A search committee, co-led by Matthew Wilson and with input from senior colleagues such as Nergis Mavalvala, is identifying and interviewing candidates to succeed Tsai as director of the Picower Institute.

The announcement features statements from Nergis Mavalvala, Li-Huei Tsai, and Tsai about refocusing on lab work and health-related initiatives as she transitions.

Observers emphasize the institute’s continued prominence in neuroscience and the importance of selecting a capable successor to sustain its impact.

Tsai strengthened ties with the Picower Foundation (now the Freedom Together Foundation) to fund junior faculty, private grants, and fellowships, and expanded the Picower Institute Innovation Fund.

Tsai will step down as director at the end of May 2026 after leading the institute since 2009, with the transition occurring as the spring 2026 search proceeds.

Her scientific contributions span identifying CDK5’s role in neurodegeneration, epigenetic regulation in Alzheimer's pathology, DNA double-strand breaks in disease, and APOE4-related pathology using human stem-cell cultures.

Her GENUS approach (gamma entrainment via sensory stimuli) has progressed toward pivotal clinical trials through an MIT spinoff, reflecting translational potential of her work.

Tsai will devote her efforts to her own research and to leading MIT’s Aging Brain Initiative and the Alana Down Syndrome Center during the transition.

Since 2009, Tsai expanded the institute from 11 labs and about 200 people to 16 labs and roughly 400 scientists, students, and staff, driving growth and productivity while advancing campus initiatives.

Tsai’s research spans molecular to network-level brain studies, yielding key discoveries in Alzheimer’s disease, translational strategies, and multiple startups, with over 230 peer-reviewed papers and numerous fellowships and awards.

Under Li-Huei Tsai’s leadership, the Picower Institute expanded its reach, driving significant growth, recruiting new neuroscientists, and achieving breakthroughs in Alzheimer's research, including a therapy approach advancing in a national phase III clinical trial.

Tsai launched two campus-wide initiatives—the Aging Brain Initiative (founded in 2015) and the Alana Down Syndrome Center (established in 2019)—to galvanize MIT’s engagement with neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders.