Academy Announcement - NYAS

The New York Academy of Sciences’ Scientist-in-Residence Program named bronze winner in the 4th Annual Anthem Awards

The Academy’s STEM education programs win an Anthem Award for the second consecutive year.

New York, NY | November 19, 2024 – The New York Academy of Sciences announced that its Scientist-in-Residence program was named a Bronze Anthem Awards winner in the Education, Art, & Culture/ Community Engagement Category (Nonprofit) category in the 4th Annual Anthem Awards. In The Anthem Awards’ most competitive year, Scientist-in-Residence was selected from over 2,300 entries submitted from 34 countries worldwide. The Academy’s Junior Academy was named a 2023 Silver Anthem Award Winner, making this the second year in a row that the Academy’s highly regarded education programs have been recognized by the Anthem Awards.

“Now more than ever it is crucial that we turn to science to address the many challenges we face in the 21^st century,” said Nicholas B. Dirks, President and Chief Executive Officer, The New York Academy of Sciences. “Unless we have a steady stream of talented young people who pursue careers in STEM, we run the risk of falling short. The Scientist-in-Residence program leverages the expert guidance of working scientists, turning classrooms into research labs, giving students hands-on learning experiences and access to scientific tools to conduct a year-long science research project. This support helps students appreciate the role of science in our world beyond traditional textbooks while also providing an inspirational entry-point to a gratifying and meaningful career in STEM.”

Entries in the Education, Art and Culture category honors organizations making learning more effective and accessible to students of all backgrounds. Art and Cultural programs may include art for change, healing and connecting communities as well as the preservation of public spaces and landmarks, festivals, and celebrations of historically underrepresented communities.

About Scientist-in-Residence

Since its launch in 2012, Scientist-in-Residence has paired more than 7,000 Pre-K through 12^th grade students with over 150 working scientists. The program was developed in cooperation with the New York City Department of Education and The New York Academy of Sciences and matches scientists with New York City public school teachers to bring scientific inquiry to life in the classroom. By combining their research and pedagogical expertise, each scientist-teacher pair develops and implements a year-long science project that prepares students to engage in authentic research involving data collection and analysis that sparks their interest in STEM learning.

The Scientist-in-Residence program also supports students toward a career in STEM by providing an avenue to find the inspiration that builds their curiosity and connects them with other scientists and STEM-inspired students across New York City. Each year, the Academy hosts a student showcase where group representatives from each class present posters and samples of their work, sharing their findings with fellow students. This event allows students to identify their peers building a support system as they continue their STEM career; it teaches students that success in a research project is not about failure or lack thereof but collecting information that can be shared with others; it also introduces students to scientists from various backgrounds that they may also see as part of their career support system.

“The Winners of this year’s Anthem Awards are truly inspiring and I am honored to help elevate their impact,” said Anthem Awards General Manager, Patricia McLoughlin. “At this moment, there is a lot of uncertainty in our world, but the tireless and extraordinary efforts of the Anthem Awards community provide hope that a better tomorrow is possible. Thank you to everyone doing this work and making an impact.”

About The Anthem Awards

Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity; Equity & Inclusion; Education; Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate. This season’s partners include Ms. Magazine, The Female Quotient, Sustainable Brands, NationSwell, and TheFutureParty. The Awards were founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, Glaad, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.

Peter Salovey, PhD, named Chair, Board of Governors of The New York Academy of Sciences

Former president of Yale University to assume leadership role of the Academy’s Board of Governors

New York, NY | November 18, 2024 – Peter Salovey, PhD, a social psychologist and early pioneer in the field of emotional intelligence, has been named as Chair, Board of Governors, The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy).

He will oversee the governance of the Academy and its 26 Member board, and work with current President and CEO, Nicholas B. Dirks, on the future of the 200+ year old scientific society and its extensive portfolio of scientific programs. He succeeds the Honorable Jerry MacArthur Hultin, Chair and Co-Founder, Global Futures Group, LLC, who has served in the role since 2019.

Salovey’s scientific/academic credentials are extensive. Prior to joining the Academy, Salovey served as the 23^rd president of Yale University from 2013 to 2024, as well as past provost, Dean of Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Dean of Yale College.

Over the course of his nearly 40 years of academic research experience, he investigated the connections among emotion, health communication, and health behavior, with a special focus on emotional intelligence. He played key roles in multiple Yale programs including the Health, Emotion, and Behavior Laboratory, which Former President Salovey founded; the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS; and the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program. He is the author and editor of over a dozen books translated into eleven languages and published hundreds of journal articles and essays. He co-developed a broad framework called “emotional intelligence,” the theory that just as people have a wide range of intellectual abilities, they also have a wide range of measurable emotional skills that profoundly affect their thinking and action.

“Peter Salovey’s stewardship as incoming Chair of the Academy’s Board will be an invaluable asset as we head into a critically important time for science,” said Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO, The New York Academy of Sciences. “In such an unsettled world, we need strong advocacy for continued investment in scientific research and leadership in shaping an enlightened role for science to help solve our global challenges.” 

In addition to teaching and mentoring scores of graduate students, former President Salovey has won the William Clyde DeVane Medal for Distinguished Scholarship and Teaching in Yale College and the Lex Hixon ’63 Prize for Teaching Excellence in the Social Sciences. He has received honorary degrees from the University of Pretoria (2009), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2014), National Tsing Hua University (2014), Harvard University (2015), McGill University (2018), University of Haifa (2018), and Vytautas Magnus University (2019). In 2013, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.

