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Science in 60 breaks down the latest research at Whitehead Institute through one-minute explainers. In this video, Xochitl Luna discusses investigating the role of microglia—the brain’s resident immune cells—in multiple sclerosis.

Colleagues and former students gathered, on the occasion of his retirement, to reflect on Fink’s extraordinary career and his transformative role in science.

Whitehead Institute’s physician-scientists—researchers who also practice medicine—are highly motivated by the goal of improving patients’ outcomes. What drew them to Whitehead Institute is the possibility of making paradigm-shifting discoveries that can lead to major advances in medicine.

When genetic information is passed along to offspring, different versions of the same gene typically have equal chances of being transmitted. But some “selfish” genes break this rule to stack the odds in their favor. Whitehead Institute Member Yukiko Yamashita and colleagues have discovered one such gene—except it also uses a novel mechanism to limit its own “selfishness”.

Whitehead Institute Member, MIT Professor of Biology, and HHMI Investigator Yukiko Yamashita has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is part of everyday life and has innumerable uses — from summarizing a book or designing a poster, to recommending a TV show or parking your car. But how can AI be useful in biology? In this video narrated by Whitehead Institute Member Rick Young, learn how scientists are taking advantage of AI to greatly accelerate biological discoveries.

Recent symposium at Whitehead Institute convened researchers working at the intersection of AI and biology.

Click here to view the latest multimedia piece in the Unusual Labmates series and learn more about how researchers at Whitehead Institute are using bat biology to study questions about viral infection, immunity, cold tolerance, and more. 

Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Loiurido has been awarded the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering’s 2025 Science and Engineering Outstanding Alumni Award for Professional Excellence.