New hope for BRAF V600E mCRC patients: BREAKWATER shows EC+mFOLFOX6 nearly doubles survival vs. standard chemo. A potential new first-line standard for this high-risk population. Link in comments 👇 #mCRC #BRAF #ClinicalTrials #oncology

🚀 Reminder: Our preprint “Overcoming Cisplatin Resistance via Deep Learning–Assisted Design of Platinum Complexes” is live on ChemRxiv! We designed PlatinAI—a platinum complex active against cisplatin-resistant cells via a non-DNA-binding mechanism. Link in comments 👇 #AI #Oncology #Metallodrugs

ChemBench: Testing AI vs. Human Chemists 🤖🧪🧑‍🔬 An open-source benchmark designed to evaluate how well large language models (LLMs) understand chemistry compared to human experts. Spoiler alert: human chemists still hold advantages in certain problem-solving areas. Link in comments #Chemistry #AI

🏥 New hope for better long-term outcomes in HNSCC! KEYNOTE-689: Pembrolizumab before and after surgery improves progression-free survival & overall outcomes in HNSCC patients compared to standard treatment. Link in comments #oncology #immunotherapy #HNSCC #clinicaltrials

👩‍🔬 We trained a deep learning model to create a new platinum complex. It works. Our latest research, “Overcoming Cisplatin Resistance via Deep Learning–Assisted De Novo Design of Platinum Complexes,” is now live on ChemRxiv! 🔬 Link in comments 👇 #AI #Oncology #Metallodrugs

We gathered to say farewell to our amazing postdoctoral fellow, Raja, sending him off with spices, stories, and a whole lot of heart. 🌶️💬💛 Raja, we'll miss you and can’t wait to see where your path leads next! 🚀🌍 #Graduation #StudentLife #CareerJourney

Iron and the Gut Microbiome: A Delicate Balance with Clinical Implications Iron is a key regulator of host–microbiome ecology and immune-metabolic balance. Exciting work in Nature Microbiology. Full article link in comments 👇 #Microbiome #IronMetabolism #Immunology

🧪New data support monoclonal antibodies as next-gen malaria prevention. CIS43LS is the first mAb to show high efficacy in a real-world malaria-endemic setting proven in a Phase 2 trial in Mali. Link in comments #ClinicalTrials #InfectiousDiseases #MonoclonalAntibodies

Honored to share that our lab member, Dr. Jemma Arakelyan (CEO, Institute of Cancer and Crisis), spoke at #ASCO2025 in Chicago—addressing the impact of conflict on cancer care and the urgent need for innovation in crisis-affected regions. #ASCO2025 #CancerCare #GlobalHealth

Smarter Cancer Decisions with AI GPT-4–based 🎯 Accuracy boost: 30.3% → 87.2% with multimodal tools (such as Vision Transformer, MedSAM, PubMed, OncoKB). Is AI + domain-specific tools the future of precision oncology? Link in comments #Oncology #AI #GPT4 #HealthTech

Tarlatamab shows superior outcomes in relapsed SCLC In the phase 3 DeLLphi-304 trial, Tarlatamab significantly improved overall survival and reduced severe AE compared to chemotherapy in relapsed SCLC after platinum-based treatment. Link in comments #ClinicalTrials #SCLC # Oncology

Amid busy, fulfilling days, we paused to say farewell to Chris Fung, Ho-jung Choe & Maryana Yarshova. Hot pot, mahjong & shared laughter made it a night to remember. We’re proud to have walked this path with you. Here's to the road ahead 🌟 #Graduation #StudentLife #CareerJourney

🦠 Block nutrients, block infection: a new antimicrobial strategy emerges. Fascinating work in Science Advances! Full article link in comments 👇 #Microbiology #LifeSciences #AntibioticResistance #ScientificResearch

🎉 Congrats to Pikting Izzy Cheung from University at Albany, SUNY — winner of Falling Walls Lab Hong Kong! She’ll head to Berlin to join the global finale of this pitch competition for emerging innovators with bold, world-changing ideas. #FallingWallsLab #Innovation

Take a look at the latest interview the Babak Lab produced for the series #ConversationsThatShapeScience. This time, we had an insightful and inspiring chat with Prof. Denver Danfeng Li from City University of Hong Kong on his work on superconductors and beyond. www.linkedin.com/posts/the-ba...

