Congratulations to Asst. Prof. Alejandra Mendoza, recipient of a Health Innovator Award from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation! The grant will support her project, “Neuro-immune Networks in Chronic Intestinal Inflammation,” focused on advancing IBD research.

An experimental HIV vaccine regimen from scientists at Scripps Research and Karolinska Institutet elicited apex-targeted cross-neutralizing antibodies in every preclinical model tested. Published in Nature the vaccines generated responses against multiple HIV strains. More: https://ow.ly/pfKk50Z5Hcp

Congrats to Daniel B. McClatchy, recipient of the Al Yergey Mass Spectrometry Scientist Award from the ASMS. McClatchy was recognized for pioneering advances in neuroproteomics, including SILAM and PALM workflows for quantitative in vivo proteomics. More: https://ow.ly/I0Bj50Z6lrx

Meet Kristal Stevens, a 3rd-year PhD candidate in the Bollong lab studying regenerative therapies through the Hippo pathway. Outside the lab, she channels the wonder of science into vibrant artwork—one of which was featured on the cover of ChemBioChem in February 2025.

In our latest Community Corner, senior project manager Lauren Ariniello reflects on her journey from summer intern to digital trial innovator, the lessons lacrosse taught her about mentorship and why she still finds science just as exciting now as the day she first picked up a pipette.

Congratulations to Scripps Research Professor Jin-Quan Yu, who has been elected to the Fellowship of The Royal Society, the U.K.’s national academy of sciences, for his pioneering work in synthetic organic chemistry and carbon–hydrogen (C–H) activation research. More: https://ow.ly/GWJr50Z4TaP

We’re still celebrating the Skaggs Graduate School Class of 2026 🎓✨

Scripps Research Asst. Prof. Megan Ken was recently featured in DukeMag for her work studying RNA structural dynamics in viruses to better understand how viruses work and find new ways of making antiviral drugs. Read more at: https://ow.ly/fAJ250Z2qoN 📸: DukeMag

During last week’s Commencement Ceremony, the Skaggs Graduate School recognized Professor Ian Wilson with an honorary degree celebrating a career that transformed structural biology, immunology and scientific education at Scripps Research, alongside the establishment of the Ian Wilson Endowed Chair.

As part of last week’s Commencement celebrations, Scripps Research alumni gathered for an evening of connection, conversation and community at our annual Alumni Network Reception. We’re proud to welcome the Class of 2026 into the alumni community! 🎓🎉

In Michael Erb's lab, his team develops proximity-inducing drugs: small molecules that bring proteins into contact to control behavior. Using large-scale chemistry and automated systems like the Echo acoustic liquid handler, Erb is uncovering ways to target proteins once considered “undruggable.”

Last week, the Skaggs Graduate School Class of 2026 celebrated Commencement at Scripps Research! 🎓🎉 Surrounded by friends, family and mentors, graduates marked years of dedication and discovery. Prof. Ian Wilson and Peter Dervan were also awarded honorary degrees during the ceremony.

Inside Nobel laureate Ardem Patapoutian's lab, graduating PhD student Nick Villarino is developing new ways to visualize how the body senses touch, pressure and stretch. At the Skaggs Graduate School, his work maps sensory signaling pathways throughout the body. 📸 - Stephen Yuan (@ Patapoutian lab)

Scripps Research establishes endowed chair honoring renowned structural biologist Ian Wilson, naming Assoc. Prof. Keren Lasker as the inaugural holder, chosen for “her enormous creativity and innovation and the exceptional quality of her research," says Wilson. More: https://ow.ly/tUox50YZIY9

Regenerative medicine takes center stage in the Spring 2026 edition of Scripps Research Magazine. Learn how our programs are advancing therapies to repair the heart, lungs, eyes and more, with several programs already in human trials. Explore the full issue at: https://ow.ly/TFRG50YZeaS

At Scripps Research, our science spans multiple disciplines, but its strength lies in integration. Cross-department collaboration enables scientists to interrogate complex biological systems from multiple angles, advancing discovery with therapeutic development.

