Whitehead Institute is a world-renowned, non-profit scientific institution dedicated to improving human health through basic biomedical research.https://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3ms6s7di3gs2xWhat happens inside our cells as we age? @weissmanlab.bsky.social postdoc Ania Puszynska is studying the cell’s recycling centers to understand how these structures change with time, and what those changes can tell us about why aging increases our risk of certain diseases. tinyurl.com/yx63pzxk03 Aug 2026 15:17 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms6s7di3gs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mqukhwngxs2mRelated to Cyclospora, the parasite behind the recent outbreak, Toxoplasma infects billions worldwide. Now Whitehead researchers have found the protein machinery that helps it adapt and multiply inside cells — insights that could guide new treatments for parasitic infections: tinyurl.com/57hkdx9717 Jul 2026 20:07 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqukhwngxs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mp4veo6hw22fLehmann Lab postdoc KangBo Ng has received a 2026 Robertson Foundation - Jane Coffin Childs Fellowship. @jcchildsfund.bsky.social The award will support his research into how somatic and germ cells exchange resources during early development. Congratulations, KangBo! #JCCFellow https://www.jccfund.org/blog/the-jane-coffin-childs-fund-for-medical-research-names-its-2026-fellows/25 Jun 2026 16:53 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp4veo6hw22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mp2dxhejns2yWeissman Lab postdoc Mohamed El-Brolosy has received one of this year’s @fredhutch.org Dr. Eddie Méndez Scholar Awards. Congratulations, Mohamed–we’re thrilled to join in celebrating this recognition of your work! https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/releases/2026/06/fred-hutch-names-8-recipients-of-dr-eddie-mendez-award.html24 Jun 2026 16:36 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp2dxhejns2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3modvbjt3hk2m“I’ve also really valued the richly collaborative community, and being able to take a lot of risks in how I address the questions I have the opportunity to pursue,” says graduate student Giselle Valdes, reflecting on her time at Whitehead Institute and @mit.edu. tinyurl.com/56hdxshv https://tinyurl.com/56hdxshv15 Jun 2026 18:15 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3modvbjt3hk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mmhdydmyl22aCrops are facing increasing stress from heat, drought, and poor soil conditions. Now Whitehead researchers have created a gene expression “map” of seed development that could help guide future efforts to improve crop yield, nutrition, and resilience: shorturl.at/CLWq122 May 2026 16:26 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmhdydmyl22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mm5ezukdas2dWe are deeply saddened by the passing of Brit d’Arbeloff, Director Emerita of the Board and longtime supporter of the Institute. Her legacy is profound and includes advancing our efforts to understand of how sex differences influence health and disease. shorturl.at/byRH518 May 2026 17:18 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm5ezukdas2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mlvvnsu4yk2tHow do organs fight infection while keeping inflammation in check? Latest research at Whitehead Institute shows lung immune sensitivity is organized in tiers: surface cells respond cautiously, while deeper cells sound the alarm when threats break through. tinyurl.com/54jfkvcf15 May 2026 17:54 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvvnsu4yk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3ml4nrv75h22lCongratulations to our AI Fellow Na Sun on receiving the 2026 NIH Director’s Early Independence Award! This award recognizes both her innovative research and the strength of the Whitehead Fellows Program, which supports recent MDs and PhDs in launching independent labs: tinyurl.com/2vyk8ncp05 May 2026 16:57 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml4nrv75h22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mkq52tfbgk2wFatigue, appetite loss, and poor sleep — are they just side effects of being sick? Whitehead Institute Member Zuri Sullivan and colleagues argue they may be part of a coordinated immune strategy that helps us fight infection. tinyurl.com/445mujrt30 Apr 2026 17:25 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkq52tfbgk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mkl3uce2g22vOur Spring Lecture Series for High School Students returned for another successful year! Over the course of three days, 43 students participated in hands-on experiments, interactive lab modules, and had conversations with scientists to get a feel for how research unfolds.28 Apr 2026 17:21 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkl3uce2g22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mkj5pvrdjc23Gene editing can target the genetic causes of disease, but getting the editing machinery into the right cells in the body remains a challenge. Learn how Whitehead Valhalla Fellow Aditya Raguram and colleagues are tackling this problem: tinyurl.com/5n7hxdtv27 Apr 2026 22:49 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkj5pvrdjc23https://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mjetwxvmk22lCongratulations to Whitehead Institute trainees Elizabeth Black, Juntao Yu, and Tatsat Banerjee for being named as Damon Runyon Fellows — 3 of just 13 selected nationwide! Learn more about their efforts to advance cancer research: