# Media coverage of studies coauthored by Dr. Cem Meydan Generated 2026-10-31. 109 stories from 58 outlets, 2013-2026, across 11 studies. Featured studies (Dr. Meydan co-first or co-corresponding author) come first; within each study, the widest-reach outlets come first. Full records, including OCR text of saved pages: media.json. ## Primary work ### SWI/SNF & 3D genome - Paper: SWI/SNF complexes shape 3D chromatin architecture through CTCF and cohesin (Nature, 2026), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-11197-w - Dr. Meydan's role: Co-first and co-corresponding author - Impact: Shows how SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers shape 3D genome architecture through CTCF and cohesin, giving a unifying explanation for how some of the most common cancer mutations fuel tumor growth. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Oct 28, 2026: [A Unifying Mechanism for Cancer-Driving Mutations](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2026/10/a-unifying-mechanism-for-cancer-driving-mutations) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20261028165333/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2026/10/a-unifying-mechanism-for-cancer-driving-mutations)) - Release on a Nature study showing that BAF-complex mutations, found in about 20% of cancers, work by letting CTCF reshape 3D genome architecture; deleting CTCF in an animal model reverses the effect. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: The other co-corresponding authors were Dr. Cem Meydan, assistant professor of research in systems and computational biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medicine; and Dr. Ari Melnick, director of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute in Barcelon… - **Mirage News**, Oct 2026: [Unifying Mechanism Behind Cancer-Driving Mutations](https://www.miragenews.com/unifying-mechanism-behind-cancer-driving-1768088/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20261028165505/https://www.miragenews.com/unifying-mechanism-behind-cancer-driving-1768088/)) - Reprint of the release describing how BAF mutations, present in roughly one fifth of cancers, let CTCF extensively remodel DNA's 3D structure, a shift reversed by deleting CTCF in an animal model. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: The other co-corresponding authors were Dr. Cem Meydan , assistant professor of research in systems and computational biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medicine; and Dr. Ari Melnick , director of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute in Barcel… - **Medical Xpress**, Oct 2026: [Unifying mechanism explains how common cancer mutations fuel tumor growth](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-mechanism-common-cancer-mutations-fuel.html) - Carries the Weill Cornell report that mutations in BAF (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodelers, found in about a fifth of human cancers, act through a shared mechanism: reshaping 3D DNA architecture through CTCF and cohesin. ### ARID1A & lymphoma - Paper: ARID1A orchestrates SWI/SNF-mediated sequential binding of transcription factors with ARID1A loss driving pre-memory B cell fate and lymphomagenesis (Cancer Cell, 2024), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2024.02.010 - Dr. Meydan's role: Co-first author - Impact: Shows how ARID1A loss reprograms B cell fate in follicular lymphoma and leaves these tumors vulnerable to BAF inhibitors already in clinical trials. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Mar 2024: [Discovery Suggests New Strategy Against Follicular Lymphoma](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2024/03/discovery-suggests-new-strategy-against-follicular-lymphoma) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240331163751/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2024/03/discovery-suggests-new-strategy-against-follicular-lymphoma)) - Release on a Cancer Cell study identifying BAF-complex mutations as drivers of follicular lymphoma transformation to aggressive disease, while also making it sensitive to experimental BAF inhibitors; trials are being planned. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: The study’s co-first authors were postdoctoral researchers Dr. Darko Barisic and Dr. Christopher Chin, and senior research associate Dr. Cem Meydan, all members of the Melnick laboratory. A team led by Dr. Michael Green, an associate professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, also collaborated in the study, and publish… - **Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute**, 2025: [Seminar: Integrative epigenomics of SWI/SNF driven 3D genome rewiring (Dr. Cem Meydan)](https://www.carrerasresearch.org/en/events/integrative-epigenomics-of-swisnf-driven-3d-genome-rewiring) - Event listing for a seminar on SWI/SNF-driven 3D genome rewiring, with a speaker biography covering his single-cell, spatial and 3D epigenomic work on blood cancers. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: Dr. Cem Meydan is an Assistant Professor of Computational Biology at Weill Cornell Medicine. He uses single cell, spatial, and 3D epigenomic profiling to map the gene-regulatory circuits that drive hematologi… - **Medical Xpress**, Mar 2024: [Discovery suggests new strategy against follicular lymphoma](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-discovery-strategy-follicular-lymphoma.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240328171355/https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-discovery-strategy-follicular-lymphoma.html)) - Reprint of the release on drivers of follicular lymphoma turning aggressive; BAF mutations raise risk but make the cancer highly susceptible to BAF inhibitors, and a parallel study reached similar findings. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: The study's co-first authors were postdoctoral researchers Dr. Darko Barisic and Dr. Christopher Chin, and senior research associate Dr. Cem Meydan, all members of the Melnick laboratory. A team led by Dr. Michael Green, an associate professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, also collaborated in the study, and publish… - **Pharmacy Times**, Mar 2024: [Study: Mutation Found to Make Follicular Lymphoma More Susceptible to Experimental Drug](https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/study-mutation-found-to-make-follicular-lymphoma-more-susceptible-to-experimental-drug) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240403075529/https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/study-mutation-found-to-make-follicular-lymphoma-more-susceptible-to-experimental-drug)) - Trade summary of a Cancer Cell study finding that BAF mutations can drive follicular lymphoma progression yet increase sensitivity to experimental BAF inhibitors, with clinical trials in planning. ### SOMA / Inspiration4 - Paper: The Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) and international astronaut biobank (Nature, 2024), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07639-y - Dr. Meydan's role: Co-corresponding author - Impact: The largest release of biomedical data from astronauts, built from the civilian Inspiration4 crew: three days in orbit left measurable, mostly reversible changes. Covered by The New York Times, Science, Space.com and National Geographic, and hosted as an open atlas and biobank. - **The Independent**, Jun 11, 2024: [Can the bodies of astronauts survive Mars missions?](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mars-dna-soma-ucl-usa-b2560682.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240612014458/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mars-dna-soma-ucl-usa-b2560682.html)) - Original article on the Inspiration4-based SOMA atlas, reporting kidney structural changes from space radiation, mostly quick-to-recover changes, no major risk from short flights, and hints that women tolerate flight better. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: In a flagship paper Eliah Overbey, Cem Meydan, Susan Bailey, Afshin Beheshti, Christopher Mason and colleagues offer a detailed guide to the data. - Note: The Independent later rewrote this story: by June 15, 2024 the original URL redirected to a UK-focused article that no longer names Dr. Meydan. The archived copy keeps the original version. - **The New York Times**, Jun 12, 2024: [Four Astronauts Spent 3 Days in Space. Here's What It Did to Their Bodies.](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/12/science/astronauts-space-health-inspiration4-medical-records.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240613011541/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/12/science/astronauts-space-health-inspiration4-medical-records.html)) - Reports a package of papers on four Inspiration4 crew members showing short-lived cognitive dips, immune stress and genetic changes after three days in space, all largely reversing without ruling out future flights. - **Science**, Jun 11, 2024: [Astronauts face health risks—even on short trips in space](https://www.science.org/content/article/astronauts-face-health-risks-even-short-trips-space) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240612013641/https://www.science.org/content/article/astronauts-face-health-risks-even-short-trips-space)) - Describes the Space Omics and Medical Atlas, over 40 studies mostly from Inspiration4, covering genomes, microbiomes, transcriptomes and proteomes, called the largest release of astronaut biomedical data. - **Nature**, Jun 11, 2024: [Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA) across orbits (immersive)](https://www.nature.com/immersive/d42859-024-00009-8/index.