NY  — The Endometriosis Foundation of America (EndoFound) and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) announce the launch of the Seckin Endometriosis Research Center for Women’s Health a new initiative dedicated to advancing research and discovery in endometriosis The center is funded through a combined $20 million commitment—$10 million from EndoFound and a $10 million matching gift from CSHL Board Chair Marilyn Simons This marks a historic investment in one of the most overlooked areas of women’s health research aiming to accelerate scientific breakthroughs and improve the lives of those living with endometriosis The Seckin Endometriosis Research Center will be housed at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and led by Dr whose work explores the intersection of genetics and the immune system in female reproductive health Named in honor of internationally renowned endometriosis surgeon Tamer Seckin the center will apply advanced technologies and interdisciplinary collaboration to investigate the disease’s underlying biology Seckin is known for developing the patented blue dye technique that helps surgeons detect otherwise hidden lesions improving both diagnosis and surgical treatment outcomes Endometriosis is a chronic disease that occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus though it can also appear elsewhere in the body It affects approximately 1 in 10 women of reproductive age and is a leading cause of infertility endometriosis research remains severely underfunded The Seckin Endometriosis Research Center will serve as a hub for scientific collaboration Its mission is to deepen understanding of the disease and ultimately drive the development of better diagnostics and treatments To learn more or to support this initiative, visit https://www.endofound.org/seckin-endometriosis-research-center About the Endometriosis Foundation of America Eight Years After Experiencing Her First Endometriosis Symptoms at Age 35, Alexis Roderick Joel Has Reclaimed Her Life With every gift to the Endometriosis Foundation of America YOU help support our mission of increasing disease recognition and funding landmark endometriosis research Endometriosis Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization as determined by the Internal Revenue Service under EIN 20-4904437 Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law Home / News / CSHL Stories and Media From being told that their pain is not real to facing the heartbreak of infertility and even the threat of death, women dealing with endometriosis face incredible, sometimes lifelong journeys that can be rife with suffering and uncertainty. Now, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is partnering with the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EndoFound) to bring more research to bear on this disease which affects approximately 200 million women worldwide EndoFound has committed $10 million to CSHL to establish the Seckin Endometriosis Research Center for Women’s Health. Tamer Seckin Founder and President of the Endometriosis Foundation of America Founder of the Seckin Endometriosis Center Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and Attending Physician at Lenox Hill Hospital announced the commitment at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at CSHL EndoFound leaders and CSHL scientists in attendance expressed tremendous enthusiasm and confidence that EndoFound’s transformative pledge would not only lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic advances for endometriosis but also promote awareness of the disease “Imagine having to endure pain levels at or near those experienced during childbirth—every single month for most of your life That is the reality for millions of women and girls living with endometriosis,” said Dr Founder and CEO of Celmatix Therapeutics and EndoFound Board Chairperson often debilitating disease where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus typically in but sometimes beyond the pelvic cavity It can begin at first menstruation and persist through menopause “I have dedicated my life to understanding endometriosis a disease that affects more than 200 million women worldwide,” said Seckin “The establishment of the Seckin Endometriosis Research Center for Women’s Health at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory marks a truly historic milestone—the first dedicated endometriosis research center within a premier U.S “For all the women who have suffered silently and been overlooked for far too long, we dedicate this Center to you,” Seckin continued. “My deepest gratitude to Alexis Joel for speaking so beautifully about her own experience. Thank you to Dr. Semir Beyaz the generosity of Madeleine Rudin and our donors and patient who made this moment possible.” The Seckin Endometriosis Research Center for Women’s Health provides a state-of-the-art lab and additional resources for a CSHL program that seeks to uncover the biological markers of endometriosis and novel drug targets for the disease EndoFound’s $10 million commitment is being matched for a $20 million total commitment to the establishment of the Center “The major goal of this Research Center is to interrogate the complex genetic and environmental determinants of endometriosis,” said CSHL Assistant Professor Semir Beyaz, who leads the endometriosis research program at CSHL “We will investigate the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying endometriosis to develop preventative “This commitment is more than just a major show of support It is truly transformative,” added Marilyn Simons CSHL Board Chair and co-founder of the Simons Foundation “I am confident that the studies conducted at the Center will have significant implications for women’s health I thank EndoFound for their powerful vision and commitment which we expect to inspire increasing support of endometriosis research and education at CSHL and across the globe.” Written by: Lisa Cruz, Vice President, Communications | cruz@cshl.edu | 516-367-6846   Newsletter Signup   Donate Now   Newsletter Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Web Accessibility A women’s health research center focused on endometriosis opened Thursday at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory hoping to unravel the mysteries behind the painful disease that impacts millions of women every year The Endometriosis Foundation of America said it is committing $10 million to the center which will put the spotlight on a condition that has traditionally not received the kind of attention or funding awarded to other health issues chair of the Cold Spring Harbor lab’s board Endometriosis causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus to grow on other organs such as ovaries bowels or bladders in women of childbearing years according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been researching what causes endometriosis and how it develops by examining genetic environmental and lifestyle-related factors "This will allow us to do the research that has not ever been done before which is the foundational work across different patient groups," Beyaz said "If you don't understand the mechanism Researchers said they can take healthy cells and transform them into diseased cells to find better ways to diagnose and eventually develop treatments for endometriosis "We have resources here that we can deploy to endometriosis to potentially first understand it "Cold Spring Harbor is one of the forefronts in this molecular and genetic research that we historically applied to other diseases like cancer." Women have said their chronic pain has been dismissed The Endometriosis Foundation of America said it takes about 10 years for a woman to receive a diagnosis because not enough people in the public and the medical community have a strong knowledge of the disease a gynecologic surgeon and pioneering endometriosis specialist who is the namesake of the Seckin Endometriosis Research Center for Women’s Health at Cold Spring Harbor Labs inflammatory disease that affects at least 200 million women around the world." who helped start the Endometriosis Foundation said he believes this is the first research center dedicated to the disease It will have the advantage of 30,000 specimens from patients that Seckin has collected to use for testing He urged women to advocate for themselves if they feel a doctor is not taking their complaints and symptoms seriously "Women should not accept what they hear from any doctor," Seckin said "They have to speak for themselves." Alexis Joel attended the event at Cold Spring Harbor Labs along with her husband, singer Billy Joel, and shared her own experience with endometriosis The Northport native fought back tears as she recounted how a long line of medical specialists and numerous health tests were unable to provide a diagnosis or ease her suffering Endometrial tissue growth is linked to a woman’s menstrual cycle and hormone fluctuations The tissue does not just appear on the reproductive organs but can be found in other parts of the body "I was begging doctors to help me," Joel recounted She said she finally found relief with Seckin Seckin removed 27 lesions during surgery on Joel "This is more than science," Joel said of the lab’s research "It's a pathway to an earlier diagnosis targeted therapies and personalized care for millions who have waited too long for answers." Get the latest stories every week about health and wellness covering topics from medicine and mental health to updates on the coronavirus and new research By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) got a generous spring refresh this March thanks to the local nonprofit, Long Island Arboricultural Association (LIAA) and landscape professionals from across Long Island volunteered their time and expertise to prune and tend to trees across CSHL’s 120-acre campus Some of these giants are over a century old “I was honored when the LIAA approached me about hosting the Arbor Day event,” said CSHL Assistant Director of Buildings and Grounds Danny Miller “The Grounds Department schedules tree maintenance regularly We are thankful for the LIAA and all the members who volunteered their time.” In addition to preserving the campus’s beauty regular maintenance is needed to help remove potential hazards The spring refresh also allows healthy plants to thrive “The LIAA has been around for more than 50 years and this event in particular dates back nearly to the beginning of the Association,” said LIAA President Joseph Patrone “Giving back to the community and being able to highlight the abilities of the arboricultural industry is always of utmost importance to the Association and its members that commitment was reinforced through the generosity of the LIAA Written by: Caroline Cosgrove, Community Engagement Manager | cosgrov@cshl.edu | 516-367-8844 Home / News / HarborScope Blog By “It’s a nice base of operations,” says Trevor Christensen a CSHL graduate student living in Knight House “You have almost all the first-year students in Knight and across the street at Cutting It makes it pretty easy to get together for things like working on projects Current first-year resident Pablo Mantilla says: But the view is definitely my favorite thing In 2005, the Laboratory expanded its housing options across the harbor by purchasing and renovating a nearby home previously owned by former CSHL Association President George Cutting Cutting House was initially occupied by postdoctoral fellows SBS students work directly alongside CSHL scientists in a variety of fields Workdays often start early and can extend into the night and tests they expect to work on throughout the semester The availability of affordable student housing at CSHL means one less thing to worry about for Christensen and Mantilla “It’d be a lot harder to attend classes and work on projects if I didn’t live so close,” Christensen says affordable housing really gives you a solid foundation to build off of You’re living with people in similar situations you can rely on each other to help out with things.” CSHL has announced plans to expand housing availability for postdocs and visiting scientists through the Foundations for the Future campaign the effort will allow more scientists than ever before to share in the joy of discovery at CSHL It’s an experience Knight and Cutting residents already know well “It really feels like a different world,” Mantilla says “It’s like if somebody wrote a book about this place where people go to become scientists and let you focus on just being a scientist CSHL Professor David Tuveson and Research Investigator Claudia Tonelli have found a way to “intercept” pancreatic cancer they were able to prevent pancreatic cancer from forming in the first place Pancreatic cancer is projected to become the second-deadliest cancer by 2030. By the time it’s diagnosed, it’s often difficult to treat. So, for both individual patients and the general population, fighting pancreatic cancer can feel like a race against time. