Spotlight
A new Stanford Medicine study, partly supported by the Blavatnik Family Fellowship Fund at the Stanford University School of Medicine, suggests that age-related memory decline may be influenced not only by changes in the brain, but also by changes in the gut. Published in Nature, the study found that shifts in the gut microbiome of older mice can trigger gastrointestinal inflammation, disrupting signals sent through the vagus nerve to the hippocampus, a brain region central to memory formation. When young mice were exposed to older microbiomes, they showed declines in memory and navigation; when researchers restored gut-brain communication in older mice, memory performance improved. The findings identify a pathway linking gastrointestinal aging, immune response, vagus nerve activity, and hippocampal function. Although the research was conducted in mice, it points to new ways of understanding cognitive decline through the gut-brain connection.
Award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns joined TODAY to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States and reflect on the enduring significance of the American Revolution. In the segment, Burns discussed his PBS documentary series The American Revolution, directed with Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, which explores the people, events, and ideas that shaped the nation’s founding. Supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the six-part series presents the Revolution as a complex human story, drawing on extensive historical research and voices often underrepresented in traditional accounts, including African Americans, Native Americans, women, and others whose lives were profoundly affected by the founding era. Through its support, the Foundation helps advance public understanding of history and expand access to high-quality educational storytelling.
Award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns joined POLITICO’s The Conversation with Dasha Burns for a wide-ranging discussion on America’s 250th anniversary and the enduring questions raised by the nation’s founding. In the interview, Burns reflected on the importance of engaging with American history in its full complexity, including the ideals, divisions, and responsibilities that have shaped the country’s democratic experiment. The conversation builds on themes central to The American Revolution, the six-part PBS documentary series directed by Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt and supported by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. The series invites audiences to revisit the people, events, and ideas of the founding era, offering a nuanced account of the Revolution and its lasting significance.
The V&A will take highlights from the David Bowie Archive on a national tour, expanding public access to one of the most significant collections related to the artist’s life and work. The archive, now housed permanently at the David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse, was acquired with support from Warner Music Group and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. More than 100 objects will travel to venues in Dundee, Blackpool, County Durham, Hull, and Bristol between 2026 and 2028, marking the first opportunity to see these materials outside London on this scale. The touring exhibition will include costumes, instruments, photography, and previously unseen items that illuminate Bowie’s creative process across music, performance, film, television, and visual identity. Organized in thematic sections, David Bowie: On Tour reflects the V&A’s commitment to sharing national collections with audiences across the UK.
Providing many of the world's best researchers, scientists, and universities with support, and funding to discover breakthroughs that solve humankind's greatest challenges.
The Foundation contributes to renowned institutions that showcase the breadth of arts and culture, including performance, exhibition and education.
The Blavatnik Archive is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving and disseminating materials that contribute to the study of 20th-century Jewish and world history, with a special emphasis on World War I, World War II, and Soviet Russia.
