Neil Shubin
@NeilShubin
Evolutionary Biologist, Polar Wanderer, Astronomer Wannabe. Telling people they are fish, rocks and stars since 2008.
I'm thrilled to reveal the cover of my new book, coming Feb. 2025! ENDS OF THE EARTH: Journeys to Polar Regions in Search of Life, the Cosmos, and our Future. Preorder here: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/692649/e… 1/4
nature.com/articles/s4158… Wow! 1,700 transgenic mice for the most comprehensive enhancer characterization ever. Leo and Axel never cease to amaze!
Our preprint describing the Range Extender element, which is required and sufficient for long-range enhancer activation at the Shh locus, is out in @Nature. nature.com/articles/s4158…
How do enhancers work over distances that sometimes exceed megabases? Excited to share our work led by @gracecbower where we uncover a unique sequence signature globally associated with long-range enhancer-promoter interactions in developing limb buds: biorxiv.org/content/10.110… 1/
New from the lab! Announcing MORPHOVIEW a powerful tool to quantify in high throughput the 3D structures of cells and tissues during organ morphogenesis. Great work by Sam Norris. 🧪 anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dv…
#OnThisDay in 1872, Dr Edward Wilson was born. A key figure of the Heroic Era, Wilson joined both of Scott’s Antarctic expeditions as scientist, explorer and artist. He perished with Scott at the South Pole in 1912, but his legacy endures. 🔗 nzaht.org/118-year-old-p…
Thank you @Austan_Goolsbee !
Wow! congratulations @NeilShubin The National Academy is the single greatest collection of scientific talent in the United States *except maybe for that class Chandrasekar taught at U Chicago where the he and all the students ended up winning Nobel prizes
Neil Shubin, a University of Chicago researcher known for co-discovering a ′missing link’ fossil fish, will lead the National Academy of Sciences if ratified by members go.nature.com/40lw1HX
Some personal news...
The NAS Council has approved the nomination of Neil H. Shubin to be the next president of the National Academy of Sciences. An evolutionary biologist & science communicator, Shubin would succeed Marcia McNutt when her term ends on June 30, 2026. Read more: nasonline.org/news/neil-h-sh…
New #research from the @LabPiotrowski published in @NatureComms has identified how two distinct genes guide the #regeneration of sensory cells in #zebrafish – which may inspire new strategies for hearing loss treatment & regenerative medicine. (1/2) More: bit.ly/4lxUqTg
ICYMI: Our recent webinar explored our new report, The Science and Practice of Team #Science. We discussed best practices, institutional and funder guidance, and priorities like hybrid #teams and tech tools. buff.ly/M2DpQRq
Tiktaalik is walking in the lab! Tyler Kellior dropped by with a draft of the latest reconstruction of the beast.
Welcome!!!
I'm excited to start at @UCCancerCenter as chair of the Ben May Dept for Cancer Research and the @Ludwig_Cancer of UChicago! Things are moving already & we launched a faculty search for tumor microenvironment--take a look & apply! apply.interfolio.com/169039
Dedicated teacher cleans students shoes and speaks words of blessings and strength as they enter his classroom to give them the confidence that they can do all things no matter what disability they have. 📍🇹🇿 Tanzania (🎥:Wakatijosephkalonda)
#TeamScience is now the norm in addressing #interdisciplinary challenges — but it requires more support, structure, and intentionality than ever before. Our new report outlines critical developments in collaborative research and strategies for success: ow.ly/bQ6c50WhMyU
Hello Chicago! I'll be speaking on Earth's Polar Regions and my book ENDS OF THE EARTH at the Chicago Public Library this coming Monday. Beat the heat...I'll see you there!
Great to see PBS @NewsHour picking up the article I wrote about the state of shark science since the release of 'Jaws' 50 years ago! 🦈🦈🦈 #JAWS #Jaws50
In 1975, “Jaws” – the tale of a killer great white shark that terrorizes a coastal tourist town – captured people’s imaginations and simultaneously created a widespread fear of the water. A shark expert explains some of their unique features and the many discoveries made in the…
Diatoms are tiny but ecologically important eukaryotes. After over a million years of relative stasis, the lineage of diatoms exploded into diversity, with innovations in ecology, morphology, and life history still seen today. In PNAS: ow.ly/T3ja50W5xBq
Each year, thousands of the world’s leading experts serve pro bono on National Academies' study committees in order to address some of society's toughest challenges. Learn how our rigorous study process produces independent, objective scientific advice: ow.ly/uyp150W2UIC
Conservation of regulatory elements with highly diverged sequences across large evolutionary distances nature.com/articles/s4158… #journals #feedly
Register now for #ICVM2025 online & see our keynote talks: Faysal Bibi, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Germany Anne Claire Fabre, Univ. Bern, Switzerland Tiana Kohlsdorf, Univ. São Paulo, Brazil Karen Sears, Univ. California Los Angeles, USA Neil Shubin, Univ. Chicago, USA
New paper from the lab: Our teeth arose as sensory organs on the outside of the body of ancient jawless fish.!! Congrats to Yara Haridy and the team! Open Access Paper: nature.com/articles/s4158… News and Views: nature.com/articles/d4158… Background and video: phys.org/news/2025-05-t…
