Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

01/22/2026

Please join us in congratulating CSHL Associate Professor Michael Lukey on receiving the 2025 James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Faculty Award! This award is presented to an Assistant or Associate Professor at CSHL who has made a significant research contribution. Read more about his innovative research that is reshaping scientists’ understanding of cancer metabolism here: https://www.cshl.edu/lukey-receives-2025-stone-faculty-award/

01/16/2026

Thank you to Will Sheeline and L.I. Herald for spotlighting groundbreaking research at CSHL.

The cover story highlights Corina Amor Vegas, Associate Professor, and her lab, whose discovery lays the groundwork for new drugs to treat age-related conditions like leaky gut syndrome and improve overall gut health.

Read the article to learn more. We’re grateful for the thoughtful coverage that brings important science to a broader audience. https://www.liherald.com/stories/discovery-at-cold-spring-harbor-laboratory-could-help-fight-dementia,219707

01/15/2026

What does your immune system and a CAPTCHA test have in common? According to CSHL Assistant Professor Hannah Meyer, they actually share the same function. Follow the link here for the full scope on how your immune system runs its own CAPTCHA test! https://www.cshl.edu/videos/how-your-thymus-puts-the-i-in-immunity/

01/14/2026

Great science is forged by years of continuous collaboration and learning. The annual CSHL In-House Symposium is just one example of where CSHL researchers come together to share their ideas and forge that great science. With over 20 speakers, a poster session, and multiple opportunities for networking across two days, our scientific community grows even stronger.

01/14/2026

Our own CSHL community gathers eager to learn about the cutting-edge work happening just beyond their own desks and benches. Yesterday was day 1 filled with collaboration and big ideas. Excited for another full day of research talks, idea sharing, and connection at the CSHL In-House Symposium.

01/13/2026

The CSHL In-House Symposium is a long-standing tradition that brings our scientific community together to share research, spark new ideas, and explore collaborations. Over two days, our researchers present cutting-edge work across biology, genetics, neuroscience, and more, showcasing the innovation happening right here at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

01/13/2026

Honoring bold ideas in cancer research

We are thrilled to announce that CSHL Associate Professor Jeremy Borniger, PhD, has received the 2026 Bakewell Emerging Leader Award from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research. His lab is exploring synthetic torpor—a hibernation-like state—as a novel strategy to slow cancer growth. Here’s to high-risk, high-reward science shaping the future of oncology.

01/09/2026

CSHL’s Krainer lab has discovered a key, three-part cancer gene circuit driving progression of the most common and lethal form of pancreatic cancer, PDAC. The team developed an RNA splicing-based treatment that, in human PDAC tumor organoids, kills three birds with one stone—collapsing the circuit, leading to less viable cancer cells and a type of programmed cell death called apoptosis. https://www.cshl.edu/short-circuiting-pancreatic-cancer/

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal form of pancreas cancer. It’s also the most common form of the disease. Potential treatments typically target a key mutated oncogene called KRAS. In some cases, PDAC tumors with these mutations have resisted therapeutic efforts. However, c...

01/08/2026

BIG changes are coming to Cocktails & Chromosomes!

Starting January 2026, Cocktails & Chromosomes will move to a new location and shift to an every-other-month schedule. These changes will allow us to elevate each gathering with more intentional programming.

Join us for an exciting new chapter at Six Harbors Brewing Company in Huntington! You can find our speakers for 2026 listed here, as well as a link to RSVP to each event: https://cocktailsandchromosomes.eventbrite.com.

Our first Cocktails & Chromosomes of 2026 will be held on January 29th at 7:00 pm at Six Harbors Brewing Company featuring Associate Professor Ullas Pedmale.

01/07/2026

Passion fuels CSHL graduate students, whether they’re conducting experiments or chasing goals beyond science. Renee Garcia Flores, a graduate student in the Trotman Laboratory, is researching the tissue structure of the prostate to aid in future prostate cancer research. She is also aiming to run a marathon before she graduates! Take a peek into Renee’s journey as a Ph.D. student and how she juggles multiple goals at once.

01/06/2026

Weight matters. In the kitchen, it could mean cooking with too little or too much of an ingredient. In the lab, it can shed light on potential drug targets, tumor composition, and more. For measures like these, scientists rely on tools called mass spectrometers. CSHL’s Cifani lab has developed a new, innovative mass spectrometry technique that pushes instrument performance to deliver scans more sensitive than ever before. https://www.cshl.edu/new-mass-spec-innovation-could-transform-research/

Weight says a lot. In the kitchen, it could mean cooking with too little or too much of an ingredient. For scientists, a molecule’s weight can help determine its makeup. This, in turn, can shed light on whether a potential drug is acting on the body or not working at all. Weight can even reveal...

01/05/2026

It may be a new year, but Dr. Chris Vakoc and his lab have the same resolution annually—to fight pediatric cancer.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is incredibly grateful to The Mary Ruchalski Foundation for consistently supporting the Vakoc Laboratory in their mission. Since 2018, the Mary Ruchalski Foundation has been dedicated to funding pediatric cancer research, providing resources for patients and their families and supporting educational and recreational activities that Mary loved. Most recently, Carol Ruchalski delivered CSHL a generous donation of $60,000 for Dr. Vakoc's pediatric cancer research.

(Pictured: Charlie Prizzi, Senior VP of Advancement accepting donation on behalf of CSHL).