Location: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Education
- Undergraduate: AB, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 2012
- Graduate: 2020, Yale University
Research Summary
In animals, host defense has two modes: antimicrobial programs, which kill pathogens directly; and sickness, a state of altered physiology and behavior that is actively generated by brain-immune system interactions. The lab is interested in (1) how and (2) why infections make us sick – the neuroimmune interactions that lead to sickness, and their impact on host fitness. Our goal is to understand the mechanistic basis of sickness as a host defense strategy.
Awards & Honors
- HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellowship, 2020
- Catalyst Symposium Fellow, 2024
Education
- Graduate: PhD, 1985, Stanford University
- Undergraduate: BA, 1980, Biology and Chemistry, College of Creative Studies, University of California Santa Barbara
Research Summary
The Vale lab uses microscopy, along with biochemical and genetic approaches, to peer into the secret lives of cells and understand how they move, divide, transport materials, and process information. The lab has focused for many years on microtubule-based motor proteins, kinesin and dynein, aiming to understand how they generate movement and transport specific cargos inside of cells. The laboratory also has investigated biochemical mechanisms involved in immune cell signaling. A new area of interest is studying how cells adapt to harsh conditions and stressors such as episodes of heat, cold or drought.
Awards
- American Association for Cancer Research, Fellow, 2025
- Royal Society, Foreign Member, 2023
- Gairdner Award in Biomedical Research, 2019
- Shaw Prize in Life Sciences and Medicine, 2017
- Distinguished Scientist of the Marine Biological Laboratory, 2016
- National Academy of Medicine, Member, 2014
- Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, 2012
- Wiley Prize for Biomedical Sciences, 2012
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow, 2002
- National Academy of Sciences, Member, 2001
Education
- PhD, 2013, Harvard University
- A.B., 2007, Biochemical Sciences, Harvard University
Research Summary
To survive extreme environments, many animals have evolved the ability to profoundly decrease metabolic rate and body temperature and enter states of dormancy, such as torpor and hibernation. Our laboratory studies the mysteries of how animals and their cells initiate, regulate, and survive these adaptations. Specifically, we focus on investigating: 1) how the brain regulates torpor and hibernation, 2) how cells adapt to these states, and 3) whether inducing these states can slow down tissue damage, disease progression, and even aging. Our long-term goal is to explore potential applications of inducing similar states of “suspended animation” in humans.
Awards
- Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar, Warren Albert Foundation, 2019
- NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, 2022
- Searle Scholar, 2023
- Pew Scholar, 2023
- McKnight Scholar, 2024
Education
- PhD, 2015, Case Western Reserve University
- BS, 2010, Biochemistry, Marquette University
Research Summary
Our lab studies genetic and epigenetic variation that contributes to human disease by disrupting gene expression programs. We utilize biological insights into the mechanisms of gene regulation in order to determine the impact of disease-associated variants on cellular function. We aim to identify actionable insights into disease pathogenesis by studying the confluence of genetic and epigenetic risk factors of human diseases, including multiple sclerosis and opioid use disorder.
Awards
- NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program Avenir Award, 2017
Education
- PhD, 1999, Kyoto University
- BS, Biology, 1994, Kyoto University
Research Summary
Two remarkable feats of multicellular organisms are generation of many distinct cell types via asymmetric cell division and transmission of the germline genome to the next generation, essentially in eternity. Studying these processes using the Drosophila male germline as a model system has led us to venture into new areas of study, such as functions of satellite DNA, a ‘genomic junk,’ and how they might be involved in speciation.
Awards
- National Academy of Sciences, 2025
- Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Award, 2016
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Investigator, 2014
- MacArthur Fellow, 2011
- Women in Cell Biology Early Career Award, American Society for Cell Biology, 2009
- Searle Scholar, 2008