“The New York Academy of Sciences and its track record of bringing widely disparate groups together to address global problems are enormously respected,” said Peter Salovey. “I’m looking forward to working with the Academy to continue its influential thought leadership and prominence in supporting the careers of young scientists.”

The New York Academy of Sciences Receives Grant to Connect Young People From Diverse Places and Backgrounds Through Virtual Exchange

A grant from the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative will enable the Junior Academy to give young people global collaboration and learning opportunities – without them having to leave their home communities.

New York, NY | November 19, 2024 – Today, the Stevens Initiative announced The New York Academy of Sciences (The Academy) is one of nine schools, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations to receive funding to run virtual exchange programs that connect young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa. The New York Academy of Sciences’ Junior Academy will help reach 8,000 young people along with the new J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative Grantees, supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

“I’m proud to celebrate the addition of nine new grantees to our 2024 J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative portfolio today. Over the last year, we have taken great strides to bridge cultural divides and prepare rising generations of global leaders,” said Christine Shiau, Executive Director of the Stevens Initiative. “Everything we do is centered around making transformative global experiences accessible to young people, and that would be impossible without the partnership of these incredible organizations and educational institutions.”

Through virtual exchange, participants build a better understanding of the world around them and develop critical thinking and cultural fluency skills needed to be successful in an ever changing world. It is a powerful tool to reimagine what global learning looks like, how it can be conducted, and how many people participate.

The New York Academy of Sciences’ Junior Academy brings together a passionate community of problem-solvers made up of talented students, STEM experts, and organizations around the world dedicated to designing innovative solutions to global issues. Participants from the Middle East and North Africa and the United States are guided by mentors and have access to world-class STEM learning resources as they work in teams for 10 weeks. Through challenge-based learning, they build their scientific research and critical workforce readiness skills, as well as form dynamic networks to support their journeys to become the next generation of STEM leaders.

“The Junior Academy was initially launched in the 1970s to provide opportunities for students in New York City to work together. Since moving online in 2016, the Junior Academy has developed into a truly global collaboration program. Students from the US and MENA are using STEM and civic engagement to solve real world problems with great success,” said Meghan Groome, PhD, Senior Vice President, Education, at The New York Academy of Sciences.

The Junior Academy is implemented by The New York Academy of Sciences and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.

More Information

The Stevens Initiative, a program of the Aspen Institute, is an international leader in virtual exchange, which brings young people from diverse places together for dialogue and discovery through everyday technology. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative is building a better tomorrow by championing global citizenship, empowering future leaders, and advancing the field of virtual exchange. Learn more: https://www.stevensinitiative.org.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States, support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us. Visit eca.state.gov.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

Maura Daley
Stevens Initiative
maura.daley@aspeninstitute.org

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. Department of State
ECA-Press@state.gov

Nine Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholars for the 2024 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists Announced

Cutting-edge research includes the study of the human ribosome to combat cancer, interfacing machines with the human brain to better understand neurological characteristics, and decoding the “dark matter” of viral genomes to mitigate viral threats.

New York, NY | September 17, 2024 – The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences today announced the three Laureates and six Finalists of the 2024 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists. The Awards honor outstanding postdoctoral scientists from academic research institutions across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

The Blavatnik Regional Awards jury, consisting of distinguished scientists and engineers, selected one Laureate in each category who will receive a $30,000 unrestricted prize and two Finalists in each category who will be awarded $10,000 each. The three Laureates and six Finalists were chosen out of 134 highly competitive nominations received from 24 academic institutions in the Tri-State area.

The announcement comes during the National Postdoctoral Association’s 15th annual celebration of 2024 National Postdoc Appreciation Week, which recognizes the significant contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to U.S. research and discovery.

The 2024 Blavatnik Regional Awards Winners and Finalists will be honored at the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists Ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79^th Street, on October 1, 2024.

“It is a great pleasure to congratulate and honor our outstanding Laureates and Finalists,” said Len Blavatnik, Founder of Access Industries and the Blavatnik Family Foundation, and member of the President’s Council of The New York Academy of Sciences. “Their ongoing research and discoveries will contribute to the global scientific community for years to come.”

“Postdocs help drive research and innovation forward and are catalysts for new scientific ideas and applied technologies,” said Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences. “We are incredibly proud to announce these outstanding postdoctoral honorees of the 2024 Blavatnik Regional Awards, especially during National Postdoc Appreciation Week — a week dedicated to recognizing the important contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to American research and discovery.”

The 2024 Blavatnik Regional Awards Winners in the three award categories are:

Chemical Sciences

Arnaud Vanden-Broeck, Ph.D., nominated by The Rockefeller University
Biochemist and structural biologist Arnaud Vanden-Broeck is leading groundbreaking work in uncovering the intricate processes behind human ribosome assembly, laying the foundation for treating cancers and diseases related to ribosome dysfunction.

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Raghavendra Pradyumna Pothukuchi, Ph.D., nominated by Yale University
The work of computer scientist Raghavendra Pradyumna Pothukuchi has led to unprecedented advances in creating a “brain-memex”, a system that interfaces computers with the human brain and could fundamentally shift our ability to understand neurological characteristics.

