Potential Symposium Speakers
Jack Szostak, Ph.D.
Professor of Genetics
Department of Genetics
Howard Hughes Medical Institute and
Department of Molecular Biology
Harvard Medical School
Wellman Building, 9th Floor
50 Blossom Street
Boston, MA 02114
Tel: (617) 726-5981
Email: szostak@molbio.mgh.harvard.edu
My laboratory is using in vitro selection and directed evolution to explore sequence space for functional
RNA, DNA and protein sequences.
Melvin Simon, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Division of Biology, 156-29
California Institute of Technology
1200 E. California Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91125
626) 395-3944
Email:simonm@caltech.edu
We are interested in how cells respond to changes in their external chemical and physical environments.
Leslie Orgel, Ph.D.
Professor, Chemical Evolution Lab
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Post Office Box 85800
San Diego, California 92186-5800
858-453-4100
Email: orgel@salk.edu
His focus is on discovering the chemical reactions that might have occurred on primitive Earth,
particularly those that may have led to the origins of life. During its studies, Orgel’s lab came across an
economical way to make cytosine arabinoside, a compound that is one of today’s most commonly used
anti-cancer agents.
Gerald Joyce, M.D., Ph.D.
Departments of Chemistry and Molecular Biology
The Scripps Research Institute
10550 North Torrey Pines Road
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-784-2017
Email: gjoyce@scripps.edu
Inspired by what Darwinian evolution has accomplished in nature, we strive to put those same forces to
work in the laboratory to develop compounds that have practical benefit.
Doug Melton, Ph.D.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Harvard University
7 Divinity Ave, Room 465
Cambridge MA, 02138
Phone: (617) 495-1812
Email: dmelton@biohp.harvard.edu
Our laboratory is investigating the normal development of the pancreas in order to understand how islets
and ß cells are produced
Tim Mitcheson, Ph.D.
Institute of Chemistry and Cell Biology
Harvard Medical School
250 Longwood Ave
SGMB 604
Boston, MA 02115
Tel: (617) 432-3805
Email: timothy_mitchison@hms.harvard.edu
My cell biology lab is interested in the structure, dynamics, and function of the cytoskeleton. We use
imaging-based assays in living cells and in vitro extracts, in conjunction with molecular biology and
biochemical fractionation approaches.
Daphne Preuss, Ph.D.
Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
University of Chicago
1103 E. 57th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637
Phone: 773-702-9558
Email: dpreuss@midway.uchicago.edu
Our research is aimed at identifying components that mediate inheritance, from the gene products that
control fertilization to those that regulate DNA transmission.
Andrew Murray, Ph.D.
Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Director, Bauer Center for Genomics Research
Harvard University
Bio Labs, Room 3000
16 Divinity Ave.
Cambridge MA 02138
Phone: (617) 496-1350
Email: amurray@mcb.harvard.edu
We are interested in the general principles that underlie the function and evolution of cells, as revealed by
studying the transmission of genetic information during cell division and how cells evolve in response to
selective pressure.
Marc W. Kirschner, Ph.D.
Professor of Systems Biology
Department of Systems Biology
Harvard Medical School
240 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: 617-432-2250
E-mail: marc@hms.harvard.edu
Dr. Kirschner’s laboratory investigates three broad, diverse areas: regulation of the cell cycle, the role of
cytoskeleton in cell morphogenesis, and mechanisms of establishing the basic vertebrate body plan.
R Bruce Nicklas, Ph.D.
A. S. Pearse Professor and Professor of Cell Biology
Duke University
Department of Biology
Box 90338
Durham, NC 27708
919-613-8196
Email: bnicklas@duke.edu
Morphogenesis at the cellular level. We push chromosomes around by micromanipulation to learn more
about chromosome movement in mitosis.
David Botstein, Ph.D.
Anthony B. Evnin Professor of Genomics
Director, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics
140 Carl Icahn Laboratory
Princeton University
Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544
609-258-7005
Email: botstein@princeton.edu
Administrative Assistant: Faith Bahadurian 609-258-3731 (phone). faithb@princeton.edu
Research areas: (1) genome-wide studies of gene expression through the life cycle and experimental
evolution of budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae); (2) gene expression studies of tumor cell biology
in models of metastasis; and (3) quantitative analysis and intuitive display of genome-scale biological
information.
