Jill P. Mesirov, PhD, a pioneering mathematician and computational biologist whose work has dramatically broadened and deepened the use of advanced computing tools to develop and implement new cancer strategies and treatments, has joined Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute as a Distinguished Professor and Senior Vice President for Computational Science, beginning July 1, 2026.

Shelter dogs in more crowded conditions might have more disrupted gut microbiomes compared to those with more space, per Thai study

A new analysis supports the previously overlooked “brain lag” hypothesis—the idea that, in some primate lineages, the evolution of larger body size preceded the evolution of larger brain size—while also building on that hypothesis by suggesting that some lineages’ brain sizes then continued to grow beyond an expected baseline. Robin Dunbar of the University of Oxford presents these findings in the open access journal PLOS One on July 1, 2026.

Bugs run rampant in the summer, and if you have ever suffered from a mosquito bite and regretted not putting on bug spray, you should know about nature’s insect repellent: the Indiana bat. Federally endangered since 1967, the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) helps with pest control and supports tree growth in forests, but their habitat has been shrinking. 

The final paper from the lab of the late Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Developmental Biology Chair Kathryn Anderson reveals how a critical signaling molecule called WNT guides cells in the embryo from a state of high flexibility — known as "plasticity" — toward distinct, specialized identities. Completing it was a labor of love for her colleagues.

The University of Alicante is participating in the largest scientific assessment driven to date by the United Nations to analyse the health of the world's oceans. This international project brings together hundreds of specialists from across the globe and currently serves as the primary global benchmark for guiding marine conservation policies internationally.

Researchers at NYU College of Dentistry have uncovered what may be biologically driving oral health issues unique to Down syndrome.

 

Their study, published in Cell Reports, describes a molecular mechanism—a defect in calcium signaling—behind low saliva production, along with other factors that may contribute to gum disease.

New research published in Nature is first study to comprehensively interconnect clinical outcomes from patients receiving a HIF-2a inhibitor, with peripheral biomarker changes and associated tumor biology. HIF-2a inhibition with casdatifan resulted in deep and sustained suppression of the hormone erythropoietin in blood (serum EPO), which correlated with higher response rates and longer progression-free survival (PFS). A pooled analysis from four monotherapy cohorts (n=121) of the ARC-20 study showed that advanced kidney cancer patients treated with casdatifan lived beyond a year without cancer progression (median PFS of 12.2 months) despite multiple prior treatments with other standard regimens.