Life Sciences

Shira Weingarten-Gabbay, Ph.D., nominated by The Rockefeller University
Through her research, virologist Shira Weingarten-Gabbay has uncovered thousands of novel microproteins encoded in the “dark matter” of viral genomes, which has exposed previously unknown immune targets for vaccines.

The following postdoctoral researchers have been named Finalists in their respective categories:

Chemical Sciences

Juan D. Jiménez, Ph.D., nominated by Brookhaven National Laboratory
Chemical engineer Juan D. Jiménez is advancing sustainable industrial practices by developing novel catalytic materials that transform greenhouse gases like CO₂ and methane into valuable chemical products.

Arthur Neuberger, Ph.D., nominated by Columbia University
As a Professor of Molecular Bioimaging at LMU Munich, Arthur Neuberger conducts pioneering research on TRP channels, which has led to new ways of treating pain, cancer, and skin diseases, as well as deciphering the mechanism of how we sense temperature.

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Aavishkar Patel, Ph.D., nominated by the Flatiron Institute
Condensed matter theorist Aavishkar Patel is advancing a new theoretical understanding of “strange metals” and their tendencies towards superconductivity based on how microscopic irregularities in materials modify electron interactions.

Chiara Trovatello, Ph.D., nominated by Columbia University
Nanotechnology materials scientist Chiara Trovatello is developing new nano-engineered material platforms for optical computing, a critical step towards innovative imaging and information processing methods in quantum technologies.

Life Sciences

Nicole J. Lake, Ph.D., nominated by Yale University
Geneticist Nicole J. Lake is developing novel tools to study genetic variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to improve genetic diagnostics for patients with rare diseases.

Amy R. Strom, Ph.D., nominated by Princeton University
Molecular and cellular biologist Amy R. Storm is exploring the organization of biological “condensates” that physically compartmentalize target genes in the cell, influencing the expression of cancer-causing genes.

About the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007 and independently administered by The New York Academy of Sciences, initially identified outstanding regional scientific talent among faculty and postdoctoral students in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The Blavatnik National Awards, honoring faculty-rank scientists throughout the United States, were first awarded in 2014 and were expanded in 2017 to honor faculty-rank scientists in the United Kingdom and Israel. By the end of 2024, the Blavatnik Awards will have awarded prizes totaling $17.4 million and, to date, has honored over 570 scientists.

Blavatnik Awards scholars are driving economic growth by embarking on new scientific trajectories to pursue high-risk, high-reward scientific research. To date, Blavatnik Awards honorees have founded 74 companies. After recognition by the Blavatnik Awards, 30% of past honorees obtained a patent or filed a patent application, 75% have started a new research direction, and 11% have started a new collaboration with another Blavatnik Awards honoree. Visit blavatnikawards.org for further information.

About the Blavatnik Family Foundation

The Blavatnik Family Foundation provides many of the world’s best researchers, scientists and future leaders with the support and funding needed to solve humankind’s greatest challenges. Led by Len Blavatnik, founder of Access Industries, the Foundation advances and promotes innovation, discovery and creativity to benefit the whole of society. Over the past decade, the Foundation has contributed over US$1 billion to more than 250 organizations. See more at blavatnikfoundation.org.

2024 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists Announced

A molecular biologist from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a chemical engineer from UC Berkeley, and an earth scientist from Cornell University are this year’s Laureates.

New York, NY | September 12, 2024 – The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences named three women scientists as Laureates of the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists, marking the second time since the launch of the awards ten years ago that all three Laureates are women. Each will receive $250,000, the largest unrestricted scientific prize offered to America’s most promising, faculty-level scientific researchers under 42. Three independent juries – one each for life sciences, chemical sciences, and physical sciences & engineering – composed of some of America’s most distinguished scientists selected the three winning Laureates. An additional 15 Finalists will each receive $15,000.

The 2024 Blavatnik National Awards received 331 nominations from 172 institutions in 43 U.S. states. Nominees must be faculty-level scientific researchers, 42 years of age or younger.

The Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists will celebrate the 2024 Laureates and Finalists and the 2024 Blavatnik Regional Awards Laureates and Finalists in a gala ceremony on October 1, 2024, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The 2024 winning Laureates are:

2024 Laureate in Life Sciences

Cigall Kadoch, Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School & Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Molecular & Cellular Biology)

Working to discover and characterize chromatin remodeling complexes, understanding how their disruption leads to human disease, and developing a new class of therapeutics

Healthy cells rely on the intricate collaboration of millions of biological molecules; even minor perturbations in these interactions can lead to diseases like cancer. In a series of groundbreaking studies, Cigall Kadoch has decoded the role of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers—complex molecular machines made up of dozens of interacting proteins—in regulating DNA accessibility and gene expression. The Kadoch Lab also unraveled how disease-causing mutations in these complexes impact their structure and function in an expanding list of diseases that includes cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, and immunodeficiencies. Dr. Kadoch has built upon these discoveries to develop novel therapeutics, which are being tested in clinical trials and could revolutionize the treatment of diverse maladies.

