Mallory Locklear
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Articles by Mallory Locklear
‘A Strong Future for Pediatric Medicine’—A Q&A with Tara Henderson
Tara Henderson, MD, MPH, took the helm of Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics on Oct. 1. A pediatric oncologist, she has spent her career caring for children with cancer and studying the effects those early-life experiences have on her patients’ future health. As chair, she aims to inspire the next generation of pediatricians, build connections, and harness the multidisciplinary, collaborative expertise at Yale to strengthen pediatric care now and into the future.
Q&A: Will AI graduate from tool to lab member?
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain John Tsang, Ph.D., and members of his Yale lab, Jacob Kim and Ao Huang, recently asked whether AI immunologists are ready for prime time. Specifically, they were referring to large language models (LLMs) and whether they are as creative as humans in developing new hypotheses and methods for immunology research. The answer, based on current studies, is no—not yet, says Tsang, Anthony N.
Will AI Graduate from Tool to Lab Member? A Q&A with John Tsang
John Tsang, PhD, and his Yale lab members Jacob Kim and Ao Huang recently posed the question of whether AI immunologists are ready for prime time. Specifically, they were referring to large language models (LLMs) and whether they are as creative as humans in developing new hypotheses and methods for research in the field of immunology. The answer, based on current studies, is no, not yet, says Tsang, Anthony N.
New Center Tackles the Wide Array of Intriguing, Adaptive Biology
Fascinating biology is all around us. Some of it is very different from our own. For instance, while we shiver through winter or sweat through summer, other species change their body temperature, slow their heart rate, and shut down their metabolism until temperatures are more hospitable. On the other hand, there’s biology, like touch, that’s widely shared but may work quite differently across species.
Women’s Health Research at Yale Funds Projects on Obesity and Ovarian Aging, Diabetes, Cancers, and Autoimmunity
In 1998, Women’s Health Research at Yale launched its pilot project program, granting Yale researchers funding for studies that advance understanding of the health of women or the influence of sex differences on health. Since then, they’ve awarded more than $6 million. This year, Women’s Health Research at Yale expanded its annual program to support five projects, which it announced at its recent symposium.
This Extraordinary Desert Mouse Defies Aging – and It Could Change Human Longevity
Golden spiny mice appear to defy many of the biological changes normally associated with aging, maintaining their physical abilities, memory, and immune function while living far longer than typical wild mice. Credit: Shutterstock A wild mouse with an unusually long life may reveal clues to healthy aging. Aging is often treated as an unavoidable biological process, but evolution tells a more complicated story.
A Two-Pronged Vaccine Approach to Prevent Genital Herpes
Genital herpes is a lifelong infection. While available treatments can manage symptoms, they cannot cure the infection or prevent transmission. Now, Yale School of Medicine researchers have taken a significant step toward a genital herpes vaccine that in preclinical models prevented infection. In a study published June 19 in Science Immunology, researchers evaluated a two-part vaccination against genital herpes.
YSM Research Areas Ranked Among Best in the World
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Yale University as one of the best global universities and a global leader in several subject areas housed at Yale School of Medicine (YSM). The university took the 8th spot in the 2026-2027 “Best Global Universities” list.
NIH Selects Schiff to Direct Fogarty International Center
Steven Schiff, MD, PhD, Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), has been selected to lead the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Fogarty International Center and serve as the NIH Associate Director for International Research. The NIH announced Schiff’s directorship on June 4.
Students Find Opportunity and Community at the ‘Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine’
Aden Alemayhu and Charlotte Godfrey talk to each other a lot. Partly because they’re friends and both third-year PhD students in the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. And partly because they’re the editors-in-chief of the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine (YJBM), the 98-year-old research journal entirely run by Yale graduate, medical, and professional students.
Split Personalities: Researchers Who Bridge Disciplines
Across Yale School of Medicine (YSM), a number of researchers work at the intersections of unexpected fields. Often, they found their way there by following intriguing science and asking questions that the approaches of a single field couldn’t answer alone. The results are laboratories where different disciplines mingle, new opportunities emerge, and surprising science takes place. Dermatology meets crystallography The researcher that Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, became was seeded at a young age.
Understanding what stereotypies are—And what they aren't
Olivia was around 5 months old when her parents, Danielle and Brendan Collins, noticed she was making unusual movements. "She would redirect her gaze up and hold it there," says Danielle. "She would also stiffen her body." Because these types of behaviors can fade as a child gets older, the family's pediatrician recommended waiting to see if that would be the case for Olivia. But the movements progressed, and at nearly 3 years old, Olivia had begun rocking and rhythmically moving her hands.
