What’s Happening Around the Lab?
(click on photos for enlargements or slideshow)
Stephen wins 2026 RNA Society / Scaringe Young Scientist Award
January 9th, 2026
Congratulations to Dr. Stephen Tang, who won this year’s RNA Society / Scaringe Young Scientist Award in the Graduate Student category. He follows in the footsteps of other notable award recipients — former lab members Sanna Klompe (2022) and Chance Meers (2025), and Samuel Sternberg himself (2015)!
sometimes..
February 6th, 2026
..we order a whole flock of chicken nuggets.
The sternberg lab is on a roll
March 13th, 2026
Strikes, spares, and science-themed bowling names, we had a great time throwing down at the bowling alley! (Over the line!)
making headlines: Bacteria Invent Another Way to Turn on Genes
March 25th, 2026
CUIMC features our newest Nature article on an RNA-guided gene activating system. “VP&S biologists now show that Jacob and Monod were on to something.”
RNA pirate in the house!
March 25th, 2026
We welcomed our cryo-EM collaborator, Dr. Israel Fernández from Biofisika Institute, to share a week of incredible science and camaraderie with the Sternberg lab. Thanks for joining us!
Career development seminar series: Beth tuck!
March 31st, 2026
As part of our internal career development seminar series, Beth Tuck (Genspace, NIH, Biotech CEO Sisterhood and so much more!) spent time with the lab discussing science outreach—how to evoke curiosity, measure impact, and make it fun! Thank you to Rimantė, Tanner, and Tracy for organizing.
TWO lab members heading to Stanford, one joins our ranks
April 3rd, 2026
We celebrated the news that two outstanding lab members, Josephine Ramirez and Daniel Moon, will be heading to Stanford in the fall. And officially welcomed Viggo, a new PhD student, with his very own lab fleece!
spare parts, featuring matt walker!
April 3rd, 2026
The lab embarked on an off-Broadway field trip to see our former lab mate star in a Spare Parts, a new play “that collides cutting-edge science with unchecked ambition.” We enjoyed discovering a few lab Easter eggs hidden in the set and dialogue and Matt’s amazing performance of course!
in which: diego accepts a faculty offer and Josephine receives AN NSF fellowship
April 14th, 2026
We celebrated Diego Rivera Gelsinger’s acceptance of a faculty offer in UCLA’s Department of Human Genetics where he’ll start his own lab this fall, AND, Josephine Ramirez’s reception of a graduate student fellowship from the NSF! Congratulations, Diego and Josephine!!!
“most outstanding research by a graduating senior”
April 22nd, 2026
Daniel (Yonggi) Moon was awarded Columbia’s Bridges and Sturtevant Prize in Biological Sciences, a prize awarded to one or more graduating seniors whose experimental or computational research is deemed to have been both highly original and fruitful. Congratulations, Daniel!