tinyurl.com/4dvhtzwr13 Apr 2026 12:18 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjetwxvmk22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mivzibqlp22pStem cells can both renew themselves and give rise to cells that differentiate into specialized types like lung cells or blood cells. Now, a new study out of the Yamashita Lab uncovers how cells are able to preserve stem cell potential while adopting distinct identities. tinyurl.com/469utx4p07 Apr 2026 14:47 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mivzibqlp22phttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3migrlncejk2qWe’re #hiring! Join our Institute Advancement team as Director, Foundation & Corporate Relations. In this role, you’ll work with foundations and corporate partners to garner philanthropic support, helping ensure sustained funding for the innovative science happening in our labs: tinyurl.com/982cjhpt01 Apr 2026 13:16 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3migrlncejk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mibsimlkec2zAutism has a significant and enduring sex bias, with roughly four boys diagnosed for every girl. New research from the Page Lab offers a genetic explanation for this disparity — one that may also extend to 17 other pediatric conditions that show similar sex biases. tinyurl.com/yzfvkpj430 Mar 2026 13:49 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mibsimlkec2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mhiolcnew22uMicroRNAs fine-tune gene activity but how do cells control their lifespan? New study out of the Bartel Lab, in collaboration with @mpibiochem.bsky.social, reveals a “two-factor authentication” system that selectively eliminates specific microRNAs: shorturl.at/03gAe20 Mar 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhiolcnew22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mhdtnt63ps2vWhitehead Institute scientists, trainees, and staff members bring precision and creativity to everything they do — even baking. Here are some snapshots from yesterday’s belated Pi(e) Day celebration.18 Mar 2026 15:50 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhdtnt63ps2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mgn3fcvhv22zWhen closely related species mate, their offspring sometimes survive but can’t reproduce. New work from the Yamashita Lab shows that in hybrid male fruit flies, large Y-chromosome genes fail during RNA processing preventing sperm development: shorturl.at/MGyZe09 Mar 2026 14:37 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgn3fcvhv22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mgfpy65jtc27Congratulations to alum Patrik Ernfors on receiving The Brain Prize. In his reflections, he credits Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch with teaching him the scientific independence that helped him start his own lab: shorturl.at/Hvq5g [contains quote post or other embedded content]06 Mar 2026 16:24 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgfpy65jtc27https://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mgfizpu4zc23Help ProtGPS win #STATMadness by casting your vote today! This AI tool developed at Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology predicts which parts of the cell a protein will reside in, helping researchers develop effective therapies for a range of diseases. 🗳️ shorturl.at/dxYjA [contains quote post or other embedded content]06 Mar 2026 14:19 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgfizpu4zc23https://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mgdofrcukk23Earlier this week, Whitehead Institute hosted the 2026 AI: Advancing Foundational Biology Symposium, exploring how artificial intelligence is accelerating biological discovery. Sign up for our newsletter, Inflection, for a deeper dive into the event: eepurl.com/iPJtfc05 Mar 2026 20:50 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgdofrcukk23https://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mganp6v4422eWhitehead Institute Member Jonathan Weissman joins the newly funded ILLUMINE team to tackle the “dark proteome” — proteins expressed by cancer cells that don’t map to known genes. Their goal? Opening doors to new treatments for hard-to-treat cancers: tinyurl.com/bdctybxk [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Mar 2026 16:00 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mganp6v4422ehttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mg3kk5jquk2a@statnews.com has selected us to compete in this year’s #STATMadness! Cast your vote today for ProtGPS, an AI tool developed in the Young Lab in collaboration with Regina Barzilay at @csail.mit.edu, that predicts protein localization in health and disease. 🗳️ shorturl.at/dxYjA02 Mar 2026 15:20 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg3kk5jquk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3mfrwzg7fws2eIn a conversation with Inside Precision Medicine, alumna @ayzhou.bsky.social, who trained in the lab of Whitehead Institute Founding Member Robert Weinberg, reflects on her journey from early lab work to leadership in cancer immunotherapy. Tune in here: shorturl.at/GvCoZ https://shorturl.at/GvCoZ26 Feb 2026 19:37 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfrwzg7fws2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social/post/3me4y2oxg5c2uMembers of the real estate and science communities came together last night to hear from real estate developer David Clem and MIT historian Robin Scheffler the story of how Kendall Square transformed into a dense biotechnology cluster. A few highlights from the evening 📸05 Feb 2026 18:04 +0000at://did:plc:376brirdwae4fayb4sd3bzdy/app.bsky.feed.post/3me4y2oxg5c2u