Brooklyn College is proud to announce the appointment of Associate Professor of Biology Leora Yetnikoff, Ph.D., as the inaugural Peter and Anne Lipke Endowed Professor in the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences.
This distinguished appointment marks a major milestone for the school and underscores Brooklyn College’s commitment to advancing scientific research, exceptional teaching, and student mentorship. Established through a generous gift from molecular and cellular biologist Chafen Lu, the endowed professorship honors her former mentor, Brooklyn College Professor Emeritus Peter Lipke, and his wife, Anne Lipke, whose longstanding dedication to education, supporting diversity, and scientific inquiry has left an enduring impact on the college community.
(From left) Timothy Springer (Chafen Lu’s husband), Chafen Lu, Peter Lipke, Anne Lipke, Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson, and Dean for the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences Peter Tolias celebrated the launching of the Peter and Anne Lipke Professorship in January of this year.
Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson praised the appointment, noting the vital role endowed faculty positions play in strengthening the college’s mission.
“We extend our thanks to Chafen Lu for her generosity, inspired by her mentor Peter Lipke and his wife, Anne,” said Anderson. “Her support ensures that scholars like Professor Yetnikoff have the resources they need to advance research, mentor students, and shape the future of their disciplines.”
As the inaugural Peter and Anne Lipke Endowed Professor, Yetnikoff will expand her research program while creating new opportunities for Brooklyn College students to participate in hands-on scientific discovery. Her laboratory has long served as a training ground for undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom have gone on to competitive doctoral programs and careers in neuroscience, psychology, and medicine.
“I am excited and extremely honored to have been selected for this position, which is itself a testament to the impact Peter and Anne Lipke had on Brooklyn College and the entire CUNY community,” Yetnikoff said. “My greatest hope is to continue Peter and Anne’s legacy of providing exceptional mentorship to students through my research and teaching activities.”
The endowment will strengthen those efforts by supporting student research positions, providing access to advanced laboratory equipment, and fostering new collaborations across CUNY and beyond. It also reinforces Brooklyn College’s ability to recruit, retain, and support outstanding faculty whose research advances knowledge and whose teaching inspires future generations of scientists.
A leading scholar in molecular, cellular, and behavioral neuroscience, Yetnikoff is widely recognized for her research on the neural mechanisms that influence brain health across the human lifespan. Her work examines how dopamine pathways shape our experience through changes in the myelination of neural circuits in the brain. Consequently, Yetnikoff’s research has important implications for understanding addiction, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, and other neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders.
Her scholarship has been supported by major federal agencies and published in leading scientific journals, contributing to a deeper understanding of how the brain adapts and changes throughout life. Yetnikoff earned her B.A. in Psychology from Concordia University in 2005, her M.Sc. in Psychiatry from McGill University in 2007, and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from McGill University in 2012.
Lu’s gift and the Lipkes’ legacy reflect a shared belief in the transformative power of public education and a deep connection to Brooklyn College and CUNY. Peter Lipke, a longtime faculty member in the Department of Biology, is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking research in fungal cell biology and for decades of mentorship to students and colleagues. Anne Lipke, a dedicated educator, mentor, and community leader, has long championed access to high-quality science education. Together, their legacy will help support scientific excellence, student opportunity, and groundbreaking discovery at Brooklyn College for generations to come.