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor and Cancer Center Director David Tuveson offers a telling analogy: But some of your moles you have a dermatologist looking at to make sure it’s always fine They may take it out and send it to the pathologist to ask Imagine that in your pancreas—because that’s the reality We all have early versions of cancer in many tissues at all times.” Now imagine treating those “early versions” in the pancreas—before they become cancerous. A new discovery at the CSHL Cancer Center could help make this possible Tuveson and Research Investigator Claudia Tonelli have found a way to effectively “intercept” pancreatic cancer we need to first understand a little bit about pancreatic cancer genetics “Over 95% of pancreatic cancer patients have mutations in KRAS,” Tonelli explains. “It’s the driving oncogene in this disease. We discovered that another gene, FGFR2, plays a role in enhancing mutant KRAS signaling in pancreatic cancer. When that happens, those ‘early versions’ of pancreatic cancer become much more aggressive.” Tonelli and Tuveson observed this outcome in mice and organoids—lab-grown versions of human pancreatic tissue the researchers weren’t just having a look Their goal was to stop the pancreatic tissue from becoming cancerous Because FGFR2 is a known oncogene in other cancers several inhibitors are already used in the clinic today When Tonelli and her colleagues inhibited FGFR2 at precisely the right moment When they targeted FGFR2 along with EGFR—a protein known to be overactive in pancreatic cancer—they saw even better results Fewer “early versions of cancer” formed in the first place “With an increasing number of FGFR2 inhibitors entering the clinic our study lays the foundation to explore their use in combination with EGFR inhibitors for pancreatic cancer interception,” Tonelli says Patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer would likely be among the first candidates to receive such treatments For now, fighting pancreatic cancer remains a race against time the day may soon come when time is on our side Written by: Samuel Diamond, Editorial Content Manager | diamond@cshl.edu | 516-367-5055 Tonelli, C., et al., “FGFR2 Abrogation Intercepts Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Development”, Cancer Research, April 2, 2025. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-24-4576 Zuckerberg Professor of Cancer ResearchCancer Center DirectorM.D. CSHL Associate Professor Tobias Janowitz and colleagues identified a circuit connecting the brain and immune system that may be responsible for the sense of apathy many late-stage cancer patients experience The discovery suggests that existing antibody treatments could be repurposed to improve cancer patients’ quality of life and enable them to better tolerate common cancer therapies “Many patients complain of symptoms in that category I don’t feel like eating it.’ Their grandchildren come for a playdate cachexia severely limits patients’ ability to tolerate common cancer treatments CSHL scientists have been studying the condition for years Janowitz and colleague Adam Kepecs at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis (WashU Medicine) have identified a connection between the brain and the immune system that is responsible for cachexia-related apathy certain neurons release less and less dopamine Screening for elevated immune system proteins in the brains and bodies of mice with cachexia led the team to IL-6 which gets released during inflammation and has long been associated with cachexia Decreasing IL-6 signals in connected brain areas made the mice more motivated the mice became less sensitive to the amount of effort required to find food The scientists saw the same result when elevating dopamine levels in the right brain areas “We discovered a full brain circuit that senses inflammation in the bloodstream and sends signals that reduce motivation,” Kepecs says “This reveals that apathy isn’t just an emotional or psychological reaction to cachexia—it’s built into the biology of the disease.” The discovery further suggests that existing antibody treatments could be repurposed to improve cancer patients’ quality of life “Our goals are to make patients feel better and to treat the cancer better,” Janowitz explains “A better patient will be able to better tolerate and benefit from anti-cancer treatments.” Working across cancer and neuroscience has brought the researchers this far. Their ultimate hope is that one day, through continued interdisciplinary collaboration, they will help turn cachexia into a condition patients can overcome That would be a welcome development not only for people battling cancer but also for their loved ones who suffer alongside them Written by: Jennifer Michalowski, Science Writer | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Taylor Family Institute for Psychiatric Research The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Zhu, X.A., et al., “A neuro-immune circuit mediates cancer cachexia-associated apathy”, Science, April 11, 2025. DOI: 10.1126/science.adm8857 Associate ProfessorCancer Center Program Co-LeaderM.D. scientists agree that perception certainly dictates reality our brains build up a world based on what our senses detect these senses process environmental stimuli without us even realizing it the subconscious brain can pick up the rhythm of conversations or notice behavioral patterns that our conscious mind rarely pauses to consider How exactly our brain transforms sensory information into a ​​neuronal response remains a mystery Understanding this process could have huge implications for how therapists treat conditions ranging from autism to strokes and even traumatic brain injuries Research in this area could help improve artificial intelligence systems these systems are built on our understanding of how the human brain uses At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), an energetic group of neuroAI researchers has been making exciting breakthroughs in the neuroscience of perception Their discoveries could open the door to more sensible AI and new therapeutic strategies Verbal communication is one meaningful way we make sense of the world. CSHL Assistant Professor Arkarup Banerjee has long been interested in how the auditory and motor systems work together to enable free-flowing conversations only 200 milliseconds (about one-fifth of a second) pass between when one person stops talking and another responds “Think of all that needs to happen in one-fifth of a second You need to hear and process the auditory input trying to understand what those words mean Then you need to decide whether you want to respond or not Then you have to plan for it and move your muscles appropriately in order to speak the words you want to say.” To better understand how this works in the brain, Banerjee focuses on a species of mouse that can “sing” uptempo duets. Alston’s singing mice take turns vocalizing with each other using songs that can last many seconds and may contain up to about 100 human-audible notes There are often only 200 to 300 milliseconds between each call and response—a pace similar to human conversation CSHL Assistant Professor Arkarup Banerjee demonstrates the abilities of Alston’s singing mice and discusses what they may be able to teach us about human communication Banerjee’s team measured electrical activity in the mouse brains and examined neurons in a region called the orofacial motor cortex to see what they could uncover about the rodents’ chatter the mice vary the length of their performances When examining their data, Banerjee and his colleagues found something unexpected. The mice’s neural activity seemed to “bend” time to help them generate songs of varying tempos and communicate more effectively Instead of processing time in even amounts like a clock the mouse’s brain measured time in relative intervals Their neurons slowed down or sped up the song’s tempo based on its length Human brains similarly bend time without us even realizing it An hour spent doing a boring task can feel much longer than an hour hanging out with friends this manipulation enables greater vocal flexibility “One reason we have a brain is because it allows flexibility in our behavior you have to choose a suitable behavior in a model system we work on vocal interactions in the singing mouse.” Banerjee says this research not only advances our understanding of hearing and communication It also offers a new framework for thinking about how the brain manages social interactions breakthroughs like this could one day inform speech therapy strategies for children with autism and people who have suffered from strokes or other brain injuries CSHL Assistant Professor Benjamin Cowley is trying to understand how our brain processes information from a different sense: our sight And he has a fascinating way of going about it Cowley builds AI-powered models to predict animal behavior Cowley’s research focuses on fruit fly brains which are built similarly to ours but much simpler Human brains have almost 100 billion neurons the fruit fly’s visual system must account for flight It can respond to a visual input in less than five milliseconds Cowley investigates how male fruit flies respond to visual cues from females during the courtship process. Courtship rituals are a serious affair for the little flies and vibrate his wings to perform a series of “love songs.” In the wild these displays last only around five seconds researchers can extend the “dates” to around 30 minutes For a fly that lives only about three weeks “This is like a month-long date at Starbucks,” Cowley says “That gives us a lot of rich data to be able to see this courtship behavior unfold.” In a recent study, Cowley and colleagues silenced specific visual neurons in male flies and trained an AI model to detect subtle changes in the animals’ behavior after they were presented with a female. The team conducted multiple rounds of experiments, silencing a different visual neuron each time until the model could accurately predict how a real-life fly would respond to its female companion The team figured out that flies process visual data using groups of neurons rather than a single neuron connecting each visual feature to one action That finding could mark a major shift in how we think about sight it’s still unclear just how the brain processes visual cues “How does a stimulus—an image—transform into this useful neural code What are the transformations that do that?” Cowley wonders “We don’t yet understand that in the fruit fly And we don’t understand that in the human visual system as well But we haven’t nailed down the exact computations.” CSHL Assistant Professor Benjamin Cowley explores the brain’s visual cortex through the eyes of the fruit fly Figuring out these computations could lead to incredible advances in AI models that process visual stimuli AI that can distinguish between tumors and noncancerous growths Other applications could be even closer in sight Think of AI systems that allow self-driving cars to respond to visual cues more quickly Cowley’s fruit flies could also tell us something about energy efficiency Consider that flies’ brains enable them to walk and escape predators—all using minuscule amounts of energy today’s AI is nowhere near that level of efficiency their work could one day enable us to build artificial sensory technologies that restore lost senses or even heighten our existing abilities But perhaps even more exciting are the questions that will be addressed along the way “Our brain is the seed of all our intelligence—all emotions The question then becomes: ‘How does a relatively small organ manage all of these complex and crucial tasks?’” For Banerjee “The answer lies in being able to understand how neurons in the brain connect to each other How does the electrical activity in the brain allow humans and other animals to do what they do It’s the grandest challenge in the universe.” and their colleagues are up for the challenge and excited to see where it takes them next Written by: Margaret Osborne, Science Writer | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s (CSHL’s) Ludmila Pollock has been named a 2024 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) She is recognized for her efforts to promote the history and philosophy of science “It’s not important how many prizes I receive But if such an important organization as AAAS recognizes you it means you do really good work for researchers That acknowledgment is a tremendous honor.” and innovators for their efforts to advance science in service to society Pollock joins a long list of CSHL faculty members who have been named AAAS Fellows including President and CEO Bruce Stillman education program leaders David Stewart and Jan Witkowski and Professors David Jackson and Nicholas Tonks Written by: Nick Wurm, Communications Specialist | wurm@cshl.edu | 516-367-5940 From March 26–29, 2025, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Center for Humanities & History of Modern Biology, in collaboration with the CSHL Meetings & Courses Program, hosted Cancer Genetics: History & Consequences The extraordinary international gathering brought together the field’s pioneers with today’s leading innovators and future trailblazers attendees were immersed in a rich historical journey tracking cancer genetics from its earliest discoveries to its most promising frontiers The meeting opened with personal reflections on foundational discoveries Speakers offered firsthand accounts of monumental breakthroughs like the identification of reverse transcriptase Hear from cancer genetics’ leading voices Brian Druker as well as meeting co-organizer Mila Pollock Talks moved seamlessly from past to present spotlighting other landmark moments such as the discovery of oncogenes BRCA1 and MYC the unraveling of signaling pathways Ras and Wnt and the development of revolutionary technologies like single-cell sequencing and CRISPR The scale of progress was impossible to miss One presenter pointed out that genetic analysis has moved from poring over charts that spanned entire hallways to sequencing whole genomes in a matter of hours It was a potent reminder of how far the field has come to the point where therapeutic strategies once considered theoretical now drive personalized approaches to cancer medicine Their talks were reflective and often emotional as they spoke not only of scientific triumphs but also of the collaborations ​​For CSHL graduate students in attendance it was like hearing knowledge come to life “It’s hard to stay in the lab,” said one Ph.D “when the people who wrote the textbooks are talking down the street.” Moments like these captured the spirit of the meeting—a rare convergence of past Talks also honored those who could no longer be here in person. “There is such a thing as scientific immortality,” said Mary-Claire King very good representation of how those of us who are still here are able to make that happen.” And though the meeting explored history, its focus extended from today to tomorrow. A