NEW YORK, May 15, 2025 — NYU Langone Health announced a $15 million gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation to support research led by Dr. Evgeny Nudler. Dr. Nudler is the Julie Wilson Anderson Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Leaders from NYU Langone Health and New York University joined Len Blavatnik, founder of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, to mark the gift. Attendees included NYU President Linda G. Mills, PhD, Fiona B. Druckenmiller, co-chair and board chair designate of the NYU Langone Health Board of Trustees, and Robert I. Grossman, MD, CEO of NYU Langone Health and dean of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
For decades, Dr. Nudler’s research has contributed to major biomedical discoveries. His lab has revealed how cells regulate their genes, such as through RNA sensors called riboswitches discovered in 2002. His team also uncovered how cells detect and repair damage to critical molecules like DNA and proteins.
A recent study published in Molecular Cell showed that a process called backtracking acts as a widespread form of gene regulation affecting thousands of human genes. While backtracking helps regulate genes, persistent backtracking may cause DNA damage, increasing cancer risk and aging. Controlling when and where backtracking occurs could lead to improved treatments.
This study builds on Dr. Nudler’s 1997 work that first described backtracking. He found that RNA polymerase, a protein complex that reads DNA, sometimes slips backward along the DNA strand. Since then, backtracking has been recognized as important in gene regulation and DNA repair in many organisms.
Another recent study by Dr. Nudler’s team, published in Nature, used new technology to map genetic mutations in Escherichia coli bacteria at the site where the antibiotic rifampicin binds and disables RNA polymerase. These findings will help chemists design stronger antibiotics to overcome drug resistance.
The Blavatnik Family Foundation has supported similar research before. This latest gift will accelerate ongoing projects in Dr. Nudler’s lab, advancing biomedical science and potential treatments.