2024 Laureate in Chemical Sciences

Markita del Carpio Landry, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (Chemical Engineering)

Pioneering nanoscale chemical tools to address disparate challenges in human health and sustainability

The behavior of chemicals within and between cells of the body still holds many secrets to how life operates. By manipulating these basic chemical interactions of life, using very small particles to uncover new insights and tools for biology, Landry has applied new nanobiotechnology towards a wide range of tasks, from measuring the transfer of chemicals between synapses in the brain to bioengineering plant genetics. Landry’s strategies for applying nanobiotechnology tools are already paving the way for more resilient crops and new treatments for neurological disease ranging from neurodegeneration to autism spectrum disorders.

2024 Laureate in Physical Sciences & Engineering

Britney E. Schmidt, Ph.D., Cornell University (Physical Earth Sciences)

Advancing climate science and planetary habitability studies through groundbreaking research on ice-ocean interactions and innovative exploration of Earth’s polar regions and icy planetary bodies

In order to better predict the impact of climate change we must understand the interactions between the Earth’s oceans and ice. Britney E. Schmidt and her team designed, built, and deployed Icefin, a remotely operated vehicle that provides unprecedented insights into Antarctic ice shelf melting and ocean circulation. Schmidt’s work solves key problems in ice dynamics and interaction with the ocean and offers novel comprehensive views of sub-ice environments. Critically, this research shows how interactions between the ice, ocean, and seafloor control how glaciers respond to the warming ocean. Schmidt also applies Earth-based ice studies to solar system icy worlds to further our understanding of extraterrestrial environments. Schmidt’s contributions have earned widespread recognition, including inclusion in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023.

“On behalf of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, I congratulate this year’s outstanding Laureates and Finalists for their exceptional research. They are among the preeminent leaders of the next generation of scientific innovation and discovery,” said Len Blavatnik, founder of Access Industries and the Blavatnik Family Foundation and a member of the President’s Council of The New York Academy of Sciences.

Nicholas B. Dirks, president and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, said, “The New York Academy of Sciences has always championed women in science. We are thrilled to celebrate, for the second time in the United States, that all three of the scientists named the 2024 Blavatnik National Awards Laureates are women working in their respective fields to use science to benefit the public good.”

FINALISTS

The following scientists have been named Finalists in their respective categories:

Life Sciences

Wei Gao, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology (Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology)
Developed advancements in wearable biomolecular sensors, allowing for continuous, real-time monitoring and early diagnosis of various health conditions without requiring invasive medical procedures.

Kaiyu Guan, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Agriculture & Animal Sciences)
Developed revolutionary technology to enhance our understanding of agricultural production systems and innovating transformative solutions to achieve co-sustainability of agricultural productivity and environmental quality.

Sergiu Paşca, M.D., Stanford University (Neuroscience & Developmental Biology)
Uncovered transformative and therapeutically relevant insights into the molecular and cellular steps underlying the assembly of the human brain and the mechanisms leading to neuropsychiatric disease.

Sohini Ramachandran, Ph.D., Brown University (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology)
Established quantitative methods that reveal the causes and consequences of human genetic variation while advancing the goal of personalized medicine for all.

Christoph A. Thaiss, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania (Neuroscience & Immunology)
Made significant advances in decoding the mechanisms by which the communication between environment, body, and brain mediates the impact of lifestyle factors on common human diseases.

Chemical Sciences

Joseph Cotruvo, Jr. Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University (Biochemistry & Structural Biology)
Discovered and engineered biomolecules to sustainably harvest and purify rare metals, which are used in advanced technology, from electronic waste and the environment.

Garret Miyake, Ph.D., Colorado State University (Polymer Chemistry)
Made ground-breaking advances across polymer and organic chemistry, including inventing light-driven synthesis methods, novel plastics that are chemically recyclable, and light-reflecting coatings to reduce energy needs.

David Nagib, Ph.D., The Ohio State University (Organic Chemistry)
Stabilized traditionally unstable molecules, such as carbenes and free radicals, to discover faster, more effective, and previously unknown chemical mechanisms for synthesizing pharmaceuticals.

Yogesh Surendranath, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Inorganic & Solid-State Chemistry)
Developed a molecular-level understanding of how charges arrange at electrified surfaces, like battery electrodes, and new chemical reactions to decarbonize fuel and chemical synthesis.

Wei Xiong, Ph.D., University of California San Diego (Physical Chemistry)
Established the experimental foundations of polariton chemistry, which describes hybrid, excited states of molecules, and engineered photonic cavities to provide better control over chemical reactions.

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Anima Anandkumar, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology (Computer Science)
Made ground-breaking advancements in AI to address practical scientific challenges, drastically accelerating simulation of complex phenomena like weather forecasting, scientific simulations, engineering design and scientific discovery.

Polina Anikeeva, Ph.D.,  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Materials Science & Nanotechnology)
Integrated nanomaterials synthesis and electronic device design to develop neurotechnologies, artificial limbs, and soft robotics that advance our understanding and treatment of neurological disorders.

Ivan Z. Corwin, Ph.D., Columbia University (Applied Mathematics)
Expanded “Extreme Diffusion Theory” to model complex physical systems like the growth of tumors, the propagation of nerve signals, and the early spread of pandemics.

Alexey V. Gorshkov, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology & University of Maryland (Theoretical Physics)
Advanced the design of large interacting quantum systems through pioneering research at the intersection of quantum physics and information science with groundbreaking implications for quantum computers, sensors, and networks.