“These are diseases of protein shape.” For more than 35 years, Scripps Research professor Jeffery Kelly has studied how proteins misfold and drive amyloid disease. His work led to tafamidis, the first drug shown to slow a neurodegenerative disease. #NationalAmyloidosisDay

Meet Sharidan Brown, a fifth-year graduate student in the Ward lab and member of the graduating Class of 2026, whose work uses cryo-EM to study how antibodies respond to viruses like HIV, helping to inform future vaccines and earning her the 2025 CHAVD Young Investigator Award.

A campus reception brought faculty and colleagues together to celebrate Professors Jeff Kelly and John Yates III, both of whom were named 2026 Canada Gairdner International Award laureates by The Gairdner Foundation, one of the most prestigious honors in biomedical science. https://ow.ly/NP8K50YVJNK

Soon-to-be graduate Justice Fleischmann is investigating a type of cancer immunotherapy known as a T-cell engager. In the Young lab, he directs immune cells to better target and eliminate tumors and is part of an effort to extend these therapies to solid tumors. More: https://ow.ly/I4bi50YVejI

Happy to share the final version of this work is now out in @natchembio.nature.com. Lots of additional exciting data! Congrats to all the authors!

Findings from Prof. Chris Parker's lab show that post-translational modifications (PTMs) can determine whether proteins bind drug-like molecules. Published in Nature Chemical Biology, the study identified 400+ proteins whose druggability depends on modification state. More: https://ow.ly/3OQj50YVecw

One month ago, we announced the 2026 Canada Gairdner Award laureates, recognizing world-leading scientists whose discoveries are transforming human health and disease. 🎥 Revisit the full announcement video: youtu.be/jTNDFTC8GWM #GairdnerAwards

🎥2026 #GairdnerAward laureates Jeffery Kelly received the 2026 Canada Gairdner International Award for discovering tafamidis, the first effective treatment for a human amyloid disease, providing key evidence that protein aggregation drives neurodegeneration. @scripps.edu

"Are blue zones real? Answering that question is harder than ever. Skepticism, business imperatives, and changing demographics are muddying the clear-blue waters." By Shelley Wood and @erictopol.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/05/04/a...

At last week’s #ScienceinAction, attendees had the opportunity to meet several of our newest PhD graduates, each of whom will accept their doctoral degree at this year’s Skaggs Graduate School commencement on May 15. 🎓 Register to watch our Commencement live at https://ow.ly/mx7f50YRcAr

Congratulations to Professor Dennis Burton on his election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A leader in broadly neutralizing antibodies, Burton has helped drive global efforts to develop vaccines for HIV, influenza and more. https://ow.ly/Lem950YTGsN

Benjamin Cravatt has been elected to the American Philosophical Society in recognition of developing activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), redefining how scientists study and target disease-relevant proteins and enabling the discovery of inhibitors and drug candidates. https://ow.ly/1lNZ50YTGuk

Congrats to postdoctoral fellow King Hung on being named a Damon Runyon Fellow, supporting research on how cells communicate to coordinate tissue behavior, a process disrupted in cancer. Using flatworms, he studies how physical and biochemical signals guide regeneration through live-cell tracking.

The NIH is expected to award @scripps.edu nearly $4.2 million over 5 years to advance tools for studying viral proteins and antibody responses, supporting vaccine design. The project builds on recent work by senior scientist Kimmo Rantalainen, along with professors William Schief and Andrew Ward.

New national rankings place @scripps.edu at #3 in the U.S. and #1 in the West in the inaugural 2026 #CureInnovationIndex, recognizing top-performing biomedical institutes and centers that translate scientific discovery into real-world healthcare solutions. More: ow.ly/sOUR50YSzUN

At last week’s Front Row lecture, Scripps Research President and CEO Pete Schultz outlined how Scripps Research is linking basic science and translational research to move discoveries toward medicines faster, with advances spanning aging, AI and global health. More: https://ow.ly/AP4850YQNQf

Scripps Research Prof. Jin-Quan Yu has been elected to @nasonline.org, recognized for his pioneering work in C-H bond activation. His methodologies have simplified the construction and modification of complex molecules, with potential applications in medicine, agriculture and materials science.

