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New faculty member studies the tuberculosis bacterium
Jeremy M. Rock uses genetics to investigate how the microbe causes disease. He will join Rockefeller’s faculty on January 1, 2018.
Researchers create interactive touchscreen for dolphins
To learn more about dolphin cognition and communication, researchers have developed an underwater touchscreen using optical technology, the first of its kind.
Scientists identify a neural circuit that rotates a fly’s internal compass
Researchers have uncovered the neurons that spin a fly’s internal compass when the insect turns—the first such mechanism identified in any animal.
Newly discovered brain network offers clues to social cognition
By studying rhesus monkeys, researchers have identified a brain network dedicated to processing social interactions—a discovery that offers tantalizing clues to the origins of our ability to understand what other people are thinking.
Rockefeller leads global ranking of scientific impact
Rockefeller has the highest percentage of frequently cited scientific publications among more than 900 universities worldwide, according to a ranking created by the Center for Science and Technology Studies of Leiden University in The Netherlands.  
Rockefeller team makes case for federal research funding to senior White House officials
The meeting, arranged by Rockefeller Trustee Bill Ford, provided an opportunity for leading voices in the academic, biotech, and pharmaceutical sectors to make a case for sustained, robust federal support for biomedical research.
Swirling swarms of bacteria offer insights on turbulence
When bacteria swim at just the right speed, swirling vortices emerge. As those patterns disintegrate into chaos, physicists detect a telling mathematical signature.
A cell’s destiny is set earlier than expected
Stem cells in the hair follicle are organized by the cell type they will eventually become in unique compartments, at the ready to regenerate tissue.
C. David Allis wins 2017 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology
Allis has received the March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology. The award, given to investigators whose research offers hope for the prevention and treatment of birth defects and other infant diseases, honors Allis for his groundbreaking work on gene regulation.
Discovery of a Zika antibody offers hope for a vaccine
Searching for a way to thwart Zika, scientists have discovered an antibody with a potent ability to neutralize the virus.
Mary E. Hatten is elected to the National Academy of Sciences
With Hatten’s election, the Rockefeller faculty now has 39 members or foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences.
A mechanism shared by healing wounds and growing tumors
Scientists have long seen parallels between healing wounds and growing tumors. In studying the molecular changes that occur within both, a research team has discovered a new cancer-fuelling mechanism that potentially could inform drug development.
Scientists engineer human-germ hybrid molecules to attack drug-resistant bacteria
The centromere region of chromosomes retains the same DNA from one generation to the next. Scientists have gained new insights into how it avoids being scrambled in normal cells, and how it becomes unstable in cancer.
Reem–Kayden Early-Career Innovation Award is established to support newly promoted associate professors at Rockefeller
The unique award, funded by a $7 million gift, is designed to encourage Rockefeller’s early-career faculty members to pursue the most imaginative science in the years leading to a tenure decision. All heads of laboratories are eligible upon their promotion to associate professor.
Shooting the messenger: how one protein allows germ cells to develop
Researchers have identified a molecule that guides the formation of eggs and sperm by preventing a host of factors related to cell death and inflammation from killing the precursors to these cells. Their findings reveal new knowledge about how a mutation in this molecule leads to male sterility.
Viral fossils reveal how our ancestors eliminated an ancient infection
Some viruses can insert their genetic material into the genome of their host, creating a genetic fossil record. Researchers have uncovered how our ancestors may have wiped out one such virus around 11 million years ago.
Researchers track fish migration by testing DNA in seawater
A bucket of seawater contains more than meets the eye—it’s chock-full of fish DNA. Scientists are now putting that DNA to good use to track fish migration with a new technique that involves a fraction of the effort and cost of previous methods. DNA strained from samples drawn weekly from New ...
Pablo G. Legorreta, founder and chief executive officer of Royalty Pharma, is elected to the Board
Rockefeller’s Board of Trustees elected new member Pablo G. Legorreta, the founder and CEO of Royalty Pharma, at their February 15 meeting. With his election, the university has 49 voting members.
