Presidential Lectures

In this lecture, Josh Winn will describe the discovery of exoplanets, why it took so long to find them, what new technologies were required, and where the research field is headed.

In this lecture, Wendell Lim will discuss the design principles of molecular circuits that govern cell decision-making and responses. He will also describe how these principles can be harnessed to engineer cells with customized therapeutic response programs.

New abilities with laser light have enabled us to create and probe atomic gases at ultralow temperatures, forming the basis of atomic clocks accurate to 18 decimal places. This talk will discuss the history of such advanced clocks and how they are used to test fundamental laws of nature, search for new physics and create a range of technologies.

In this lecture, Mark Zylka will describe how candidate environmental risk factors for autism can be identified rationally, by pinpointing chemicals that interfere with the same molecular pathways that are affected in individuals with autism. His research focuses on identifying environmental-use chemicals that target autism-linked molecular pathways, using environmental sampling data to assess the exposure threat to people, and validating risk potential in animal models.

In this lecture, Subir Sachdev will present a simple model of many-particle entanglement, which has led to new insights into two very different classes of systems.

In this lecture, Dr. Arnold Kriegstein will describe recent advances in our understanding of the unique features of human cortical development.