Spotlight
Harvard Medicine profiles Rachel Wilson, the Joseph B. Martin Professor of Basic Research in the Field of Neurobiology in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, whose work with fruit flies is advancing understanding of how nervous systems produce behavior. For more than two decades, Wilson has helped pioneer techniques that allow researchers to observe activity in individual neurons as fruit flies sense, move, and navigate their environments. Her lab’s research has revealed important principles of sensory processing, internal navigation, and the neural circuits that help animals understand where they are and where to go next. At the Blavatnik Institute at HMS, Wilson is also contributing to the field of connectomics, using detailed maps of the fruit fly nervous system to study how distributed neural networks give rise to coordinated action. Wilson was also a 2014 Laureate in Life Sciences in the inaugural Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists. Her work reflects the Foundation’s commitment to supporting exceptional scientists and institutions pursuing fundamental discoveries about biology, behavior, and human health.
New York City Ballet’s 2026 Fall Fashion Gala will take place on October 1, continuing the Company’s annual celebration of new choreography and costume design. The program will feature world premieres by Jennifer Archibald, Alysa Pires, and NYCB Resident Choreographer Justin Peck, pairing leading choreographers with designers Robert Wun, Viktor&Rolf, and Simone Rocha. Since its founding in 2012, the Fall Fashion Gala has raised more than $37 million for New York City Ballet, supporting the Company’s artistic work and future programming. The 2026 event will be chaired by a distinguished group including Founding Chair Sarah Jessica Parker, Visionary Chair Emily Blavatnik, and Event Chairs including Laila Blavatnik, Georgina Bloomberg, Andy Cohen, Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy, and others. Justin Peck’s world premiere, with costumes by Simone Rocha, is made possible by Emily Blavatnik and the Blavatnik Family Foundation.
The Last Musician of Auschwitz has won the Documentary & Factual: Arts & Culture category at the 2026 Banff Rockie Awards, which recognize excellence in international screen and audio content. Backed by Access Entertainment and co-executive produced by Danny Cohen and Emily Blavatnik, the film examines the role of music in Auschwitz and the lives of those who performed, composed, and preserved it under unimaginable conditions. The recognition highlights the documentary’s contribution to cultural memory, historical understanding, and the responsible telling of Holocaust history. Produced with partners including Two Rivers Media, BBC, Access Entertainment, and Sphere Abacus, the film brings a deeply researched and human-centered story to broad international audiences.
City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage celebrates its 40th anniversary this season, marking four decades of free and benefit performances that have helped define summer in New York City. Launched in Central Park in 1986, SummerStage has grown from a modest free arts series into a citywide platform for music, dance, and cultural exchange. The anniversary has prompted reflections from artists and producers on the festival’s role in bringing together diverse audiences, championing global music, and creating memorable public performances in New York’s parks. The Blavatnik Family Foundation has been a long-time supporter of SummerStage, helping sustain broad access to live performance in public spaces. On September 10, 2026, City Parks Foundation will celebrate the milestone season with a Dinner & Concert at SummerStage in Central Park, where Alex Blavatnik will be honored alongside SummerStage founder Joe Killian. The benefit will support SummerStage concerts as well as City Parks Foundation’s free environmental education, youth sports, and community engagement programs serving communities across New York City.
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.
