Congratulations to Whitehead Institute trainees Elizabeth Black, Juntao Yu, and Tatsat Banerjee for being named as Damon Runyon Fellows — 3 of just 13 selected nationwide! Learn more about their efforts to advance cancer research: tinyurl.com/4dvhtzwr

Stem cells can both renew themselves and give rise to cells that differentiate into specialized types like lung cells or blood cells. Now, a new study out of the Yamashita Lab uncovers how cells are able to preserve stem cell potential while adopting distinct identities. tinyurl.com/469utx4p

We’re #hiring! Join our Institute Advancement team as Director, Foundation & Corporate Relations. In this role, you’ll work with foundations and corporate partners to garner philanthropic support, helping ensure sustained funding for the innovative science happening in our labs: tinyurl.com/982cjhpt

Autism has a significant and enduring sex bias, with roughly four boys diagnosed for every girl. New research from the Page Lab offers a genetic explanation for this disparity — one that may also extend to 17 other pediatric conditions that show similar sex biases. tinyurl.com/yzfvkpj4

Interested in biomolecular condensates? Don’t miss tomorrow’s #LMBSeminar by Ruth Lehmann, @remlehmann.bsky.social, Director of the @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social, MIT, at 11am (GMT) on Friday 27th March. More information: mrclmb.ac.uk/news-events/...

Just one week until the next #LMBSeminar! Join us to hear Ruth Lehmann, Director of @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social, discuss “Reconstructing biomolecular condensates for translation” Starts 11am (GMT) on Friday 27th March. More details: mrclmb.ac.uk/news-events/...

MicroRNAs fine-tune gene activity but how do cells control their lifespan? New study out of the Bartel Lab, in collaboration with @mpibiochem.bsky.social, reveals a “two-factor authentication” system that selectively eliminates specific microRNAs: shorturl.at/03gAe

In a new study from the @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social, Drs. Yukiko Yamashita, Romain Lannes, and Adrienne Fontan identified a cellular defect that contributes to reproductive incompatibility. 🧪 Abstract: https://bit.ly/3P4Jnp6 🗞️ Press release: https://bit.ly/4smOPCJ

Whitehead Institute scientists, trainees, and staff members bring precision and creativity to everything they do — even baking. Here are some snapshots from yesterday’s belated Pi(e) Day celebration.

When closely related species mate, their offspring sometimes survive but can’t reproduce. New work from the Yamashita Lab shows that in hybrid male fruit flies, large Y-chromosome genes fail during RNA processing preventing sperm development: shorturl.at/MGyZe

Congratulations to alum Patrik Ernfors on receiving The Brain Prize. In his reflections, he credits Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch with teaching him the scientific independence that helped him start his own lab: shorturl.at/Hvq5g

Help ProtGPS win #STATMadness by casting your vote today! This AI tool developed at Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology predicts which parts of the cell a protein will reside in, helping researchers develop effective therapies for a range of diseases. 🗳️ shorturl.at/dxYjA

Earlier this week, Whitehead Institute hosted the 2026 AI: Advancing Foundational Biology Symposium, exploring how artificial intelligence is accelerating biological discovery. Sign up for our newsletter, Inflection, for a deeper dive into the event: eepurl.com/iPJtfc

Whitehead Institute Member Jonathan Weissman joins the newly funded ILLUMINE team to tackle the “dark proteome” — proteins expressed by cancer cells that don’t map to known genes. Their goal? Opening doors to new treatments for hard-to-treat cancers: tinyurl.com/bdctybxk

@statnews.com has selected us to compete in this year’s #STATMadness! Cast your vote today for ProtGPS, an AI tool developed in the Young Lab in collaboration with Regina Barzilay at @csail.mit.edu, that predicts protein localization in health and disease. 🗳️ shorturl.at/dxYjA

In a conversation with Inside Precision Medicine, alumna @ayzhou.bsky.social, who trained in the lab of Whitehead Institute Founding Member Robert Weinberg, reflects on her journey from early lab work to leadership in cancer immunotherapy. Tune in here: shorturl.at/GvCoZ

Members of the real estate and science communities came together last night to hear from real estate developer David Clem and MIT historian Robin Scheffler the story of how Kendall Square transformed into a dense biotechnology cluster. A few highlights from the evening 📸

A packed auditorium, voices from across labs, departments, and roles, and a window into the experiences that make our community unique. The inaugural Whitehead Story Slam was truly special.