Congrats to Scripps Research Professor Benjamin Cravatt on being named the 2026 laureate of the Emanuel Merck Lectureship, which recognizes his pioneering work in chemical biology, particularly in reactive proteomics and activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). More: https://ow.ly/4tpU50YQRWm

Preventing a chemical modification of STING, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s inflammation, reduced neuroinflammation and protected synapses lost as the disease progresses, as shown in Cell Chemical Biology, with researchers in the Lipton lab now developing small molecules to target this pathway.

Scientists at @scripps.edu, with IAVI and collaborators, report in @natcomms.nature.com a nanodisc platform that offers a clearer view of how key viral proteins interact with antibodies.

At #ScienceinAction the Kern lab demonstrated how crystallography and model systems help reveal how proteins “dance,” and how enzymes lower energy barriers that drive biological reactions.

Congrats to Zeba Rizvi (@zrizvi.bsky.social), a postdoctoral researcher in the Ward lab, on receiving an @americancancersoc.bsky.social Postdoctoral Fellowship for her work on cereblon (CRBN), a key cancer drug target—building on research initiated in the @landerlab.bsky.social.

In this week's Front Row lecture, President and CEO Peter Schultz will highlight the progress Scripps Research has made in pioneering a new model for non-profit biomedical research. 🗓️ Join us on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 ⏰ 4:00 p.m. PT | 7:00 p.m. ET 🔗 Register now: https://ow.ly/2YJo50YN3zJ

🎓🌟 These six Scripps Research alumni have taken their training in many directions, from vaccine design and drug discovery to entrepreneurship, public service, and science advocacy, each making their own unique impact far beyond campus. More: https://ow.ly/MaOp50YN9uX

A new @cp-molcell.bsky.social study from the lab of Xiaohua Wu reports that Pol theta (Polθ) drives DNA repair at broken replication forks—redefining how tumors survive replication stress and why Pol theta inhibitors may help selectively target cancer.

A new method from the @shenvi.bsky.social lab enables the construction of branched molecular frameworks from simple alkenes via controlled MHAT chemistry, resolving a longstanding selectivity challenge and accelerating access to drug-relevant structures, as reported in @science.org.

In @usnews.com’s 2026 Best Science Schools rankings, the Skaggs Graduate School ranked No. 1 in Biological Sciences and No. 7 in Chemistry, rising from No. 9 in Biological Sciences and reaffirming its strength in chemistry education. More: ow.ly/qRgo50YGIqc

Microhomology-mediated end joining acts directly on replication forks to repair single-ended double-strand breaks

In a new @natchembio.nature.com study, Scripps Research scientists report first-in-class compounds that block a key protein interaction in immune cells, reducing inflammatory signaling in autoimmune disease without compromising immune defense.

A look at the southern end of the Scripps Research campus, designed over 25 years ago as a “monastery for scientists,” remains a lasting example of architecture built to support scientific work.

Congratulations to Scripps Research professors Jeffery Kelly and John Yates III, named laureates of the 2026 Canada Gairdner International Award (@gairdnerawards.bsky.social), recognized for discoveries that have made a major impact on scientific progress and human health.

Congratulations to Jeffery W. Kelly, recipient of the 2026 Canada Gairdner International Award. Full bio: www.gairdner.org/winner/jeffe... #2026GairdnerAwards

Congratulations to John R. Yates III, Ruedi Aebersold and Matthias Mann, recipients of the 2026 Canada Gairdner International Award. Prof. Yates: www.gairdner.org/winner/john-... Prof. Aebersold: www.gairdner.org/winner/ruedi... Prof. Mann: www.gairdner.org/winner/matth... #2026GairdnerAwards

Congrats to Prof. @chrisgparker.bsky.social, recipient of the 2026 @acs.org Chemical Biology Early Career Award! 🚀 Formally receiving the award at last week’s ACS Spring meeting, his lab uses chemical proteomics to map druggable sites across human proteins, revealing new paths for drug discovery.