special evening panel, moderated by physician-scientist and author Siddhartha Mukherjee and ethical implications of cancer genetics poster sessions buzzed with new research on tumor evolution spotlighted visionary efforts to overcome drug resistance and develop new multipronged therapeutic strategies for aggressive cancers the meeting fostered vibrant dialogue—between scientists and historians It was a celebration not just of what we know but how we came to know it and where that journey might lead us next Written by: Emma Courtney, Graduate Student | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455 Home / About Us / Housing expansion project: Wrexleigh Estate Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has been at the forefront of scientific discovery contributing to major breakthroughs in cancer research CSHL is also home to a vibrant community of Ph.D CSHL’s historic home on the Gold Coast of Long Island helps to attract these researchers but housing remains limited CSHL is committed to providing not only a unique educational environment but an economical and supportive living environment CSHL offers housing to researchers in communities throughout the North Shore and each residence reflects the unique nature of the community in which it’s located CSHL purchased the Wrexleigh Estate at 57 Sandy Hill Road to serve the future of science while preserving Oyster Bay Cove’s rich history and natural beauty Learn more about plans to restore and renovate the nearly 12-acre property to its previous glory while providing shared living space for early career scientists in the video and fact sheet below Home / News / Podcasts / At the Lab Each episode features a CSHL researcher or educator focused on the biggest global issues and scientific mysteries of the past and future—from deadly diseases to climate change Tune in to hear our latest bioscience breakthrough broken down in 3 minutes or less What happens to our brain receptors’ “dance routines” when the brain comes under immune system attack Transcript » Transcript » A tale of passion and curiosity takes us from New York to Australia Transcript » we sit down with CSHL Professor Lloyd Trotman to discuss what could be a major breakthrough in men’s health Transcript » This season’s final Research Rewind brings us from the realm of quantitative biology to neuroscience Transcript » we’re hacking it with the help of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s geneticists Transcript » We probe each of these questions with the help of Cold Spring Harbor’s neuroscientists Transcript » As the first season of our new podcast winds down we’re revisiting all of our episodes with a focus on CSHL’s cutting-edge cancer research Transcript » a catalog of more than one million genomic variants Transcript » Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory solves a plant biology mystery some 4,000 years in the making The implications may go far beyond vegetables Transcript » It has abruptly lowered the Indirect Cost Rate to 15%—a huge reduction in support of research This will have a major negative impact on Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) but even more profound is the overall detrimental impact this Guidance will have on the entire infrastructure of bioscience impeding future medical breakthroughs and slowing economic growth and affecting thousands of jobs in bioscience The impact to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and other academic scientific research institutions is unsustainable CSHL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education institution that has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer Our researchers work on diseases from Alzheimer’s and autism to rare childhood cancers and cancers that impact millions worldwide Discoveries at CSHL have resulted in the development of one of the most impactful treatments for breast cancer and a lifesaving treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) which was the leading genetic cause of infant death These are just a couple of the many incredible scientific advancements researchers are making here developed by a variety of bioscience associations Direct and indirect costs are both necessary expenditures for conducting cutting-edge scientific research Direct costs cover expenses such as researchers’ salaries and benefits and project-specific supplies and equipment support the true costs of research operations While indirect costs cover a portion of general administrative expenses (commonly referred to as business overhead) the vast majority of indirect costs are comprised of research operations costs including expenditures on scientific computing resources maintenance of laboratories and special laboratory mechanical growing regulatory compliance with federal and state regulatory guidelines Research requires an incredible amount of supplemental support that is simply not captured in direct research costs has long been the leader in scientific research and ultimately a loss of well-being in the nation’s health and economy To preserve and strengthen the United States’ competitive research advantage we should be looking for ways to provide more The brain controls the body, in large part, through nerves. So, what happens when nerves form new connections with tumors? How does the nervous system drive cancer progression? How do these interactions influence anti-cancer therapies? A burgeoning new field known as cancer neuroscience aims to answer these questions How does one solve a problem when the techniques for investigating that problem haven’t yet been established How can today’s cancer neuroscientists formalize their new knowledge so that it can be shared with others in and around the field CSHL’s Methods in Cancer Neuroscience is the burgeoning field’s first-ever hands-on course is one of four instructors running the course Joining him are Moran Amit from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Ece Eksi from Oregon Health and Science University and Paola Vermeer from the University of South Dakota and Sanford Research There aren’t any formal degree programs yet,” Amit says it’s great seeing how excited people are to come here and make the effort to learn.” “I’ve learned so much already,” says Cecilia Pazzi, a student from the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology in Belgium. “It’s been fantastic. What I really like is that there is no distance between us and the instructors. We can ask whatever question we want, which helps with the learning process.” Such camaraderie is a central tenet not only of Methods in Cancer Neuroscience but all CSHL courses “The next four directors of this course are probably in the lab with us right now,” says Vermeer “They’re going to take what they’ve learned here There aren’t many textbooks on cancer neuroscience. (In fact, Amit edited the first, published in 2023.) But in time, the “methods” established through this course may make their way into the widely influential journal Cold Spring Harbor Protocols, available online through CSHL Press the new body of knowledge will continue to grow in both size and reach For science to positively impact the world, it must be shared. It must be circulated among scientists and communicated with the public. Over the past decade, the free online platforms bioRxiv and medRxiv developed at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have revolutionized how biomedical research is shared around the world Accelerating their success now becomes the mission of openRxiv bioRxiv was founded in 2013, and medRxiv in 2019 the preeminent preprint servers for biomedicine empower scientists worldwide to share their research fast and free of charge by posting thousands of studies each month openRxiv is dedicated to the long-term sustainability of bioRxiv and medRxiv and will ensure that these platforms continue to serve their purpose—communication at the speed of science “Sharing science with the public has been an essential element of the Laboratory’s mission for more than a century,” says CSHL President and CEO Bruce Stillman “Though bioRxiv and medRxiv are naturally evolving to become independent of CSHL the Laboratory believes strongly in their work and purpose I am excited to join the distinguished individuals who have agreed to become directors of openRxiv and to work with co-founders John Inglis and Richard Sever and their preprint team colleagues to advance the success of bioRxiv and medRxiv.” To find out more, read the openRxiv launch announcement and visit openRxiv online In 1999, CSHL made it official with the launch of an innovative graduate school program, the CSHL School of Biological Sciences (SBS) The program immerses students in the labs of CSHL faculty members where they conduct cutting-edge experiments and interact with visiting scientists and collaborators from around the world Others help bring new medicines to doctors and patients Their accomplishments reflect the wide range of experiences and opportunities available to SBS students To celebrate the School’s 25th anniversary we spoke with five graduates about their time at CSHL and what they’ve been up to in the years since Michelle Heck first caught the biology bug as a high schooler in New Hyde Park It happened during a visit to CSHL’s Dolan DNA Learning Center Heck recalls the hands-on experiment she conducted to cut and separate viral DNA “When I saw that we could actually look at DNA there was a part of me that became hooked,” she says After earning her bachelor’s degree at Boston University, Heck returned to Long Island to complete her Ph.D. at the SBS. Here, she joined Professor David Jackson’s lab which studies genes and signals in cells that regulate plant growth and shape She looks back on her homecoming with fond memories: “I was excited to come back and be a part of the Cold Spring Harbor environment the place is like one extended science camp It’s heaven on Earth for people who love to do science.” Heck conducted the first-ever genetic screen to uncover genes that regulate how plant cells communicate “It was so thrilling to be a part of that discovery and to have that knowledge that no one else on Earth knew,” she says Heck became interested in disease when Jackson introduced her to a plant virologist She was fascinated by how viral proteins hijack the pathways plant cells normally use to communicate she works to expand our knowledge of plant viruses and bacterial diseases spread by insects and she uses this information to help farmers develop new agricultural management tools she is the co-inventor of a new biotechnology called Symbiont which allows therapeutic molecules to be delivered directly into trees The fatal citrus greening disease has decimated groves across Florida Heck is carving out new solutions at the USDA “we’re now using the discovery that I made as a grad student—this particular gene that I discovered in my screen—to help optimize the Symbiont technology we developed.” Heck’s lab is located at Cornell University so she also has an appointment as an adjunct professor of plant pathology and plant-microbe biology Many of the lessons she passes along were informed by her time at CSHL: “Cold Spring Harbor scientists are pushing the boundaries of their fields and that has shaped the scientist I’ve become I want my science to push the boundaries of knowledge And it helps me develop a rigorous research program where people know that we strive for excellence.” Rigor and a commitment to excellence are qualities that all universities look for in students that doesn’t mean these qualities only translate to academic success After finishing his master’s studies at the University of Oxford in England Darren Burgess found himself at a crossroads The choice came down to whether he would stay in the U.K He recalls his thought process at the time: I really felt Cold Spring Harbor had an edge But they’re also very keen to be the best right now.” In their first year at the SBS, students rotate through laboratories before deciding which one to join. Burgess landed in then-CSHL Professor Scott Lowe’s lab His research focused on developing new screens to better understand chemotherapy resistance in cancer Burgess stepped out of the lab and into the world of science communication initially working for Nature Reviews Genetics and Nature Reviews Cancer He now reviews about 20 new manuscripts per week He then arranges for those articles to be peer-reviewed by other scientists and oversees the manuscripts as they go through multiple rounds of revisions before they are officially accepted for publication he does “quite a lot of outreach” to ensure the best research is submitted Academic researchers often find that their careers are measured by how many papers they’ve published and in which journals emotions can run high during the publication process Interacting with researchers requires tact and the certainty that one’s decisions are based on “solid science,” Burgess says “Our decisions have a big impact on people’s careers so we need to make sure we’re thoroughly professional and consistent in the way we make those decisions.” Burgess says he still benefits from the skills and “approach to life” he learned while enrolled in CSHL’s Ph.D “Cold Spring Harbor is the sort of environment where you learn not to be intimidated by people’s job titles And that’s very similar to what we strive for.” Cathy Seiler has jumped between several industries she supports translational medicine and cancer research at one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies Seiler and Burgess were classmates at the SBS she remembers feeling drawn to CSHL’s unique intellectual atmosphere where everyone is excited about the latest cutting-edge science “It really is all-encompassing and all-consuming I loved the idea that you were going to learn how to think the executive director of CSHL’s Meetings & Courses Program Seiler says the pairing was “really well-placed,” as it allowed her to visualize a career path that didn’t end in a lab During the program, students share