Germ cell development across model organisms From our #Review: How germ granules promote germ cell fate by Melissa C. Pamula & Ruth Lehmann @remlehmann.bsky.social @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social Free to read here: rdcu.be/e05TK

From co-creating the first transgenic mice to showing the therapeutic potential of iPScs — adult skin or blood cells reprogrammed into an embryonic stem cell-like state — Jaenisch has helped shape modern regenerative medicine. @cp-cellstemcell.bsky.social covers the journey: shorturl.at/qRxyj

Meet Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that infects 1 in 4 people worldwide 🔬 Whitehead Institute’s Sebastian Lourido joins MIT President Sally Kornbluth on Curiosity Unbounded to unpack the biology of toxo and what it can teach us about other parasitic infections. 🎧 Tune in: tinyurl.com/mr852ksh

Pigeon pea is a vital protein source in Asia & Africa but breeding hardier varieties is tough because of limited genetic diversity. The Gehring Lab has a new chemical method to introduce traits that could help crops, including pigeon pea, perform better, potentially boosting global food security 1/2

Time is one of biology’s most powerful forces ⏳ Join us at the MIT Museum on Jan. 21 for a public conversation on how cells keep time and change across early development and aging. Featuring Siniša Hrvatin and @remlehmann.bsky.social No prior science background needed — just bring your curiosity.

Some of medicine’s biggest breakthroughs have come from collaborations between clinicians and basic scientists. Bridge Across the Charles brings together scientists, physician-scientists and clinicians to spark partnerships that'll drive the next wave of advances in patient care. shorturl.at/WN5yL

“I want everyone in my lab to be exposed to many ways of thinking about biology,” says Whitehead Institute’s newest Member, immunologist Zuri Sullivan. “Creative science often comes from making connections across systems, and Whitehead is uniquely well-suited for that.” shorturl.at/EFsmh

Friends, family members, colleagues, and mentees gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of Whitehead Institute's Founding Director, David Baltimore. A globally respected researcher and academic leader, Baltimore shaped the careers of generations of scientists and educators. 🔗 shorturl.at/tHADF

Latest from Whitehead Institute's AI Fellow Na Sun 👇 Learn more about her work at the intersection of AI and biology: shorturl.at/K1AXP

Rare disease treatment relies on the combined efforts of clinicians, researchers, and families. Yet these people rarely find themselves in the same room. BridgeRD brought them together last week to address the challenges of understanding, diagnosing, and treating rare diseases. 🔗 shorturl.at/pJXcu

Whitehead Institute’s Innovation Centers are hubs of collaboration. Each center provides specialized expertise that expand what individual labs can achieve. Read how this collaboration drives Whitehead Institute science forward: shorturl.at/jQTPM

World-renowned cell biologist Ron Vale will join Whitehead Institute this December as a Member. Known for discovering the motor protein kinesin, he will explore how proteins function under different stressors—a direction that aligns with the Institute's focus on resilience. 🔗 shorturl.at/28Gpl

At BridgeRD today, clinicians and researchers are teaming up to tackle one of the biggest hurdles with rare diseases: connecting what's seen in the lab to patient experiences in the clinic. 1/2 #RareDisease #BridgeRD

Our Seminar Series for High School Teachers is underway! Postdoc Henry Kilgore of the Young Lab shared his latest research on how proteins reach their destinations within the cell. We’re thrilled to bring teachers and researchers together to help inspire the next generation of scientists!

From an accidental discovery of hidden biology to a new framework to understanding and diagnosing rare disease. Thrilled to share the most recent work from our lab and the amazing Jimmy Ly. wi.mit.edu/news/alterna...