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240611203857/https://www.nature.com/immersive/d42859-024-00009-8/index.html)) - Nature's interactive feature presenting the Space Omics and Medical Atlas, a compendium of data, protocols and code from over 100 institutions, including samples from the first all-civilian orbital crew. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: Cem Meydan, Weill Cornell Medicine, Meydan Lab - **National Geographic**, Jun 2024: [What toll does spaceflight take on the human body?](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/space-human-body-astronaut-health) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240709155515/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/space-human-body-astronaut-health)) - Describes the June 2024 package of 44 papers in Nature journals, drawing on four civilian Inspiration4 crew, that builds a baseline for understanding how spaceflight affects human biology beyond professional astronauts. - **The New York Times**, Sep 16, 2021: [Who Gets Sick in Space? Inspiration4 May Offer More Clues.](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/science/inspiration4-medical-research.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210917012025/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/science/inspiration4-medical-research.html)) - Pre-launch era reporting on how commercial spaceflight, with a more diverse set of travelers, will give medical researchers new data on how the human body adapts to space, framed around Inspiration4. - **The Independent**, Jun 12, 2024: [Human missions to Mars in doubt after astronaut kidney shrinkage revealed](https://www.independent.co.uk/space/mars-mission-space-radiation-kidneys-b2561132.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240613021000/https://www.independent.co.uk/space/mars-mission-space-radiation-kidneys-b2561132.html)) - Rewritten UK-focused article on kidney findings from over 40 human and mouse missions, with UCL researchers warning of kidney shrinkage after under a month in space and possible Mars risks. - Note: The rewritten version of The Independent's June 11, 2024 story; it does not name Dr. Meydan. The archived original does. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Jun 11, 2024: [Commercial Astronauts Shed Light on Flights' Health Impacts and Create Spaceflight Atlas](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2024/06/commercial-astronauts-shed-light-on-flights%E2%80%99-health-impacts-and-create-spaceflight) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240611212643/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2024/06/commercial-astronauts-shed-light-on-flights%E2%80%99-health-impacts-and-create-spaceflight)) - Release saying short-term spaceflight causes many molecular and physiologic changes of long missions, mostly reversing within months, and announcing a large multi-institution atlas with over 75 billion sequences and a biobank of nearly 3,000 samples. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: The SOMA team, including co-corresponding author, Dr. Cem Meydan, an assistant professor of computational biology research in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, also has compiled more than 75 billion genetic sequences in an interactive atlas accessible to o… - **The Independent**, Sep 2021: [SpaceX's Inspiration4 crew will do 'first-of-its-kind health research' during trip into orbit](https://www.independent.co.uk/space/spacex-s-insipration4-health-research-trip-orbit-b1912994.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240714201548/https://www.independent.co.uk/space/spacex-s-insipration4-health-research-trip-orbit-b1912994.html)) - Previews the Inspiration4 crew's planned health research, with blood, sleep and genetic data gathered on the three-day orbital trip to inform future missions and medicine on Earth. - **Cornell Chronicle**, Jun 11, 2024: [Commercial astronauts shed light on flights' health impacts](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/06/commercial-astronauts-shed-light-flights-health-impacts) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240613170254/https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2024/06/commercial-astronauts-shed-light-flights-health-impacts)) - University news story reporting that brief commercial spaceflight reproduces many long-mission molecular changes that mostly reverse after return, and that the team built a shared atlas and sample repository. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: The SOMA team, including co-corresponding author, Cem Meydan, an assistant professor of computational biology research in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, also has compiled more than 75 billion genetic sequences in an interactive atlas accessible to o… - **Space.com**, Jun 11, 2024: [SpaceX's Inspiration4 astronauts got genetically younger in space: study](https://www.space.com/spacex-inspiration4-crew-younger-in-space) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240611210910/https://www.space.com/spacex-inspiration4-crew-younger-in-space)) - Reports that the four Inspiration4 crew appeared genetically younger in some measures during the three-day flight, but briefly, as three papers detailed fast, profound effects of space on the body. - **Phys.org (AFP)**, Jun 11, 2024: [Human bodies mostly recover from space, tourist mission shows](https://phys.org/news/2024-06-human-bodies-recover-space-tourist.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240611224703/https://phys.org/news/2024-06-human-bodies-recover-space-tourist.html)) - AFP report on dozens of papers using data from four SpaceX tourists, finding that spaceflight changes bodies in many ways but most changes revert within months after returning to Earth. - **Tech Times**, Jun 11, 2024: [Space Tourists Experience Similar Body Changes to Astronauts, Studies Reveal](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/305581/20240611/space-tourists-experience-similar-body-changes-astronauts-studies-reveal.htm) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240612003219/https://www.techtimes.com/articles/305581/20240611/space-tourists-experience-similar-body-changes-astronauts-studies-reveal.htm)) - Reports that short-duration space tourists showed some of the same physical changes seen in long-stay astronauts, which largely resolved after return; cites an outside expert on implications for future missions. ### COVID-19 - Paper: Shotgun Transcriptome, Isothermal, and Spatial Omics Profiling of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (Nature Communications, 2021), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21361-7 - Paper: System-wide transcriptome damage and tissue identity loss in COVID-19 patients (Cell Reports Medicine, 2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100522 - Dr. Meydan's role: Co-first author (Nat Commun 2021) · co-corresponding author (Cell Rep Med 2022) - Impact: Rapid isothermal tests, host-response and spatial profiling, and the COVID Genes resource built during the first waves of the New York City outbreak. - **Forbes**, Mar 28, 2020: [Is Coronavirus In The NYC Subway? How Swabbing Doors And Trains Is Shaping The Fight Against COVID-19](https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncumbers/2020/03/28/is-coronavirus-in-the-nyc-subway-how-swabbing-doors-and-trains-is-shaping-the-fight-against-covid-19/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20200328230707/https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncumbers/2020/03/28/is-coronavirus-in-the-nyc-subway-how-swabbing-doors-and-trains-is-shaping-the-fight-against-covid-19/)) - Forbes contributor piece on a town hall about environmental sequencing of surfaces, describing efforts to test NYC transit for the coronavirus using targeted sequencing enrichment. - **WIRED**, 2020: [Microbe Mappers Are Tracking Covid-19's Invisible Traces](https://www.wired.com/story/microbe-mappers-are-tracking-covid-19s-invisible-traces/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201028203957/https://www.wired.com/story/microbe-mappers-are-tracking-covid-19s-invisible-traces/)) - Feature on scientists swabbing New York transit and sequencing samples to look for coronavirus traces in the city, building on earlier subway microbiome work. - **WIRED**, 2020: [A Wisconsin City Experiments With a Faster, DIY Covid-19 Test](https://www.wired.com/story/a-wisconsin-city-experiments-with-a-faster-diy-covid-19-test/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201104143939/https://www.wired.com/story/a-wisconsin-city-experiments-with-a-faster-diy-covid-19-test/)) - In Racine, Wisconsin, firefighters turned a city building into a COVID-19 lab to try a saliva test that is simpler and cheaper than PCR, and WIRED asks whether faster, do-it-yourself testing could change how the virus is screened. - **The Independent (Turkish edition)**, 2020: [New coronavirus test gives results in 30 minutes](https://www.indyturk.com/node/197341/sa%C4%9Flik/yeni-koronavir%C3%BCs-testi-30-dakikada-sonucu-veriyor-g%C3%BCnde-1-milyondan-fazla-test) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201026154352/https://www.indyturk.com/node/197341/sa%C4%9Flik/yeni-koronavir%C3%BCs-testi-30-dakikada-sonucu-veriyor-g%C3%BCnde-1-milyondan-fazla-test)) (in Turkish) - Turkish-language article on an FDA-authorized LAMP COVID-19 test that is cheap and returns results in about 30 minutes without special equipment, tied to subway microbiome mapping work in New York. