Who is moving where in global science.

Molecular imaging / radiology (MRI and PET probe chemistry)

The University of British Columbia announced Peter Caravan's recruitment from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in August 2026. His work focuses on molecular imaging.

Research Leader

RNA biology and therapeutics

McGill University announced Phillip Zamore's recruitment from UMass Chan Medical School in August 2026. His research focuses on RNA biology and therapeutics.

Internationally Decorated

Computational biology / microbiome science

The University of British Columbia announced Curtis Huttenhower's recruitment from Harvard in August 2026. His research focuses on computational biology and the microbiome.

Research Leader

Materials science (electron microscopy, quantum materials)

McMaster University announced James LeBeau's recruitment from MIT in August 2026. His work uses electron microscopy to investigate materials.

Research Leader

Statistics (changepoint detection, time series)

Rebecca Killick joined Clemson University from Lancaster University in August 2026.

Research Leader · Stated non-policy reasons

Plant virology

MPI Plant Breeding Research announced Rosa Lozano-Durán's appointment from Tübingen in August 2026. The actual start date requires review.

Research Leader · Not a primary move

Bioengineering / biophysics

Stephen Quake joined ETH Zürich from Stanford University in August 2026.

Internationally Decorated

Evolutionary biology and neurobiology · Prince Philip Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Stephen Montgomery moved from Bristol to Cambridge as Prince Philip Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, effective August 1, 2026.

Research Leader

Number theory

Jacob Tsimerman is taking leave from the University of Toronto to join OpenAI. He retains his Toronto affiliation.

Global Laureate · Stated non-policy reasons · Retains origin tie

Materials chemistry

Raphaële Clément joined the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research from the University of California, Santa Barbara in July 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Research Leader · Retains origin tie

Environmental chemistry

Daniel McCurry joined EPFL from the University of Southern California in July 2026.

Research Leader

Political philosophy

Michael Moehler joined Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf from Virginia Tech in July 2026.

Internationally Decorated

Olfactory neurobiology

Chih-Ying Su joined Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation from the University of California San Diego in July 2026.

Research Leader

Astronomy

Ray Jayawardhana joined Caltech from Johns Hopkins as president and professor of astronomy on July 1, 2026.

Research Leader

Economics

Esther Duflo joined the University of Zurich from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in July 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Global Laureate · Stated mixed reasons · Retains origin tie

Cognitive neuroscience

George R. "Ron" Mangun joined the University of Birmingham from the University of California, Davis in July 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of California, Davis.

Research Leader · Retains origin tie

Human genetics / immunology / infectious disease

Jean-Laurent Casanova joined UT Southwestern Medical Center from Rockefeller University in July 2026.

Internationally Decorated

Cognitive neuroscience

Megan A. K. Peters joined University College London from the University of California, Irvine in July 2026.

Research Leader · Stated policy reasons

Chemistry

Omar Yaghi joined Tsinghua University from the University of California, Berkeley in July 2026.

Global Laureate

Computer Science / AI

Richard S. Sutton moved from Keen Technologies to Oak Lab in July 2026, pursuing research in artificial intelligence.

Global Laureate

Energy storage

Shirley Meng joined Nanyang Technological University in Singapore from the University of Chicago in July 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of Chicago.

Research Leader · Stated policy reasons · Retains origin tie

Dynamic covalent chemistry

Wei Zhang joined Great Bay University from the University of Colorado Boulder in July 2026.

Research Leader

Structural biology

James Letts moved his bioenergetics laboratory from UC Davis to Monash in early May 2026.

Research Leader

Structural biology

María Maldonado joined Monash as a senior lecturer and laboratory head by June 2026, retaining a UC Davis adjunct appointment.

Research Leader · Retains origin tie

Genome biology / Molecular biology

Ana Pombo joined Johns Hopkins University from the Max Delbrück Center and Humboldt University of Berlin. She retains a guest group leader affiliation at the Max Delbrück Center.

Internationally Decorated · Retains origin tie

Mathematics

Ngô Bảo Châu joined the University of Hong Kong from the University of Chicago in June 2026.

Global Laureate · Stated non-policy reasons

Organ-on-chip engineering

Weiqiang Chen joined Nanjing University from New York University Tandon School of Engineering in June 2026.

Research Leader · Stated non-policy reasons

Cosmology

Liang Dai joined Fudan University from the University of California, Berkeley in June 2026.

Research Leader

Systems biology

Trey Ideker joined the Big Data Institute, University of Oxford from the University of California, San Diego in June 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of California, San Diego.

Research Leader · Retains origin tie

Gravitational-wave astrophysics

John G. Baker moved from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to the Laboratory of the Two Infinities in Toulouse, where he works on gravitational-wave astrophysics.

