Three Einstein graduate students were honored for their contributions to scientific research on March 24 during the 29th Julius Marmur Award symposium in Lubin Dining Hall. Einstein's Graduate Programs in the Biomedical Sciences present the awards each year to a select group of Ph.D. students in recognition of their exceptional work.

“The Marmur Award is the premiere graduate division event of the year,” said Yaron Tomer, M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein and chief academic officer at Montefiore Einstein. “It’s an important opportunity to not only congratulate the exceptional work of the winners, but to highlight the superb research being conducted by all our graduate students and the importance of supporting the next generation of scientists.”

The prize was established in memory of pioneering molecular biologist Julius Marmur, Ph.D., who developed the first method to isolate highly purified and high-quality DNA. He was a member of Einstein’s faculty for 33 years until his death in 1996. Dr. Marmur was also a heralded mentor who brought 20th century understanding of molecular biology to students.

“While our Ph.D. candidates are students, their contributions in the lab are essential to Einstein’s research excellence,” said Yoon Kang, M.D., vice dean for education and the Ruth L. Gottesman Chair in Education at Einstein. “With the guidance and support of their mentors, our graduate students make important discoveries and are eminently prepared for their future careers.”

As special guests this year, Dr. Marmur’s widow, Mildred Marmur, and their son Nathaniel Marmur and grandson attended the award ceremony. 

2025 Marmur Awardees

A major consideration for selecting the awardees was the likelihood that their work would have a high impact on their field of study. Eligible students submit formal applications, including a letter of support from their mentor, and all applications are reviewed by the graduate student awards panel, consisting of more than a dozen faculty from the basic science departments.

This year’s winners and their mentors are:

• Ian C. MacArthur, M.D./Ph.D. candidate; mentor Meelad M. Dawlaty, Ph.D., associate professor of genetics and of developmental & molecular biology.
• Elizabeth Wood,  Ph.D. candidate; mentor Jelena Radulovic, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, the Sylvia and Robert S. Olnick Chair in Neuroscience, and director of the Psychiatry Research Institute at Montefiore Einstein.
• Matanel Yheskel, M.D./Ph.D. candidate; mentor Julie Secombe, Ph.D., professor of genetics and in the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, and a member of the National Cancer Institute–designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The three scientists presented their research during an afternoon award ceremony and reception. In addition, past winners of the Marmur prize participated in a virtual career panel the next day to offer advice and answer questions.

“To be chosen for this award is truly a distinctive honor,” said Victoria Freedman, Ph.D., associate dean for graduate programs in biomedical sciences at Einstein. “We applaud the remarkable scientific achievements of these three amazing students.” 

A Range of Basic Science Research

Mr. MacArthur was recognized for exploring the role certain proteins play in neural stem cells and during embryonic brain development. The epigenetic proteins, called TET DNA dioxygenases, activate genes by promoting the removal of methyl groups from DNA. His work, using in vitro cell models and genetically engineered mouse models, may reveal how TET proteins influence embryogenesis and whether their abnormal functioning contributes to neurologic diseases. 

His research was published in Science Advances on Aug. 28, 2024.

“I am extremely honored to receive this award in celebration of Dr. Marmur’s legacy,” he said. “It has been a great privilege to train at Einstein and be a part of its vibrant scientific community.”

Mr. MacArthur has worked at the Continuity Clinic, an ambulatory outpatient facility run by the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Einstein, and as a teaching assistant for the graduate school’s molecular genetics course. 

Ms. Wood was honored for her work with mice on memory formation. When she conditioned mice to exhibit fear in response to a stimulus, she made a surprising finding: mRNA molecules associated with inflammation—including the pattern recognition receptor toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9)—were upregulated. Up to now, TLR9 was known for its antiviral role. Her research shows that TLR9 also plays an essential role in making long-term memory possible. She found the release of genomic DNA from the neuronal nucleus activates TLR9. Once activated, TLR9 signaling regulates transcriptional programs to facilitate metabolic, morphological, and homeostatic processes underlying memory formation.

Her research was published in Nature on March 27, 2024.

“Marmur Award winners have been an inspiration to me throughout my Ph.D. career,” she said, “and I am excited to have the opportunity to present my research to a broader Einstein audience and learn more about other important work happening here.” 

Ms. Wood has been an active member of Einstein’s neuroscience graduate student organization, where she has worked on sustainability initiatives. She has also mentored second-year graduate students on their qualifying exam preparation. 

Matanel Yheskel was honored for his research of Claes-Jensen X-Linked Intellectual Disability. This rare genetic disorder stems from defects in KDM5, a histone demethylase enzyme. Mr. Yheskel induced KDM5 variants in fruit flies to determine how those variants influenced gene transcription in neurons. All of the KDM5 variants—those that inactivated KDM5 and those that left the enzyme functional—were found to reduce the transcription of ribosomal-protein genes. Moreover, he found that these ribosomal genes were necessary for proper translation of enzymes involved in mitochondrial metabolism and that this translation loss led to the dysfunction of mitochondria in neurons. 

His research was published June 2024 in Nucleic Acids Research. 

“It is truly an honor and privilege to be considered for this award amongst the amazing research and incredibly smart and hard-working students here at Einstein,” he said. 

Mr. Yheskel is a former board member of Le Cinema d’Einstein, Musicians of Einstein, as well as a guitarist and singer for Dabigoband, a group of MSTP friends who have played music together since 2019. 

Marmur Alumni Offer Advice

Previous Marmur winners participated in a virtual panel discussion on March 25, moderated by 2024 Marmur awardee Nadege Gitego, Ph.D., associate scientist at BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics. They shared their experiences and offered career advice.

The panelists were: Boris Heifets, M.D., Ph.D. (2008 Marmur awardee), associate professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine; Nicole Mahoney, Ph.D. (1998 Marmur awardee), executive director, regulatory policy, Novartis; and Caroline Woo, Ph.D. (2003 Marmur awardee), executive director, biology & pharmacology, Flagship Pioneering.