Emeritus professor Lucy Shapiro is the 18th recipient of the Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award, often called the American Nobel.

Stanford Medicine researchers found cells that keep a speech-linked protein called FOXP2 from clumping; its tricks could break apart clumps of proteins that cause devastating brain diseases.

Jarosz is the inaugural appointment to the newly created position, which will support basic science faculty throughout the Stanford School of Medicine.

Naz Koska in Joanna Wysocka’s lab successfully defended her thesis titled "Understanding Determinants of Promoter Competition" on September 22, 2025.

Lucy Shapiro entered biology “like a bolt of lightning.” A groundbreaking scientist, mentor, drug developer and advocate for science communication is recognized for a lifetime of achievements.

Liesl Strand in Anne Villeneuve’s lab successfully defended her thesis titled "Mechanisms of chromosome inheritance in rhabditid nematodes" on June 12, 2025.

Gabriel Amador in Dominique Bergmann's lab successfully defended his thesis titled "Control of proliferation and patterning in the plant stomatal lineage" on May 19, 2025.

Veronica Behrens in David Kingsley's lab successfully defended her thesis titled "A stickleback approach to human evolutionary genetics" on August 8, 2024.

Hannah Rosenblatt in Maria Barna's lab successfully defended her thesis titled "Redox Regulation of the Early Injury Response in Axolotls and Mice" on July 12, 2024.

Congratulations to Dr. Joanna Wysocka for her election to the National Academy of Sciences.

We are very excited to announce our Dev Bio 2024/25 Incoming Grad Class!

Devon Harris in Margaret Fuller's lab successfully defended her thesis titled "HOW to switch from mitosis to meiosis: The role of an RNA binding protein complex in the transition from proliferation to differentiation" on March 5, 2024.

Tzu-Chiao Hung in David Kingsley's lab successfully defended her thesis titled "Boundary stacking enables cross-TAD enhancer-promoter interactions during limb development" on December 15, 2023.

Kei Yamaya in Anne Villeneuve’s lab successfully defended her thesis titled “Homologous recombination during C. elegans meiosis: Regulation of chromosome organization and DNA repair machinery” on June 16, 2023.

Trisha Chong in Lucy Shapiro’s lab successfully defended her thesis titled “Timing the process of cell differentiation during the Caulobacter cell cycle” on June 12, 2023.

Sarah Stern, Developmental Biology

This award recognizes students who make exemplary contributions towards promoting social justice, diversity and inclusion, meaningful participation in civic life, and/or awareness of societal issues that impact our communities.

Anne Villeneuve, Berthold and Belle N. Guggenhime Professor and Professor of Developmental Biology and of Genetics

This award recognized faculty and academic staff who make distinguished contributions towards enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion across Stanford School of Medicine and Biosciences.

The CCOP, established by the Department of Developmental Biology, offers scientific mentorship and provides a first-rate research opportunity to underrepresented and underserved community college students, shifting perspectives on who can be a scientist, said CCOP Director Megan Agajanian.