Richard Axel resigns as co‑director of Columbia University neuroscience institute

On February 25, 2026, Nobel laureate Richard Axel announced he will resign from his role as co‑director of the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute at Columbia University following scrutiny over his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Axel made the announcement in a statement saying he will step down to focus on his research and teaching.

Axel has also informed the Howard Hughes Medical Institute that he intends to resign as an investigator there. He did not relinquish his position as a professor and will continue research at the institute.

In his statement, Axel described his past association with Epstein as a “serious error in judgment” and expressed regret for compromising trust with friends, students, and colleagues. The university said it has seen no evidence that Axel violated any university policy or the law but agreed with his decision to relinquish the co‑director position amid continued scrutiny and fallout from the release of Justice Department documents related to Epstein.

Axel, who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on the genetic basis of olfaction, has been a Columbia professor for more than 50 years. The university praised his scientific contributions and leadership in neuroscience.

The resignations come as part of a broader series of departures by prominent figures after the release of millions of pages of documents connected to Epstein, which has prompted reviews, resignations, and public scrutiny across academic and professional spheres.