Hazen Tower is the centerpiece of the courtyard linking 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 Beckman Neuroscience Building and Dolan Hall. At its peak hangs a bronze bell weighing nearly a ton. Above the bell, four letters are inscribed in gold: 鈥渁鈥� for adenine, 鈥渃鈥� for cytosine, 鈥渢鈥� for tyrosine, and 鈥済鈥� for guanine. They鈥檙e the building blocks of DNA, the basis of life as we know it. An appropriately shaped helical staircase rises from the ground between the tower鈥檚 four brick columns. It winds its way up to a circular platform offering an unobstructed view of the inner harbor.
You don鈥檛 have to visit Laboratoryto hear Hazen ring. Listen to any episode of At the Lab, and you鈥檒l catch the bell in our three-minute podcast鈥檚 opening theme.
鈥淥ne of the things I love about working at Laboratoryis the environment,鈥� LaboratoryAssistant Professor Lucas Cheadle says. 鈥淗azen Tower is one of the first landmarks you see from across the harbor. Its spiral staircase is a clear homage to the genetic code that lies within each individual on campus. Performing basic biology research in an environment that is so intertwined with nature creates a synergy that helps propel our work forward.”
Hazen Tower was named in honor of former LaboratoryTrustee Lita Annenberg Hazen. The late philanthropist was a lifelong supporter of science. In the late 鈥�80s, she became a founding donor of 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 then-budding Neuroscience Program. Her support was key to the construction of the Beckman Neuroscience Laboratory, dedicated in 1991 alongside Dolan Hall and Hazen Tower.
Today, Beckman houses the labs of five Laboratoryresearchers. Professor & HHMI Investigator Leemor Joshua-Tor studies the molecular machinery our cells depend on to function normally. Professor Hiro Furukawa explores how the brain regulates signals passed between neurons. Associate Professor Jessica Tollkuhn studies sex hormones鈥� roles in the brain. Assistant Professor Gabrielle Pouchelon focuses on the origins of neurodevelopmental disorders. And Assistant Professor Lucas Cheadle investigates how immune cells called microglia interact with the brain. (In fact, you can catch him talking about this topic as part of our Cocktails & Chromosomes series at Industry bar in Huntington, NY.)
As for Lita Annenberg Hazen, the biomedical philanthropist passed away in 1995. However, her contributions have helped ensure the Laboratory鈥檚 place at the forefront of neuroscience research. Today, her legacy remains every bit as strong as the tower that bears her name.
