Dr. Segre’s research at NHGRI explores human skin bacterial, fungal and viral communities, enabling studies of alterations associated with pediatric atopic dermatitis, primary immunodeficiency and emerging pathogens. Dr. Segre’s research also focuses on integrating whole genome sequencing of hospital pathogens to track possible nosocomial transmissions. These studies integrate DNA sequence technology, algorithm development and clinical studies to explore the diversity of microbes in and on humans in health and disease.
Dr. Akira is a director and special appointed professor of Immunology Frontier Research Center. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Osaka University. After two years of postdoctoral working in Department of Immunology, University of California at Berkeley, he started to study on IL-6 gene regulation and signaling in the Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Osaka University, and cloned transcription factors, NF-IL6(C/EBP beta) and STAT3.
Eric Betzig, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley
From the 17th through the 19th century, beautifully artistic micrographs of living specimens were inextricably linked to biological discovery. However, for much of the 20th century, optical microscopy took a back seat to the powerful new fields of genetics and biochemistry. Starting in the 1980s, the tables started to turn again, thanks to the widespread availability of computers, lasers, sensitive detectors, and fluorescence labeling techniques.
Squire J. Booker, Ph.D. The Pennsylvania State University
Research in the Booker Lab focuses on understanding how Nature harnesses the power of radicals to effect kinetically challenging enzymatic reactions, many of which are critical to proper cellular functioning. Much of the lab’s work has centered around the enzymatic use of S-adenosylmethionine and iron-sulfur clusters to generate a 5’-deoxyadenosyl 5’-radical, used as a key intermediate by members of the radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) superfamily to catalyze over 60 different reaction types.
Directed crawling motility of animal cell types ranging from neurons to macrophages requires the coordinated force-generating activity of multiple mechanical elements. Much molecular detail is now known about the constituents of some mechanical submachines such as the polymerizing actin network and the adhesion complexes, but it is not yet clear how these elements all work together to generate coherent, directed motion at the level of the whole cell.
Dr. Pfeiffer studies RNA virus evolution, dissemination, pathogenesis, and transmission. Her recent interests include examining the impact of intestinal microbiota on enteric virus infections. Her lab has determined that intestinal bacteria promote replication of several enteric viruses and ongoing work is examining mechanisms and consequences of bacteria-virus interactions.
Renée Fleming is one of the most acclaimed singers of our time. In 2013, President Obama awarded her America’s highest honor for an artist, the National Medal of Arts. She brought her voice to a vast new audience in 2014, as the only classical artist ever to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Winner of the 2013 Grammy Award (her fourth) for Best Classical Vocal Solo, Ms. Fleming has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In 2008 Ms.
Dr. Adams-Campbell’s areas of research focus on addressing health disparities with particular emphasis on cancers that disproportionately impact African-Americans. Dr. Adams-Campbell’s research focuses on lifestyle interventions including physical activity, energy balance, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and oral health among minority and underserved populations.
Dr. Kathiresan leverages human genetics to understand the root causes of heart attack and to improve preventive cardiac care. Among his scientific contributions, Dr. Kathiresan has helped highlight new biological mechanisms underlying heart attack, discovered mutations that protect against heart attack risk, and developed a genetic test for personalized heart attack prevention.
Brigitte Kieffer, Ph.D. Douglas Hospital Research Center
Opiates have been used since thousand years for their remarkable pain-relieving and rewarding properties. Opiates produce their potent effects by activating opioid receptors in the brain, highjacking an endogenous opioid system, which is central to hedonic and mood homeostasis. Recently, revolutions in G protein-coupled receptor research, fascinating developments in basic neuroscience and the rising opioid crisis have propelled opioid receptors back on stage.
This page was last updated on Tuesday, August 10, 2021
