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In a recent study , ӳý-affiliated researchers Ron Do, Daniel Balick, Heng Li, Shamil Sunyaev, and David Reich challenged the theory that natural selection has been less effective removing deleterious genetic mutations in non-Africans versus West Africans over the course of human evolution. The team used simulations to show that observed mutation patterns that have been interpreted as evidence supporting the theory are not likely to reflect changes in the effectiveness of selection after the populations diverged, but are instead likely to be driven by other factors of population genetics.

Contrary to popular belief, tumors don’t develop undisturbed. They undergo almost constant immune attack — which, as a result, changes their mutational composition. But just how this immune response is initiated and its effect on different tumor types has remained largely unexplored…until now. For the first time, a team of researchers from the ӳý — including Mike Rooney, Sachet Shukla, Cathy Wu, Gad Getz, and Nir Hacohen — has performed a systematic survey of how 18 different tumor types induce and adapt to immune responses.

For the third consecutive year, ӳý researchers have been named to Forbes’ “” list. Among the “young game changers, movers and makers” celebrated for their work in the field was Alex Bick. Bick, who is also a graduate student at Harvard Medical School, was recognized for his research analyzing genetic data to study disease risk and drug response. In this year’s category, Patrick Hsu, a scientist from the lab of ӳý core member Feng Zhang, was lauded for his work with the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-engineering tool, while Eran Hodis, a graduate student in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, was honored for his role in the discovery of genetic mutations common in cancer.

The ancient Japanese art of origami is based on the idea that nearly any design - a crane, an insect, a samurai warrior - can be made by taking the same blank sheet of paper and folding it in different ways.

The human body faces a similar problem. The genome inside every cell of the body is identical, but the body needs each cell to be different –an immune cell fights off infection; a cone cell helps the eye detect light; the heart’s myocytes must beat endlessly.