their research with other scientists and learn how to evaluate studies outside their areas of expertise. Seiler sought out more opportunities to further hone her communication skills, like writing for CSHL’s Harbor Transcript magazine and conducting interviews at the Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology sharing research findings with the public is a big part of her job Seiler joined AstraZeneca in 2022 as director of operational excellence in translational medicine in oncology research and development and manufactures prescription drugs for cancer and rare diseases The company produces nearly 40 medications available to patients in the U.S Seiler began a new role as business planning and operations lead supporting translational medicine in oncology she helps the company bridge the gap between basic research and patient treatments One of her main duties is helping manage a multimillion-dollar budget for a department of over 160 people Seiler credits CSHL with teaching her how to quickly pick up new skills like overseeing large budgets or using new technologies: I think that’s allowed me to be more confident in taking risks in my career.” One thing students learn quickly at CSHL is the importance of private funding. Private grants and fellowships are major sources of funding not only for the labs in which the students work but also for Ph.D. student salaries. CSHL is a private nonprofit institution. And while Becky Bish might not have known it when she graduated she would eventually bring her extensive cancer research experience back to the nonprofit world Bish is the head of discovery and preclinical research at The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research a nonprofit that funds basic and translational cancer research she identifies research that could have a big impact on patients yet is difficult to fund through traditional sources “Maybe it’s a little bit too out there and needs some more preliminary data before the government would be willing to fund it Or it’s too far away from direct clinical impact for a pharma company to fund it accelerate the findings that scientists make in the lab After graduating from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in biology Bish joined then-Professor Michael Myers’ lab at CSHL Her thesis focused on studying proteins in a cell seeing how they interact in different disease states and identifying findings that could be applied to diagnosing or treating cancer Bish went on to conduct research at New York University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center she also founded a company that offered scientific editing for life sciences research She then worked with a computational biochemistry research company before joining the Mark Foundation in 2017 Bish reads through hundreds of researchers’ grant proposals each year and helps decide which scientists should receive funding In the seven years Bish has been with the foundation it has awarded $230 million in grants and funded eight different startups The nonprofit currently funds research at more than 100 institutions in 16 countries Bish says she uses the skills she learned at CSHL daily especially “the ability to quickly and rigorously evaluate scientific output.” She says CSHL’s atmosphere of open collaboration helped her learn to take criticism well and communicate her own criticism clearly to others: “You have to be flexible and willing to say I have to go in a completely different direction now.’ And it doesn’t matter who points that out to you and that sort of humility and flexibility is key to being a good scientist.” The ability to go off in new directions is also invaluable when changing careers, like when CSHL graduate Yaniv Erlich left academia to pursue his dream of starting his own company He’s now the CEO and co-founder of multimillion-dollar biotechnology startup Eleven Therapeutics The company uses “next generation” RNA molecules called xRNA to silence disease-causing genes “You have a few sets of cells that are assigned and then you can go and complete everything.” Erlich moved to the Whitehead Institute at MIT including a paper in Science suggesting the identities of anonymous participants in research studies could be recovered by analyzing Y chromosomes after authoring over 50 peer-reviewed papers and patents He worked for three years as chief science officer for the genealogy company MyHeritage before deciding to set out on his own In 2020, Erlich founded Eleven Therapeutics with his mentor, Greg Hannon The company uses artificial intelligence and biochemistry to create new specially modified messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules mRNA vaccines have become extremely popular but the technology has built-in limitations “If you want to create drugs for chronic treatments you want to have long-lasting expression of your therapeutic protein or peptide An RNA molecule is pretty bad for that because it enters into the cells and breaks quite rapidly We developed chemical strategies that make these molecules much more stable by introducing chemical modifications to the molecule.” his role has switched to managing a team and considering the company’s future Erlich says his time at Cold Spring Harbor taught him “so many things” he still uses in his career today including how to recover from failure and communicate with other scientists You can do something crazy and inspiring and take high risks The five stories above offer a glimpse at the many different paths SBS graduates may take after leaving Cold Spring Harbor They also illustrate some of the things that set the SBS apart from other graduate schools it’s important to keep in mind that these are the stories of just five of 156 students who have received a Ph.D the CSHL School of Biological Sciences has offered its graduates the experiences needed to help them better understand life and the world They pay these opportunities forward every day improving lives around the planet and making the world a better place for all of us the Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department was raising money for a new fire station Demolishing it may have seemed like a waste During the early days of the Great Depression the idea may have simply been unaffordable It turns out a potential buyer wasn’t far away The LIBA Women’s Auxiliary spearheaded the purchase of the old fire station. This group included several prominent women in the community, most notably Auxiliary President Elizabeth Nichols. Only two years prior, Elizabeth and Acosta Nichols’ $20,000 donation funded the construction of CSHL’s George Lane Nichols Building named in honor of their late son who’d taken a nature studies class on the grounds If the Nichols Building was that expensive—about $368,997 today—how much would the Firehouse cost? Not much, it turns out. For the bargain basement price of $50, the building was theirs. Now, they just had to get it across the harbor to its new home. Follow the journey with the image carousel below, courtesy of the CSHL Library & Archives Fourteen years later, the Firehouse was on the move again. To make room for the construction of CSHL’s Page Laboratory the building was moved 50 yards down the road Movers hoisted the building onto a temporary steel foundation and winched it along a track of greased steel rails to its current harborside location the Firehouse continues to provide housing for members of the CSHL community The award includes a $50,000 donation from the NAS to support neuroscience research at an institution of her choice Churchland has chosen to give it all to CSHL It was here that Churchland says she learned to “push the envelope of what’s possible” with powerful new tools and techniques for making measurements inside the brain and I feel so grateful to have had that time there,” she says the chance to give back is really meaningful to me.” Churchland first came to the Laboratory as a visiting scientist in 2009 at the invitation of CSHL Professor Tony Zador While her work up until then had focused on non-human primates there was a growing movement at CSHL and abroad to establish rodents as the preferred animal model for studying the brain few were bold enough to make that kind of change in their careers,” Zador says and she spent the summer learning to train rodents on the tasks required for her research and she decided to make the switch—a very bold move She joined the faculty in 2010 and became one of the early people to help define the field.” Mice are now widely considered the preferred models for human brain disorders. Chuchland’s early studies of sensory science helped move the field in this direction a new generation of CSHL neuroscientists is picking up where she left off The $50,000 donation will support Zarmeena Dawood, a young M.D.-Ph.D. student in CSHL’s Albeanu lab. Dawood focuses on how the brain processes smells. She is using BARseq to map neural connections from the olfactory bulb to the rest of the brain “I am very excited to receive this gift,” Dawood says “It’s so important to support students as we’re going through our training And that it came from someone who also studied neuroscience at CSHL makes it even more wonderful.” paying forward the fruits of her time at CSHL was a no-brainer “One thing that’s special about CSHL is their support for students to follow the scientific direction they’re excited about,” she says “That is a tremendous intellectual freedom to have I want that for the young scientists of the world The chance to play a small part in that makes me really happy.” Churchland will be honored in a ceremony on April 27 during the National Academy of Sciences’ 162nd annual meeting. The ceremony will be live streamed Courses at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have a long history two graduate students attended a highly sought-after training program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) with support from research labs across the psychology and biology departments CSHL organizes over two dozen scientific courses that last approximately 1-2 weeks Graduate students Wendy Alfonso Torrens and Arnab Biswas students in the Integrative Neuroscience program each spent two weeks at CSHL over the summer attending a course related to their research interests The courses were recommended to the students by Jennifer Hoy an associate professor in the Department of Biology Hoy herself attended a similar course at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute as a graduate student and later a course at CSHL as a postdoctoral scholar “I feel like [these programs are] very much responsible for my connectivity and my level of felt success,” Hoy said Hoy had a better idea of what she wanted to study post-graduation and what kinds of postdoctoral opportunities she was interested in pursuing She also made friends during the program who remain her close colleagues in a variety of fields and job types and across the world Her biggest takeaway was feeling like she could be successful in pursuing a research career Hoy encouraged Torrens and Biswas to apply for the CSHL courses The programs receive up to 300 applications Torrens and Biswas both had a successful application but their attendance wasn’t guaranteed; the students still had to secure funding to attend Torrens filled out a request for funding in the application and was fully funded for the course through the International Brain Research Organization Torrens also successfully applied for the Graduate Student Association travel award but the award didn’t cover all her travel costs She still needed support for travel though a professor of psychology and director of the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for Integrative Neuroscience at the University was able to provide that remaining support through his grant Webster also supported Biswas’s course costs alongside Biswas’s co-advisors Hoy and Mark Lescroart Biswas also applied for the Graduate Student Association’s travel award and was successful Both students expressed great appreciation for the funding support they received They each indicated how difficult it would have been to come up with the money themselves as graduate students Torrens attended a course about schizophrenia and related disorders while Biswas attended a course about visual computational neuroscience Attendees learn from world experts on how to implement techniques and get to network with those scientists The scientists also get to hear about the work being done by the students and at the University Torrens said the days were long but rewarding the lectures discussed novel research on schizophrenia spectrum disorders from various perspectives The students each presented a “chalk talk” which was a presentation about their work using illustrations on a chalk board The program also included time for the students to engage with one another and with the lecturers socially including activities like time at the ocean She and her cohort have an active messaging group where they share things like postdoctoral opportunities and photos from the course “We developed really close relationships with other students in the course,” Torrens said A program reviewer from the National Institutes of Health guest-lectured at the course and provided students with insights into how they can submit a successful grant proposal Biswas’s program was structured a bit differently with the students expected to complete a small-scale project by the end of the course Students worked one-on-one with a faculty member which Biswas said was an excellent opportunity to network He plans to apply for a postdoctoral scholar position with the researcher he worked with when he nears graduation “It felt like my way of networking,” Biswas said Both Biswas and Torrens said that typically to speak to leaders in their respective fields the best opportunity is a conference when everybody else wants to speak to those individuals The small course format allowed for easy engagement with the experts Biswas is hearing impaired and mentioned that the speakers