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: Dr. Cem Meydan of Weill Cornell Medicine, who works on the LAMP test, said the new test shows within 30 minutes whether the virus is present. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Mar 2021: [Researchers Create Rapid Diagnostic Tests and Multi-Omics Analytics Platforms for SARS-CoV-2 Infection](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2021/03/researchers-create-rapid-diagnostic-tests-and-multi-omics-analytics-platforms-for-sars) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210330180120/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2021/03/researchers-create-rapid-diagnostic-tests-and-multi-omics-analytics-platforms-for-sars)) - Release on a Nature Communications study presenting two rapid diagnostic tests, an RNA sequencing host/pathogen platform and spatial tissue mapping as alternatives to RT-PCR, used to map early New York infections. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, May 2020: [Weill Cornell Medicine Tackles COVID-19](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2020/05/weill-cornell-medicine-tackles-covid-19) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20200508144454/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2020/05/weill-cornell-medicine-tackles-covid-19)) - Institutional overview of Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian COVID-19 research, including work to map virus hot spots and other basic and translational projects launched in the first months of the pandemic. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Apr 2020: [$2 Million Gift from the Partners of Citadel and Citadel Securities to Fund New COVID-19 Advances](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2020/04/2-million-gift-from-the-partners-of-citadel-and-citadel-securities-to-fund-new-covid-19) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20200426120504/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2020/04/2-million-gift-from-the-partners-of-citadel-and-citadel-securities-to-fund-new-covid-19)) - Weill Cornell announcement of a $2 million Citadel gift to fund a trial of an antimalarial drug for protecting health workers and the rollout of a rapid COVID-19 test. - **IEEE Spectrum**, 2020: [Swabbing the World's Cities for Coronavirus](https://spectrum.ieee.org/swabbing-the-worlds-cities-for-coronavirus) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210731013743/https://spectrum.ieee.org/swabbing-the-worlds-cities-for-coronavirus)) - Describes how MetaSUB researchers swab transit kiosks, benches and other surfaces in cities worldwide to detect SARS-CoV-2 and build models that could give early warning of outbreaks, including a 15-city effort. - **Cornell Chronicle**, Mar 2021: [Researchers create rapid tests, analytics for COVID-19](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/03/researchers-create-rapid-tests-analytics-covid-19) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210331193003/https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/03/researchers-create-rapid-tests-analytics-covid-19)) - Describes a Nature Communications study from Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian presenting RT-LAMP and viral RNA capture sequencing as alternatives to RT-PCR, plus RNA sequencing and spatial tissue mapping of SARS-CoV-2. - **Podcast (Spreaker)**, 2020: [Dr. Cem Meydan on the new coronavirus test and microbiome maps of cities](https://www.spreaker.com/episode/dr-cem-meydan-yeni-coronavirus-testini-ve-sehirlerin-mikrobiyom-haritasini-anlatti--39860346) (in Turkish) - Turkish-language podcast episode describing a new coronavirus test, the city microbiome map project, and a site collecting COVID-19 data. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: Dr. Cem Meydan of Weill Cornell Medicine described the new coronavirus test, the microbiome map of cities, and a site that collects COVID-19 data. - **GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News)**, 2020: [NYC Scientists Swab the Subway in Search of SARS-CoV-2](https://www.genengnews.com/insights/nyc-scientists-swab-the-subway-in-search-of-sars-cov-2/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201027132127/https://www.genengnews.com/insights/nyc-scientists-swab-the-subway-in-search-of-sars-cov-2/)) - Covers New York scientists swabbing the subway for SARS-CoV-2 as part of the MetaSUB consortium, and the idea of tracking viral presence in the city's shared built environment. - **GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News)**, 2020: [LAMP Lights Up COVID-19 Testing](https://www.genengnews.com/topics/coronavirus/lamp-lights-up-covid-19-testing/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240527163645/https://www.genengnews.com/topics/coronavirus/lamp-lights-up-covid-19-testing/)) - Reports two preprints, one from Weill Cornell and one from the Technion, showing LAMP can give a simple, inexpensive, single-tube COVID-19 test, and explains how the method works. - **Genetic Literacy Project**, May 5, 2020: ['Microbe maps': Swabbing subways, ATMs and park benches to find coronavirus hot spots](https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2020/05/05/microbe-maps-swabbing-subways-atms-and-park-benches-to-find-coronavirus-hot-spots/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201024165615/https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2020/05/05/microbe-maps-swabbing-subways-atms-and-park-benches-to-find-coronavirus-hot-spots/)) - Genetic Literacy Project piece on 'microbe maps': swabbing subways, ATMs and park benches to locate coronavirus hot spots in New York (archived copy). - **TÜBİTAK, Turkish science agency (YouTube)**, 2021: [Transcriptomic, spatial and viral molecular characterization of SARS-CoV-2 infection (seminar)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwNJAmujQV0) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20250408211616/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwNJAmujQV0)) (in Turkish) - Recorded talk by Dr. Meydan in TÜBİTAK's Biological Sciences Seminar Series on transcriptomic, spatial and viral characterization of SARS-CoV-2 infection. ### Biology of Spaceflight - Paper: Comprehensive Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Mitochondrial Stress as a Central Hub for Spaceflight Biological Impact (Cell, 2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.002 - Dr. Meydan's role: Co-first author (Cell) - Impact: A multi-omic analysis across astronauts and model organisms that put mitochondrial stress at the center of spaceflight biology, part of the Biology of Spaceflight collection. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Nov 25, 2020: [Studies Reveal Clues about Preventing Spaceflight-Related Risks](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2020/11/studies-reveal-clues-about-preventing-spaceflight-related-risks) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201125165036/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2020/11/studies-reveal-clues-about-preventing-spaceflight-related-risks)) - Release on a package of Cell studies finding that spaceflight, COVID-19 and Everest climbing trigger similar stress responses, with maps of blood-cell mutations and immune changes that may help protect travelers. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: …nd NewYork-Presbyterian patients with cancer and other conditions like COVID-19 to help match them with personalized therapies. That work led Dr. Cem Meydan, a senior staff scientist in Dr. Mason’s lab, to a startling discovery: Many of the stress signatures seen in astronauts were similar to COVID-19 patients. For example, an immune system protein… - **MIT Technology Review**, Nov 25, 2020: [Spaceflight does some weird things to astronauts' bodies](https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/11/25/1012628/spaceflight-astronauts-bodies-genetics-effects-scott-kelly-twins-study/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201125234357/https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/11/25/1012628/spaceflight-astronauts-bodies-genetics-effects-scott-kelly-twins-study/)) - Covers new spaceflight biology studies, building on the NASA Twins Study, on how weightlessness and radiation change astronaut genetics and physiology. - **NASA**, Nov 2020: [Mitochondrial Changes Key to Health Problems in Space](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/mitochondrial-changes-key-to-health-problems-in-space/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240111105922/https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/mitochondrial-changes-key-to-health-problems-in-space/)) - NASA summary of a Cell study of data from 59 astronauts and animal studies, concluding that altered mitochondrial activity may be a common driver of health problems in space. - **Cornell Chronicle**, Dec 2020: [Studies offer tips on lessening spaceflight-related risk](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/12/studies-offer-tips-lessening-spaceflight-related-risk) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201213004212/https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/12/studies-offer-tips-lessening-spaceflight-related-risk)) - University story on Cell studies showing spaceflight, COVID-19 and high-altitude climbing provoke similar stress responses, with mutation and immune maps that could inform protection of space travelers. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: …ne and NewYork-Presbyterian patients with cancer and other conditions like COVID-19 to help match them with personalized therapies. That work led Cem Meydan, a senior staff scientist in Mason’s lab, to a startling discovery: Many of the stress signatures seen in astronauts were similar to COVID-19 patients. For example, an immune system protein cal… - **Nature Reviews Genetics**, Dec 2020: [Spaceflight causes mitochondrial stress](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-020-00322-8) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20211102080638/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-020-00322-8)) - Research highlight of the Cell paper integrating multi-omics data from NASA GeneLab and 59 astronauts, implicating mitochondrial stress as a central driver of spaceflight risk, partly confirmed using Twins Study data. - **C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News)**, Dec 2020: [Spaceflight disrupts mitochondrial function](https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/biochemistry/Spaceflight-disrupts-mitochondrial-function/98/web/2020/12) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201209144315/https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/biochemistry/Spaceflight-disrupts-mitochondrial-function/98/web/2020/12)) - Covers a Cell study analyzing data from mice, cell lines and 59 astronauts in NASA's GeneLab, suggesting mitochondrial dysfunction as a shared driver of spaceflight's varied bodily effects. - **Cell Press**, Nov 2020: [The Biology of Spaceflight (Cell Press consortium landing page)](https://www.cell.com/consortium/the-biology-of-spaceflight) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20250805144409/https://www.cell.com/consortium/the-biology-of-spaceflight)) - Cell Press landing page for a special collection of spaceflight biology papers, from NASA and international collaborators, covering radiation, microgravity, astronaut samples and multi-omics standards, and preparation for Mars missions. - **Sci.News**, Nov 2020: [Spaceflight Impairs Mitochondrial Function, New Research Shows](https://www.sci.news/medicine/spaceflight-mitochondrial-function-09092.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20260123042247/https://www.sci.news/medicine/spaceflight-mitochondrial-function-09092.html)) - Reports a Cell study using multi-omics data from 59 astronauts and GeneLab samples, finding that gravity changes and radiation can impair mitochondria, linking to geriatric-like health issues. - **Queen's University Belfast**, Nov 2020: [Research finds new link between cell damage in astronauts and geriatric-type health problems](https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofBiologicalSciences/News/Archive/Researchfindsnewlinkbetweencelldamageinastronautsandgeriatric-typehea.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20241214161338/https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofBiologicalSciences/News/Archive/Researchfindsnewlinkbetweencelldamageinastronautsandgeriatric-typehea.html)) - University press release highlighting its researchers' role in a Cell paper tying mitochondrial damage in spaceflight to astronauts' aging-like problems, with nutrition support such as coenzyme suggested. ### NASA Twins Study - Paper: The NASA Twins Study: A multidimensional analysis of a year-long human spaceflight (Science, 2019), https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau8650 - Dr. Meydan's role: Co-first author - Impact: A year-long multi-omic comparison of astronaut Scott Kelly on the ISS with his identical twin on Earth, the most complete look at the human body in long-duration spaceflight. Covered by The New York Times, CNN, STAT and MIT Technology Review. - **The New York Times**, Apr 11, 2019: [Scott Kelly Spent a Year in Orbit. His Body Is Not Quite the Same.](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/science/scott-mark-kelly-twins-space-nasa.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190412020501/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/science/scott-mark-kelly-twins-space-nasa.html)) - Reports NASA's twin comparison after astronaut Scott Kelly's 340 days on the space station, finding wide molecular changes (DNA mutations, immune signals, new gut microbes), many reversing after return, with some persisting. - **The New York Times**, Apr 11, 2019: [4 Takeaways From That Huge Study of Scott Kelly](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/science/scott-kelly-twins-study-nasa.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190412073313/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/science/scott-kelly-twins-study-nasa.html)) - Explainer of the first published NASA Twins Study results, tracking Scott Kelly and his twin Mark with many molecular tests never previously done on astronauts, including thousands of genes changing activity. - **CNN**, Apr 11, 2019: [Human health can be 'mostly sustained' for a year in space, NASA Twins Study finds](https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/11/health/nasa-kelly-twins-study-results/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190413000139/https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/11/health/nasa-kelly-twins-study-results/)) - Reports that the 340-day mission changed Scott Kelly's body from weight to genes but most changes reverted on return, which researchers took to mean health can be mostly sustained over a year in space. - **Scientific American**, Oct 27, 2017: [NASA "Twins Study" Shows How Spaceflight Changes Gene Expression](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-ldquo-twins-study-rdquo-shows-how-spaceflight-changes-gene-expression/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20171027220148/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-ldquo-twins-study-rdquo-shows-how-spaceflight-changes-gene-expression/)) - Early report of preliminary Twins Study results showing spaceflight strongly shifts gene expression, with thousands of genes changing quickly once in space, per the study's principal investigator. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Sep 2019: [Heavenly Bodies: NASA's Famed Twins Study has Begun to Yield Results](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2019/09/heavenly-bodies-nasa%E2%80%99s-famed-twins-study-has-begun-to-yield-results) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20191004024606/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2019/09/heavenly-bodies-nasa%E2%80%99s-famed-twins-study-has-begun-to-yield-results)) - Weill Cornell feature on early Twins Study results, highlighting surprising telomere lengthening in space that reverted on return, the one-subject limitation, and optimism about longer missions. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: …longer, though they reverted to normal after he came home. Why? Researchers don’t yet know. “We need to do a lot more science on this,” says Dr. Cem Meydan, a research associate in the Dr. Mason Lab and a co-first author on the Science paper. “We need to find out why this is happening, and whether we can prevent it or study it for other health-rel… - **STAT**, Apr 11, 2019: [NASA twins study explores body's response to long space travel](https://www.statnews.com/2019/04/11/nasa-twins-study-scott-kelly-space-travel/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190417143812/https://www.statnews.com/2019/04/11/nasa-twins-study-scott-kelly-space-travel/)) - Covers publication in Science of the final Twins Study results, finding unusual immune and eye effects but nothing that rules out longer missions such as Mars, with Kelly largely recovering. - **MIT Technology Review**, Apr 11, 2019: [The first study of a twin in space looks like good news for a trip to Mars](https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/04/11/136104/the-first-study-of-a-twin-in-space-looks-like-good-news-for-a-trip-to-mars/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20200629014157/https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/04/11/136104/the-first-study-of-a-twin-in-space-looks-like-good-news-for-a-trip-to-mars/)) - Reports the first Twins Study results in Science: Scott Kelly's 340 days on the ISS, compared with his twin on Earth, give the first solid evidence of how the body responds to long spaceflight. Mostly good news for a trip to Mars, with some open mysteries. - **NASA**, Apr 11, 2019: [NASA's Twins Study Results Published in Science Journal](https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasas-twins-study-results-published-in-science-journal/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20231025081209/https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasas-twins-study-results-published-in-science-journal/)) - NASA announcement of the combined Twins Study paper in Science, presenting ten teams' findings as reassuring about the body's adaptation and a stepping-stone toward Mars-length missions. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Apr 11, 2019: [Astronaut Twins Study Yields New Insights, Algorithms and Portable DNA Sequencing Tools](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2019/04/astronaut-twins-study-yields-new-insights-algorithms-and-portable-dna-sequencing-tools) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190502202857/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2019/04/astronaut-twins-study-yields-new-insights-algorithms-and-portable-dna-sequencing-tools)) - Weill Cornell release reporting that longer spaceflight causes more gene-expression change than shorter trips, especially in immune and DNA-repair systems, from one of ten NASA Twins Study teams. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: …ories, collected in Houston the samples of Scott’s blood that he sent back to Earth. She analyzed them within 36 hours, working remotely with Dr. Cem Meydan and Daniela Bezdan, both research associates in computational biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. - **The Independent**, Apr 2019: [Nasa Twins Study: What Scott Kelly's results tells us about humans in space](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/nasa-twin-study-space-scott-kelly-mark-dna-a8866661.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190418121753/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/nasa-twin-study-space-scott-kelly-mark-dna-a8866661.html)) - Long-form reprint of Carl Zimmer's account of the Twins Study, describing Scott Kelly's molecular changes in orbit including mutated DNA, new immune signals and a changed microbiome, many of which reversed. - **Smithsonian Magazine**, Apr 2019: [NASA's Study of Astronaut Twins Creates a Portrait of What a Year in Space Does to the Human Body](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/nasas-twins-study-creates-portrait-human-body-after-year-space-180971945/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190411232630/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/nasas-twins-study-creates-portrait-human-body-after-year-space-180971945/)) - Frames the Twins Study as vital for planning Mars missions, describing how Mark Kelly served as an Earth-based genetic control to isolate effects of microgravity, radiation and confinement on Scott. - **Voice of America (Turkish service)**, 2019: [A Turkish expert in NASA's 'Journey to Mars' research](https://www.voaturkce.com/a/nasa-mars-yolculugu-turk-uzman-cem-meydan/4979054.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240224163347/https://www.voaturkce.com/a/nasa-mars-yolculugu-turk-uzman-cem-meydan/4979054.html)) (in Turkish) - Turkish-language VOA feature on the NASA Twins Study of astronaut Scott Kelly, in which the researcher describes RNA and epigenetic work, rapid bodily adaptation to space, temporary telomere lengthening, and goals for follow-up work toward Mars missions. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: Dr. Cem Meydan of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York played key roles in the experiments on astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year in space, and his twin brother Mark Kelly. - **The Independent (Turkish edition)**, 2020: [Dr. Cem Meydan, a Turkish scientist in NASA's Mars journey research](https://www.indyturk.com/node/317641/bi%CC%87li%CC%87m/nasan%C4%B1n-mars-yolculu%C4%9Fu-ara%C5%9Ft%C4%B1rmalar%C4%B1nda-yer-alan-t%C3%BCrk-bilim-insan%C4%B1-dr-cem-meydan) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210218051745/https://www.indyturk.com/node/317641/bi%CC%87li%CC%87m/nasan%C4%B1n-mars-yolculu%C4%9Fu-ara%C5%9Ft%C4%B1rmalar%C4%B1nda-yer-alan-t%C3%BCrk-bilim-insan%C4%B1-dr-cem-meydan)) (in Turkish) - Turkish-language article on the large 2020 package of NASA spaceflight biology papers in Cell journals (29 studies, 200+ scientists), presenting it as a step toward lunar bases and Mars crews, with interview comments on the twins findings. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: Dr. Cem Meydan: “Before such long missions, finding how the space environment affects biology and developing solutions to these risks is critical for astronaut health and mission success.” - **Cornell Chronicle**, Apr 2019: [Weill-NASA study of Kelly twins yields new insights, DNA sequencing tools](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/04/weill-nasa-study-kelly-twins-yields-new-insights-dna-sequencing-tools) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190412195820/https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/04/weill-nasa-study-kelly-twins-yields-new-insights-dna-sequencing-tools)) - Cornell Chronicle version of the release: Science cover findings include carotid and retinal thickening, weight loss, gut microbe shifts and DNA damage, with gene-expression change greater on longer trips. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: …oratories, collected in Houston the samples of Scott’s blood that he sent back to Earth. She analyzed them within 36 hours, working remotely with Cem Meydan, a research associate in computational biomedicine who works in Mason’s and Melnick’s labs. - **NASA**, 2017: [Meet the Researchers - Gene Expression](https://www.nasa.gov/twins-study/meet-the-researchers/gene-expressions/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210727154912/https://www.nasa.gov/twins-study/meet-the-researchers/gene-expressions/)) - NASA Human Research Program profile of the Twins Study gene-expression team, which studied DNA and RNA methylation before, during and after spaceflight, led by Christopher Mason. The page has since been removed from nasa.gov; a saved copy is kept here. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: Team members: Francine E. Garrett-Bakelman, M.D., Ph.D.; Ari Melnick, M.D.; George S. Grills, Ph.D.; Cem Meydan, Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medicine; Daniela Bezdan, Ph.D. - **Discover**, Apr 2019: [NASA's Twins Study: How Spaceflight (Temporarily) Changes the Body](https://www.discovermagazine.com/nasas-twins-study-how-spaceflight-temporarily-changes-the-body-11143) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20250907151625/https://www.discovermagazine.com/nasas-twins-study-how-spaceflight-temporarily-changes-the-body-11143)) - Explains how the twins' shared genes let researchers link differences to Scott Kelly's year in orbit, noting his temporary height gain and other changes that largely reverted afterward. - **BilimPro**, Sep 20, 2019: [A Turkish expert in 'Journey to Mars' research (video)](https://bilimpro.com/2019/09/20/mars-yolculugu-arastirmalarinda-bir-turk-uzman-video/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20191023045641/https://bilimpro.com/2019/09/20/mars-yolculugu-arastirmalarinda-bir-turk-uzman-video/)) (in Turkish) - Turkish science site's write-up of the VOA video report on the NASA Twins Study, noting an 84-person team and that astronaut samples showed the body adapting quickly to spaceflight conditions. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: A Turkish researcher is part of the 84-member scientific team studying the effects of spaceflight. Dr. Cem Meydan of Weill Cornell Medicine played key roles in the experiments on astronaut Scott Kelly and his twin brother Mark Kelly. - **GenomeWeb**, Apr 2019: [NASA Twins Study Finds Space-Linked Changes to Gene Expression, Telomere Length](https://www.genomeweb.com/genetic-research/nasa-twins-study-finds-space-linked-changes-gene-expression-telomere-length) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20190822002731/https://www.genomeweb.com/genetic-research/nasa-twins-study-finds-space-linked-changes-gene-expression-telomere-length)) - Trade report that spaceflight altered gene expression, telomere length and other measures in the NASA Twins Study, with most changes returning to normal after the astronaut came home. ### NYC subway microbiome - Paper: Geospatial Resolution of Human and Bacterial Diversity with City-Scale Metagenomics (Cell Systems, 2015), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cels.2015.01.001 - Dr. Meydan's role: Co-first author (second listed) - Impact: The first city-scale DNA map of a subway system, sampling all 466 open New York stations. It made the front page of The Wall Street Journal, was covered by The New York Times, WIRED, TIME and PBS NewsHour, and led to the global MetaSUB consortium. - **The Wall Street Journal (print, page A1)**, Feb 6, 2015: [On the Subway, Scientists Track The City's Secret Life of Germs](https://img.kiosko.net/2015/02/06/us/wsj.750.jpg) - Front-page print placement of the Wall Street Journal's story on Weill Cornell's genetic survey of New York subway microbes, signalling the study's mainstream reach. - **The New York Times**, Feb 6, 2015: [Among New York Subway's Millions of Riders, a Study Finds Many Mystery Microbes](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/nyregion/among-the-new-york-city-subways-millions-of-riders-a-study-finds-many-mystery-microbes.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150206175132/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/nyregion/among-the-new-york-city-subways-millions-of-riders-a-study-finds-many-mystery-microbes.html)) - Reports the Weill Cornell subway map, noting that almost half the DNA matched no known organism and only 0.2 percent was human, with the lead author urging people to see the subway like a rain forest rather than a threat. - **TIME**, Feb 6, 2015: [DNA Tests Confirm NYC Subway Is Crawling With Germs](https://time.com/3697797/new-york-city-subway-germs-bacteria-dna/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150207225349/https://time.com/3697797/new-york-city-subway-germs-bacteria-dna/)) - Summarizes the Weill Cornell study, citing the Journal, as finding thousands of organism types across 466 stations, including food-poisoning and urinary-tract bacteria at non-hazardous levels, while noting the city health department's dispute over the plague claim. - **The Wall Street Journal**, Feb 5, 2015: [Big Data and Bacteria: Mapping the New York Subway's DNA](https://www.wsj.com/articles/big-data-and-bacteria-mapping-the-new-york-subways-dna-1423159629) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150206004625/https://www.wsj.com/articles/big-data-and-bacteria-mapping-the-new-york-subways-dna-1423159629)) - Describes the team's 18-month swabbing of the entire subway as the first genetic profile of a city transit system, finding mostly harmless microbes plus traces of disease-linked bacteria and pizza-related DNA, and framing it as a preview of big-data public health. - **The Wall Street Journal**, Feb 5, 2015: [Mapping the Bacteria in New York's Subways (interactive)](https://graphics.wsj.com/patho-map/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150207073243/https://graphics.wsj.com/patho-map/)) - Interactive graphic showing DNA from 15,152 species across 466 stations, nearly half bacterial and 67 disease-associated species, with station-level detail; no two stations were alike. - **WIRED**, Feb 5, 2015: [Mapping the Microbes of the New York City Subway](https://www.wired.com/2015/02/mapping-microbes-new-york-city-subway/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150207035304/https://www.wired.com/2015/02/mapping-microbes-new-york-city-subway/)) - Recounts how a toddler's daycare habits inspired the 18-month PathoMap project across 466 stations, which yielded the first description of the subway's microbial residents and a reassuring yet unsettling picture of shared germs. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Feb 5, 2015: [Researchers Produce First Map of New York City Subway System Microbes](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2015/02/researchers-produce-first-map-of-new-york-city-subway-system-microbes-christopher-mason) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20161226040207/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2015/02/researchers-produce-first-map-of-new-york-city-subway-system-microbes-christopher-mason)) - Weill Cornell release announcing the Cell Systems subway map as a baseline for long-term disease surveillance; microbes were mostly harmless but included drug-resistant bacteria and anthrax and plague DNA fragments. - Passage naming Dr. Meydan: …t maps that detail what organisms are present in each area of the city, creating a molecular portrait of the metropolis," says co-lead author Dr. Cem Meydan, a postdoctoral associate at Weill Cornell Medical College. - **The Atlantic**, Feb 2015: [New York City Subways Are Covered in Microscopic Pizza](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/02/new-york-city-subways-are-covered-in-microscopic-pizza/385260/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150209173604/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/02/new-york-city-subways-are-covered-in-microscopic-pizza/385260/)) - Explains that the Cell Systems study identified 15,152 organisms across 466 stations, including traces of plague and anthrax, and that the subway carries a record of what commuters eat, such as pizza. - **CBS News**, Feb 2015: [New York City subway pathogens include anthrax, Bubonic plague](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dangerous-pathogens-and-mystery-microbes-ride-the-subway/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150208074258/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dangerous-pathogens-and-mystery-microbes-ride-the-subway/)) - Reports the PathoMap of 637 known microbes, mostly harmless skin-type bacteria, with about 12 percent disease-associated and nearly half of samples showing unseen DNA; the college called results reassuring. - **NBC New York**, Feb 2015: ["PathoMap" Traces Subway Bacteria, Finds DNA Linked to Plague, Sauerkraut](https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/pathomap-traces-bacteria-across-subway-system-cheese-bubonic-plague/1179508/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20200611102658/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/pathomap-traces-bacteria-across-subway-system-cheese-bubonic-plague/1179508/)) - Local broadcast summary of the subway map across 24 lines in all five boroughs, noting mostly harmless DNA (cheese, sauerkraut) alongside drug-resistant bacteria and fragments tied to anthrax and plague. - **Business Insider**, Feb 2015: [Pathomap Is Bacterial Map of NYC Subway](https://www.businessinsider.com/pathomap-is-bacterial-map-of-nyc-subway-2015-2) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20150212222847/https://www.businessinsider.com/pathomap-is-bacterial-map-of-nyc-subway-2015-2)) - Explainer arguing readers should not panic over the subway findings, since bacteria are everywhere and needed for life; reports nearly 600 species identified, half from unidentified sources. - **WIRED**, 2015: [Infoporn: All the bacteria found on the New York Subway](https://www.wired.com/story/infoporn-bacteria-subway/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20250223131034/https://www.wired.com/story/infoporn-bacteria-subway/)) - Graphic-focused piece summarizing the sampling of all subway stations (over 1,500 samples) and the resulting molecular map, noting traces such as ocean-type bacteria at the Sandy-flooded South Ferry station and food-derived DNA. - **Science Friday**, 2015: [Subvisual Subway: The Art of New York City's Bacterial World](https://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/swabbing-new-york-citys-subways-for-art/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20160121222842/https://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/swabbing-new-york-citys-subways-for-art/)) - Science Friday video about an artist who sampled subway bacteria to test the handrail-handshake legend and photographed the cultures; it credits the Mason Lab, PathoMap and MetaSUB. - **The Scientist**, Feb 2015: [Subway Microbiome](https://www.the-scientist.com/subway-microbiome-35962) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240225223817/https://www.the-scientist.com/subway-microbiome-35962)) - Briefly reports the PathoMap Cell Systems paper on New York subway microbes: 1,400+ samples, over 15,000 species detected, and nearly half of the DNA matching no known organism. - **The Scientist**, Dec 2013: [Metropolome](https://www.the-scientist.com/metropolome-38334) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20240421142750/https://www.the-scientist.com/metropolome-38334)) - Profile of the early effort to map New York's subway microbiome, in which students collected over 1,400 samples from 468 stations and found diverse, station-specific bacterial communities. - **New York Magazine**, Nov 2013: [A Look at Subway Bacteria](https://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/topic/subway-bacteria-2013-11/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20131109063115/https://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/topic/subway-bacteria-2013-11/)) - Brief early item on the then-ongoing PathoMap effort, which had logged 137 bacterial types on five subway lines since June, with the lead researcher joking about the L train. ## Other work ### SPEN & lymphoma - Paper: SPEN loss drives extra-follicular diffuse large B cell lymphoma with female-specific lethality and therapeutic vulnerabilities (Cancer Discovery, 2026), https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-25-1458 - Dr. Meydan's role: Second author - Impact: SPEN loss identifies a subset of a common blood cancer that is more lethal in women than in men. - **Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute**, May 2026: [For the first time, scientists discover that a subset of a common blood cancer is more deadly in women than in men — and find a new targeted treatment approach](https://www.carrerasresearch.org/en/news/for-the-first-time-scientists-discover-that-a-subset-of-a-common-blood-cancer-is-more-deadly-in-women-than-in-men-%E2%80%94-and-find-a-new-targeted-treatment-approach) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20260506160820/https://www.carrerasresearch.org/en/news/for-the-first-time-scientists-discover-that-a-subset-of-a-common-blood-cancer-is-more-deadly-in-women-than-in-men-%E2%80%94-and-find-a-new-targeted-treatment-approach)) - Institute release on a study finding a DLBCL subtype far deadlier in women than men, explaining the biology behind the disparity and pointing to an existing drug class that may protect female patients. - **EurekAlert! (AAAS)**, May 2026: [For the first time, scientists discover that a subset of a common blood cancer is more deadly in women than in men](https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1127051) - Release on the Cancer Discovery study finding that a SPEN-defined subset of diffuse large B cell lymphoma is more lethal in women than in men, and pointing to a targeted treatment approach. - **Medical Xpress**, May 2026: [New treatment approach targets a subset of common blood cancer that is more deadly in women](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-treatment-approach-subset-common-blood.