A Chance Discovery Reveals an Unexpected Twist in One of Biology's Oldest Molecular Machines - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Sometimes, groundbreaking discoveries begin with what looks like a failed experiment. Researchers in the lab of MCB Professor Nicholas Bellono have discovered that octopuses possess a unique structura...

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MCB Junior Fellow Wins Two Prestigious Evolutionary Science Awards— First Dual Honor in 25 Years - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Wendy Valencia-Montoya, a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows affiliated with the lab of MCB Professor Nick Bellono, has been awarded two of the most coveted […]

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Rebecka Sepela Receives NIH K99 Award to Investigate How Microbes Shape Animal Sensing - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Rebecka Sepela, a postdoctoral researcher in Nicholas Bellono’s MCB lab, has received an NIH Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) Award to study how animals derive information from their external […]

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There's Still Time to Join BioCamp's August Microbiology Module - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

BioCamp’s summer sessions have been a hit, with all modules now full except the August 3–14 Microbiology session, which still has a few openings. If you know a […]

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Former MCB Students Named Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Two recent Harvard graduates with ties to the MCB department have been named recipients of the prestigious Knight-Hennessy Scholars fellowship at Stanford University, joining a global cohort of […]

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MCB Faculty Receive Star-Friedman Challenge Awards for Innovative Research - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Several MCB-affiliated faculty members have been selected as recipients of the Star-Friedman Challenge for Promising Scientific Research, one of Harvard’s most prestigious internal funding competition...

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How Experience Shapes the Social Brain—One Tiny Fish at a Time - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Why do animals respond differently to the same social situation? According to new research from the MCB lab of Florian Engert, the answer may depend as much on […]

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MCO PhD Candidate Arshia Mostoufi Receives Prestigious Canadian Doctoral Fellowship - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Arshia Mostoufi, an MCO PhD candidate in the lab of  Ya-Chieh Hsu in Harvard’s Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, has received a prestigious doctoral fellowship from […]

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New CRISPR Method Reveals Genes That Shape the Developing Brain - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Understanding how a single genetic mutation can alter the shape of a developing organ has long posed a challenge for developmental biologists. While researchers can readily study the […]

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Got a Zombie Fly? MCB Scientists Want Your Help Mapping a Mind-Controlling Fungus - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

A dead fly perched high on a blade of grass, wings raised, glued in place by its own mouthparts, might look like something out of a horror movie. […]

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Naoshige Uchida to Lead MCB as New Department Chair - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

After nearly two decades at Harvard, neuroscientist Naoshige Uchida is preparing to take on a new role: chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB). Uchida, […]

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Two Decades in the Making: New Study Reveals How Brain Function Shapes Its Own Structure - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

After nearly 20 years of meticulous research, a team of Harvard scientists has published findings in Nature Neuroscience (PDF) that fundamentally challenge how we think about brain development. […]

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MCB Postdoctoral Researchers Matthew Capek and Ruoyu Chen Awarded Jane Coffin Childs Fellowships - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Two MCB postdoctoral researchers, Matthew Capek and Ruoyu (Roy) Chen, have been awarded prestigious fellowships from the Jane Coffin Childs Fund for Medical Research, one of the nation’s […]

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Neuroscience Graduate Vanessa Frelih Wins Glushko Prize for Research on Cognitive Flexibility and Aging - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Recent Harvard graduate Vanessa Frelih has been awarded the Robert J Glushko Thesis Prize which recognizes outstanding undergraduate thesis research in cognitive science.  A Neuroscience concentrator ...

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Harvard Hero Dominic Mao Turns Big Ideas Into Opportunities for Students - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

When Harvard announced its 2026 Harvard Heroes, one familiar name stood out to members of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and the Committee on Chemical and […]

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Venki Murthy Discusses the Kempner Institute’s AI Mission - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

MCB Professor Venkatesh Murthy is featured in a recent Harvard Crimson article examining the growth and impact of the Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial […]

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Harvard Students Recognized with Hoopes Prizes for Outstanding Thesis Work - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Eight graduating seniors in our MCB and Neuroscience concentrations have received the prestigious Thomas T. Hoopes Prize, Harvard College’s premier undergraduate prize recognizing outstanding scholarl...

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Congratulations to the Class of 2026! - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

The Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) proudly congratulates all of our graduating students! First and foremost, we celebrate our PhD graduates. This year, 11 students in […]

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MCB Educators Honored with University Teaching and Advising Awards - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Two MCB curriculum and pedagogy managers have been recognized for their dedication to undergraduate education and student mentorship, highlighting the department’s ongoing commitment to excellence in ...

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A Shared Milestone: Julia Fannon, Audrie Cortes Puentes, and Che Lomonte-Gardiner Earn Harvard Master’s Degrees While Working Full-Time in MCB - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular...

This spring, MCB celebrates Julia Fannon, Assistant Director of Human Resources,  Audrie Cortes Puentes, HR & Academic Affairs Coordinator, who each will each earn Master’s degrees in Industrial-Organ...

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Kathryn Nairn Awarded the John Dowling Prize for Neuroscience Senior Thesis - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

The Harvard Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) is thrilled to announce that senior neuroscience concentrator Kathryn (Katy) Nairn has been awarded the prestigious John Dowling Prize. [...

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Andrew Murray Receives Levenson Teaching Award - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Harvard College Professor Andrew Murray of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, the Herchel Smith Professor of Molecular Genetics, and Director of the Rowland Institute at Harvard, […]

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Rebecka Sepela Wins Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar Award in Neuroscience to Study How Microbes Shape Octopus Social Life - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Rebecka Sepela, a postdoctoral fellow in the MCB lab of Nick Bellono, has won a 2026 Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholars Fellowship Award in Neuroscience from The Warren Alpert […]

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Seven Harvard Juniors Elected to Phi Beta Kappa - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

We are thrilled to announce that seven outstanding Harvard College juniors concentrating in Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB), Chemical and Physical Biology (CPB), and Neuroscience have been electe...

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Teaching Retreat to Explore the Future of Undergraduate Science Education at Harvard - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Faculty, instructors, postdoctoral fellows, and teaching staff from across Harvard will gather on Tuesday, May 19, for a daylong Teaching Retreat focused on undergraduate science education, innovative...

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Jeff Lichtman Named a Harvard College Professor - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences has announced the appointment of five new Harvard College Professors, including Jeff Lichtman, the Jeremy R. Knowles Professor of Molecular and Cellular […]

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MCB Students Honored with Harvard College Student Leadership Awards - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

Several MCB-affiliated students have been recognized with prestigious Student Leadership Awards from the Dean of Students Office. Each spring, the Dean of Students Office celebrates individuals and st...

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Sniffing Out Distance: How the Brain Tracks Odor Dynamics - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

A dog unearths a bone buried months ago. A moth flies across a forest toward an orchard. A person opens container after container in the fridge, trying to […]

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CPB, MCB, and Neuroscience Students Take the Stage at Harvard Arts Fest 2026 - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

From April 30 through May 3, the Harvard Arts Festival returns to campus, showcasing the creativity of students, faculty, and staff across disciplines. This year’s festival once again […]

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Mapping the Sense of Smell, Molecule by Molecule - Harvard University - Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology

A new study from the lab of Catherine Dulac, the Xander University Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard, in collaboration with Xiawei Zhuang of Harvard’s Departments […]

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