Research Leader · Stated policy reasons

Neuroscience (spinal cord circuits and sensorimotor control)

Ariel Levine plans to move her neuroscience laboratory from the National Institutes of Health to the Krembil Brain Institute at University Health Network in fall 2026.

Research Leader

Condensed matter physics

Haruki Watanabe joined HKUST from the University of Tokyo in March 2026.

Internationally Decorated

Analytical chemistry

Analytical chemist Janusz Pawliszyn took an appointment at Sun Yat-sen University, reported in April 2026. He retains an emeritus adjunct appointment at Waterloo; the new role's primary status remains under review.

Internationally Decorated · Not a primary move · Retains origin tie

Biochemistry

Hartmut Michel joined Jilin University from the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in April 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics.

Global Laureate · Retains origin tie

Physics

Andre Geim took up an appointment at the University of Hong Kong in April 2026, while retaining an affiliation with the University of Manchester.

Global Laureate · Not a primary move · Stated non-policy reasons · Retains origin tie

Developmental biology and retinal morphogenesis · Charles Darwin Professor of Animal Embryology

Caren Norden moved from the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine to Cambridge as Charles Darwin Professor of Animal Embryology, effective April 1, 2026. Her laboratory is based at the Gurdon Institute.

Research Leader

Cell biology

Cell biologist Tony Hyman began as EMBL Director General on March 31, 2026. His continuing listed role at MPI-CBG in Dresden requires clarification.

Global Laureate · Not a primary move · Retains origin tie

Geophysics

Jean-Philippe Avouac joined the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris from the California Institute of Technology in March 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the California Institute of Technology.

Research Leader · Retains origin tie

Cosmology / Astrophysics and scientific AI

Benjamin Wandelt joined Johns Hopkins University from the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris and Sorbonne University, bringing research in cosmology and scientific artificial intelligence.

Research Leader · Stated non-policy reasons

Chemical biology

Xiaokun Shu joined Fudan University from the University of California, San Francisco in March 2026.

Research Leader

Semiconductor packaging and memory

Guojun Shi joined Wuxi DK Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. from the University of California, Irvine in March 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of California, Irvine.

Internationally Decorated · Retains origin tie

Physics

Konstantin Novoselov took up an appointment at Constructor University in February 2026, while retaining an affiliation with the National University of Singapore.

Global Laureate · Not a primary move · Retains origin tie

Materials science

Nanomaterials researcher Younan Xia joined Johns Hopkins from Georgia Tech as Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. The appointment was announced in February 2026.

Internationally Decorated

Astrophysics (galaxy formation and evolution)

Kartik Sheth joined Aix-Marseille University and the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille after leaving NASA. His research focuses on galaxy formation and evolution.

Research Leader · Stated policy reasons

Physical oceanography and climate modeling

Stephen Griffies joined the LOCEAN laboratory at the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace from NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in February 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.

Research Leader · Retains origin tie

Language neuroscience

Tamara Swaab joined the University of Birmingham from the University of California, Davis in February 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of California, Davis.

Research Leader · Stated mixed reasons · Retains origin tie

Atmospheric science

Eric Kort joined the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry from the University of Michigan in February 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of Michigan.

Research Leader · Stated mixed reasons · Retains origin tie

Geomorphology

Seulgi Moon joined ETH Zürich from the University of California, Los Angeles in February 2026.

Research Leader

Computational materials science

Computational materials scientist Gábor Csányi became a director at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in early 2026. The relationship to his Cambridge appointment remains under review.

Internationally Decorated · Not a primary move · Retains origin tie

Atomic and molecular physics

Matthew Eiles joined Purdue in January 2026 after leading a research group at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems.

Research Leader

Cryo-electron microscopy

Kai Zhang joined the University of Science and Technology of China from Yale University in January 2026.

Research Leader · Stated mixed reasons

Materials chemistry, metal-organic frameworks and quantum materials · Associate Professor of Materials Science and Metallurgy

Matthew Cliffe moved from Nottingham to Cambridge as an associate professor on January 5, 2026. His research concerns metal-organic frameworks and quantum materials.

Research Leader

Computer science

Nate Foster joined EPFL from Cornell University in January 2026.

Internationally Decorated

Computational chemistry and materials · Unilever Professor of Molecular Sciences Informatics

Mariana Rossi joined Cambridge as Unilever Professor of Molecular Sciences Informatics on January 1, 2026, from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Hamburg.

Research Leader

Materials science

Anthony Straub and his membrane-science laboratory moved from Colorado Boulder to ETH Zürich, with his appointment starting January 1, 2026.

Research Leader

Robotics

Gregory Chirikjian joined Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence from the University of Delaware in January 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of Delaware.

Internationally Decorated · Retains origin tie

Combinatorics and probability

Van H. Vu (Vũ Hà Văn) joined the University of Hong Kong from Yale University in January 2026.