Scientists discover how crucial DNA sequences endure
The centromere region of chromosomes retains the same DNA from one generation to the next. Scientists have gained new insights into how it avoids being scrambled in normal cells, and how it becomes unstable in cancer.
Rockefeller tops ranking of 1,300 universities in measures of scientific impact and productivity
Released by the European Commission–funded U-Multirank, the survey placed Rockefeller first in categories related to scientific impact and research productivity. The results incorporate data on more than 1,300 institutions in over 90 countries.
Study identifies “night owl” gene variant
Scientists have discovered a common mutation that might explain why some people have trouble going to sleep at night and getting up early. The gene alteration slows the internal biological clock that regulates our sleeping patterns.
Rockefeller president Richard P. Lifton releases statement on proposed federal budget cuts to science
Rockefeller University President Richard P. Lifton today released the following statement on proposed cuts to federal funding for science: Given the remarkable track record of American science, one can only read with alarm the White House budget proposal recommending an 18 percent reduction in NI...
For microbes fighting viruses, a fast response means a better defense
Researchers have found that the bacterial immune system targets an invading virus as soon as it enters the cell. This discovery answers a long-standing question about how microbes defend themselves.
New study resolves the structure of the human protein that causes cystic fibrosis
In order to better understand how genetic mutations give rise to cystic fibrosis, researchers need to map the protein responsible for the disorder. The new structure has led to new insights on how this molecular channel functions.
Changes in the vascular system may trigger Alzheimer’s disease
In some people whose cognitive functions are weakened due to Alzheimer’s, the disease can be traced back to changes in the brain’s blood vasculature. Scientists have found that a protein involved in blood clotting and inflammation might offer a potential path to new drugs.
David Rockefeller, university benefactor for 76 years, dies at 101
"David's integrity, strength, wisdom, and judgment—and especially his unequivocal commitment to excellence—shaped the University and made it the powerhouse of biomedical discovery it is today," said Russell L. Carson, chair of the Board, and Richard P. Lifton, president, in a statement.
For biologists studying tiny worms, new technologies make big improvements
Two new technologies are helping scientists understand new aspects of organ and nervous system development in C. elegans. One allows them to image worms developing in a natural environment, while the other makes it possible to track single neurons as the worms grow.
Early intervention with new treatment provides durable control of HIV-like virus in monkeys
There are more than 25 drugs to control HIV, yet the virus remains one of the world’s biggest health problems. One of the many challenges with existing therapies is that a dormant version of the virus is always lurking in the background, ready to attack the immune system as soon as treatment is i...
Study tests the “three-hit” theory of autism
Since the first case was documented in the United States in 1938, the causes of autism have remained elusive. Hundreds of genes, as well as environmental exposures, have been implicated in these brain disorders. Sex also seems to have something to do with it: About 80 percent of children diagnose...
A new way to reset gene expression in cancer cells shows promise for leukemia treatment
New findings from Rockefeller University researchers could guide the development of potent combination therapies that deliver more effective and durable treatment of leukemia. In recent work published in Nature, they show it’s possible to deactivate cellular programs involved in tumor growth by d...
Raphael Cohn wins 2017 Weintraub Graduate Student Award
Raphael Cohn, a graduate fellow in Vanessa Ruta’s Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, is a recipient of this year’s Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award, one of the country’s most prestigious graduate student prizes in the biosciences. The award, given by the Fred Hutchinson Canc...
Paul Greengard Professorship established with $5 million gift from the Fisher Center Foundation
Late last year, guests at the President’s House raised a glass in celebration of one of Rockefeller’s most beloved colleagues. In his nearly 35 years at Rockefeller, Paul Greengard has led pioneering studies that have transformed our understanding of how the nervous system works, and have paved ...
Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Mary Hynes donate Ursula von Rydingsvard sculpture to university’s art collection
The former Rockefeller president and his wife made the gift to express their thanks to the university community. The dramatic cedar sculpture, called Plate with Dots, was installed earlier this month in the Abby Lounge.
