A Harvard lab studying how axolotls regrow limbs lost most of its government funding months ago. Six-year-old Marianne Cullen of Springfield, Massachusetts, created a PowerPoint, organized a fundraiser and raised about $1,000 to support the team. Federal courts later restored the lab's funding, though the rulings may not be permanent. Lab leader Jessica Whited said Marianne's donation provided an important morale boost that will stay with the researchers.
6-Year-Old Raises Funds to Keep Harvard's Axolotl Research Alive
A Harvard lab studying how axolotls regrow limbs lost most of its government funding months ago. Six-year-old Marianne Cullen of Springfield, Massachusetts, created a PowerPoint, organized a fundraiser and raised about $1,000 to support the team. Federal courts later restored the lab's funding, though the rulings may not be permanent. Lab leader Jessica Whited said Marianne's donation provided an important morale boost that will stay with the researchers.
09:59, 08.11.2025Science
Cambridge, Massachusetts — A small donor makes a big difference
At Harvard, researchers led by Jessica Whited, an assistant professor of stem cell and regenerative biology at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, study the axolotl — a salamander famous for its extraordinary ability to regrow lost limbs and other body parts. The lab hopes that understanding the axolotl's molecular regeneration mechanisms could one day inform human medicine.
Months ago the team faced a severe setback when it lost nearly all of its government funding, and morale suffered as the future of the work became uncertain. Then an unexpected supporter stepped forward.
"It definitely had a positive effect on everyone in the lab," Whited said. "Everybody was just flabbergasted."
The surprise was not the size of the check but the size of the donor: 6-year-old Marianne Cullen of Springfield, Massachusetts, who says she is captivated by axolotls. "There's more to them than just being cute," Marianne told CBS News. "They can grow back any limb... And there's way other animals that need saving, but this one is my destiny to save."
Marianne's parents say her interest quickly became a mission. To support conservation and research, she created a PowerPoint presentation and organized a fundraiser that brought in roughly $1,000 for Whited's lab.
Federal courts have since restored the lab's government funding, though it is not yet clear whether those rulings will be permanent. Regardless of the long-term outcome, Whited said Marianne's gift and determination gave the team a lasting morale boost.
"Sometimes you know who's fighting for you in life, and sometimes you don't — and that's always the time when you're just like, pause and be like, 'Wow.'" Whited said.
Marianne's story highlights how community support — even from a very young advocate — can help sustain scientific research through uncertain times and inspire the researchers who pursue discoveries with potential real-world impact.