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Phase III+: The University is open for expanded research operations; only authorized personnel will be admitted on campus. More info here.
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Phase III+: The University is open for expanded research operations; only authorized personnel will be admitted on campus. More info here.

Rockefeller University

News & Highlights > News
Campus News

New workshop brings exceptional scholars to campus

Postdoctoral fellows from diverse backgrounds attended the two-day program, designed to ease their transition to independent investigators.
tavazoieostendorf
Science News

Common mutation linked to COVID mortality

Because three percent of the world population possesses these gene variants, the findings may have implications for hundreds of millions of individuals around the world.
Josephina del Marmol headshot
Campus News

Josefina del Mármol named Blavatnik Regional Award Winner in life sciences

Del Mármol receives the honor for her research leading to the first-ever molecular images of an olfactory receptor at work.
close up of light beads microscope
Seek Magazine

The tech that money can’t buy 

What if the tool needed to move science forward doesn’t yet exist? Here are gadgets and techniques born from improvisation that made impossible experiments possible.
Tim Stearns portrait
Campus News

Tim Stearns becomes new dean of graduate and postgraduate studies

Stearns, who assumes the role on September 1, reflects upon his new job and his vision for the university’s educational programs.
Begüm Aydin and Alain Bonny portraits
Campus News

Rockefeller postdocs Begüm Aydin and Alain Bonny named Hanna Gray Fellows

Aydin, of the Mucida lab, and Bonny, a member of the Fuchs lab, received HHMI’s prestigious fellowship for exceptional early career scientists on August 24.
mosquito olfaction
Science News

Unlocking the mystery of how mosquitoes smell humans

Through questioning their assumptions about how mosquitoes sense and interpret odors, scientists may have discovered why efforts to throw the vectors of dengue and Zika off the human scent have not succeeded.
Campus News

Nicola Khuri, theoretical physicist and scientific-community builder, has died

Nicola N. Khuri, a theoretical physicist known for using math to describe and predict what happens when elementary particles collide in giant accelerators, died on August 4 at age 89.
Jiankun Lyu
Campus News

New faculty member unlocks vast chemical spaces for drug discovery

Jiankun Lyu will join Rockefeller as an assistant professor on January 1, 2023.
lamia wahba
Campus News

New faculty member plumbs the depths of fast-track evolution 

Lamia Wahba will join Rockefeller as an assistant professor on January 1, 2023.
ants heat
Science News

Ant colonies behave like neural networks when making decisions 

Colonies decide to flee rising temperatures in much the same way that neural computations give rise to decisions.
A side view of the small intestine.
Science News

How the intestine replaces and repairs itself

A new study suggests that stem cells are able to integrate cues from their surroundings and coordinate their behavior across tissue through networks of vasculature in their close vicinity.
illustration of stem cells
Seek Magazine

Stem cells are growing up 

The controversy and hype have died down. The science is very much alive­, creating new directions for discovery.
gd cells with tumor
Science News

Colorectal cancer tumors both helped and hindered by T cells

Researchers have long disagreed over whether 𝛄𝛅T cells in the gut promote or discourage tumor growth, but new evidence suggests they have the capacity to do both.
memory recall
Science News

New study reveals where memory fragments are stored

The research demonstrates the distributed nature of memory processing in the brain, and reveals a dedicated pathway for memory recall, which is less understood than memory formation.
Tree removal
Campus News

A venerable tree ends its tenure

After gracing the university’s north-south pathway for decades, a London plane tree was cut down due to interior decay and the resulting safety risk. Removal of the deciduous giant required a team of highly-experienced arborists.
Pair of zebrafinches
Seek Magazine

Beak speak 

How did songbirds start singing? Neuroscientists are reshaping our understanding of speech—pinpointing the cells and molecules that built it and what happens in the brain when we learn a new word, chirp, or squeal.
Campus News

New portrait of five trailblazing women scientists from Rockefeller’s past is unveiled

With a new portrait by artist Brenda Zlamany, installed over the fireplace in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Reception Hall, the likenesses of scientists Marie Daly, Rebecca Lancefield, Louise Pearce, Gertrude Perlmann, and Florence Sabin have joined the university’s art collection.
headshot of cori bargmann
Seek Magazine

Philanthropy 2.0 

Private investments are making it possible to reimagine 21st-century bioscience. Cori Bargmann envisions a future with opportunity for researchers everywhere.
Campus News

Rockefeller leads an international ranking of research impact

According to this year’s CWTS Leiden Ranking of over 1300 universities from 69 countries, Rockefeller has the highest percentage of most frequently cited scientific publications.
third covid vaccine
Science News

A third vaccine dose may increase protection from Omicron

The booster appears to galvanize memory B cells into producing potent and versatile antibodies that neutralize both the original virus and its many variants.
Campus News