Maryam Shanechi, Ph.D., University of Southern California (Electrical Engineering)
Pioneered research at the intersection of engineering, AI, and neuroscience to develop advanced neurotechnologies that decode and regulate brain activity for treating brain disorders.

About the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists

Blavatnik Awards scholars are driving economic growth by embarking on new scientific trajectories to pursue high-risk, high-reward scientific research. To date, Blavatnik Awards honorees have founded 72 companies. After recognition by the Blavatnik Awards, 30% of past honorees obtained a patent or filed a patent application, 75% have started a new research direction, and 11% have started a new collaboration with another Blavatnik Awards honoree.

Visit blavatnikawards.org for further information.

About the Blavatnik Family Foundation

Serious Game Launches to Advance Emergency Responses to Public Health Threats

ISR, in partnership with CAPTRS, has launched a free, digital game to help scientists and experts worldwide explore and improve their decision-making in public health crisis contexts.

New York, NY | August 12, 2024 – The International Science Reserve (ISR), in partnership with the Center for Advanced Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation (CAPTRS), has launched a free, digital game to help scientists and experts worldwide explore and improve their decision-making in public health crisis contexts.

In the new game, launched today, players must navigate an evolving and hypothetical public health crisis, evaluating new information that is shared as the game progresses. To simulate real-world situations, players are presented with dynamic information and surveillance data about a pathogen outbreak. In a series of game rounds, they are asked to practice their decision-making skills using data to identify outbreak trends and better prepare for and reduce the public health threat.

The game, the first of a series, fills a major gap in global scientific research planning on crisis preparedness and response. “Serious games” can help experts explore risk and response to situations that could arise, related to climate change adaptation and public health crises.

For example, despite lessons from the COVID pandemic, there is currently a slow response to the initial spread to humans of bird flu. More advance experience of scenarios like the digital pathogen game can help accustom policymakers to assessing different sources of scientific information to make decisions, while it can help scientists explore how their research could be prioritized and adapted when most needed.

CAPTRS and ISR plan to distribute the game to their networks to encourage wider participation and contribute to building a global culture of readiness. The ISR, an initiative of the New York Academy of Sciences, will connect its scientific community of over 10,000 in 100+ countries to the game as part of a larger effort to train experts on how to respond to complex, fast-moving situations, across borders, too big for any one country to handle.

CAPTRS specializes in building next-generation games that equip decision makers with the intuition and systems needed to combat future pathogen threats and prevent catastrophic global interdependencies. The organization has partnered with government agencies, universities and corporations to train a wide range of players – including public health officials, scientists and engineers, elected officials, community and industry leaders.

“Through an innovative approach that leverages advanced technologies and simulations, our ‘games’ place public health and hospital officials, as well as leading scientists, in the driver’s seat of an emergency—before they ever face the real thing. Designed to present users with realistic, unexpected challenges and unforeseen complications, this CAPTRS game equips scientists with the skills needed to mitigate societal harm in disaster scenarios, said Francesca de Rosa, Chief Scientist of Gaming at CAPTRS. “It also helps these emergency-leads understand how seemingly minor pieces of information can significantly alter the larger picture in an emergency. Our latest partnership is not just theoretical; its real impact will be seen in practice. This collaboration furthers our shared mission to prepare scientists for future challenges by training them in what matters most when experience and seconds count.”

“Playing through a real-life scenario helps you to imagine you are really there. The game really makes it stick with you,” said Mila Rosenthal, Executive Director of the International Science Reserve. It is an entirely different experience than reading a report. We believe that players will improve their capacity to collaborate, communicate, and make informed decisions in high-pressure crisis situations. Building a culture of readiness among policymakers and researchers by exploring scenarios in advance will help everyone prepare better and respond faster when the crisis strikes.”

“Public health crises and pandemics are complex; successful responses are dependent on transparency, collaboration, and coordination. Each outbreak provides lessons for improvement,” said Dr. Rick Bright, a prominent virologist and the former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. “This collaboration of CAPTRS and ISR creates a unique opportunity to bring response stakeholders, across many sectors, together to think outside the box and contribute to novel solutions that will save more lives.”

“One of the most important components of the COVID-19 response in New York was the energy of local scientists who wanted to get involved and support crisis response,” said Dr. Lorna Thorpe, Professor and Chair of the Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine and ISR Executive Board Member. “This game will help to reignite that energy and build strong and resilient leaders not only in our region, but around the world, who are prepared for new, emerging pathogens. I encourage fellow scientists and experts to join the International Science Reserve and play.”

About The International Science Reserve

The International Science Reserve is an open network of scientists and scientific institutions, bringing together specialized technical resources for scientists to collaborate on preparing and responding to complex and urgent global crises. In transnational health emergencies and climate-related disasters, researchers in the ISR network will work together to help people and protect communities. Learn more about joining us: www.isr.nyas.org

Innovative New Art Exhibit Showcases the Importance of Coral Reefs

Part of an art exhibit on display at the Academy.

Artist Mara G. Haseltine combines ingenuity with practicality to draw attention to environmental issues facing coral reefs.

Published June 13, 2024

By Nick Fetty

Art and science come together in a striking new exhibition at The New York Academy of Sciences that celebrates World Oceans Day.

The exhibit, entitled “Blueprints to Save the Planet: 1 Coral Reefs: Exploring the ‘Art’ of Sustainable Reef Restoration,” includes a replica of the Rococo Cocco Reef designed by international environmental and sci-artist Mara G. Haseltine. It is currently on display in the Academy’s lobby at 115 Broadway in downtown Manhattan.

