Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is a private, non-profit institution dedicated to biomedical research and education, headquartered in Laurel Hollow, New York. Established in 1890, its core mission is to power transformational discoveries in various biological fields by educating and empowering scientific pioneers, ultimately aiming to improve human quality of life by pushing the boundaries of science.

CSHL conducts extensive research across key areas including cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics, quantitative biology, molecular biology, and artificial intelligence. Beyond research, the institution offers a range of educational programs, including a Ph.D. program through its School of Biological Sciences, an Undergraduate Research Program, and the DNA Learning Center for K-12 education. CSHL also hosts numerous scientific meetings and courses, such as the Cold Spring Harbor Symposium series and the Banbury Center, fostering global scientific collaboration. Additionally, its publishing arm, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, disseminates scientific knowledge through journals, books, and online resources, including the preprint servers bioRxiv and medRxiv.

Led by President and CEO Bruce Stillman, Ph.D., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory maintains a prominent position in the scientific community. Recent notable developments include a multimillion-dollar endowment in April 2026 from philanthropist Cynthia Stebbins, matched by Marilyn Simons, to support CSHL Fellows in cancer biology and AI research. In the same month, the institution's Graduate School received national recognition, ranking as the number one Best Grad School in U.S. News and World Report's 2026 rankings. CSHL is recognized as an NCI-designated Cancer Center and has been ranked first globally in molecular biology and genetics research output by Thomson Reuters and Nature, respectively.