Understanding What Stereotypies Are—And What They Aren’t
Olivia was around 5 months old when her parents, Danielle and Brendan Collins, noticed she was making unusual movements. “She would redirect her gaze up and hold it there,” says Danielle. “She would also stiffen her body.” Because these types of behaviors can fade as a child gets older, the family’s pediatrician recommended waiting to see if that would be the case for Olivia. But the movements progressed, and at nearly 3 years old, Olivia had begun rocking and rhythmically moving her hands.
Lab-grown pineal gland organoids produce melatonin, offering a new sleep model
Organoids are miniature, simplified versions of an organ. Over the past two decades, scientists have developed them for the gut, lung, liver, mammary gland, brain, and more. Now, researchers at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) have organoid-ized the pineal gland, a small structure in the brain that regulates sleep patterns through its production of the hormone melatonin. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest sci-tech news updates.
Meet Pineal Gland Organoids, a New Tool for Studying Sleep
Organoids are miniature, simplified versions of an organ. Over the past two decades, scientists have developed them for the gut, lung, liver, mammary gland, brain, and more. Now, researchers at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) have organoid-ized the pineal gland, a small structure in the brain that regulates sleep patterns through its production of the hormone melatonin.
Four YSM Researchers Named Biohub Investigators
Biohub announced that four Yale School of Medicine researchers have joined its Immune Cell Reprogramming program as part of the organization’s latest cohort of investigators. With a mission to “cure or prevent all disease,” Biohub brings together AI and biology to better understand the causes of diseases and how to treat them.
Pioneering Approach Aims to Improve Family Health and Wealth Across Generations
For the past 15 years, a Yale Child Study Center program called the MOMS Partnership has been working to advance maternal mental health. It began in New Haven with the aim of offering support to mothers experiencing poverty while meeting them where they were, out in the community. With its success, the program expanded to other cities—Washington, D.C., New York City, and Baltimore among them, and 10 in all, so far.
AI in Medicine: Collaborating on Challenges and Opportunities
The world of AI is still quite new and rapidly changing. Opportunities abound when it comes to how AI can be applied and the discoveries to be made. There’s also a lot to be gained through collaboration, especially for fields like medical AI where data can often be siloed and privacy is of utmost importance. Yale School of Medicine (YSM) wants to develop a community around medical AI and establish a forum for conversations on these important, timely topics.
Long-living wild mouse may hold secret to healthy aging
Immunometabolic resistors of aging in A. russatus. Credit: Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aec9991 When it comes to health, some of our animal neighbors have extraordinary advantages. Ostriches, for example, are highly resistant to viruses, while sharks rarely develop cancer. And species like naked mole rats and bowhead whales live for astonishingly long periods of time, decades and centuries, respectively.
Long-living wild mouse may hold secret to healthy aging
When it comes to health, some of our animal neighbors have extraordinary advantages. Ostriches, for example, are highly resistant to viruses, while sharks rarely develop cancer. And species like naked mole rats and bowhead whales live for astonishingly long periods of time, decades and centuries, respectively. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest sci-tech news updates.
Long-Living Wild Mouse May Hold Secret to Healthy Aging
When it comes to health, some of our animal neighbors have extraordinary advantages. Ostriches, for example, are highly resistant to viruses, while sharks rarely develop cancer. And species like naked mole rats and bowhead whales live for astonishingly long periods of time, decades and centuries, respectively. Researchers are now starting to understand why another species—the golden spiny mouse—seems to be unhindered by the negative health effects that typically accompany aging.
Yale School of Medicine Ranks 4th in U.S. for NIH Funding
Yale School of Medicine (YSM) ranked fourth in the nation for total National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding in 2025, according to the latest report released by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR). “The YSM ranking is particularly gratifying given the uncertainty of the past year. NIH funding reflects on our investigators, who are making groundbreaking discoveries that advance our collective knowledge and improve health,” says Nancy J. Brown, MD, the Jean and David W.
Nanodevice tugs single proteins to reveal how cells sense force
Physical forces from gravity, muscle contraction, and more have strong impacts on how the cells in our bodies behave. For instance, weight-bearing exercise helps stave off osteoporosis because cells in our bones sense that force and build more bone to support it. Cells of our arteries sense the force from high blood pressure, which triggers biological responses to bring blood pressure down. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest sci-tech news updates.
Nanodevice tugs single proteins to reveal how cells sense force
Top: A U-shaped frame (blue) with DNA "handles" (black). Middle: The handles attach to tethers (green) that are attached to a protein of interest (orange). Bottom: When the DNA is triggered to fold (handle on the left), it pulls on the protein, exerting force. Credit: Yale University Physical forces from gravity, muscle contraction, and more have strong impacts on how the cells in our bodies behave.
Tiny Device Illuminates the Big Impact Force has on the Body
Physical forces from gravity, muscle contraction, and more have strong impacts on how the cells in our bodies behave. For instance, weight-bearing exercise helps stave off osteoporosis because cells in our bones sense that force and build more bone to support it. Cells of our arteries sense the force from high blood pressure, which triggers biological responses to bring blood pressure down. Measuring and observing how forces affect cells and proteins, however, has been challenging.
