Presidential Lectures

Presidential Lectures are a series of free public colloquia spotlighting groundbreaking research across four themes: neuroscience and autism science, physics, biology, and mathematics and computer science. These curated, high-level scientific talks feature leading scientists and mathematicians and are designed to foster discussion and drive discovery within the New York City research community. We invite those interested in these topics to join us for this weekly lecture series.

Upcoming

Mar18

The Black Hole Explorer: Tracing an Edge of the Visible Universe

Alex Lupsasca, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, Physics and Mathematics, Vanderbilt University

Lecture
March 18, 2026
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium

Register

Mar25

Algorithms for Biomolecular Structures at Proteome Scale

Ellen Zhong, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Princeton University

Lecture
March 25, 2026
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium

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Apr15

Why Infections Make Us Sick: Host Defenses of the Brain–Immune Axis

Zuri Sullivan, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lecture
April 15, 2026
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium

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Apr22

Puzzles in the Black Hole Interior: Past, Present and Future

Netta Engelhardt, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lecture
April 22, 2026
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium

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Past

Apr02

The Evolution of Darwin’s Finches

Peter Grant and Rosemary Grant, Ph.D.Professors Emeritus, Princeton University

Lecture
April 2, 2025
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Mar26

Neutron Stars: The Supranuclear-Density Zombies of the Cosmos

Anna Watts, Ph.D.Professor of High Energy Astrophysics, University of Amsterdam

Lecture
March 26, 2025
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Mar19

Evolution of the Cerebral Cortex: From New Types of Neurons to New Cognitive Functions

Maria Antonietta Tosches, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Columbia University

Lecture
March 19, 2025
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Mar12

Verified Collaboration: How Lean is Transforming Mathematics, Programming, and AI

Leonardo de Moura, Ph.D.Senior Principal Applied Scientist, Automated Reasoning Group, Amazon Web Services

Lecture
March 12, 2025
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Mar05

RNA-Guided Natural Genome Editing and the Emergence of Complex Genomes

Laura Landweber, Ph.D.Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics and of Biological Sciences, Columbia University

Lecture
March 5, 2025

Feb26

Quark Matter Under Pressure: Novel Probes of Hot and Cold Quark Soup

Krishna Rajagopal, Ph.D.William A. M. Burden Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lecture
February 26, 2025
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