1/ Happy to share important work done with my co-author Andrew Khalil in the labs of Rudolf Jaenisch @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social @mit.edu and David Mooney @harvard.edu @wyssinstitute.bsky.social trying to assess and fix the major problem of transgene silencing in human ESC/iPSC based work

"Fruit flies have a lot of fun gene names. Some of my favorites are Asterix and Obelix, which are named after a French comic book, because I have childhood associations with them," postdoc Julia Wucherpfennig says. wi.mit.edu/news/meet-wh... #WhiteheadPostdocProfiles

Panchito proudly sports his Whitehead bandana while plotting his next purrfect experiment. #PetsofWhitehead Alumni, grab your own pet bandana by joining our alumni LinkedIn group: www.linkedin.com/groups/12483...

In celebration of Massachusetts STEM Week, students from Prospect Hill Academy Charter School toured the Yamashita lab and got an introduction to fruit fly research. Thanks to everyone who participated!

In celebration of Massachusetts STEM Week, students from Prospect Hill Academy Charter School toured the Yamashita lab and got an introduction to fruit fly research. Thanks to everyone who participated!

A huge thank you to all the alumni and current trainees who joined us at Trillium Brewing in Fort Point last week. From swapping stories about lab days to hearing where your careers have taken you, the conversations were inspiring (and the good food and drinks didn’t hurt either).

Sometimes, one research project is an unexpected spin off of another project. That's exactly what happened in the Yamashita lab, where researchers identified a novel mechanism that keeps the "selfish" gene Stellate in check. wi.mit.edu/news/one-lab... #ResearchThreads

Pawfessor Jake reporting for duty! #PetsofWhitehead Alumni, grab your own pet bandana by joining our alumni LinkedIn group: www.linkedin.com/groups/12483...

@science.org High-resolution spatial mapping of cell state and lineage dynamics in vivo with PEtracer | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... @lukekoblan.bsky.social @weissmanlab.bsky.social @zhuanglab.bsky.social @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social et al.

This week, I was grateful to be named a semifinalist for the ASHG Trainee Research Excellence Award. I also gave my first platform talk, detailing my work with @geneticsmike7.bsky.social on noncoding MS SNPs in microglia. Missed the talk? See our MedRXiV preprint: tiny.cc/gallagher-luna-2025

What causes dormant cancer cells to erupt into a frenzy of growth and division? New work from the Weinberg lab points to inflammation as a trigger. wi.mit.edu/news/inflamm...

Rudolf Jaenisch is recognized for his trailblazing contributions to epigenetics and stem cell biology, which have shaped modern regenerative medicine. @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social @cp-cellstemcell.bsky.social @cellpress.bsky.social

"Fruit flies have a lot of fun gene names. Some of my favorites are Asterix and Obelix, which are named after a French comic book, because I have childhood associations with them," Julia Wucherpfennig says. #WhiteheadPostdocProfiles wi.mit.edu/news/meet-wh...

On Wednesday, former White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy joined our Director Ruth Lehmann in conversation about cultivating trust in science. Thanks to all who joined us! Stay tuned for upcoming Director's Dialogues, and watch past talks on our website: wi.mit.edu/directors-di...

Most cells in our body live and die. But the germline, the cells that produce eggs and sperm, must carry on forever. Our first #ResearchThreads follows a string of discoveries made in the Yamashita lab that tease apart how the germline remains immortal. wi.mit.edu/news/one-lab...

Attention Whitehead alumni — please join us for an informal evening of connection and conversation during the ASHG meeting on October 16. For details and to RSVP, please contact [email protected]. (Photos are from our alumni event last month!)

Next Tuesday our director Ruth Lehmann joins Gina McCarthy, former White House National Climate Advisor and EPA Administrator, for a conversation about science, policy and public trust. RSVP: www.eventzilla.net/e/science-tr... @harvardkennedy.bsky.social @mitclimateproject.bsky.social