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

Sep23

Hidden Order: The Geometry of Complex Patterns

Salvatore Torquato, Ph.D.Lewis Bernard Professor of Natural Sciences, Professor of Chemistry, Princeton University

Lecture
September 23, 2026
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium

Register

Oct07

Energetics of Integrating the Brain and Body

Li Ye, Ph.D.Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Scripps Research Institute

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

Register

Oct14

Taking Pictures and Making Movies of Supermassive Black Holes

Shep Doeleman, Ph.D.Astrophysicist, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian , Harvard University

Lecture
October 14, 2026
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium

Register

Past

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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Feb19

Machine-Assisted Proofs

Terence Tao, Ph.D.Professor, James and Carol Collins Chair, College of Letters and Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles

Lecture
February 19, 2025
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Feb12

Tales of Diverse Hearing and Sound Localization Specialty: From Owls to Humans

Jose Pena, M.D., Ph.D. Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Lecture
February 12, 2025
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