04/30/25Salk Institute Salk Institute Professor Emeritus Greg Lemke elected to National Academy of Sciences LA JOLLA— The National Academy of Sciences recently announced that Salk Institute Professor Emeritus Greg Lemke is one of 120 new members and 30 foreign associates to be elected to the academy in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. This election is considered one of the highest honors accorded to a scientist in the United States. Lemke, a neuroscientist, is known for discovering the TAM family of cell receptors and their role in brain inflammation. His recognition brings the number of Salk faculty elected to the National Academy of Sciences to 14. Read more

04/21/25Salk Institute Salk Institute promotes three faculty members in neuroscience, immunology, and cancer research LA JOLLA—Three Salk Institute faculty members have been promoted for their notable, innovative contributions to science. Associate Professors Nicola Allen and Diana Hargreaves were promoted to full professors, and Assistant Professor Jesse Dixon was promoted to associate professor. The promotions were based on Salk faculty and nonresident fellow recommendations and approved by Salk’s president and Board of Trustees on April 4, 2025. Read more

02/13/25Salk Institute Celebrating 50 years of discovery: Professor Tony Hunter’s half-century legacy at the Salk Institute LA JOLLA—The Salk Institute is proud to celebrate Professor Tony Hunter’s 50 years as a cancer biology pioneer whose fundamental discoveries have inspired the development of more than 80 cancer drugs. Since joining the Institute’s faculty in February 1975, Hunter has been a cornerstone of the Salk community, contributing to transformational discoveries and mentoring more than 100 trainees, many of whom have also become scientific leaders. Read more

01/14/25Salk Institute Bile acids exacerbate liver cancer, dietary supplement may offer relief LA JOLLA—Immunotherapy is a modern approach to cancer treatment that uses a patient’s own immune system to help fight tumors. It has made an incredible impact on treating cancers in many different organ systems, including the lung, kidney, and bladder—but for other cancers, such as liver cancer, the therapy has been much less effective. This discrepancy is especially concerning as liver cancer rates have nearly tripled in the last 40 years. Read more

01/14/25Salk Institute Putting a lid on excess cholesterol to halt bladder cancer cell growth LA JOLLA—Like all cancers, bladder cancer develops when abnormal cells start to multiply out of control. But what if we could put a lid on their growth? Read more

01/08/25Salk Institute Plant cells gain immune capabilities when it’s time to fight disease LA JOLLA—Human bodies defend themselves using a diverse population of immune cells that circulate from one organ to another, responding to everything from cuts to colds to cancer. But plants don’t have this luxury. Because plant cells are immobile, each individual cell is forced to manage its own immunity in addition to its many other responsibilities, like turning sunlight into energy or using that energy to grow. How these multitasking cells accomplish it all—detecting threats, communicating those threats, and responding effectively—has remained unclear. Read more

12/12/24Salk Institute Your immune cells are what they eat LA JOLLA—The decision between scrambled eggs or an apple for breakfast probably won’t make or break your day. However, for your cells, a decision between similar microscopic nutrients could determine their entire identity. If and how nutrient preference impacts cell identity has been a longstanding mystery for scientists—until a team of Salk Institute immunologists revealed a novel framework for the complicated relationship between nutrition and cell identity. Read more