specifically addressed challenges people might face due to having disabilities or being from other marginalized communities and that should the students hit any roadblocks the students each felt some imposter syndrome Many of the students were from Ivy League or other prestigious universities The students took a group photo on the campus where prior cohorts had also gathered for a group photo Torrens and her cohort perused the photos of previous classes spotting big names in the field and recognizing that they were part of the same program “I would consider [acceptance into these programs] to be on par with the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships in terms of the way it bridges the students’ connection to the professional community,” Hoy said Hoy added that this programming is important not just for the student and their home lab The students bring back expertise on a new technology or theoretical concept that can benefit faculty and students campus wide they have to indicate how their attendance at the course will benefit not only them but also how they can positively impact their own research community and environment by disseminating what they’ve learned to their home institution Hoy said that another great aspect of these programs is that when students return from their time at CSHL or Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute they are energized and excited to apply what they’ve learned they’re so motivated,” Hoy said A similar program Hoy recommended for students interested in gaining this type of experience is the Summer Program in Neuroscience Excellence and Success (SPINES) course at the Marine Biological Laboratory which has been running for over two decades trains first-generation or otherwise underrepresented students to be leaders by focusing on professional development “SPINES has just been an incredible model for diversifying neuroscience in particular,” Hoy said “I hope other fields and areas would adopt it.” The students both recommend the program for the many opportunities it granted each of them to learn from some of the leading experts in their fields Giving Day: The Wolf Pack Way raises over $750,000 From literacy to leadership: empowering voices across borders candidate in literacy studies in the College of Education and Human Development and preschool educator at the Child and Family Research Center (CFRC) Reno to hold annual ‘Honor the Best’ celebration The Wolf Pack will celebrate outstanding individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement on May 13 and the diversity of research topics all made me feel like I was in exactly the right place' 2025 Three-Minute Thesis competition finalists announced A peek into Nevada Woman Filmmaker of the Year’s newest documentary Reynolds School of Journalism students awarded over $184,000 in scholarships More than 60 students were honored at the annual Savitt Awards Banquet Leading with safety: professor of microbiology and immunology recognized for displaying excellence in lab safety and research team voted recipient of 2025 Excellence in Laboratory Safety Award Engineering faculty developing wearable tech that could treat depression Electrical & Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Jihwan Yoon’s device would deliver radiofrequency pulses to brain regions involved in mood regulation and cognitive function Neighborhood ‘ambassadors’ needed to help prepare communities for wildfire Reno and the Nevada Division of Forestry holding informational meeting May 7 Honoring faculty through awards and fellowships Extension offers Home Horticulture Certificate Program Program provides information for home gardeners and those interested in becoming Master Gardeners College of Education & Human Development hosts first-ever Student Teaching Welcome Celebration Students discover where they will be student teaching in Fall 2025 Doctoral student and professor selected for prestigious International Science Education Institute chosen to participate in the 2025 Abell Institute How do you turn a small but influential science education outpost into one of the world’s leading destinations for breakthrough bioscience This year marks the centennial anniversary of the formation of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Association (CSHLA) Formerly known as the Long Island Biological Association (LIBA) the CSHLA is a remarkable group with a remarkable history the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences (BIAS) established the Biological Laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor as a summer school for training biology teachers and students Early courses covered topics such as zoology Initially housed in the New York State Fish Hatchery the Laboratory moved across the road to land provided by the Jones family which later set up a nonprofit corporation called the Wawepex Society to hold a title for the property New Yorkers will recognize the name ‘Jones’ for its connection to Jones Beach The phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” also refers to this family the Laboratory’s relationship with BIAS became increasingly fraught Things came to a head in 1914 when the director of the Laboratory threatened to resign the Laboratory was made a department of BIAS efforts were renewed to create an endowment for the Laboratory Through the generosity of a small number of local supporters—including Louis Comfort Tiffany and Cornelia Prime—the remarkable sum of $27,000 was raised in just eight months $27,000 in 1917 equals about $700,000 in 2024 a local organization of neighbors voted to form the Association the first meeting of the Board of Directors was held the Brooklyn Institute formally turned over its buildings along with its endowment and scholarship funds The Wawepex Society transferred ownership of Jones Laboratory and drafted a 50-year lease for the grounds The 1924 Biological Laboratory Annual Report (pdf) listed LIBA’s first members There were six “Founding Members” and 19 “Patrons” who each contributed $5,000 and $500 There were also more than 170 “Sustaining Members” whose combined contributions totaled $1,700 The membership list includes such illustrious names as J.P LIBA’s importance to the Biological Laboratory became immediately apparent LIBA members raised the funds needed to purchase 32.5 acres of land adjacent to the Laboratory Acosta Nichols donated $12,000 for the construction of a lab in memory of their son George who had taken part in a nature studies class held on campus LIBA also became known across the region for its impressive “Gold Coast” galas. One example took place in 1932. It was during this year that the Field family held a grand fundraising event at Caumsett Attended by celebrities such as Fred Astaire the gala included activities like dancing and china breaking (“China breaking” is exactly what it sounds like The activity was overseen by prominent businessman Vincent Astor.) All told LIBA members contributed between 7% and 10% of the Biological Laboratory’s income LIBA’s modern era began in 1962 when the institute we now know as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory first took the name of its neighboring community. It was during this year that the Carnegie Institution closed the Department of Genetics. Its land and buildings were combined with those of the Biological Laboratory to create the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory of Quantitative Biology (The name would be shortened to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 1970.) LIBA did not have any direct responsibility for governing the new institute the Association did retain two places on the new Board of Trustees It now fully devoted itself to ambassadorship and fundraising And it accomplished these goals with great success For example, in 1972, LIBA Chairman Edward Pulling led a campaign that raised $250,000 for a new addition to Jones Laboratory he helped raise $225,000 to build a new Williams House and another $200,000 to purchase land still owned by the Carnegie Institution In one historic gift, LIBA contributed $600,000 toward the cost of the Oliver and Lorraine Grace Auditorium. Grace is the primary venue for CSHL’s world-renowned Meetings & Courses Program This program has brought hundreds of thousands of leading scientists to Cold Spring Harbor and planted the seeds of countless breakthroughs there’s really no way to quantify the return on this investment LIBA officially became the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Association (CSHLA) The Association has since furthered its mission to provide CSHL with much-needed philanthropic support CSHLA members have helped raise an extraordinary $80 million in unrestricted funding for the Laboratory many of the labs and other facilities found across campus today owe their existence to CSHLA members Of course, a lot has changed since the early days. After all, today’s Association gatherings are unlikely to break out in spontaneous bouts of china breaking. Nevertheless, CSHLA continues to bring some of Long Island’s best and brightest together for a worthy cause. Current Association Directors include acclaimed actress Susan Lucci and the late best-selling novelist Nelson DeMille among many other prominent community members LIBA and CSHLA have played an essential role in supporting the advancement of science at Cold Spring Harbor Its members and their community have transformed a small summer school into one of the world’s most renowned institutes for cutting-edge science research and education to say the least—one that holds great promise and potential for the next 100 years The public hearing on the hotel and spa plan drew a crowd Tuesday night Public comment on a controversial proposal to build a 23-room hotel and spa in Cold Spring Harbor remains open after a public hearing on the plan Tuesday that drew more than 70 people the principals of Huntington-based Hunebed Holdings LLC have requested that Huntington Town officials include their RozeWood Farm and Estate in a specially zoned district that would allow for a hotel on the site The 24-acre property currently is zoned residential, according to town records, but designating it in the Historic Building Overlay District would keep the underlying zoning in place while allowing other uses to preserve historic buildings, Newsday previously reported The hearing on including the property in the overlay district and to designate several buildings as historic and it must be closed before the Town Board can vote on a resolution The window for public comment will remain open at least until the May 13 town board meeting The decision by Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth to continue to accept public comments comes after Michael L announced during the hearing that no events would be held at the venue if the plan were approved an attorney representing residents opposed to the zoning change proposal said that despite spending “countless hours” trying to come to an agreement with the Rozenvelds he would be willing to sit down again to see if a compromise can be reached Goldstein said previous talks had broken down over plans by the Rozenvelds to hold events at the site “Both the applicants' attorney and the objectant's attorney asked for further time to get together and potentially mediate the restrictions on the property,” Smyth said after the five-hour board meeting at Huntington Town Hall “I’m hoping they can possibly get together and possibly come to a resolution everyone can live with.” includes a house and farm established in the early 1800s the Rozenvelds envision a luxury spa and wellness hotel that will offer yoga and farm-to-table dining and some vegetable and flower farming Four acres would be retained for potential future subdivision of two lots Newsday previously reported and McCarthy said Residents who live closest to the parcel object to the proposal over concerns the facility would change the character of their neighborhood by having a bar and restaurant increased traffic and strangers in their community They also do not want large catered events in their neighborhood and contend the proposal doesn't agree with the town's comprehensive plan “I chose to purchase a home in a residential neighborhood restaurant and event venue,” said Eric Schuster “Approving this proposal would not only harm our quality of life but would also disregard the very guidelines that are meant to protect it.” said the proposal is designed to “bring beauty peace and purpose to our Huntington community.” McCarthy said the property as currently zoned could be used to build 10 homes on 2 acres each school and a working farm under Suffolk County's Agricultural Districts Program More than two million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2024 according to the National Cancer Institute Range Cancer Therapeutics ETF (Nasdaq: CNCR) is partnering with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) to highlight CSHL’s pioneering role in advancing cancer research 23% of revenues generated by fees from CNCR will be donated to CSHL quarterly Bringing together the powers of philanthropy and investing Range ETFs and CSHL announced this unique affiliation with a historic event at the Nasdaq stock market on November 14 The event featured a powerful visual display on the Nasdaq tower and Range ETFs and CSHL leadership and guests gathered on the iconic Nasdaq podium to mark this momentous occasion “Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is one of only seven national basic biological research cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute in Washington DC Cancer research is fundamental to our discovery efforts,” said CSHL President and CEO Bruce Stillman “The institution is investing heavily in the growth of our cancer program collaborative ventures as part of our new brain-body physiology initiative.” Range ETFs CNCR ETF focuses on companies dedicated to cancer research offering investors targeted exposure in this vital sector It is purpose-built to provide exposure to a wide