New structural studies reveal workings of a molecular pump that ejects cancer drugs
Sometimes cells resist medication by spitting it back out. Cancer cells, in particular, have a reputation for defiantly expelling the chemotherapy drugs meant to kill them. Researchers at The Rockefeller University have shed new light on a molecular pump that makes this possible, by determining i...
Rockefeller’s redesigned website set to launch in March
It has been more than a decade since Rockefeller’s most prominent public face received a major overhaul. That’s set to change next month, when the initial phase of a reimagined and redesigned rockefeller.edu launches. The new external site, which has taken two years to carefully plan and rebuild...
New research explains why a common bacterium can produce severe illness
As much as we try to avoid it, ­we are constantly sharing germs with those around us. But even when two people have the same infection, the resulting illnesses can be dramatically different—mild for one person, severe or even life-threatening for the other. Now, new research from The Rockefell...
Talking Science lecture introduces students to the genetic aspects of infectious diseases
As he opened this year’s Talking Science lecture, geneticist Jean-Laurent Casanova made a stark observation to his teenage audience: “If we had been here 150 years ago, about half of you would already have died.” The primary reason, he told the 350 high school students and 60 teachers present,...
Oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle will receive the 2017 Lewis Thomas Prize
Oceanographer, explorer, and author Sylvia Earle has been named the recipient of this year’s Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science. The award, given annually by Rockefeller University, recognizes Earle’s body of work, which includes memoirs, atlases, and children’s books, as well as adv...
Jeffrey V. Ravetch receives 2017 Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine
Jeffrey V. Ravetch, Theresa and Eugene M. Lang Professor and head of the Leonard Wagner Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology, has won the 2017 Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine. The award, given by The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and its journal Molecular Medicine, honors s...
Crowdsourcing effort helps researchers predict how a molecule will smell
You can anticipate a color before you see it, based solely on the length of light waves. Music can be interpreted from notes on a page without being heard. Not so with odor.
Carolyn Walch Slayman, Rockefeller alumna and pioneer woman in science, dies at 79
Carolyn Walch Slayman, who was one of the first women to graduate from Rockefeller’s Ph.D. program, died last December at the age of 79. Dr. Slayman spent nearly 50 years at the Yale School of Medicine, where she was Sterling Professor of Genetics and deputy dean for academic and scientific affai...
Mouse studies offer new insights about cocaine’s effect on the brain
 Cocaine is one of the most addictive substances known to man, and for good reason: By acting on levels of the “feel-good” chemical dopamine, it produces a tremendous sensation of euphoria. Now the laboratory of Rockefeller University Professor and Nobel Laureate Paul Greengard has shown...
Newly discovered beetle species named after Rockefeller’s Daniel Kronauer
 Scientists can rack up many awards, but to have one’s name cemented in scientific nomenclature is a special kind of honor. In an homage to his mentor Daniel Kronauer, former Rockefeller postdoctoral associate Christoph von Beeren has named a new species of beetle Nymphister kronaueri. ...
Scientists discover an unexpected influence on dividing stem cells’ fate
When most cells divide, they simply make more of themselves. But stem cells, which are responsible for repairing or making new tissue, have a choice: They can generate more stem cells or differentiate into skin cells, liver cells, or virtually any of the body’s specialized cell types. As r...
Howard C. Hang receives 2017 Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry
Howard C. Hang, Richard E. Salomon Family Associate Professor and head of the Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Microbial Pathogenesis, has won the 2017 Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry. The prize, given by the American Chemical Society, recognizes outstanding research in biological chemi...
Encouraging clinical results for an antibody drug to prevent or treat HIV
A new biologic agent—the most potent of its kind so far—is showing early promise as part of a potential new strategy for treating HIV. The drug, known as 10-1074, may also offer a new way to prevent viral infection in people who are at high risk to acquire HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. ...
