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Susumu Tonegawa on Heading World-Class Brain Research Institutes
APRIL 10, 2017
Susumu Tonegawa, Lasker laureate, director of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan, and former director of MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, shares his thoughts on what makes the RIKEN Institute special and why collaboration occurs naturally at the Picower Institute.
Lasker Archives: Passion and Optimism in Scientific Research
APRIL 9, 2017
From the archives: Geneticist and Lasker laureate Philip Leder discusses his work on solving the genetic code, why patents are important, and what drives his research.
Spring 2017 Newsletter
2017 Spring
Learn about 21st-century healthcare—precision medicine and systems medicine—and how the Lasker Laureates who discovered the genetic basis of antibody diversity are leading the way. Read exclusive interviews with Leroy Hood, Susumu Tonegawa, and Philip Leder
Catalyst for the National Cancer Act: Mary Lasker
DEC. 15, 2016
From the community: High-School Senior, aspiring scientists and student cancer researcher, Langley Grace Wallace, writes about Mary Lasker's role as a catalyst for the National Cancer Act of 1971 and her impact on the nation's elite scientists.
Enlisting Philanthropies to Invest in Basic Medical Research
NOV. 15, 2016
What is the role of science philanthropy today? How does private investment in science and technology compare to that of the government, and what challenges stand in the way of more support for basic research?
Investing In Projects That Are “a Little Crazy” – Jim and Marilyn Simons on Science Philanthropy
NOV. 15, 2016
Jim and Marilyn Simons talk about establishing and running the Simons Foundation — one of the most dynamic science foundations based in New York — and how they see the role of philanthropy in supporting science.
The Hunt for the Huntington’s Gene: A Conversation with Nancy Wexler
NOV. 15, 2016
Nancy Wexler’s journey to find the gene that causes Huntington’s disease began in 1968 when her mother was diagnosed with the condition. It took years of fundraising, collaboration, and conferences, and months spent in the stilt villages of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela collecting samples, to find the answer.
The Last Big Piece of the Biology Puzzle – a Conversation with Robert Tjian
NOV. 15, 2016
Robert Tjian, the former president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, discusses whether it’s better to fund people or projects, how to encourage collaboration, and what questions in biology excite him most today.
Senator Mark Hatfield: The NIH Is the Cornerstone of Improved Quality of Life in This Nation
NOV. 14, 2016
Senator Mark Hatfield received the Albert Lasker Public Service Award for his enduring leadership in support of biomedical research.
Fall 2016 Newsletter
2016 Fall
Join the discussion about science funding. We explore the role of science philanthropy and government in funding basic research, talk to former HHMI president Robert Tijan about funding people versus projects, and learn how Lasker Laureate Nancy Wexler persevered in her hunt for the Huntington’s gene before there was funding for that type of research.
Advancing Cancer Research from the Lab to Therapies
APRIL 28, 2016
Newsletter Spring 2016. The 2009 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Mecical Research Award winners developed one of the first successful targeted molecular therapy drugs that converted chronic myeloid leukemia from a fatal cancer to a manageable chronic condition. What lessons can be learned from that exemplary academia-industry partnership?
Lasker Archives: When Cancer Drugs Were Still a Distant Dream
APRIL 28, 2016
Newsletter Spring 2016. In 1982, five scientists received the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award for work that revolutionized our understanding of cancer. Read an excerpt from J. Michael Bishop's inspirational — and revealing — acceptance speech.
