Join us at The Rockefeller University for a fascinating and fun evening. This year’s benefit features internationally renowned Rockefeller scientist C. David Allis, a recipient of the 2015 Breakthrough Prize. He will discuss how the revolution in epigenetics is reshaping the nature vs. nurture debate. 

President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and special guest Alan Alda will host this event, which honors James and Marilyn Simons for their roles in transforming math and science education and advancing biomedical research.

For more information about this event, please contact Ms. Ainslie Durnin at (212) 327-8698 or adurnin@rockefeller.edu.

HONOREES
James H. Simons, Ph.D.
Marilyn Simons, Ph.D.
Recognizing their outstanding philanthropic leadership

Through the initiatives of the Simons Foundation, which they founded in 1994, James and Marilyn Simons are deeply committed to advancing research in mathematics and the basic sciences, furthering our understanding and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, and improving math and science education in our nation’s public schools.

SPEAKER
C. David Allis, Ph.D.
Joy and Jack Fishman Professor, The Rockefeller University
Recipient of the 2015 Breakthrough Prize in the Life Sciences

It is widely assumed that a person’s genome, composed of DNA, is the sole source of inherited predispositions for health and disease. But the story is much more complex than that. Epigenetic changes, which can redirect the activity of genes without altering the DNA sequence itself, are prime regulators of biological function. These changes have been associated with numerous health conditions, ranging from cancer to heart disease to autism.

Rockefeller University scientist David Allis is renowned for his groundbreaking discoveries about epigenetics. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Allis conducts research that is revising our understanding of heredity and bringing fresh perspectives to the study of evolution. His contributions to the rapidly advancing field of epigenetics also have vital implications for medicine’s future. Dr. Allis will explain how epigenetics research has raised the possibility of new therapies designed to control disease by shutting down specific genes or allowing others to be expressed. Certain epigenetic modifications, for example, have been found to play an important role in stem cell reprogramming and are already having an impact on the emerging field of regenerative medicine.

Learn more about C. David Allis and his research