Broadly speaking, Haseltine’s work addresses “the link between our cultural and biological evolution.” Her current exhibit is a 20-year retrospective of her past work, but it also takes what she calls a “future-spective” by showcasing new designs for a novel coral reef in Cuba.

“A lot of it’s based on my imagination but founded in real science,” said Haseltine.

Combining Art and Science

Haseltine explains that we’re currently in the Age of the Anthropocene, which is considered the sixth mass extinction. She emphasizes that this is the first age of mass extinction caused by human activity, specifically the unsustainable use of land, water, and energy. Her work is focused on rectifying and mitigating issues that contribute to the demise of the planet’s natural environment.

The Roccoco Cocco Reef sculpture is a prototype for an ecotourist and experimental dive site. Ultimately this underwater sculpture site will be digitally fabricated primarily from recycled coral skeletons – calcium carbonate made from bleached coral. Similar to the unicellular plankton skeleton of a coccolithophore, which sequesters carbon dioxide when it’s oxygenating photosynthetic cells die and it sinks to bottom of the sea, the Rococo Cocco Reef would also be made of calcium carbonate and thus act as a carbon sink.

“The sculpture is inspired by one of the largest carbon sinks on the planet, coccolithophore skeletons, after an oxygenating bloom and they have sunk to the ocean’s floor,” said Haseltine, adding that the design embraces the concept of biomimicry.

Haseltine relies on the expertise of marine biologists and field scientists in her work. Fernando Bretos, a program officer for The Ocean Foundation, brought his deep knowledge on coral reefs in the Caribbean to this project.

“The coral is really the front line,” said Bretos. “It’s the food, it’s the shelter, it’s the defense. It’s everything for coastal communities in the Caribbean.”

Geotherapy

Haseltine has also worked closely with Tom Goreau, PhD, Director of the Global Coral Reef Alliance. Her collaboration with Dr. Goreau first started when they worked together to design “Floating Reef Structures” for the United Nations’ Small Island Developing States.

The design is based on a fractal pattern, known for its efficiency in dissipating wave energy, thereby safeguarding vulnerable coastlines from erosion and storm damage. Within a similar vein, their current project follows the concept of Geotherapy.

“Geotherapy treats the Earth as a medical patient suffering from severe heatstroke,” said Dr. Goreau. “The first steps of therapy are to identify the causes and regenerate the Earth’s natural biogeochemical and physical processes that regulate and stabilize temperature to bring it down to safe levels as fast as possible.”

A Message That Resonates

Bretos said he was happy to work with an artist to bring awareness to the issue. While he acknowledges the great work of fellow scientists, he said that artists are able to communicate messages in a way that can resonate differently with people.

“As scientists, we struggle a lot with getting the message out about ocean literacy,” said Bretos. “Art [on the other hand] is visual. It doesn’t speak a language. Not everyone can relate to a scientific paper, [but] anyone can relate to one of Mara’s sculptures.”

The exhibit was installed in coordination with the United Nations’ World Oceans Day which was celebrated on June 8, 2024. While this is not the first time she has had her art on display at the Academy, Haseltine said she appreciates the opportunity to work with an organization that “has such an outstanding academic reputation.”

“I mean, Charles Darwin was an early, honorary member of the Academy,” said Haseltine. “Need I say more?”

The New York Academy of Sciences and the Leon Levy Foundation Announce the 2024 Leon Levy Scholars in Neuroscience

Nine early career scientists are part of the 2024 cohort including researchers from The Rockefeller University, Albery Einstein College of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Flatiron Institute, and NYU.

New York, NY | May 29, 2024 – The New York Academy of Sciences and the Leon Levy Foundation announced today the 2024 cohort of Leon Levy Scholars in Neuroscience, continuing a program initiated by the Foundation in 2009 that has supported 170 fellows in neuroscience.

This highly regarded postdoctoral program supports exceptional young researchers across the five boroughs of New York City as they pursue innovative neuroscience research and advance their careers toward becoming independent principal investigators. Nine scholars were competitively selected for a three-year term from a broad pool of applications from more than a dozen institutions across New York City that offer postdoctoral positions in neuroscience.

Shelby White, founding trustee of the Leon Levy Foundation, said, “For two decades, the Foundation has supported over 170 of the best young neuroscience researchers in their risk-taking research and clinical work. We are proud to partner with The New York Academy of Sciences to continue to encourage these gifted young scientists, helping them not only to advance their careers but also to advance the cause of breakthrough research in the field of neuroscience.”

Nicholas Dirks, the Academy’s President and CEO said “Our distinguished jury selected nine outstanding neuroscientists across the five boroughs of New York City involved with cutting-edge research ranging from the study of neural circuitry of memory and decision-making, to psychedelic-based treatment of alcohol and substance abuse disorders, to the chemical communication of insects, to the use of organoids to study Alzheimer’s, to vocal learning research in mammals. We are excited to be working with the Leon Levy Foundation to welcome this new group of young neuroscientists to the Academy and the Leon Levy Scholar community.”

The Scholars program includes professional development opportunities such as structured mentorship by distinguished senior scientists, and workshops on grant writing, leadership development, communications, and management skills. The program facilitates networking among cohorts and alumni, data sharing, cross-institutional collaboration, and the annual Leon Levy Scholars symposium held in the Spring of 2025.

