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Launched with philanthropic seed funding of $10 million, the Initiative will catalyze development of artificial intelligence-based tools to answer foundational questions about biology and human health.

Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) are a critically endangered species of salamander. They are also highly regenerative. The latest story in our Unusual Labmates series explores these fascinating creatures, what Whitehead Institute researchers are hoping to discover by studying them, and why they are worth preserving in the wild. Click here to view the full multimedia story.

The Whitehead Institute community is remembering, with great fondness and appreciation,  Emily Wade. Known to friends and associates as “Paddy,” Wade died this past February at the age of 98. Paddy was a wonderful and accomplished person who was part of the Whitehead community for nearly two decades.

Endowed chairs are generally created through philanthropic gifts from individual donors, organizations, or groups of donors honoring a specific person. The chairs — of which Whitehead Institute currently has five — provide steady, predictable funding to support investigations in Members’ labs.

Brad Wierbowski is a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Member David Bartel’s lab studying the turnover of messenger RNAs. We sat down with Brad to learn more about him and his experiences in and out of the lab.

Despite their distinct evolutionary histories, different species can sometimes arrive at similar solutions for survival. The work of various researchers at Whitehead Institute investigates this fascinating phenomenon, called convergent evolution, through the lens of shared mechanisms governing reproduction, development, and regeneration across a range of species.

Changes in DNA and gene function are the engines that drive evolution. These seemingly small modifications in an organism’s evolutionary journey ultimately dictate its fate —  deciding which traits will be safeguarded and transmitted through generations, and which new traits will emerge. Whitehead Institute researchers are studying how organisms sharing a common ancestor develop unique traits over time, diverging from one another. These traits — encoded in the genes — impact their chances of survival and reproduction.

Biological sex is a potent modifier of health. Yet, for decades, science has overlooked conditions that disproportionately affect women. Now researchers at Whitehead Institute are challenging the status quo and making strides to understand — and transform — key aspects of women’s health.