Profiles of Distinguished Alumni
Many BMB alumni and associates have made significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the field of biochemistry throughout the history of department. Unfortunately, it is impossible to list them all. The department recognizes a subset of our distinguished alums with the John A. Boezi Memorial Alumnus Award and the R. Gaurth Hansen Alumnus Award and they are featured here.
John A. Boezi Memorial Alumnus Awardees
| Award year | Awardee | MSU BMB degree |
Award year | Awardee | MSU BMB degree |
|
| 1983 | Donald W. Carlson | Ph.D. 1961 | 1996 | Philip L. Felgner | Ph.D. 1978 | |
| 1984 | Allen T. Phillips | Ph.D. 1964 | 1997 | Arlyn Garcia-Perez | Ph.D. 1984 | |
| 1985 | John A. Gerlt | B.S. 1969 | 1998 | Ann E. Aust | Ph.D. 1975 | |
| 1986 | George H. Lorimer | Ph.D. 1972 | 1999 | Peter A. Steck | Ph.D. 1981 | |
| 1987 | Lawrence B. Dumas | B.S. 1963 | 2000 | Sally Camper | Ph.D. 1983 | |
| 1988 | Douglas D. Randall | Ph.D. 1970 | 2001 | Anthony Serianni | Ph.D. 1980 | |
| 1989 | Ronald C. Desrosiers | Ph.D. 1975 | 2002 | John Blenis | Ph.D. 1983 | |
| 1990 | George M. Stancel | Ph.D. 1970 | 2003 | Marcia Kieliszewski | Ph.D. 1989 | |
| 1991 | Raymond J. Dingeldine | B.S. 1971 | 2004 | Paul Rosevear | Ph.D. 1980 | |
| 1992 | Howard C. Towle | Ph.D. 1974 | 2005 | David Hart | Ph.D. 1969 | |
| 1993 | A. Stephen Dahms | Ph.D. 1969 | 2006 | Andrew Ellington | B.S. 1981 | |
| 1994 | Sherwood R. Casjens | M.S. 1967 | 2007 | Ming Tien | Ph.D. 1981 | |
| 1995 | Friedhelm Schroeder | Ph.D. 1973 | 2008 | Michael Washburn | Ph.D. 1998 |
Michael Washburn entered the Ph.D. program in Biochemistry and Environmental Toxicology at Michigan State University in 1992, after receiving his B.A. degree in Chemistry from Grinnell College in 1992. Under the mentorship of Dr. William Wells, Michael received his Ph.D. degree in 1998. Michael and Bill co-authored seven papers on mammalian glutathione dehydroascorbate reductase and thioltransferase enzymes which were published in Biochemistry, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Methods in Enzymology.
Michael did postdoctoral work in the laboratory of John Yates, III, in the Department of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Washington, in 2000. He continued his collaboration with Dr. Yates as a Staff Scientist and then a Senior Staff Scientist at the Torrey Mesa Research Institute, San Diego, California where he developed and applied new approaches to proteomic research, which resulted in sixteen important publications, including papers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (3 papers), Nature, and Nature Biotechnology. His seminal work has contributed much to our understanding of complex biological systems and protein-protein interactions. Michael is currently the Director of Proteomics at the prestigious Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri.
Dr. Washburn is an acknowledged world leader in the field of proteomics research. He is known for his ground-breaking proteomics research, particularly for qualitative and quantitative analysis of complex protein mixtures and protein complexes, using mass spectrometry of peptide fragments. He has analyzed very large protein complexes, such as those found in the transcriptional regulation of genes and in the regulation of chromatin structures.
In addition to his pioneering proteomics research, Michael has worked collaboratively with a large number of outstanding investigators in gene regulation, including Drs. Ron and Joan Conaway, Jerry Workman, Ali Shilatifard, and Nouria Hernandez. Some of their work is among the most influential in the gene regulation field.
Ming Tien received his Ph.D. from this department in 1981 having worked in the laboratory of Steve Aust. He was recruited to the MSU BMB graduate program by Dr. John Boezi who chaired the graduate admissions committee at that time. Tien's thesis work was on the involvement of chelated iron and activated oxygen in radical-mediated peroxidation of lipids. This resulted in 10 publications. Of particular significance was the work on lignin degradation and oxidation of persistent environmental pollutants by a white-rot fungus, published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry and in Science. During Ming's post-doctoral work with Dr. T. Kent Kirk at the Forest Products Laboratories (Madison, WI) they discovered the first lignin-degrading enzyme, lignin peroxidase, which was reported in a Science article. Since then, Ming has been a world leader in the field of peroxidases that degrade lignin. In 1985, he joined the faculty in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University, becoming an associate professor in 1987 and professor in 1993. In 1986, he was honored with the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award. Ming has also been recognized for his teaching at Penn State, winning the Tershak Outstanding Teaching Award in 2004. He has been a valuable contributor to the Center for Environmental Chemistry and Geochemistry at Penn State, which was awarded a National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program.