The 2024 Leon Levy Scholars

Tiphaine Bailly, PhD, The Rockefeller University

Recognized for: Genetically engineering the pheromone glands of ants to study chemical communication in insect societies.

Ernesto Griego, PhD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Recognized for: Mechanisms by which experience and brain disease modify inhibitory circuits in the dentate gyrus, a region of the brain that contributes to memory and learning.

Deepak Kaji, MD, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Recognized for: Using 3D organoids and assembloids to model abnormal protein accumulations and aggregations in the brain, a characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Jack Major, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Recognized for: Understanding the long-term effects of inflammation on somatosensory neurons, cells that perceive and communicate information about external stimuli and internal states such as touch, temperature and pain.

Brigid Maloney, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Recognized for: Identifying the transcriptomic (RNA transcript) specializations unique to advanced vocal learning mammals.

Amin Nejatbakhsh, PhD, Flatiron Institute

Recognized for: Statistical modeling of neural data to causally understand biological and artificial neural networks and the mechanisms therein.

Broc Pagni, PhD, NYU Langone Health

Recognized for: Identifying the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of psychedelic-based treatments for alcohol and substance use disorders.

Adithya Rajagopalan, PhD, New York University

Recognized for: Examining how neurons within the brain’s orbitofrontal cortex, combine input from other brain regions to encode complex properties of the world that guide decision-making.

Genelle Rankin, PhD, The Rockefeller University

Recognized for: Identifying and characterizing how thalamic nuclei, specialized areas of the thalamus responsible for relaying sensory and motor signals and regulating consciousness, supports working memory maintenance.

About the Leon Levy Foundation

The Leon Levy Foundation continues and builds upon the philanthropic legacy of Leon Levy, supporting preservation, understanding, and the expansion of knowledge, with a focus on the ancient world, arts and humanities, nature and gardens, neuroscience, human rights, and Jewish culture. The Foundation was created in 2004 from Leon Levy’s estate by his wife, founding trustee Shelby White. To learn more, visit: leonlevyfoundation.org.

For more information about the Scholarship program, contact: LeonLevy@nyas.org

Prestigious Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel Announces 2024 Laureates

לקריאת ההודעה בעברית לחצו כאן

Three scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel will each be awarded US$100,000 for their groundbreaking scientific research

Jerusalem | March 26, 2024 – The Blavatnik Family Foundation, the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and The New York Academy of Sciences announced today the Laureates of the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel. This year’s Laureates, who will each receive US$100,000, are:

Schraga Schwartz, PhD (Life Sciences) – Weizmann Institute of Science – Recognized for developing groundbreaking analytical methods to locate and quantify chemical changes in RNA. Professor Schwartz’s breakthroughs in understanding RNA modifications hold promise for treating genetic diseases and expanding the role of RNA editing beyond vaccine development.

Moran Shalev-Benami, PhD (Chemical Sciences) – Weizmann Institute of Science – Recognized for the discovery of key sensing and signaling mechanisms in the brain that can be directly translated to precision medicine. Dr. Shalev-Benami’s work is informing the development of new therapeutics to treat appetite disorders and is exploring how light could be used to modify brain activity in living organisms.

Thomas Vidick, PhD (Physical Sciences & Engineering) – Weizmann Institute of Science – Recognized for pioneering research exploring how quantum principles can be used to create more powerful computers. Professor Vidick’s research represents a significant milestone in our quest to understand the power and limitations of quantum computing and will advance the security of digital communications.

The Blavatnik Awards recognize outstanding, innovative scientists at the early stages of their careers for both their extraordinary achievements and their promise for future discoveries. The prizes are awarded to researchers aged 42 and younger for groundbreaking work in the disciplines of Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences & Engineering. The Blavatnik Awards in Israel sit alongside their international counterparts, the Blavatnik National Awards and Blavatnik Regional Awards in the United States and the Blavatnik Awards in the United Kingdom.

The 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel will be conferred at a ceremony held at the Peres Center for Peace & Innovation in Tel Aviv-Jaffa in June 2024.

The 2024 Laureates join young scientists from across Israel who have been honored by the Blavatnik Awards since they were launched in 2017. In addition, the Laureates become part of the international Blavatnik Science Scholars community, whose recipients will have been awarded prizes totaling US$17.2 million by the close of 2024.

Blavatnik Awards scholars are driving economic growth by embarking on new scientific trajectories to pursue high-risk, high-reward scientific research. To date, Blavatnik Awards honorees have founded 72 companies, many of which are now publicly traded on major global stock exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq Stock Market. After recognition by the Blavatnik Awards, 30% of past honorees have obtained a patent or filed a patent application, 75% have started a new research direction, and 11% have started a new collaboration with another Blavatnik Awards honoree.

“Israel has always been a powerhouse of scientific breakthroughs and technological innovation,” said Len Blavatnik, Founder of Access Industries and Head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. “These exceptional scientists demonstrate the enormous impact that Israeli innovation, creativity and discovery have on shaping the future and are outstanding examples of the Israeli spirit and resilience. We are proud to honor them and look forward to their future work.”