range of cancer therapeutic modalities “The contribution from Range will directly benefit the research efforts at CSHL underscoring our commitment to advancing scientific innovation in oncology therapeutics,” said Range ETFs founder and CSHL Association Board Member “CNCR ETF provides exposure to nearly the entire lifecycle of drug development and distribution and this new collaboration with CSHL provides an opportunity for investors to also see their money go toward the earliest stages of cancer breakthroughs.” Stillman added that unique partnerships like this provide opportunities to engage with people who are already committed to scientific advancement and maximize efforts to support cancer research in unique ways There is no guarantee the Fund will achieve its stated investment objectives Its concentration in an industry or sector can increase the impact of the risks from investing in those industries/sectors is the parent of Range ETFs (rangeetfs.com) a dedicated life-cycle investment platform for exchange listed funds Tim Rotolo is the Founder and CEO of Range Fund Holdings He is also founder and CEO of Lloyd Harbor Capital Management Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s (CSHL’s) Ishana Chadha and Keita Takahashi have been named among the top high school scientists in the country about 2,500 high school seniors compete in the Regeneron Science Talent Search These teenagers represent the future of science study how neurons migrate in the brain and settle in different layers of the cerebral cortex “I’m really grateful to be part of a group of students who care so much about science Conducting research at CSHL and seeing everything come together and the impact of my work was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.” “You always want to keep it realistic with these things but I had a feeling she would go far in the competition,” he says Takahashi, a Partners for the Future (PFF) student in CSHL’s Jackson lab, earned a spot in the top 300 These scholars and their schools are awarded $2,000 each He is the fifth PFF student to be named a Regeneron Scholar since 2021 studied a protein called KN1 and related RNA which play an essential role in healthy plant stem development “It was crazy hearing the announcement,” says Takahashi “This was my first time working in a professional lab and the PFF program helped me connect with so many friendly people at CSHL It’s really preparing me for the next level “I was really happy and proud when I heard the news,” Gleason adds “It was a lot of fun preparing the project and working together with Keita It was a great learning experience for both of us.” “The Bioscience Business Innovation Program is a testament to the innovative spirit at Zarb. It’s the first of its kind, and it reflects our commitment to providing interdisciplinary education that allows scientists to unlock the commercial potential of their research,” said Dean Janet Lenaghan “Through hands-on experiences with our innovative technology and direct interaction with business leaders these scientists are gaining the tools they need to transform groundbreaking discoveries into market-ready products.” 10 PhD scientists and postdoctoral scholars from CSHL are participating in this unique program which aims to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and business strategy Participants are not only gaining practical business knowledge but also learning how to translate their research into viable products and services that can have a tangible impact on society an MD/PhD from Germany who is currently conducting pancreatic cancer research at Cold Spring Harbor being a part of the program is about gaining a new perspective This program offers a different view that could reshape my future career I’ve already learned a lot from the pitching session and our visit to the trading room I am especially eager to learn more about leadership which could help me lead teams in the future.” BBIP offers a blend of on-campus and online learning with participants honing their business skills in Hofstra’s high-tech academic trading room and business labs The curriculum covers essential topics such as financial planning all tailored to help these future innovators navigate the complex process of commercialization in the bioscience sector expressed his excitement about the program “I am eager to transition beyond academic settings after completing my degree and explore the intersection of business and science This program presents a valuable opportunity to learn essential concepts in these areas allowing me to refine my interests and consider potential career paths in the biotech business sector.” participants will dive into critical subjects such as market validation and the creation of effective business models The curriculum also emphasizes leadership development key skills that will help these scientists thrive in the competitive biotech industry Zarb continues to showcase its leadership in fostering innovation and preparing the next generation of bioscience entrepreneurs anywhere from 40 to 80 percent of cases may be linked to genetic risk factors Studies suggest that viral infection in pregnant women may play a role why do some fetuses appear more vulnerable than others Today, answers are beginning to emerge. With the help of partners like the Simons Foundation, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has played a leading role in identifying autism’s genetic roots CSHL scientists are helping to explain how inflammation during pregnancy may lead to neurodevelopmental disorders in children Irene Sanchez Martin is a postdoc in CSHL Assistant Professor Lucas Cheadle’s lab She recently presented her research on maternal immune activation at a Society for Neuroscience press conference in Chicago She points to recent experiments in the Cheadle lab in which a mouse embryo may begin to show early signs of developmental deficits soon after its pregnant mother is exposed to a virus “The model we use is very well established for autism spectrum disorder,” Sanchez Martin explains “The difference in my work is that I check what happened to the fetuses 24 hours after exposure to maternal inflammation rather than analyzing the behaviors of the offspring as adults.” This is the first time scientists have been able to look at the effects of prenatal inflammation on an embryo in an autism model Such research may one day enable physicians to identify early warning signs before a child is even born Sanchez Martin will need to complete her research She’s just two years into her postdoctoral studies at CSHL her work is already producing exciting results while all female embryos appear to be protected from developmental deficits as many as one-third of the males are strongly affected This finding tracks with the long-held understanding that autism is more common in boys than girls There’s yet another question that will need answering What’s important is that each opens up new avenues of research And that means new opportunities to help improve the lives of expecting mothers as well as children with autism and their families Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered a way to target proteins in human cells that lead to pancreatic tumors findings that show promise toward early treatment and possible prevention of a disease with a high mortality rate Turning off the two proteins could help inhibit the development of pancreatic tumors an oncologist and research scientist who is director of Cold Spring Harbor's Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Lab "FGFR2 and EGFR are like light switches on a wall she turned out the lights on those two proteins," he said in a recent interview referring to the main author of the study on the discovery She was able to stop the development of cancer in the pancreas in mice and lab-grown versions of human pancreatic tissue It's a starting point for progress and potentially may lead to new therapeutic options for pancreatic cancer patients."  a surgical oncologist at Stony Brook Medicine who operates on the pancreas said of the study: "This is great news .. It is giving us more information on how we can attack this deadly disease," noting that pancreatic cancer "is one of the most aggressive cancers." He said the study showed how drugs already on the market can be used to inhibit the molecule that can trigger cancer in the pancreas "Maybe in next two to three years we will see clinical trials that will hopefully have results," he said "This is solid data from a very respectful lab that had dedicated its life to pancreatic cancer research." described pancreatic cancer as one that is often found late and is one of the most deadly But the mechanisms that [Tuveson] and his colleagues have discovered are very important," she said of the recent discovery According to a January news release from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and "diagnoses and deaths from pancreatic cancer are on the rise with an estimated 67,440 Americans expected to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and an estimated 51,980 predicted to die from the disease this year." It said pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths and was on track to becoming the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths The Cold Spring Harbor lab study was published April 2 in Cancer Research a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research In an article on that association's website "Understanding the additional pathways that promote progression from a precancerous pancreatic lesion to a malignant tumor could help identify more viable treatment strategies," as well as preventing the cancer from developing at all Tuveson said medical doctors "are writing Claudia and me all the time now asking if they can start clinical trials .. Claudia's findings may have a big role in [inhibiting] the earliest form of pancreatic cancer" and may eventually help those at risk of developing the disease Tuveson said the research done at the lab "shows the importance of supporting basic cancer research in academic institutions in the United States." He said the "substantial support" from the Lustgarten Foundation for the past 13 years has enabled the scientists "to go into areas of research that would be considered very risky and led to this discovery from Dr "almost no money was going into pancreatic research" and the survival rate was a mere 3% "That's why all this research that Dr Tuveson does in his lab is very important." a medical oncologist and researcher specializing in the pancreas said he was “fascinated by this research because one of the ways we are going to beat pancreatic cancer is if we can catch it earlier and preventing it from becoming a major problem.” He said Tonelli and the other researchers have “uncovered two genes that are already well known as cancer genes … that appear to be implicated in the tendency of these blemishes [in the body] to turn into cancer If we can learn how to prevent that from happening by hitting the brakes on these pathways Home / Giving / News Self-described serial entrepreneur Tom Milana was not expecting a routine doctor’s appointment to turn into a mission to educate men about health and wellness An early diagnosis and intervention meant Milana was cured but the path was set for Milana to establish what today has become a national charity saving men’s lives The Milana family is not new to philanthropy having established the Milana Family Foundation to raise money for children in need but Milana’s diagnosis shifted the family’s and the Foundation’s priorities “If you build a better experience for men at the doctor’s office, more men will focus on their health,” Milana explained. Hence, the birth of Man Cave Health The organization’s first project set out to create spaces in healthcare facilities that mirrored a men’s lounge with the goal of creating a comfortable environment for men to focus on their health The organization provides virtual support groups and resources and launched a new initiative in 2024 focused on early detection of prostate cancer “More than 30,000 men a year die of prostate cancer mainly because they find out too late,” Milana said Man Cave Health began offering mobile testing for prostate cancer and has tested more than 5,000 men several of whom discovered elevated prostate specific antigen levels which can indicate early signs of prostate cancer enabling earlier diagnosis and intervention Man Cave Health will operate three mobile testing units across the country with the goal of launching 25 units over the next five years providing “a welcoming space where men can access PSA tests judgment-free environment,” according to mancavehealth.org Milana is used to seizing on opportunities translating a background in finance into a successful restaurant business with five establishments on Long Island That propensity to continuously evolve has meant Man Cave Health is ever changing After a visit to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), Milana saw how funding prostate cancer research in Professor Lloyd Trotman’s lab aligned with the nonprofit’s mission to empower men with the tools and resources needed to be healthy Milana and his wife Adriana are hosting a benefit concert this summer I knew we had to support his work,” Milana said Trotman has pioneered research in prostate cancer having generated a unique mouse model to test prostate cancer therapeutics and more recently developed 3-d imaging technology enabling researchers to visualize cancer and metastatic progression In October 2024, Trotman published a study that found the pro-oxidant supplement menadione slows prostate cancer progression in mice having been developed after a study that started in 2001 by the National Cancer Institute showed that antioxidants failed to treat prostate cancer and in fact made it worse Trotman thus tested the reverse theory that he now hopes to take into pilot studies with human prostate cancer patients “Our target group would be men who get biopsies and have an early form of