Rockefeller tops international university ranking in measure of top cited publications

In the U-Multirank rating system for higher education institutions, Rockefeller placed first in a measure of impact based on citations.
Convocation procession 2022
Campus News

40 young scientists receive Ph.D.s at Rockefeller’s 64th convocation

With this week’s ceremony, the first in-person convocation since the start of the pandemic, Rockefeller has granted doctor of philosophy degrees in bioscience to 1,395 students. In addition, Anthony S. Fauci, Katalin Karikó, and Lulu C. Wang received honorary doctor of science degrees.
Shyer-cell-ring
Science News

How intricate patterns arise in developing tissues

In developing bird skin, immature cells move around and form intricate patterns. Scientists are zeroing in on the mechanical forces guiding the process.
Science News
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In Brief

Building a human ‘pangenome’ to capture global genomic diversity

The human reference genome, the most widely used resource in human genetics, is getting a major update.
tuberculosis
Science News

Hundreds of new drug targets to combat tuberculosis

The study highlights genes that, when silenced, render Mycobacterium tuberculosis vulnerable to antibiotics, and identifies existing drugs that may be effective against one prominent strain.
h1 and ssDNA
Science News

One protein's surprising partnership with single-stranded DNA

Linker histone H1 appears capable of distinguishing between single-stranded and double-stranded DNA, suggesting that its role in maintaining our genomes extends far beyond that of keeping chromosomes compact.
streptococcus pyrogens
Science News

A synthetic antibiotic may help turn the tide against drug-resistant bacteria

The compound attacks MRSA, C. diff, and several other deadly pathogens. Its discovery demonstrates the power of combining computational biology, genetic sequencing, and synthetic chemistry to study bacterial evolution.
staphylococcus aureus
Science News

The genetic underpinnings of severe staph infections

A mutated gene may explain why some Staphylococcus aureus infections turn lethal, a finding with significant implications for people living with 5p- syndrome.
Titia de Lange
Awards and Honors

Titia de Lange elected to the Royal Society

She receives the honor for elucidating mechanisms of telomere protection and genome maintenance.
infusion therapy
Science News
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In Brief

Antibody therapy controls HIV for months in new clinical trial

Unlike conventional antiretroviral drugs, treatment with broadly neutralizing antibodies does not rely on vigilant daily dosing and could potentially reduce the body’s reservoir of latent viruses.
Shixin Liu portrait
Campus News

Shixin Liu, expert in single-molecule studies of biological machines, is promoted to associate professor

Liu’s pioneering research on nano-scale molecular events is furthering our knowledge of how DNA replication and gene expression are regulated.
Kivanç Birsoy portrait
Campus News

Kivanç Birsoy, expert on cancer cell metabolism, is promoted to associate professor 

Birsoy's groundbreaking research has highlighted key nutrients that cancer cells need to survive, while shedding light on debilitating mitochondrial diseases and rare genetic disorders.
Richard P. Lifton portrait
Campus News

Richard P. Lifton to be honored with 2023 Kober Medal

Lifton, who pioneered the use of genomics to identify the basis for diseases, is recognized for a lifetime of contributions in science and mentorship.
Science News

How a narrow-spectrum antibiotic takes aim at C. diff

A new study reveals how the drug fidaxomicin selectively targets a dangerous pathogen without causing harm to beneficial bacteria. The findings could inform the development of new narrow-spectrum antibiotics for treating other types of infection.
dna base pairs
Science News

The human genome is, at long last, complete

Even after 20 years of upgrades, eight percent of the human genome was still left unsequenced and unstudied. Until now.
Collage of new Rockefeller board members
Campus News

The Board of Trustees has eight new members

With a breadth and depth of experience across academia, the pharmaceutical industry, technology, healthcare, and the financial sector, this latest cohort of trustees brings new skill sets and perspectives to the community.
Staphylococcus aureus plaque assay
Science News

How bacteria "self-vaccinate" against viral invaders

In studying how bacteria respond to viral infection, scientists are learning that their defense strategies cooperate in ways reminiscent of the elaborate immune systems of animals.
Portrait of Jennifer Eberhardt
Campus News

Social psychologist Jennifer L. Eberhardt to be awarded the 2022 Lewis Thomas Prize

The author of Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do will be presented with Rockefeller’s prestigious science writing award on April 7.
Ukranian flag
Campus News

Rockefeller president Richard P. Lifton releases statement on Russian invasion of Ukraine

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Rockefeller University President Richard P. Lifton today released the following statement: The Rockefeller University is a vibrant, international community. Our scientists, students, and staff come from all over the world, inclu...
Campus News