Professor Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, said, “We congratulate the Weizmann Institute of Science, whose faculty received all three Blavatnik Awards this year. I’m sure that Professor Chaim Weizmann, who not only founded the Weizmann Institute but was the first president of Israel and a scientist himself, would be very proud. We look forward to following the future transformative scientific work of this year’s Laureates.”

Professor David Harel, President of The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, said, “Today we recognize the exceptional achievements of the very best of young Israeli scientists. This is doubly important at the present time, with Israel going through one of its worst periods, exacerbated by unprecedented obstacles for Israel’s science. We are especially grateful to the Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences for our continued partnership in this wonderful endeavor. … Israel’s positioning at the forefront of global science, merit of scholarship and economic stability are reliant upon the accomplishments and excellence of its scientists. We are proud to honor this year’s Blavatnik Awards Laureates, and we celebrate their innovative breakthroughs with confidence in the far-reaching, positive impact of their achievements on society at large.”

During the nomination period for the 2024 Blavatnik Awards, 42 nominations were received from eight universities across Israel. Members of the Awards’ Scientific Advisory Council – which includes Nobel Laureates Professors Aaron Ciechanover, David Gross and Sir Richard Roberts, along with former Chairman of the Israel Space Agency, Professor Isaac Ben-Israel – were also invited to submit nominations. Three distinguished juries, composed of leading scientists representing the three disciplinary categories and led by Israel Academy members, selected the 2024 Laureates.

About the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists 

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2007 and independently administered by The New York Academy of Sciences, began by identifying outstanding scientific talent in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In 2014, the Blavatnik National Awards were created to recognize faculty-rank scientists throughout the United States. In 2017, the Awards were further expanded to honor faculty-rank scientists in the UK and Israel. For updates about the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, please visit blavatnikawards.org or follow us on X and Facebook @BlavatnikAwards.

About the Blavatnik Family Foundation 

About The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities

The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities is Israel’s flagship scientific institution. It was established by law in 1961 and acts as a national focal point for Israeli scholarship in all branches of the sciences, social sciences and humanities. The Academy’s membership comprises 147 of Israel’s most distinguished scientists and scholars in its two sections – the Sciences Section and the Humanities Section. It is tasked with promoting Israeli scientific excellence, advising the government on scientific matters of national interest, publishing scholarly research of lasting merit and maintaining active contact with the broader international scientific and scholarly community. For more information about The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, please visit academy.ac.il.

For further information, please contact:
Liel Edry: liel@kamir-e.com +972-50-8655-305

A New Partnership Aims to Strengthen US-China STEM Collaborations

Two men shake hands after signing an agreement for future collaboration.

The New York Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology are teaming up to advance science and innovation on a global scale.

Published March 12, 2024

By Nick Fetty

Science diplomacy took a significant step forward recently, when Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO, The New York Academy of Sciences met with representatives from the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology (SAST) in Shanghai, to discuss hosting international science and technology forums. The resulting agreement codified a partnership dedicated to advancing long-term collaborations between the two institutions, as well as collaboration on youth scientific and technological education and innovations.

“Global issues require global solutions,” said Dirks. “This new partnership will be an excellent way for us to strengthen the relationship with our partners in Shanghai and other parts of China where promising STEM education, research and innovation is taking place. Given the current geopolitical climate, it is critical for us to develop these kinds of international collaborations to advance solutions for the public good globally.”

This sentiment was echoed by Professor Zhang Jie, President of the SAST. “A small step today is a giant leap for the future to promote scientific and technological cooperation between China and the United States, and even globally,” said Zhang. “Through the collaboration, we hope that more American scientists and even global scientists will understand Shanghai and China better, come to Shanghai and China, and carry out borderless scientific and technological cooperation.”

Enhancing the Junior Academy

A follow-up visit by Meghan Groome, PhD, Senior Vice President of Education at the Academy, advanced the conversation on potential in-person and virtual collaborations for students studying STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The Academy’s award-winning Junior Academy provides a scalable and impactful way for students to participate in virtual exchange programs. The Academy plans to expand its partnership with students of Shanghai through increased outreach to schools in the region.

Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, and Jie Zhang, President of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology.

While in Shanghai, Dr. Groome also addressed the Deeper Learning China conference, an event dedicated to building a community of educators in China focused on Project Based Learning. in collaboration with Deeper Learning Global. Dr. Groome encouraged educators to take a light-hearted approach to implementing AI in the classroom, while building their knowledge base about the strengths and weaknesses of different AI products. She also discussed future plans with the Deeper Learning China leadership, to explore ways to expand The Junior Academy, a “game changing” student collaboration and research network, to more schools in China.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence

Groome also participated in the first “China-United States Seminar focused on the Vision and Future Feasibility of Artificial Intelligence in Arts Education”. At the Nine Trees Performing Arts Complex in Shanghai, she spoke about the importance of understanding the impact AI will have on our societies as a whole, including the arts.

“Although my focus is STEM, I’m increasingly relying on my background in the arts to help explore and explain these large, technological shifts in our lives. We can no longer teach in siloes but must expand how the integration, or convergence of subjects can lead to a better understanding of our changing world,” she told the audience. “I believe that AI can expand access to the highest quality arts [and STEM] education through AI-driven software and instruments. Like with sports, AI can enhance our practice time, providing us with expert feedback anytime, anywhere. Finally, it can dramatically enhance our creativity and allow us to collaborate like never before.”

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