Exciting read of this week: AI Meets Chemistry! New Nature paper introduces SIMGs—AI-enhanced molecular graphs that predict properties better than traditional methods by integrating quantum data. Scalable, interpretable, and free to try (simg.cheme.cmu.edu)! doi.org/10.1038/s422...

Take a glimpse at the course developed by Prof. Maria Babak and her team, which had a significant impact for her winning the Teaching Excellence award this year 🥳🤩 (Video is longer than 1 min, so click the link below 🙏🏼) www.linkedin.com/posts/the-ba... #chemsky

Huge congratulations to Prof. Maria Babak on winning the College of Science Teaching Excellence Award this year! 🎉 This recognition celebrates your outstanding contributions—thank you for inspiring excellence in education. We are proud to be your students! 👏 #CityUHK #Science #Education #chemsky

Exciting article to read this week! Could it be the future of healing? 🤖 doi.org/10.1002/advs... #chemsky

Prof. Babak had a chance to visit to 3 top universities in Uzbekistan. Mary thanks to Nargiza Amirova for the warm hospitality & brilliant organization! Excited for future collaborations! 🌍✨

Exciting read of this week at the Babak Lab! 10.1126/sciimmunol.adf4726

Every lab has a chosen one! #chemsky

This week, Prof. Babak joined CityUHK's delegation to visit three top Kazakh Universities 🇰🇿 Staying true to her "work hard, play hard" approach, she discussed research projects and built connections with local students and academics. All while experiencing Kazakhstan's rich culture. #chemsky

New study in Nat. Genetics introduces MESA, a computational framework that quantitatively maps tissue organization by combining multiomics with ecological principles. The method reveals distinct cellular communities and identifies disease-associated patterns. doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02119-z

This week, Prof. Babak had the privilege of visiting Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty as part of City University of Hong Kong delegation. It was an inspiring opportunity to explore academic and research synergies between our institutions.

Conquering the Dragon’s Back! 🐉 This past weekend, Daniil took on the famous Dragon’s Back trail — and absolutely crushed it! 🏞️ With breathtaking coastal views, rugged ridges, and a well-earned dip at Big Wave Bay, this hike was the perfect blend of challenge and reward. #chemsky

We got to know that Egor had a wonderful time in Japan — what an amazing experience! 🌸 Now that he’s back, we are happy to see he’s recharged and ready to dive back into work. Looking forward to having him back in the lab! #chemsky #PhDlife

Important review in Nature Aging on the mechanistic links between aging and cancer, covering DNA damage, telomere biology, and immunosenescence. Relevant for both basic and translational research. Have a read! doi.org/10.1038/s435... #chemsky

We are happy to share that our LinkedIn lab account has hit a mark of 1000 followers! A huge thank you to our community and incredible team 🫂 Click here to check it out: www.linkedin.com/company/the-... #chemsky

A recommendation from The Babak Lab on what to add to your reading list this week 🤩: www.nature.com/articles/s41... #chemsky #PhD #Academia

Read our paper in @acsjacs.bsky.social! @acs.org The Babak Lab 🤝 Prof. Ang Wee Han, Prof. Walter Berger and City University of Hong Kong! #chemsky

Did you know that Prof. Masha was a lead singer in a rock band? Yes yes, her band "Rara Avis" tored up the dance floor for several years. 🎸🔥 While she is busy leading a drug discovery lab, she also knows how to unwind in style!

This exciting study reveals how fasting reshapes NK cell biology to enhance anti-tumor immunity — offering exciting insights into the intersection of metabolism, immunity, and cancer therapy. A must-read for anyone interested in innovative approaches to boosting immune responses!

Prof. Babak’s email account may have been compromised, and fraudulent emails appearing to come from her could be circulating. Please avoid clicking on suspicious links, sharing personal information, or responding to unusual requests — contact her directly if unsure. Thank you for your vigilance.