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20260506213225/https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-treatment-approach-subset-common-blood.html)) - Republished institute release reporting that a DLBCL subtype is dramatically more lethal in women, challenging long-held assumptions and indicating a targeted treatment approach. - **The ASCO Post**, May 2026: [Study Finds DLBCL Subtype May Have Higher Mortality Risk in Female Patients](https://ascopost.com/news/may-2026/study-finds-dlbcl-subtype-may-have-higher-mortality-risk-in-female-patients/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20260515164836/https://ascopost.com/news/may-2026/study-finds-dlbcl-subtype-may-have-higher-mortality-risk-in-female-patients/)) - Oncology news item on a Cancer Discovery study associating a DLBCL subtype with higher mortality in women, with the biological cause identified and an existing drug class suggested as helpful. - **HealthTree Foundation**, Jun 1, 2026: [Study Finds Higher Risks for Some Women with DLBCL](https://healthtree.org/b-cell-lymphoma/news/06-01-2026-risk-and-treatment-women-with-bn2-dlbcl) - Patient-oriented summary of a Cancer Discovery study of nearly 5,000 patients: women with both SPEN and NOTCH2 changes in BN2-DLBCL had over four times the mortality risk of men, suggesting a treatment target. ### Lymphoma epigenetics - Paper: Smc3 dosage regulates B cell transit through germinal centers and restricts their malignant transformation (Nature Immunology, 2021), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-020-00827-8 - Paper: EZH2 inhibition enhances T cell immunotherapies by inducing lymphoma immunogenicity and improving T cell function (Cancer Cell, 2025), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2024.11.006 - Paper: SETD2 haploinsufficiency enhances germinal center-associated AICDA somatic hypermutation to drive B cell lymphomagenesis (Cancer Discovery, 2022), https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-1514 - Dr. Meydan's role: co-author - Impact: Lymphoma epigenetics studies with the Melnick lab on Smc3, EZH2 and SETD2. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Dec 5, 2024: [Anticancer Drugs Could Make Immunotherapies More Effective](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2024/12/anticancer-drugs-could-make-immunotherapies-more-effective) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20241206025328/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2024/12/anticancer-drugs-could-make-immunotherapies-more-effective)) - Release on a preclinical Cancer Cell study in which EZH2 inhibitors combined with T-cell immunotherapy shrank B-cell lymphomas better than immunotherapy alone; pilot patient studies have begun. - **ScienceDaily**, Dec 5, 2024: [Anticancer drugs could make immunotherapies more effective](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241205142530.htm) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20241210183901/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241205142530.htm)) - Reposted release reporting a preclinical Cancer Cell study that EZH2 inhibition boosts the effectiveness of T-cell immunotherapy against B-cell lymphomas, prompting pilot trials. - **News-Medical**, Dec 5, 2024: [EZH2 inhibitors enhance effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies](https://www.news-medical.net/news/20241205/EZH2-inhibitors-enhance-effectiveness-of-cancer-immunotherapies.aspx) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20241206180714/https://www.news-medical.net/news/20241205/EZH2-inhibitors-enhance-effectiveness-of-cancer-immunotherapies.aspx)) - Reports a preclinical study showing EZH2 inhibitors can substantially strengthen T-cell based immunotherapy against non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas, with pilot clinical studies starting. - **GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News)**, Dec 2024: [Lymphoma Immunotherapy Enhanced by Enzyme Inhibitor in Preclinical Model, Prompting Pilot Clinical Studies](https://www.genengnews.com/topics/cancer/lymphoma-immunotherapy-enhanced-by-enzyme-inhibitor-in-preclinical-model-prompting-pilot-clinical-studies/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20241212101819/https://www.genengnews.com/topics/cancer/lymphoma-immunotherapy-enhanced-by-enzyme-inhibitor-in-preclinical-model-prompting-pilot-clinical-studies/)) - Biotech news coverage of mouse-model work indicating EZH2 inhibition makes T-cell immunotherapy more effective against B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leading to pilot clinical studies. - **ScienceDaily**, May 25, 2022: [Study reveals cause, potential precision therapies for aggressive type of lymphoma](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220525131158.htm) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20220526005959/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220525131158.htm)) - ScienceDaily carries the release on how a partial SETD2 mutation leads to aggressive B-cell lymphoma and why drugs hitting SETD2 might work, with relevance for patients of African ancestry. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, May 2022: [Study Reveals Cause, Potential Precision Therapies for Aggressive Type of Lymphoma](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2022/05/study-reveals-cause-potential-precision-therapies-for-aggressive-type-of-lymphoma) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20220525175536/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2022/05/study-reveals-cause-potential-precision-therapies-for-aggressive-type-of-lymphoma)) - Weill Cornell release on a Cancer Discovery study showing one-copy SETD2 mutation in B cells impairs DNA repair and promotes aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, whereas losing both copies kills cells, pointing to SETD2-targeted therapy. - **Cornell Chronicle**, May 2022: [Study reveals potential therapies for aggressive lymphoma](https://news.cornell.edu/node/324371) - Cornell Chronicle repost of the release on SETD2 mutations driving aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and suggesting precision treatment, notably for patients of African ancestry. - **Technology Networks**, May 2022: [New Genetic Cause of Aggressive B Cell Lymphoma Revealed](https://www.technologynetworks.com/cancer-research/news/new-genetic-cause-of-aggressive-b-cell-lymphoma-revealed-361976) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20221206135235/https://www.technologynetworks.com/cancer-research/news/new-genetic-cause-of-aggressive-b-cell-lymphoma-revealed-361976)) - Technology Networks republishes the release on SETD2 mutation causing aggressive B-cell lymphoma and suggesting targeted therapy options. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, Feb 2021: [Scientists Identify Gene that Plays Critical Role in Immune Cell Development](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2021/02/scientists-identify-gene-that-plays-critical-role-in-immune-cell-development) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210202215358/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2021/02/scientists-identify-gene-that-plays-critical-role-in-immune-cell-development)) - Release on a Nature Immunology study showing that SMC3 underpins the 3D genome architecture of antibody-producing B cells, and that its disruption impairs immune cell development and can lead to cancer. - **Cornell Chronicle**, Feb 2021: [Gene critical to immune cell development identified](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/02/gene-critical-immune-cell-development-identified) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210205180738/https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/02/gene-critical-immune-cell-development-identified)) - University story on a Nature Immunology study finding that SMC3 is needed for genome folding in B cells; faulty SMC3 disrupts immune development and can promote cancer. ### Global urban microbiome - Paper: Global Genetic Cartography of Urban Metagenomes and Anti-Microbial Resistance (Cell, 2021), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.05.002 - Dr. Meydan's role: co-author - Impact: The International MetaSUB Consortium's global atlas of urban microbiomes and antimicrobial resistance across 60 cities. - **The New York Times**, May 26, 2021: [Subway Swabbers Find a Microbe Jungle and Thousands of New Species](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/science/microbes-subway-metasub-mason.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210527000624/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/science/microbes-subway-metasub-mason.html)) - Covers the Cell paper from the MetaSUB consortium, an atlas of microbes from 60 cities on six continents built by 900-plus contributors, revealing a shared core urban microbiome and over 10,000 previously unknown viruses and bacteria. - **WIRED (video)**, Jul 2021: [What Doctors Learned from Swabbing Subways in Different Countries](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euz5QpzNgXk) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210729185537/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euz5QpzNgXk)) - WIRED video on what lives on subway poles, turnstiles and seats: Christopher Mason's team swabbed every New York station and many around the world to map the microbes that travel with passengers. - **Smithsonian Magazine**, May 2021: [Thousands of Unknown Microbes Found in Subways Around the World](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-unknown-microbes-found-subways-around-world-180977851/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210528224329/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-unknown-microbes-found-subways-around-world-180977851/)) - Summarizes the Cell MetaSUB study of 60 transit systems, which found a core urban microbiome of 31 shared bacterial species and thousands of unidentified viruses and bacteria. - **Cell Press (EurekAlert!)