center provides machines for large scale projects

by LESLIE CHURCH With momentum gaining at the New York Genome Center and several new institutional partnerships beginning on Roosevelt Island and downtown Brooklyn, the academic landscape of New York City is poised for a new era of collaboration. But the idea behind these alliances — that more ca...

Milestones

Awarded: Elaine Fuchs, the 2012 Academy Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Biomedical Science from the New York Academy of Medicine, for her innovative and imaginative approaches to research in skin biology, its stem cells and its associated human genetic disorders. The medal is given to em...