This week, we paused our experiments to honor an incredible mind — Daniil! 🧪🔬 From being our daily support as a chem lead to your endless curiosity, your passion inspires us all. Happy Birthday! 🎈 Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of science — and cake! 🍰 #LabLife #chemsky

Thrilled to share our recent review in Chemical Science exploring the potential of metal-based compounds to induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) in cancer cells! Full text: pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

🌟 Our lab joined an Ethiopian-led workshop to explore their culture — savoring injera & learning Ge’ez calligraphy. A powerful reminder of how cross-cultural learning fuels innovation & connection. Grateful for the inspiration! 🌍✨ #CulturalExchange #Research #chemsky

Our latest publication, "Leveraging Immunogenic Cell Death to Enhance the Immune Response against Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Tumors" in JACS, showcases the remarkable potential of novel Au(III) complexes to induce long-lasting antitumor immunity. We are all super proud of this achievement 💪

We have created a short video breaking down the key findings of our research on NO-donor oxadiazole assemblies and their anticancer potential against malignant pleural mesothelioma. Check it out for a quick, engaging summary! encyclopedia.pub/video/1500 #chemsky #cancer #phd #cancerresearch

Thrilled to announce our publication in Pharmaceutics 🎉 We've developed novel NO-donor compounds showing exceptional promise against MPM. These compounds outperform existing NO donors and demonstrate high cytotoxicity against MPM cells. Read the full paper: 10.3390/pharmaceutics17020230 #chemsky

This Valentine’s, Daniil became our lab’s heartthrob. After helping everyone troubleshoot experiments, students from the entire department showered him with gifts. Two days later, his desk still looks like a gift shop exploded. The rest of us? Taking notes on how to be thatlikable. #chemsky

This week, our brilliant PhD student Anna (Kira) Kirsanova shares how she balances chemistry with her passions: rock concerts, Chinese opera, and growing hot peppers! 🌶️🎸 Finding joy outside the lab fuels her life and work. ✨ #PhDlife #academia #worklifebalance #chemsky

As journal club is one of our favourite ways to stay updated on cutting-edge research, Egor has carefully prepared a brief video overview of a publication of interest, published in Nature Medicine Access the video here: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/... #JournalClub #PhD #Academia #Science #chemsky

Last night, the Babak Lab crew swapped lab coats for team spirit at a pub quiz! 🎉 As team “Red Velvet”, we tackled every question. From drug discovery to trivia, our problem-solving skills shine everywhere! Here’s to science, laughter, and lifelong friends. 🥂 #LabLife #PhD #Chemsky

Shoutout to our amazing lab member, Jemma, who reminds us to step outside the lab. 🌿 “Nature is my reset. Hiking —challenging or peaceful — always leaves me inspired and ready for what’s next. Your next big idea might come on a trail.” 🌟 #chemsky #PhD

We were ready to start in vivo experiments, but our lab mice took a festive break for Chinese New Year! 🧧🐍 Rumor has it they’re busy with tiny red envelopes and seed buffets. Guess science waits for no one… except tradition. 🥟✨ Happy Lunar New Year! 🎉 #chemsky

Wishing a Happy Lunar New Year to the incredible research community! From everyone at The Babak Lab, we hope this Year of the Snake brings you good fortune, prosperity, and exciting new discoveries. #CNY #CityUHK

Transition metal complexes offer a novel approach to targeting emerging cancer hallmarks and the tumor microbiome. Have a look at our review to learn how these complexes impact the tumor microenvironment: #chemistry #cancertreatment #transitionmetalcomplexes www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Meet our PhD student Andy! He loves travel, music (Imagine Dragons!), and his pets, Potato the dog, and Oyster pancake the cat, who help him greatly on his journey towards self-love. #PhD #academia #chemsky

Here at The Babak Lab we do work hard! However, sometimes things don’t go as planned... 😅 Prepared by our dearest Egor Matnurov #chemsky #PhDlife #TheBabakLab