The second "Leadership in Biomedicine" lecture of the academic year was given by Sherman Weissman, MD, Sterling Professor of Genetics, on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 4:30 p.m., in Hope 110 (315 Cedar Street).
Each year's series of three lectures is a unique opportunity for the entire community of faculty and students to come together to honor and celebrate the careers of Yale’s most distinguished physician-scientists and to hear about their perspectives on biomedical research, focusing both on their novel scientific contributions and on personal issues in pursuing a career in academic medicine.
Dr. Weissman has been a member of the Yale Faculty since 1967, and is legendary for his contributions to molecular biology and genetics. He obtained his B.S. in math and chemistry from Northwestern University, and his M.S. in math from the University of Chicago. He received his M.D. (magna cum laude) from Harvard University. He previously served as director of molecular oncology and development for the Yale Cancer Center, and as co-director of the Yale Center for Genomics and Proteomics.
Dr. Weissman is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as several other societies. He also has served on a number of advisory and editorial boards. Dr. Weissman has a long record of contributions to the molecular biology of higher cells with emphasis on studies of the globin and MHC loci. Early accomplishments include identification of sequences for transcription termination and initiation for E. coli RNA polymerase, and the sequencing of SV40 virus. His lab has worked extensively on cDNA technology and the use of RNA for cell redirection. Recently the Weissman laboratory has been using genome scale analysis of small numbers of cells and individual cells to obtain insights into early steps in renewal and differentiation of multipotent cells. Dr. Weissman was an active participant in the NHGRI ENCODE project for a number of years. He has been the mentor for many trainees including Dr. Francis Collins, the director of National Institutes of Health.