Rockefeller Nobelists co-sign open letter condemning Ukraine invasion

Read the letter signed by 168 Nobel Prize winners, including five Rockefeller scientists.
photo of LEED gold seal
Campus News

Stavros Niarchos Foundation–David Rockefeller River Campus receives LEED gold certification

One of only a handful of laboratory settings in New York City to receive the designation, the new river campus is recognized for its numerous energy efficient features.
Hippocampus-neurons-RNA-regulation
Science News

Scientists discover new mechanism involved in learning and memory

FMRP, a protein whose loss causes intellectual disability, may regulate a neuron's synaptic response by establishing a feedback loop between the cell's nucleus and its faraway dendrites.
lung image
Science News

Insights into a cystic fibrosis treatment may herald a novel class of drugs 

Protein folding diseases, from Alzheimer's to Gaucher's, may one day be treated by a unique class of protein corrector molecules that are already helping manage cystic fibrosis.  
Campus News

IT upgrades bolster university’s defenses against cybercriminals

Rockefeller’s Information Security team has implemented one of the most substantial upgrades in its history. As backend protections are strengthened, community members also have a critical role to play.
nuclear pore complex
Science News
>
In Brief

New comprehensive map of the portal to the cell’s nucleus

The findings, which may have implications for a wide range of human diseases, suggest that nuclear pore complexes vary in structure and function even within a single nucleus.
Soil extracted by Brady lab
Science News

A novel compound might defeat multidrug-resistant bacteria common in hospitals

Increasingly, hospitalized patients contract infections that evade current antibiotics including colistin, long used as a last treatment option. The discovery of a new colistin variant might make it possible to outmaneuver these pathogens.
Ashton Murray portrait
Campus News

Ashton Murray is named chief diversity officer

Murray will become Rockefeller’s inaugural chief diversity officer and vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion on January 10.
Coronavirus-intenstines-immunofluorescence
Science News

Waddling water bears, grandmother neurons, and other memorable science stories of 2021

This year's scientific endeavors included multiple attacks on SARS-CoV-2—and a lot more. Here are the most memorable science stories to come out of Rockefeller labs in 2021, from the benefits of brown fat to the pitfalls of modern IVF screening techniques.
Campus News

Sid Strickland will step down from role of dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies

After 21 years, Sidney Strickland will exit his administrative role, returning full time to his laboratory research at Rockefeller.
Theodora Hatziioannou and Bieniasz lab members
Science News

New evidence that boosters may be crucial in protecting against Omicron

Researchers found that the antibodies present in people who have had COVID or taken two doses of mRNA vaccine are inadequate against Omicron. But their protective ability increases significantly after a booster dose.
fly navigation
Science News

How a fly's brain calculates its position in space

New research reveals how neurons in a fly's brain signal the direction in which the body is traveling. The cells appear to literally perform vector math in order to act as a biological compass.
Llama antibodies COVID
Science News

Llama antibodies could help fight SARS-CoV-2 variants

Scientists have identified hundreds of llama-derived antibodies that potentially could be developed into a COVID treatment. They hope such a drug would be potent against different variants of the coronavirus, including Omicron.
Photo of Greg Alushin
Seek Magazine

How cells feel their way 

A single cell has no nerves, yet it can feel and respond to mechanical forces such as pressure. Armed with new technologies, scientists are making headway in understanding how this sensory system operates.
hair follicle stem cells
Science News

Stem cell memories may drive wound repair—and chronic disease

Epidermal stem cells that hail from the hair follicle retain memories of their journey to the skin's surface. Those memories are a boon for wound repair, but may also contribute to chronic diseases and cancer.
antibody fc domain
Science News

New design may boost potency of monoclonal antibodies against COVID

In animal experiments, the structurally altered antibodies activated the immune system more effectively than those currently used in the clinic. They also proved to be more protective against the virus.
Vanessa Ruta working with a graduate student in her lab.
Campus News

A new interdisciplinary center, devoted to the neuroscience of social behavior, has been launched with a $25 million gift

A major gift from Michael and Vikki Price marks the launch of an integrated effort to map and analyze the biological underpinnings of sociality and in turn better understand related disorders such as autism, depression, and schizophrenia.
inflamed fat
Science News

Radiotherapy may explain why childhood cancer survivors often develop metabolic disease

Radiation therapy to treat childhood cancer may damage adipose tissue, causing diabetes and coronary heart disease decades later.
mitochondria
Science News

Scientists discover how mitochondria import antioxidants

The finding offers researchers a direct way to investigate oxidative stress and its damaging effects in aging, cancer and other diseases.
Photo of mice
Seek Magazine

How mice miss the exit 

Thanks to the existence of forgetful mice, scientists have gained clues into the process by which the brain forms short-term memories. They were even able to restore a mouse’s memory by genetic manipulation.
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