Internationally Decorated

Neuroscience

Arthur Konnerth joined Shenzhen Bay Laboratory from the Technical University of Munich in January 2026. A continuing affiliation is retained with the Technical University of Munich.

Internationally Decorated · Retains origin tie

Epigenetics

Zhonghua Gao joined Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in January 2026.

Research Leader

Astrophysics (stars and exoplanets)

Keivan Stassun joined the University of Georgia from Vanderbilt University in January 2026.

Research Leader · Stated non-policy reasons

Theoretical physics

Thomas Hartman's Stanford appointment from Cornell began January 1, 2026, according to Stanford's amended appointment report.

Research Leader

Supramolecular chemistry

Supramolecular chemist Philip Gale began his appointment at the University of Groningen on January 1, 2026. He retains an affiliation with the University of Technology Sydney.

Internationally Decorated · Not a primary move · Retains origin tie

Computer vision / artificial intelligence

Haibin Ling joined Westlake University from Stony Brook University as a chair professor, continuing his research in computer vision and artificial intelligence.

Research Leader · Stated non-policy reasons

Artificial intelligence

Yann LeCun left Meta in December 2025 to develop AMI Labs, a new artificial intelligence company.

Global Laureate · Stated non-policy reasons

Mathematics (number theory, arithmetic geometry)

Daqing Wan joined Chongqing University from the University of California, Irvine in December 2025. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of California, Irvine.

Research Leader · Stated non-policy reasons · Retains origin tie

mRNA vaccines / viral immunology

Haitao Hu joined the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences from the University of Texas Medical Branch in December 2025.

Research Leader · Stated non-policy reasons

Cell biology

Cell biologist Ronald Vale joined Whitehead Institute and the MIT biology faculty in December 2025 after serving as a senior group leader at HHMI Janelia.

Global Laureate

Metal-organic frameworks / cancer nanomedicine

Wenbin Lin joined Westlake University from the University of Chicago in November 2025. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of Chicago.

Internationally Decorated · Retains origin tie

Attosecond physics

Ferenc Krausz took up an appointment at the University of Hong Kong in November 2025, while retaining an affiliation with the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics.

Global Laureate · Not a primary move · Stated non-policy reasons · Retains origin tie

Systems biology

Anne-Ruxandra Carvunis joined ETH Zürich from the University of Pittsburgh in November 2025.

Research Leader

Mathematics

Rowan Killip joined Université Paris Dauphine-PSL from the University of California, Los Angeles in November 2025.

Internationally Decorated

Electrical engineering (electric machines and drives)

Zhu Ziqiang (Z.Q. Zhu) joined the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from the University of Sheffield in November 2025. A continuing affiliation is retained with the University of Sheffield.

Internationally Decorated · Retains origin tie

Materials science (functional nanomaterials and devices)

Sohini Kar-Narayan joined the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems from the University of Cambridge in October 2025.

Research Leader

Mathematical biology / stochastic physics

Hong Qian joined Westlake University from the University of Washington in October 2025.

Research Leader

Mathematics

Peter Hintz joined Penn State from ETH Zürich in August 2025, working on partial differential equations and general relativity.

Research Leader

Mathematics

Sara Kališnik Hintz joined Penn State from ETH Zürich in September 2025, working in applied and computational topology.

Research Leader

Epigenetics / developmental biology

Edith Heard joined the Francis Crick Institute from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in September 2025.

Internationally Decorated

Harmonic analysis

Hong Wang took up an appointment at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques in September 2025, while retaining an affiliation with New York University's Courant Institute.

Global Laureate · Not a primary move · Retains origin tie

Cancer immunology · Director, Goodman Cancer Institute; Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

John Stagg joined McGill as director of the Goodman Cancer Institute on September 1, 2025, from Université de Montréal and CRCHUM. He retains an associate scientist affiliation at CRCHUM.

Research Leader · Retains origin tie

NMR spectroscopy

NMR specialist Marc Baldus began as director of HFML-FELIX on September 1, 2025, following his Utrecht professorship and NMR leadership.

Internationally Decorated

Cancer epigenetics / gene regulation

Qianben Wang joined the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from Duke University School of Medicine in August 2025.

Research Leader

HIV immunology

Liang Shan joined Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in August 2025.

Research Leader

Plant biology / Tropical botany

Toby Pennington joined Washington University in St. Louis from the University of Exeter in August 2025.

Research Leader

Hydrology

Paola Passalacqua joined ETH Zürich from the University of Texas at Austin in August 2025.

Research Leader

Cancer signaling / liver cancer immunology

Gensheng Feng joined Shenzhen Bay Laboratory from the University of California, San Diego in August 2025.

Research Leader

Statistics

Jun Liu joined Tsinghua University from Harvard University in August 2025. A continuing affiliation is retained with Harvard University.

Internationally Decorated · Stated non-policy reasons · Retains origin tie