**, May 26, 2021: [Global study of 60 cities' microbes finds each has a signature microbial fingerprint](https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/734958) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20211125030852/https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/734958)) - Release on the largest global urban metagenomics study, sampling transit systems and hospitals in 60 cities, finding each city has a distinct microbial signature and cataloguing many unreferenced species. - **Weill Cornell Medicine**, May 2021: [Global Microbiome Study Discovers Thousands of New Species, Maps Urban Antimicrobial Resistance](https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2021/05/global-microbiome-study-discovers-thousands-of-new-species-maps-urban-antimicrobial) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210527000533/https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2021/05/global-microbiome-study-discovers-thousands-of-new-species-maps-urban-antimicrobial)) - Weill Cornell release on the Cell MetaSUB study: about 12,000 unseen bacteria and viruses across 60 cities, urban antimicrobial resistance maps, and new drug candidates. - **ScienceDaily**, May 27, 2021: [Global microbiome study discovers thousands of new species, maps urban antimicrobial resistance and reveals new drug candidates](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210527112616.htm) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210528013636/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210527112616.htm)) - Reports that about 12,000 previously unknown bacteria and viruses were found in nearly 5,000 samples from 60 cities in 32 countries by the MetaSUB Consortium in a Cell study. - **Medical Xpress**, May 2021: [Global microbiome study discovers thousands of new species](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-global-microbiome-thousands-species.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210527154928/https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-global-microbiome-thousands-species.html)) - Reports that about 12,000 previously unknown bacteria and viruses turned up in nearly 5,000 samples from 60 cities across 32 countries, in a Cell study by the MetaSUB Consortium. - **Cornell Chronicle**, May 2021: [Weill Cornell study: New species are all around us](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/05/weill-cornell-study-new-species-are-all-around-us) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210527200850/https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/05/weill-cornell-study-new-species-are-all-around-us)) - Reports an international MetaSUB Consortium study in Cell that sampled transit systems and hospitals in 60 cities, finding roughly 12,000 previously unknown bacteria and viruses and mapping urban antimicrobial resistance, with implications for outbreak surveillance. - **Technology Networks**, May 2021: [Global Microbiome Study Identifies Thousands of New Species](https://www.technologynetworks.com/immunology/news/global-microbiome-study-identifies-thousands-of-new-species-349279) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210623063131/https://www.technologynetworks.com/immunology/news/global-microbiome-study-identifies-thousands-of-new-species-349279)) - Reports an international MetaSUB Consortium study in Cell that sampled transit systems and hospitals in 60 cities, finding roughly 12,000 previously unknown bacteria and viruses and mapping urban antimicrobial resistance, with implications for outbreak surveillance. - **University of Maryland School of Medicine**, May 2021: [Global study of microbes in 60 cities finds each has unique fingerprint of viruses and bacteria](https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/news/2021/global-study-of-microbes-in-60-cities-finds-each-has-unique-fingerprint-of-viruses-and-bacteria.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210610095418/https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/news/2021/global-study-of-microbes-in-60-cities-finds-each-has-unique-fingerprint-of-viruses-and-bacteria.html)) - University of Maryland release on the Cell MetaSUB paper, the largest global urban metagenomic survey to date. It says each city has a distinct microbial fingerprint and highlights the Baltimore sampling led by a UMSOM co-author. ### Telomeres & Mt. Everest - Paper: Telomere Length Dynamics and DNA Damage Responses Associated with Long-Duration Spaceflight (Cell Reports, 2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108457 - Dr. Meydan's role: Coauthor - Impact: Telomere length and DNA-damage responses in NASA Twins Study and other astronauts, compared with twin climbers on Mt. Everest, also part of the Biology of Spaceflight collection. - **Science**, 2018: [Two mountaineers are trying to recreate NASA's twin study—on Mount Everest](https://www.science.org/content/article/two-mountaineers-are-trying-recreate-nasa-s-twin-study-mount-everest) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20221207090458/https://www.science.org/content/article/two-mountaineers-are-trying-recreate-nasa-s-twin-study-mount-everest)) - Science news item on two climbers on Everest, each with a twin at sea level, sampling blood, saliva and stool to sequence DNA and RNA for gene expression changes, as a high-altitude echo of the NASA Twins Study. - **Outside**, 2018: [Does Climbing Everest Alter Your Genetic Code?](https://www.outsideonline.com/2330801/does-climbing-everest-alter-your-genetic-code) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20180824032010/https://www.outsideonline.com/2330801/does-climbing-everest-alter-your-genetic-code)) - Outside magazine feature on two climbers collecting their own blood on Everest for a study of genetic changes at extreme altitude, using their twins as controls. - **ScienceDaily**, Nov 25, 2020: [New insights on health effects of long-duration space flight](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201125114405.htm) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201127162007/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201125114405.htm)) - ScienceDaily repost of the Colorado State release on the 30-paper spaceflight package and telomere findings from the NASA Twins Study. - **Phys.org**, Nov 2020: [Research provides new insights on health effects of long-duration space flight](https://phys.org/news/2020-11-insights-health-effects-long-duration-space.html) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201125160029/https://phys.org/news/2020-11-insights-health-effects-long-duration-space.html)) - Phys.org repost of the Colorado State release on the 30-paper spaceflight package and telomere findings from the NASA Twins Study. - **Colorado State University**, Nov 25, 2020: [Research provides new insights on NASA Twins Study and health effects of long-duration space flight](https://cvmbs.source.colostate.edu/research-provides-new-insights-on-nasa-twins-study-and-health-effects-of-long-duration-space-flight/) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201125180952/https://cvmbs.source.colostate.edu/research-provides-new-insights-on-nasa-twins-study-and-health-effects-of-long-duration-space-flight/)) - Colorado State release on a package of 30 papers in Cell Press journals from 200+ investigators, described as the largest space biology and astronaut health dataset, with focus on telomere and DNA damage work by CSU researchers. - **News-Medical**, Nov 25, 2020: [New insights on telomere length changes and DNA damage responses during space flight](https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201125/New-insights-on-telomere-length-changes-and-DNA-damage-responses-during-space-flight.aspx) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20201202015931/https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201125/New-insights-on-telomere-length-changes-and-DNA-damage-responses-during-space-flight.aspx)) - News-Medical repost of the Colorado State release on telomere length changes and DNA damage responses in spaceflight, within the 30-paper Cell Press package. - **Zymo Research (blog)**, : [Peak Performance: How Everest Altitudes Impact Gene Expression](https://www.zymoresearch.com/blogs/blog/peak-performance-how-everest-altitudes-impact-gene-expression) ([archive](https://web.archive.org/web/20210118174642/https://www.zymoresearch.com/blogs/blog/peak-performance-how-everest-altitudes-impact-gene-expression)) - Company blog describing a Weill Cornell follow-up to the NASA twin study in which two Everest climbers, with twins at sea level, were profiled for gene-expression changes under low oxygen. ## Data resources built from these studies - [SOMA Browser (interactive data portal)](https://soma.weill.cornell.edu/apps/SOMA_Browser/): Landing page of an interactive data portal for the Space Omics and Medical Atlas, standardizing sampling and sharing multi-omic data from Inspiration4, Polaris Dawn, Axiom and control participants. - [CAMbank: Cornell Aerospace Medicine Biobank](https://cambank.weill.cornell.edu/): Describes CAMbank, Weill Cornell's biobank preserving specimens from spaceflight experiments for molecular profiling, following ISBER guidelines, with a web portal for researcher access planned. - [COVID Genes (interactive data portal)](http://covidgenes.weill.cornell.edu/): Data portal for exploring human gene expression changes in SARS-CoV-2 infection, including nasopharyngeal swab transcriptomes from 735 patients and autopsy RNA-seq and spatial data from 39 COVID-19 deaths. - [MetaSUB interactive map](https://metasub.org/map): Interactive MetaSUB map page; no text was captured, so this is inferred from the title and outlet as a view of consortium sampling sites. - [StuckOnU 2017 (interactive)](https://metasub.org/stuckonu2017/): MetaSUB project page on a 48-hour experiment at the 2017 JP Morgan Health Summit, swabbing and sequencing attendees' phones to see what a surface's DNA reveals about people and microbes. - [PathoMap interactive map](https://pathomap.org/map): Archived project page for PathoMap, an effort to identify and map the New York City microbiome, citing the 2015 Cell Systems city-scale metagenomics paper.