Skip to main content

A new way of thinking about how organ architecture develops 

By focusing on the emergent features of cell collectives, instead of individual cells, scientists forge a new path for understanding how organs develop their architecture.   

Intriguing science discoveries of 2023

From plumbing the depths of wound repair to tackling how songbirds solve problems, here are some fascinating discoveries that came out of Rockefeller in 2023.

Rockefeller launches startup incubator

Carlo Yuvienco, the inaugural director of the university’s new Ford Center Incubator, on how the new space will help translate research breakthroughs into market-ready biomedical innovations.

Her scientific breakthrough took 5 years. Getting credit took decades.

Mojsov’s research directly led to blockbuster drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. She talks about the long quest for proper credit and lessons that can be learned from her experience.

How bacteria recognize viral invasion and activate immune defenses

Bacteria have an array of strategies to counter viral invasion, but how they first spot a stranger in their midst has long been a mystery.

How the antioxidant glutathione keeps mitochondria healthy

“I believe this is going to be a very fruitful find. Every time people have studied nutrient sensing, we’ve learned a lot about biology, and many drugs have been developed as a result.”

New blood test could offer earlier detection of common deadly cancers

The low-cost multi-cancer detector can pick up the presence of a telltale protein in a tiny amount of blood in less than two hours.

The bacteria that may trigger multiple sclerosis

New research suggests that the long sought-after environmental trigger for MS is a toxin produced by certain C. perfringens bacteria.

Toward a universal dengue vaccine

Why do our bodies not only fail to learn from prior dengue infection but also become more vulnerable to it as a result? New research pinpoints a subgroup of antibodies that may be to blame.

The Rockefeller University joins with leading New York City-area institutions to launch new Chan Zuckerberg research hub

The new research hub will engineer immune cells for early disease prevention, detection, and treatment.

>

Community-developed guidelines for publishing images help address reproducibility problem in science

The use of images in scientific papers is more popular than ever, but there have been no common standards for their publication—until now.

Popular community science festival returns to Rockefeller

Science Saturday brings hundreds of kids back to campus for the first time since 2019.

New method tracks how brain cells age

The novel technique may offer panoramic view into the mechanisms of many diseases and the enigma of aging.

New faculty member untangles the mysteries of RNA folding 

Steve Bonilla joined Rockefeller as an assistant professor on October 1, 2023.

Lily Jan and Eve Marder receive 2023 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize

Jan and Marder, who have both made fundamental contributions to neurobiology, were presented with the award in a ceremony on The Rockefeller University campus on September 20.

Vocal learning linked to problem solving skills and brain size

The better a songbird is at working its way around obstacles to retrieve a snack, the more complex its vocal learning ability will be.

Unlocking how the new Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab works

As with many cutting-edge therapies, we know more about the drug's effectiveness than we do about how it actually operates. A new study reveals a possible mechanism for its impact on patients.

A conversation with Ashton Murray, Rockefeller’s Chief Diversity Officer

Murray discusses developing strategies and programming grounded in the belief that a true community draws strength from its individuals.

>

Boosters are key to protecting pregnant individuals and newborns against the worst effects of COVID

Patients with a specific cocktail of COVID exposure had the highest level of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, which also provided a strong immunological shield for their babies.

Rockefeller community symposium brings together scientists and local gardeners

Sponsored by the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the event brought together land stewards from across the city in an effort to make soil science more accessible to the local community.

A scent paradise for flies 

One clever way to observe the neural activity of Drosophilae: build them a custom fly treadmill and tempt them with the tangy perfume of apple cider vinegar.

Researchers find an epigenetic key that unlocks common deadly cancers

In skin, some aberrant adult epidermal stem cells turn on SOX9, kickstarting a process that ultimately activates cancer genes.

Kivanç Birsoy named a 2023 Blavatnik National Awards finalist

Birsoy is honored for groundbreaking research uncovering metabolic weaknesses of diseased cells, such as cancer, while shedding light on debilitating mitochondrial diseases and rare genetic disorders.

An immune flaw may cause West Nile virus’s deadliest symptoms

With 40% of encephalitis cases now explained by an autoimmune deficiency, West Nile virus "is by far the best understood human infectious disease in the world. It’s stunning.”

Probing the dynamic forces that move 37 trillion cells in the human body

Gregory Alushin reveals fundamental truths about cellular biomechanics by studying how the wiggly protein strands known as actin filaments bend and flex, crisscross each other, and have tugs of war.

How one of nature's most fundamental molecules forms

New high-resolution images of the large ribosomal subunit shed light on how human ribosomes are assembled.

Researchers discover neuronal mechanism linked to a minutes-long decision process in fruit flies

They identified a brain signal that guides one type of decision-making—findings that could build a foundation for understanding how humans make educated and strategic decisions.

The potential molecular indicators of Parkinson’s symptoms

Overlapping RNA changes in the blood and brain were associated with many of the clinical signs of the disease.

Proteome of rare liver cancer sheds new light on basic biology

Fibrolamellar carcinoma not only hinders the body's ammonia consumption but also produces ammonia, a finding with sweeping implications for treating this cancer—and the study of ammonia metabolism.

Rockefeller tops an international ranking of research impact

According to the 2023 CWTS Leiden Ranking of over 1,400 universities from 72 countries, Rockefeller has the highest percentage of most frequently cited scientific publications.