Atomic-scale view of bacterial proteins offers path to new tuberculosis drugs
With the first detailed analysis of a cellular component from a close relative of the pathogen that causes tuberculosis, Rockefeller scientists are suggesting strategies for new drugs to curb this growing health problem. Each year, nearly half a million people around the world are infected with m...
Discovery helps explain why only some people develop life-threatening dengue infections
For most people who contract it, dengue fever is a relatively mild-mannered disease—at least the first time around. For some, however, a subsequent infection by the virus unleashes a vicious and potentially deadly illness. New research from a team based at The Rockefeller University has begun t...
Study reveals the structure of a protein crucial for DNA replication
Our DNA contains instructions crucial for virtually all forms of life on this planet. But for life to propagate, this blueprint must be copied and passed on to future generations. New findings describing the structure of a key molecule involved in DNA replication place another piece in the puzzle...
Rockefeller president Richard P. Lifton releases statement on U.S. immigration policy
In response to an executive order on immigration issued by President Donald J. Trump Friday, Rockefeller University President Richard P. Lifton today released the following statement: We at Rockefeller University, a world-renowned center for research in the biomedical sciences, oppose both the sp...
Researchers explore how protein production gets distorted in skin cancer
Each cell in the body follows a strict protocol for manufacturing the proteins it needs to function. When a cell turns cancerous, however, its protein production goes off script. A new study led by researchers at the Rockefeller University takes a close look at one way in which this procedure goe...
Antibody combination puts HIV on the ropes
Without antiretroviral drug treatment, the majority of people infected with HIV ultimately develop AIDS, as the virus changes and evolves beyond the body’s ability to control it. But a small group of infected individuals—called elite controllers—possess immune systems capable of defeating the ...
Elaine Fuchs wins 2017 McEwen Award for Innovation
Elaine Fuchs, Rebecca C. Lancefield Professor and head of the Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, has been honored with the 2017 McEwen Award for Innovation. The prize, given by the International Society for Stem Cell Research, recognizes groundbreaking wo...
MacKinnon lab charts the anatomy of three molecular channels
Using a state-of-the-art imaging technology in which molecules are deep frozen, scientists in Roderick MacKinnon’s lab at Rockefeller University have reconstructed in unprecedented detail the three-dimensional architecture of three channels that provide a path for specific types of ions to travel...
Biophysicist Gregory M. Alushin receives White House honor for early career scientists
Gregory M. Alushin, assistant professor and head of the Laboratory of Structural Biophysics and Mechanobiology, has been chosen by President Obama as one of 102 researchers to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor given by the U.S. government ...
New research offers clues into how the brain shapes perception to control behavior
What you see is not always what you get. And that, researchers at The Rockefeller University have discovered, is a good thing. “Every time you move your eye, the whole world moves on your retina,” says Gaby Maimon, head of the Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function. “But you don’t perce...
Scientists learn how to ramp up microbes’ ability to make memories
Some microbes can form memories—although, inconveniently for scientists who study the process, they don’t do it very often. Rockefeller University researchers and their colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, have found a way to make bacteria encode memories much more frequently...
Research on sweat glands suggests a route to better skin grafts
As early humans shed the hairy coats of their closest evolutionary ancestors, they also gained a distinct feature that would prove critical to their success: a type of sweat gland that allows the body to cool down quickly. Those tiny glands are enormously useful, allowing us to live in a wide var...
Researchers develop automated melanoma detector for skin cancer screening
Even experts can be fooled by melanoma. People with this type of skin cancer often have mole-looking growths on their skin that tend to be irregular in shape and color, and can be hard to tell apart from benign ones, making the disease difficult to diagnose. Now, researchers at The Rockefeller Un...
Human embryo discovery wins People’s Choice of Science Breakthrough of the Year
A revolutionary method developed by Rockefeller University scientists that allows researchers to study human embryo development in the lab has been voted Breakthrough of the Year by Science magazine readers. The technique, pioneered by Ali Brivanlou, Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn Professor of the ...
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