NESS 2026 Harvard Medical School Lab Tours

Friday, March 27, 2026

Please read through the lab descriptions below and rank your top 4 choices for tours on the link provided. We will make every effort to match you to the labs of your choice, however we might not be able to accommodate all requests.

1. Tsung-Megason Lab, Department of Systems Biology

• The Tsung-Megason lab studies embryonic development: the process of developing from a single-celled embryo into a fully formed animal. In particular, we seek to understand the design principles nature uses to precisely program tissue patterns and shapes. The lab uses systems biology in zebrafish to determine the real control systems that orchestrate embryonic development. They use computational modeling to build models of how cellular automata can interact to build patterns and shapes. They use synthetic approaches to test the models in real life. Their goal is to elucidate the set of design principles underlying growth and form.

2. Kirschner Lab, Department of Systems Biology

• The research in the Kirschner lab has always been very diverse. The current projects include cell size and mass density regulation, aging and cellular senescence, Wnt signaling pathway, and Xenopus development. The lab focuses on three primary areas of interest (i) cell size, (ii) ubiquitin-mediated degradation, and (iii) gene expression and modulation of protein function in development.

3. Gygi lab, Department of Cell Biology

• The Gygi lab is interested in developing and applying new technologies in the fields of mass spectrometry and proteomics. At the heart of all aspects of the lab is protein sequencing by mass spectrometry. Simplified greatly, a tandem mass spectrometer can "sequence" a peptide ion by first measuring the mass of the peptide and then selectively isolating and gently fragmenting that peptide at peptide bonds, followed by mass measurement of the fragment ions. The Gygi lab is constantly driving to improve acquisition efficiency and methodological robustness to ensure that we generate the highest-quality data possible.

4. Rapoport Lab, Department of Cell Biology

• We are interested in the molecular mechanism by which proteins are transported across membranes and by which organelles are shaped. We have used biochemical and structural methods to elucidate how proteins are translocated across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, how misfolded ER proteins are retro-translocated back into the cytosol, where they are degraded, and how the reticular ER network is formed.

5. Cepko Lab, Department of Genetics

▪ The mechanisms that cells use when they choose their fate during development of the central nervous system is the main problem under study in the Cepko laboratory. The lab has focused their studies on the retina, a tractable model for the rest of the central nervous system. In addition, they are interested in why photoreceptor cells die in the many forms of retinal degeneration, and are developing a gene therapy that prevents their death and the subsequent loss of vision. They also enjoy developing new technologies that enable these studies as well as others.

6. MicRoN

▪ The Microscopy Resources (MicRoN) is a non-traditional decentralized or "floating" microscopy core. MicRoN offers dedicated PhD-level microscopy expertise. The staff is focused on improving image-based science performed by all our trainees by educating and supporting everyone working with us through the entire imaging workflow. We believe approachability, flexibility, and accessibility are key to improving the adoption of advanced microscopy technology.

7. Sharpe Lab, Department of Immunology

•The Sharpe laboratory investigates T cell costimulatory pathways and their immunoregulatory functions. We focus on the roles of these pathways in regulating pathogenic and protective immune responses needed for the induction and maintenance of T cell tolerance and the prevention of autoimmunity, as well as effective antimicrobial and antitumor immunity. We are also involved in studies aimed at translating the fundamental understanding of T cell costimulation into new therapies for autoimmune diseases, chronic viral infections, and cancer. Manipulation of T cell costimulatory pathways is of great therapeutic interest as it may provide a means to enhance immune responses to promote anti-microbial and tumor immunity, or to terminate immune responses to control autoimmune diseases and achieve tolerance for organ transplantation.