Andrew D. Ellington received his B. S. from this department in 1981 having worked in the laboratories of Fritz Rottman and Michele Fluck. After graduating, he went to Harvard to pursue his Ph.D. He is now an internationally-respected leader in the design and technological application of RNAs that specifically bind small molecules (aptamers) and RNAs that execute enzymatic functions (ribozymes). His work combines a deep understanding of enzymology, bioinformatics, structural biology, and molecular biology.
Most of the research for his doctorate was conducted at the Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule (ETH)-Zentrum in Zurich, Switzerland, under the direction of Steven Benner. Their eight publications include two Nature letters, two PNAS papers, and a Science letter. After receiving his Ph.D in 1988, Dr. Ellington joined the laboratory of Jack Szostak in the Department of Genetics at Harvard and the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
As a Research Fellow, Ellington probed the mechanism of self-splicing of the Tetrahymena rRNA intron. He also developed the concept of designing RNAs to bind specific small molecules. Six research articles coauthored by Ellington and Szostak include four Nature publications and one J Mol Biol article.
Dr. Ellington is now a professor at University of Texas at Austin and (since 2001) the Kathryn M. Fraser Scholar.
David Hart earned his PhD with Paul Kindel in 1969. His PhD thesis research, entitled Apiogalacturonans from the Cell Wall of Lemma minor L., resulted in two full-length articles in refereed journals, namely Biochemical Journal and Biochemistry (ACS). Dr. Hart has trained a number of graduate students and post doctoral scientists during his tenure at the University of Texas southwestern Medical School, and more recently at the University of Calgary. He currently holds an endowed professorship in arthritis research at the University of Calgary, and has served as the Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and Associate Director of the Alberta Bone & Joint Health Institute. He is considered a leading expert in connective tissue repair biochemistry and molecular biology.
Paul Rosevear received his Ph.D.from our Department in 1980. His thesis work was directed at enzyme-mediated synthesis of the antigenic portion of the blood group O substance with specific C-13 enrichment. Using partially purified preparations of specific galactosyl- and fucosyltransferases and UDP-[1-13C]-galactose and GDP-[1-13C]-fucose, he was able to synthesize Fuca(1-2)Galβ(1-4)GlcNAcβ-hexanolamine. This work resulted in no less than six research papers and a methodological review. Recently, Dr. Rosevear has embarked on two new research initiatives. First, he is using paramagnetic techniques to more rapidly obtain protein global fold structures, which will enhance structural determination of larger proteins. Second, he is using nanotechnology to produce synthetic flexible membranes containing specific transport proteins for the selective uptake, concentration, and release of ions and molecules. Rosevear is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine where he was recruited to establish a state-of-the-art NMR facility. He has served on the Journal of Biological Chemistry Editorial Board and three grant review panels, two for the National Institutes of Health and one fo the American Cancer Society.
Marcia Kieliszewski received her Ph. D. in 1989 from our Department. Her thesis work focused on the isolation and characterization of extensins from the graminaceous monocot, Zea mays, in the laboratory of Dr. Derek Lamport, Biochemistry and Plant Research Laboratory faculty member. Currently an Associate Professor in the Ohio University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dr. Kieliszewski's laboratory has also pioneered the generation of synthetic gene analogs of HRGPs. This approach exploits the intrinsic periodicity of HRGPs, which allowed the engineering of simple HGRPs containing only a single type of repetitive peptide (glycomodule). In addition to her research publications, she holds three patents for the production of synthetic HRGPs and plant gums. Currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Ohio University, Kieliszewski has served the scientific community as a reviewer for journals and grant panels of the National Science Foundation, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and Department of Energy; as well as the Biological and Biotechnology Science Research Council of the United Kingdom.
John Blenis received his Ph.D in 1983 from our Department. His thesis work defined proteins and glycosaminoglycans of the extracellular matrix specific to transformed cells, particularly chicken embryo fibroblasts transformed by Rous sarcoma virus. He worked in the lab of Dr. Susan Hawkes, of Michigan Molecular Institute in Midland, adjunct BMB faculty member. Now a professor in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School, John Blenis and his lab have made seminal contributions to our understanding of structurally distinct subfamilies of the growth factor-regulated S6 kinases: pp70S6K and pp90RSK. Blenis' work has lead to major breakthroughs in the signal transduction field. He was an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association and a recipient of the NIH/NCI MERIT award on "Mitogenic and Oncogenic Regulation of ERK/RSK Signaling."
Anthony Serianni is currently Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of
Notre Dame and Chief Executive Officer of Omicron Biochemicals, Inc. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from MSU in 1980, with Dr. Robert Barker, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry, as his
mentor. In 1982, Drs. Barker and Serianni co-founded Omicron Biochemicals, a company specializing in the synthesis of stable isotopically-labeled carbohydrates and carbohydrate derivatives (e.g.
nucleosides) for applications in a wide range of chemical, biochemical, biomedical, and clinical studies.
Research in the Serianni laboratory is interdisciplinary in nature, requiring the development of new synthetic strategies for incorporation of stable
isotopes into biomolecules, the application of advanced multidimensional NMR methods to decipher the inherently complex NMR spectra, and the development of new experimental approaches for relating
NMR parameters with molecular behavior and new theoretical approaches for obtaining information not readily obtainable by direct experimental methods.