Matthew Scott, Ph.D.
Professor of Developmental Biology & Genetics
Developmental Biology
Clark Center W252
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-5439
(650) 725-7680
Email:scott@cmgm.stanford.edu
Matthew Scott is investigating genes that regulate embryonic development and cancer, including genes
that turn other genes on and off and genes that code for components of signaling systems.
Ajit Varki, Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Co-Director, Glycobiology Research and Training Center
Associate Dean for Physician-Scientist Training
Glycobiology Research and Training Center
University of California, San Diego
Dept. of Cellular and Molecular Medicine-East, Mail Code 0687
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla CA 92093-0687
(858) 534-2214
Email: a1varki@ucsd.edu
Dr. Varki's research interests are currently focused on a family of sugars called the Sialic Acids, and their
roles in biology, evolution and disease.
Neil Shubin, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy
The University of Chicago
5801 South Ellis,
Chicago, IL 60637
773-834-7472
Email: nshubin@uchicago.edu
I seek to understand the mechanisms behind the evolutionary origin of new anatomical features and
faunas.
Howard Berg, Ph.D.
Herchel Smith Professor of Physics
and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Harvard University
Dept. of Molecular & Cellular Biology
16 Divinity Ave, Room 3063A
Cambridge MA, 02138
(617) 495-0924
Email: hberg@mcb.harvard.edu
We study bacteria, the simplest free-living single-celled organisms. We are interested in how they sense
changes in their environment, analyze sensory data, and respond in a purposeful manner. Our quest is an
understanding of behavior at the molecular level.
Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
Biochemistry and Biophysics
University of California, San Francisco
Box 2200, UCSF
San Francisco, CA 94143-2200
415-476-4912
Email: telomer@itsa.ucsf.edu
The research program of the laboratory focuses on telomeres, the structures stabilizing the ends of the
eukaryotic chromosomes, and the enzyme telomerase.
Paul Allen
Co-Founder of Microsoft, Inc.
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
Roy Parker, Ph.D.
Regents Professor-Hughes
Molecular & Cellular Biology
University of Arizona
Building: Life Sciences South
Room: 533A
Phone: 621-9347
Email: rrparker@u.arizona.edu
The Parker Lab studies cytoplasmic RNA metabolism in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Nancy Moran, Ph.D.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210088
Tucson, AZ
621-3581
Email: nmoran@u.arizona.edu
Currently, Nancy Moran's primary research focus concerns the genome level evolution of prokaryotic,
mutualistic endosymbionts within animal hosts, especially insects.
Lawrence Hurley, Ph.D.
Professor, Medicinal Chemistry-Pharmaceutical Sciences
Professor, Medicinal Chemistry-Pharmacology & Toxicology
College of Pharmacy
Pharmacology And Toxicology
Leon Levy- Cancer Center Room 4949
520-626-5622
Email: hurley@pharmacy.arizona.edu
The overall objective of the research projects in my laboratory is to design and develop novel antitumor
agents that will extend the productive lives of patients who have cancer.
Carol Barnes, Ph.D.
Psychology Department
Life Sciences North
P.O. Box 210221
University of Arizona
520-626-2616
Email: carol@nsma.arizona.edu
The central goal of my research and teaching program is the question of how the brain changes during the
aging process and the functional consequences of these changes on information processing and memory in
the elderly.
Bruce McNaughton, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology and ARL Division of Neural Systems, Memory & Aging;
Chair, Committee on Neuroscience
Life Sciences North
P.O. Box 210221
Tel: 626-2615
Email: bruce@nsma.arizona.edu
My research and academic interests focus primarily on how the brain computes. In particular, I am
interested in brain mechanisms of learning and memory.
Charles M. Higgins, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Assistant Professor, Neurobiology
P.O. Box 210104
(520) 621-6604
Email: higgins@ece.arizona.edu
I work in the field of Neuromorphic Engineering, in which insight from neurobiology is used as
inspiration for engineering VLSI designs