Berna Sozen Wins Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science
Berna Sozen, PhD, assistant professor of genetics at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), has won the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science. A developmental biologist, Sozen uses stem cell-based models to study the earliest days and weeks of human development.
The Golden Interface
How Cell Biology Fuels Clinical Breakthroughs It’s impossible not to be excited about science when you’re around Gillian Griffiths, PhD. That’s because many years into her career, Griffiths is still galvanized by research—her colleagues’, her own, and foundational work from decades past. Science thrills her, and when you talk to her, it thrills you too. Griffiths took the helm as chair of the Department of Cell Biology in April, coming to Yale School of Medicine from the University of Cambridge.
Opportunities for Breakthroughs
You’re on a sidewalk, heading up the block to grab a soda from the corner store, and you trip on some uneven pavement. You hit your head as you tumble to the ground. If this accident happened today, you or somebody near you might call an ambulance. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or paramedics would manage your care as they transport you to a hospital emergency department, where you’d be treated for a concussion or other injuries. But none of that would have happened in 1966.
Wu Tsai Institute: Making the right connections
Our first neurons form during the earliest weeks of development in the womb. As the brain takes shape, those neurons move about and cluster with others to create brain regions. Then they begin the essential work of connection, following chemical trails to reach each other — sometimes stretching short distances, other times reaching far across the brain. Millions of these connections form every minute, as billions of neurons fasten together in trillions of ways.
Christopher Whitlow on the Research and Practice-and Creativity-of Radiology
Christopher Whitlow, MD, PhD, joined Yale School of Medicine on Oct. 20 as the new chair of the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and assistant dean for translational research. He also serves as chief of radiology at Yale New Haven Hospital and radiologist-in-chief across Yale New Haven Health System.
Optimism About the Future of the Biomedical Workforce
Nancy J. Brown, MD, Jean and David W. Wallace Dean of Yale School of Medicine, recently participated on a panel at the Milken Institute’s Future of Health Summit 2025 where she and others discussed the challenges facing the biomedical workforce in the United States, what’s at stake, and potential solutions for sustaining this workforce that’s so critical for research.
Gut-to-brain signaling restricts post-illness protein appetite, researchers discover
When we get sick, with the flu, say, or pneumonia, there can be a period where the major symptoms of our illness have resolved but we still just don't feel great. "While this is common, there's no real way to quantify what's going on," says Nikolai Jaschke, MD, Ph.D., who recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) in the lab of Andrew Wang, MD, Ph.D., associate professor of internal medicine (rheumatology).
Caricature-inspired brain mapping method sharpens forecasts of cognitive and emotional traits
Caricature artists exaggerate distinctive features of an individual, deepening a cleft chin or multiplying freckles. Yale researchers have now applied a similar approach to maps of neural connections, emphasizing individual differences to see if they yield useful information. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest sci-tech news updates. Turns out they do, according to the researchers' findings published in Nature Neuroscience.
Caricature-inspired brain mapping method sharpens forecasts of cognitive and emotional traits
Caricature artists exaggerate distinctive features of an individual, deepening a cleft chin or multiplying freckles. Yale researchers have now applied a similar approach to maps of neural connections, emphasizing individual differences to see if they yield useful information. Turns out they do, according to the researchers' findings published in Nature Neuroscience.
Gut-to-Brain Signaling Restricts Post-Illness Protein Appetite
When we get sick, with the flu, say, or pneumonia, there can be a period where the major symptoms of our illness have resolved but we still just don’t feel great. “While this is common, there’s no real way to quantify what’s going on,” says Nikolai Jaschke, MD, PhD, who recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) in the lab of Andrew Wang, MD, PhD, (pictured above) associate professor of internal medicine (rheumatology).
Caricaturing Brain Activity Yields Better Prediction of Behaviors
Key points Patterns of brain activity that are similar across individuals are predictive of a person's behavior. The remaining activity, containing individual differences, has largely been cast aside in research. Researchers now show that emphasizing, or caricaturing, individual differences can improve prediction. Caricature artists exaggerate distinctive features of an individual, deepening a cleft chin or multiplying freckles.
Yale Scientists Solve a Century-Old Brain Wave Mystery
For over a century, scientists have studied the brain’s rhythmic waves of synchronized neural activity. Now, Yale researchers have uncovered where gamma waves—patterns disrupted in conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer’s—originate and how they shape behavior. Their discovery could pave the way for an interpretable early biomarker for neurodegenerative disease. Credit: Shutterstock Yale scientists traced gamma brain waves to thalamus-cortex interactions.