the disease diagnosed,” Trotman says “We wonder if they start to take the supplement whether we would be able to slow that disease down.” has been working on prostate cancer for more than 20 years “Lloyd’s focus is on finding a way to reverse metastasis and on how nutrition and vitamins can impact cancer development,” Milana said Two Long Islanders are making a big difference in men’s health in their own way The work of Man Cave Health has meant better outcomes for men’s health nationwide Milana and his nonprofit could impact the lives of men and their families for years to come Fashion and philanthropy came together to support crucial scientific research as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and the Penny’s Flight Foundation recently partnered with women’s designer clothing brand Veronica Beard for an exclusive in-person shopping event at the brand’s luxury storefront in Manhasset The event featured a sit-down discussion between CSHL’s Sarah Kitt and Penny’s Flight co-founders Kate and Chad Doerge who spoke about the power of private funding and raising awareness for fundamental biology research we have raised millions of dollars for NF research while inspiring countless individuals to join our fight,” said Penny’s Flight co-founders Kate and Chad Doerge we are funding innovative studies at leading institutions like CSHL and the Children’s Tumor Foundation—research that holds promise for transformative breakthroughs.” Penny’s Flight’s mission to advance research on NF1 and related disorders is inspired by the life and spirit of Penelope “Penny” Doerge, who passed away in November 2022. With a deep commitment to accelerating medical progress, the Foundation is also sponsoring an NF1-dedicated meeting at CSHL’s Banbury Center a leading think tank that specializes in bridging the gap between fundamental and translational research have attended more than 800 meetings held at the Center in Lloyd Harbor The Veronica Beard event demonstrated how partnerships bringing scientists and mission-driven brands together around a shared purpose can play a powerful role in driving progress As public support and private philanthropy continue to shape the future of science collaborations like this one remind us that meaningful breakthroughs often begin with a shared passion Penny’s Flight Foundation continues to soar above adversity,” said Kate and Chad Doerge we are making an impact that is felt across the NF community and beyond.” “Those vibrant flowers have been a wonderful addition to the Laboratory’s landscape,” says RK Narayanan, Senior Director at CSHL’s Office of Business Development & Technology Transfer “I’ve always found that area to be particularly peaceful And the flowers have enhanced its inherent beauty.” CSHL completed restoration work on its 174-year-old seawall in 2022 CSHL’s on-staff horticulturalists saw an opportunity to add a little more color “These flowers are all Northeast natives,” CSHL Horticulturalist Agnes P “They’re attracting native species of bees Birds are stopping by on migration to eat the seeds That means the plant isn’t good for what lives around us The beautiful thing also is that these are perennials Since 1890, CSHL and its predecessors have been stewards of the local environment. This responsibility goes beyond mere preservation work. CSHL’s dedicated grounds crew and horticulturalists labor year-round to ensure the area’s health and beauty lasts beyond the current season right place is the biggest thing,” CSHL Horticulturalist Riley McKenna says “It’s easier to work with nature than against nature We’re very lucky to see all this every day.” Imagine yourself sometime in the far future aboard a routine rocket to Mars it collects in floating blobs that ripple right before your eyes What you see might look something like the above image from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s (CSHL’s) Cheadle lab But those purple and green blobs aren’t the floating remains of somebody’s drink They’re mysterious cells in the brain’s visual cortex called OPCs The visual cortex processes everything we see Incoming visual information is relayed to this outer layer of the brain via synapses—the silver streaks above When the brain’s neural circuits are first wired up As the brain accumulates new experiences and information OPCs shape neural circuitry by pruning unnecessary synapses “OPCs are doing all sorts of things in the brain that help it to function in a normal, healthy way,” CSHL Assistant Professor Lucas Cheadle says. OPCs are a specialty of the Cheadle lab. He and his team discovered OPCs’ function as neural landscapers in 2022 they were thought only to produce oligodendrocytes Cheadle has developed new ways to zoom in and see OPCs in action we can figure out which synapses are fully engulfed by an OPC and which have maybe just been checked on by an OPC but not processed.” The new techniques used to produce the image above have become essential tools in Cheadle’s ongoing work He and his team are now building on their 2022 discovery to help paint a complete picture of OPCs’ role in health and disease Cheadle explains: “These mysterious cells are one of the primary sources of glioma,” a deadly brain cancer “They’re potentially involved in Alzheimer’s disease as well.” It’ll take more research to illustrate these connections in detail Cheadle is eager to share his lab’s new tools with researchers around the world and the same approaches you’d use to look at one type of cell can’t just be applied across the board,” he says “We’re adapting and innovating to keep up with it—to better understand how the brain works.” Associate ProfessorCancer Center MemberPh.D. a debilitating condition that affects patients in the late stages of the disease “I am pleased to become a member of the ASCI,” says Janowitz “It is humbling to join what is considered one of the most respected medical societies in the U.S I most look forward to the knowledge exchange opportunities that membership promises the ASCI is one of the country’s oldest medical honor societies the ASCI Council elects up to 100 physician-scientists nominated by members The Society seeks to support the scientific efforts and clinical aspirations of physician-scientists to improve the health of all people Home / Public Events / Event Calendar / Science on Screen Film: Gattaca Register/more info Tickets: Cinema Arts Centre Members and CSHL employees $11 |  General Public $16 co-presented with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory where people’s worth is determined by their DNA defies his predetermined fate and embarks on a risky mission to join a prestigious space program secretly assuming the identity of a genetically superior individual he races against time to prove that destiny is not determined by genes but by human will After the movie, enjoy a live Q&A with CSHL Professor Dick McCombie who will discuss “The Ethics and Science of Genetic Engineering.” Explore how advances in genetics are reshaping medicine and consider the profound ethical questions surrounding our ability to alter life at its most fundamental level Visit: https://cinemaartscentre.org/ Register/more info CSHL scientists and their collaborators have uncovered critical differences between how innate-like T cells mature in humans and mice most innate-like T cells in the human thymus aren’t able to use all of their immune abilities The discovery could point to better preclinical studies and Our immune system spans two worlds—innate and adaptive Innate immune cells are like troops at the gate ready to hold off invaders and raise the body’s alarms Adaptive immune cells are specialists that take longer to respond but can fight off foes in a more targeted manner there are also immune cells that exist between worlds Important among these cellular combatants are innate-like T cells Their hybrid-like nature makes them promising candidates for developing new kinds of immunotherapies against diseases such as cancer The problem is that scientists still don’t know much about how this unique type of T cell functions and develops in humans. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Assistant Professor Hannah Meyer and her collaborator at the University of Colorado Anschutz “Studying the development of the immune system is as important as investigating its role in disease,” says Salomé Carcy a former graduate student in the Meyer lab who co-led this study “We need to understand immune cells’ origin to gain insights into their functional potential in pathological contexts One of the key motivations of our work was to investigate how much our knowledge built on mouse models applies to human physiology.” The team discovered that innate-like T cells mature differently in humans than in mice It’s as if they have one hand tied behind their back ready to fight as soon as they receive their ‘go’ signal This pattern is observed in both mice and humans these distinctions should make for key considerations when it comes to developing and testing immunotherapeutics especially since much preclinical trial research is conducted in mouse models “We need to take these differences into account We’d be interested to look at these differences to see how they change over time and if these cells are more powerful at different ages And is this something we can therapeutically exploit?” Meyer and her team continue to dissect the complicated lives of immune system agents such as innate-like T cells Their work may one day allow researchers to harness the power of both the innate and adaptive immune systems into a new Written by: Luis Sandoval, Communications Specialist | sandova@cshl.edu | 516-367-6826 Simons Center for Quantitative Biology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Loh, L., et al., “Unraveling the phenotypic states of human innate-like T cells: Comparative insights with conventional T cells and mouse models”, Cell Reports, September 24, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114705 Assistant ProfessorCancer Center MemberPh.D. Every year on February 11, we celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, honoring women and girls’ contributions to a field long dominated by men. Among these trailblazers is Nobel laureate Barbara McClintock whose groundbreaking work at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) reshaped our understanding of genetics No Two Plants explores resilience and different ways of knowing It’s an experimental film about an experimental pioneer and her enduring legacy The nucleus is a central cellular compartment famous for housing DNA But it also harbors a collection of lesser-known structures called nuclear speckles “If the nucleus is a lake filled with DNA, the speckles are 30 to 50 islands intermingled inside that lake of different shapes, sizes, and textures,” says Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s (CSHL’s) newest Assistant Professor Katherine Alexander Nuclear speckles are known to affect gene regulation and play some role in health and disease hopes to shed some light on these murky complexes She’s particularly interested in how speckles may affect the survival rate and drug responsiveness of cancer patients “We have all these different types of cancer therapies but a huge current problem is the balance between benefits and side effects,” Alexander says can respond differently to different therapies depending on how the nuclear speckles look will you do better if you receive this treatment versus another Over four decades ago, CSHL Professor David Spector linked nuclear speckles to RNA splicing Alexander hopes to continue that legacy and better define nuclear speckles’ role in health and disease Her work may one day translate to improved strategies for patient care Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) proudly celebrated the centennial anniversary of the CSHL Association Board at a wine and cheese reception held on the Beckman Laboratory patio including Association President Mark Hamer several Past Presidents and Honorary Association Directors joined CSHL Trustee and Board Chair Marilyn Simons Bruce Stillman and many of CSHL’s scientists to mark this very special occasion Originally named the Long Island Biological Association the CSHL Association was formed in 1924 when a group of prominent local citizens banded together to save the Laboratory They succeeded in raising the necessary funds to continue the Lab’s operation and assumed responsibility for the fledgling research institution and Cornelius Vanderbilt among its inaugural members this Board’s unparalleled support has continued and grown over the decades Today’s Association Directors carry forward this remarkable legacy of guidance and support of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory On November 14, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) held its 19th annual Double Helix Medals dinner (DHMD) at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City honored Alisa and Daniel Doctoroff and 2023 Nobel laureate Dr With the support of the event chairs and donors the gala raised $7 million for biology research and education at CSHL Alisa and Daniel Doctoroff are leaders of Target ALS an innovative nonprofit that has sparked dramatic progress in research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Before being diagnosed with this neurodegenerative disease Doctoroff served as New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding and as CEO and president of Bloomberg L.P He is the founder and board chair of Target ALS “My goal for Target ALS is our mission statement ‘Everyone lives.’ We are in sight of that goal,” says Mr and there are smaller goals that will get us there,” adds Mrs achieving and attacking those goals and getting to the point where everyone lives with ALS.” Dr. Katalin Karikó is a winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and a professor at the University of Szeged in Hungary Her revolutionary biomedical advancements at the University of Pennsylvania and later at the pharmaceutical company BioNTech created the blueprint for mRNA vaccines I realized that attention is on the science and the scientist,” Dr I emphasize that a lot of scientists contributed Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra and Stephen Della Pietra Since 2006, the DHMD has raised over $67 million to support CSHL’s research and education programs Written by: Communications Department | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455 Hornell's pursuit of its first New York state championship was one quarter short. The Red Raiders were downed by Cold Spring Harbor-VIII 54-50 on Saturday in the NYSPHSAA Class B championship game Hornell led by as much as 17 in the second quarter and 15 in the third but were outscored 22-8 over the final eight minutes as the Seahawks completed the comeback Hornell started 8-for-20 from distance in building its lead but missed its final three tries in the fourth received four 3s from Ryan Reynolds in the fourth to close the double-digit gap When Reynolds fouled out with three minutes remaining Olivia Mulada took over and scored the game-deciding basket with 31 seconds remaining Jordyn Dyring led Hornell with 16 points and five rebounds She was the only Red Raider to reach double figures six rebounds) and Raegan Evingham (six points 11 rebounds) were the other major contributors Hornell (22-4) finished 4-for-12 from the free throw line including four straight misses in the fourth quarter The matchup pitted two teams that had never previously appeared in a state championship game had never reached a state tournament prior to 2025 Hornell vs. Cold Spring Harbor: Game startThe Seahawks win the opening tip Mia Nasca's 3-pointer is the highlight so far for the Red Raiders Cold Spring Harbor's Ainsley Dircks scores at the buzzer after a Hornell turnover But Hornell has held the Seahawks to 2-for-18 shooting so far Jordyn Dyring leads the Red Raiders with five points through eight minutes Raegan Evingham and Jordyn Dyring have back-to-back 3-pointers while Raegan Evingham has six points and seven rebounds so far for Hornell Cold Spring Harbor has racked up 14 offensive rebounds so far but struggling to finish on the second and third chances The Seahawks are shooting only 7-for-36 from the field so far Seahawks' basket trims Hornell's lead to single digits for the first time since early in the second quarter Hornell 42, Cold Spring Harbor 32: End of the 3rd quarterRed Raiders are eight minutes away from their first state title Difference so far is the execution from distance Hornell is 8-for-20 on 3-pointers while Cold Spring Harbor is only 1-for-16 Seahawks' Ryan Reynolds has two 3-pointers in the quarter to keep Cold Spring Harbor in it Six points is the smallest difference since midway through the first quarter which trailed by as much as 17 in the second quarter and 15 in the third Hornell behind for the first time this game after Olivia Mulada goes 2-for-2 from the line Red Raiders season ends in the Class B state championship Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professor Hiro Furukawa and postdoc Hyunook Kang prove the existence of a mysterious brain receptor known as GluN1-2B-2D They also show several ways the drug ketamine can interact with GluN1-2B-2D Their research may lead to safer treatments for depression Ketamine has received a Hollywood makeover. It used to be known as a rave drug (street name special K) and cat anesthetic. However, in recent years, some doctors have prescribed ketamine to treat conditions from post-traumatic stress disorder to depression. “The practice is not without controversy,” notes Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor Hiro Furukawa ‘Should we give a hallucinogen to patients in compromised mental states?’ wonder ketamine’s skeptics The controversy came to a head in 2024 following the death of Matthew Perry One person charged in connection with Perry’s death was the doctor who’d prescribed him ketamine for depression and anxiety This 3D animation illustrates the tension-and-release mechanism that controls how brain receptor GluN1-2B-2D opens and closes its ion channel pore “Even putting this aside, many questions remain regarding how ketamine affects the brain,” says Furukawa. “It’s been suggested for over a decade that the drug blocks a specific kind of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) called GluN1-2B-2D.” There was one big problem with this theory Scientists weren’t quite sure that GluN1-2B-2D existed A new study from the Furukawa lab shines much-needed light on the situation In a paper published in the journal Neuron Furukawa and postdoc Hyunook Kang prove that GluN1-2B-2D does exist in the mammal brain They then reconstruct a human version of GluN1-2B-2D The neuroscientists identify the tension-and-release mechanism that controls GluN1-2B-2D movements They can now see how this mysterious NMDAR opens and closes its ion channel pore They reveal several ways ketamine may bind to GluN1-2B-2D A series of stunningly detailed visualizations show ketamine molecules becoming attached to specific parts of GluN1-2B-2D ketamine can latch onto these sections and close off the channel.” Furukawa and his colleagues captured four binding patterns they believe there are many other ways ketamine can take hold that’s where Furukawa and his colleagues at CSHL will set their sights next Kang, H., et al., “Structural basis for channel gating and blockade in tri-heteromeric GluN1-2B-2D NMDA receptor”, Neuron, February 14, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2025.01.013 but after players went down with an injury the senior is confident in her skills and never shies away from the big moment for the Cold Spring Harbor girls lacrosse team "I know that if I have the ball in my stick I know I'm going to make a play," Spehr said "I trust the rest of my teammates because I believe in myself and my teammates." Her fearlessness was on full display on Wednesday Fairport made a comeback to force the game into double overtime Spehr scored the winning goal with 1:04 left giving the reigning state Class D champions an 8-7 victory we were talking about how we knew if we got the ball we were going to finish it," Spehr said you deserve to have the final shot.' " you get that shock factor or the big eyes because it's a little too much for someone to carry on their shoulders "But with (Maggie) and the other names that were called you got the nod and the stare down like 'yeah I got this,' and you always get that from Maggie." Newsday's weekly newsletter takes you on the field and inside the high school sports scene across Long Island The midfielder added two goals in an 11-9 comeback victory against Manhasset on Thursday Spehr is Newsday's Athlete of the Week people in the building are always singing her praises," Castellane said "It's amazing to hear as a coach when your kid is so well-rounded in school and the community." Whether she is on the soccer field in the fall Spehr wants to push herself to be the best she can be "It's rare to find a three-sport athlete who plays all three well but that's what makes Maggie so great," Castellane said "It's inspiring because it's tough today to play three sports especially if you want to continue to the next level She's able to be the same athlete and person in all three." Following in the footsteps of her older siblings the youngest Spehr has committed to play lacrosse at Middlebury College in Vermont "I tried to do something different than my siblings but ultimately ended up in Middlebury," Spehr said "My brother and sister met the most amazing people and found great job opportunities Getting an amazing academic experience while playing lacrosse at a high level is something I always strive for." "We've been around the Spehrs for quite some time they are a family you are going to miss," Castellane said "Her family is super solid and super kind They are the type of people you want to be around." In addition to her hard work and dedication to sports Spehr still finds time to maintain a 4.28 weighted GPA and is the student council treasurer but the main thing is I work hard all day in school," Spehr said "I set aside time for me to get things done ahead of time." On January 10—Cut Your Energy Costs Day—PSEG Long Island recognized Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s (CSHL’s) ongoing sustainability initiatives with $279,000 in rebates. These efforts are part of CSHL’s Foundations for the Future expansion project Recent improvements include the installation of new energy-efficient heating and cooling systems and submeters throughout the Laboratory’s idyllic main campus “This initiative goes to the heart of our mission,” CSHL COO John Tuke says “Science is becoming increasingly data-based We need to store and analyze billions and billions of bits of data Our sustainability projects are not only helping with the efficiency of our operations They’re allowing for more scientific research.” Energy efficiency is especially important for the Laboratory’s cutting-edge NeuroAI program. A single experiment has the potential to generate massive amounts of data, CSHL Assistant Professor David Klindt says “We’re using AI to understand how the brain and diseases work,” he explains It’s only sustainable if we think about where the resources are coming from and set them up in a way that’s reliable This PSEG program is helping us achieve our sustainability goals while pushing the frontiers of science and building a better place for future generations.” when the couple spotted the dazzling display “I was very surprised and excited to see the Aurora at CSHL and Bayville The Aurora Borealis is typically visible only from the upper Northern Hemisphere It occurs when solar winds reach the magnetic fields that surround Earth These solar winds arrive in the form of charged particles that are ejected from the sun throughout the year the most powerful solar storm in over 20 years erupted from the sun’s surface the resulting Aurora could be seen as far south as Texas The solar flare of May 10 was just one in a week of intense solar activity Although Banerjee’s work has brought him into close contact with unique scientific phenomena his neuroscience research is a little more down to earth Banerjee studies vocal communication in a special breed of mice called Alston’s singing mouse These musical mice “sing” to one another in call-and-response duets with differing speeds and pitches Banerjee’s work may one day reveal just how the human brain controls speech and other timing-dependent behaviors Banerjee recently spoke about his pioneering research with Alston’s singing mice on CSHL’s At the Lab podcast Like Banerjee, the skies above CSHL are no stranger to amazing sights. CSHL students, faculty, and staff gathered for the Great North American Eclipse in April 2024. Banerjee’s fellow neuroscientist Jeremy Borniger has also captured some stunning astrophotography from the shores of CSHL Borniger and Banerjee’s photographs prove you don’t need fancy NASA-level equipment to capture detailed images of the night sky As Banerjee learned beneath the Northern Lights Cold Spring Harbor players celebrate a 54-50 win against Hornell during the New York State Public High School Athletic Association girls' Class B championship basketball game on Saturday It's the first word that comes to mind when describing the Cold Spring Harbor girls basketball team Despite trailing Hornell of Section V by as many as 17 points in the second quarter of the state Class B final the Seahawks rallied all the way back and found a way in the final minutes to secure the program's first state title with a 54-50 win “The confidence that this team has is unbelievable,” coach Rory Malone said With the score tied at 50 and less than a minute remaining the sophomore drove through all of the Hornell defenders for the go-ahead layup “I wouldn’t want the ball in anyone else’s hands at that point of the game,” Malone said The sky is the limit for her going forward.” Cold Spring Harbor — which trailed 29-16 at halftime and 42-32 entering the fourth quarter — couldn't have made program history without senior captain Ryan Reynolds She scored 11 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter of the state final to ignite the rally and she kind of proved that during this playoff run,” Malone said “She shook us out of our slumber and got us to playing the style we played all year.”  “I knew that we needed it and that it was my last game I’d be playing with this team,” said Reynolds who had 21 points and 11 rebounds in the state semifinal win “I knew that I had to leave it all out there.” The Seahawks are graduating six seniors from their 17-player roster Freshman Ainsley Dircks said the senior leadership played a huge role in their success and the underclassmen were determined to win it for them so they can finish their high school careers in the best way possible “I just kept thinking about how this was the last game we were going to play with these seniors,” Dircks said Us underclassmen were ready to do whatever it took to help them have this win.” and the accomplishments they’ve achieved across all sports is pretty much unmatched,” Malone said “I was just so thrilled for them as a group to walk off the court as winners and state champs.” Dircks believes the future is bright for Cold Spring Harbor we can win championships together,” Dircks said THE SEAHAWKS' ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP leads research on RMS and other pediatric cancers Philip Renna, CRF’s director and Christina’s father, spoke about the foundation’s impact. “You are the driving force keeping Christina’s wish alive,” he said. “Our efforts have already shed light and hope into the darkness that cancer brings.” Just last year, Vakoc’s lab uncovered a new drug target for RMS that may also apply to some of the most common forms of cancer Vakoc joined Renna at the podium as he reflected on the evening’s significance “As we enter 2025 and celebrate our 18th Angel’s Wish Gala I realized that Christina has been gone for longer than she was with us,” Renna said