Tony has served as Chairman of the American Chemical Society's Division of
Carbohydrate Chemistry, as well as on the editorial board of Carbohydrate Research and the Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry.
Dr. Sally Camper,
Professor and Chair of Human Genetics at the University of Michigan, received her PhD from this department in 1983, with Professor Fritz Rottman as here major professor, and subsequently did postdoctoral work
with Dr. Shirley Tilghman at the Institute for Cancer Research in Philadelphia. In one aspect of her work, Dr. Camper and her colleagues have focused on development of the multiple cell types
comprising the pituitary gland (Burrorws et al., Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism 10, 343-352, 1999). In other recent work, Dr. Camper and her collaborators have linked mutations in an
unconventional myosin gene to a human genetic disorder leading to deafness (Wang et al, Science 280, 1447-1451, 1998) and have shown that an animal model of this disorder can be corrected by the
corresponding transgene (Probst et al, Science 280, 1444-1447, 1998).
Peter Steck joined the graduate program in Biochemistry at Michigan State in 1977 and received his Ph.D. degree in
1981. Peter served on the faculty in the Department of Tumor Biology and Neuro-Oncology at the M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute in Houston, Texas. His work has been acclaimed for the
discovery of a new tumor suppressor gene, designated PTEN/MMAC1 (mutated multiple advanced cancer). They found that the gene was missing or mutated in a high percentage of brain, breast and prostate
cancers. Unfortunately, this productive career was cut short suddenly when Peter passed away in August, 2000.
Ann Aust received her Ph.D. in 1975 under the direction of Clarence Suelter. She has made significant contributions to our understanding of the mechanisms by which transition metals, primarily iron, are involved in gene transcription, toxicity, and carcinogenicity. Ann has served as Manager and Director of Genetic Toxicology at Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis, and as a Nonresident Lecturer at U of M. Currently a Trustee Professor at Utah State University, she was named Outstanding Professor in 1993.
Arlyn Garcia-Perez received her Ph.D. in 1984 under the direction of William L. Smith. The focusing on prostaglandin biochemistry in renal collecting tubule epithelia. During her studies, Arlyn pioneered the technique of immunodissection. A Senior Investigator and Section Chief in the Laboratory of Kidney and Electrolyte Metabolism at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Garcia-Perez is internationally acclaimed for her studies on osmotic regulation of gene expression by osmolytes, particularly as it relates to the function of osmotically responsive cells of the kidney. Since 1999, she has been Assistant Director for Intramural Research in the Office of the Director, NIH.
Phil Felgner received his B.S. in Biochemistry in 1972, after an undergraduate career that included extensive involvement in
undergraduate research. Phil stayed on at MSU for his graduate work, receiving an MS in 1975 and a PhD in 1978. Following postdoctoral work at the University of Virginia, Phil joined Syntex Research
(Palo Alto, Ca) as a Staff Scientist. It was here that he developed the first cationic lipid reagent for gene transfer (Felgner et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84, 7413-7414, 1987).
This reagent now marketed as Lipofectin, and similar reagents are widely used for molecular biology and gene therapy applications. In 1988, Phil became Director of Product Development for a start-up
company, Vical, Inc. With colleagues at Vical and at the University of Wisconsin, Phil made a landmark discovery, showing that functional reporter gene sequences ("naked DNA") could be introduced
directly into skeletal muscle without use of viral vectors (Wolff et al. Science 247, 1465-1468, 1990). He and his collaborators were also the first to demonstrate that potent anitviral
immune responses could be generated following intramuscular injection of plasmids encoding viral antigens (Ulmer et al., Science 259, 1745-1749, 1993). these findings have led to
development of a new class of infectious disease vaccines referred to as "DNA vaccines". Felgner is currently the Director of Proteomics at the University of California-Irvine.
R. Gaurth Hansen Alumnus Awardees
(Award established in 2009)
Dr. Jason Matthews has been selected as the first R. Gaurth Hansen Alumnus Awardee by the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Dr. Matthews worked as a graduate student with Tim Zacharewski in the Michigan State University Center for Integrative Toxicology from 1997-2001. His dissertation research involved investigating estrogen receptor ligand preferences and binding affinities for structurally diverse estrogenic compounds including pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, natural products, and environmental contaminants across different species. This research resulted in significant contributions to more than 12 scientific publications.
"Jason was my first graduate student at MSU," Zacharewski said. " It is especially rewarding to see his career flourish and for him to be selected as the first recipient of the R. Gaurth Hansen Alumnus Award."
After earning his PhD, Dr. Matthews' pursued postdoctoral training with Dr. Jan-Ake Gustafsson at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm from 2001-2006. In Sweden, he investigated the interaction of ER alpha and beta with other transcription factors and the effect of these interactions on subsequent gene expression. Results from this work were published in Cancer Research, Nucleic Acids Research, and Molecular and Cellular Biology, as well as 9 other publications.
In 2006, Matthews became a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Toronto where he continues his research today. Dr. Matthews recently received the Canadian Institutes of Health New Investigator Award (2008-2013) recognizing his outstanding training, record of productivity, and promising academic research potential.