Longstanding Mystery Solved: Scientists Discover How Life’s Most Essential Molecule Enters Mitochondria
Yale scientists have uncovered how coenzyme A, a vital molecule derived from vitamin B5, enters mitochondria to power life-sustaining metabolism. Credit: Stock Yale researchers revealed how vitamin B5 fuels mitochondria, offering new insight into brain and metabolic disorders. The human body produces a molecule from vitamin B5 that plays a crucial role in nearly every metabolic process needed for life.
Answering a Century-Old Question: How do Brain Oscillations Emerge?
Waves of synchronized, coordinated neuronal activity have been observed and studied in the brain for over a century. Gamma waves are altered in people with neurodevelopmental disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Yale researchers have now identified where gamma activity emerges and how it links to behavior. The findings could inform an interpretable early biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease.
Brain Network Active at Birth is Linked to Social Behavior Later in Life
Paying less attention to faces is one of the key markers of autism spectrum disorder. But while researchers have begun to uncover the brain network that supports processing of social stimuli such as faces, gaze, and speech, little is known about how and when it begins to develop.
How an Essential Vitamin B-Derived Nutrient Concentrates in Mitochondria
There’s a molecule that our body makes from vitamin B5 that is critical for all of the metabolic processes essential for human life. And when something goes wrong in that molecule’s production, it affects nearly every organ system in our body and causes a number of diseases. Researchers have discovered that up to 95% of this molecule—called essential cofactor coenzyme A (CoA)—is located inside mitochondria, organelles that supply cellular energy and regulate cellular metabolism.
How HIV uses T cells to hide in the gut Original
Antiretroviral treatments for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) have been extremely successful in extending life expectancy and reducing transmission. But one major challenge has so far prevented researchers from developing a cure: HIV likes to hide. With consistent use, antiretroviral medications prevent HIV from infecting blood cells, largely keeping the virus out of circulation. However, in some parts of the body, primarily the gut, HIV hunkers down and evades immune system attack.
How HIV Uses T Cells to Hide in the Gut
Antiretroviral treatments for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) have been extremely successful in extending life expectancy and reducing transmission. But one major challenge has so far prevented researchers from developing a cure: HIV likes to hide. With consistent use, antiretroviral medications prevent HIV from infecting blood cells, largely keeping the virus out of circulation. However, in some parts of the body, primarily the gut, HIV hunkers down and evades immune system attack.
From Train Station to Control Center—The Thalamus’ Role Gets an Upgrade
When you see something—a tree in your backyard, say, or the toy your toddler hands you—that visual information travels from your retinas to your brain. And like a train stopping at stations along its route, the information pauses at particular regions of the brain where it’s processed and sent along to its next location. A region called the visual thalamus has been thought to be primarily a relay, simply directing visual information to its next area. But a new study published Aug.
Expanding access to sickle cell gene therapies for patients with Medicaid
Connecticut is now participating in a new federal program aimed at expanding treatment access for patients with sickle cell disease who are insured through Medicaid. Through the Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), costs of cell and gene therapies for sickle cell disease will be tied to how well the drugs work in patients.
Expanding Access to Sickle Cell Gene Therapies for Patients with Medicaid
Connecticut is now participating in a new federal program aimed at expanding treatment access for patients with sickle cell disease who are insured through Medicaid. Through the Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), costs of cell and gene therapies for sickle cell disease will be tied to how well the drugs work in patients.
Researchers Aim to Adapt Metastatic Breast Cancer Therapy as Tumors Change
by Mallory Locklear and Naedine Hazell Yale Cancer Center (YCC) researchers at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) are co-developing a clinical trial for patients with metastatic breast cancer that will ultimately adapt treatment plans to each patient in near real-time. This “evolutionary” trial will use tumor biopsies, blood samples, high-resolution imaging, and medical records to monitor changes in a patient’s cancer and guide therapy choices as the trial progresses and as tumors change.
Consuming less cysteine can burn fat to induce weight loss
Eating a high-fat diet will typically result in weight gain. But a new study published in Nature Metabolism has uncovered an unexpected biological loophole that turns fat storage into fat usage. In the study, mice became obese when consuming high-fat food, as expected.
Consuming Less Cysteine Can Burn Fat to Induce Weight Loss
Eating a high-fat diet will typically result in weight gain. But a new study published in Nature Metabolism has uncovered an unexpected biological loophole that turns fat storage into fat usage. In the study, mice became obese when consuming high-fat food, as expected.
New metric maps pharmacy deserts based on travel time, identifying at-risk communities
Local pharmacies fill more than 90% of prescriptions in the United States, making them essential for much of the population. They're also key providers of vaccines and services such as medication management. Much like food deserts—areas where people lack adequate access to affordable, healthy food—pharmacy deserts have too few pharmacies to support the population, and they pose a threat to medication access and public health.
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