Beckman Center Events

Speaker Profiles

Joseph DeRisi is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco. He currently holds the Gordon Tomkins Chair of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UCSF. Dr. DeRisi has made major contributions to malaria research. He uses DNA microarray technology to study the activity of the full range of malaria genes. His analysis of gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum has revealed that an unusually high percentage of genes are expressed in a highly periodic fashion during the parasite’s life cycle. This finding has revealed a vulnerable point where drugs and vaccines could be especially effective and he has begun screening new antimalarial compounds. Dr. DeRisi and colleagues have also created a “virus chip” – a comprehensive array of DNA sequences that characterize each viral family. The chip is being used for rapid detection of viruses and discovery of unknown viruses.

Stanley Falkow is the Robert W. and Vivian K. Cahill Professor in Cancer Research and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Over the course of his career he made discoveries of singular importance to the field of microbiology. In 1961, he and the late Julius Marmur discovered genetic elements in bacterial cells that remained distinct from the chromosome – elements now known as plasmids. He subsequently found that antibiotic resistance genes could migrate from one microorganism to another in the form of transposable genetic elements, or transposons, that can hop from plasmid to plasmid or from plasmid to chromosome. These discoveries, along with many others, laid the groundwork for understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms by which bacterial agents cause infection and disease. In recognition of his many research contributions, Dr. Falkow was awarded the 2008 Lasker Award for Special Achievement in Medical Science.

Maria Freire is President of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation and a leader in the field of global public health. She has made significant contributions to drug development for neglected diseases, public health policy, and technology transfer and intellectual property as they relate to medicine and basic science. An internationally recognized expert in technology commercialization, Dr. Freire directed the Office of Technology Transfer at the National Institutes of Health where she developed and implemented technology transfer policies for the Department of Health and Human Services and directed patenting and licensing activities for both NIH and the Food and Drug Administration. During her tenure she won numerous awards for her contributions in promoting global public health. Prior to joining the Lasker Foundation as its President, Dr. Freire was the President and CEO of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development where she spearheaded a pioneering effort to expand and accelerate the development of new drugs with which to more effectively treat tuberculosis. In addition to her work at the Foundation, Dr. Freire is a member of the Institute of Medicine and serves on numerous national and international boards and committees.

Thomas Quinn is Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Quinn’s research involves the investigation of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical features of HIV/AIDS internationally. The list of  his research topics include the study of interactions between STDs and tropical diseases on the natural history and spread of HIV/AIDS in developing countries; an examination of the viral kinetics and transmission probabilities of HIV among discordant couples; molecular studies mapping the molecular epidemic of HIV on a global basis; and implementation of clinical care programs for HIV, STDs, and other infectious diseases. He currently directs several field-based programs in Africa and Asia, utilizing community-based STD treatment linked with HIV prevention projects, and is a founding member of the Academic Alliance for AIDS Care and Prevention in Africa.

Rino Rappuoli is the Global Head of Vaccines Research for Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics. Dr. Rappuoli spent his career developing vaccines for pertussis, meningitis, and Helicobacter pylori and is jointly responsible for engineering the carrier protein used in many conjugate vaccines. He is also widely credited with launching the field of reverse vaccinology. His current research focuses on developing a vaccine for avian influenza. He and his colleagues are currently testing methods for assessing the effectiveness of H5N1 bird flu vaccines in people, in order to speed preparations for mass immunization in the event of a global pandemic. Dr. Rappuoli sits on the Board of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), is co-Chairman of the R&D Task Force of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, and is a foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2005 he was awarded the Gold Medal by the President of the Italian Republic for his contributions to global health.

Gary Schoolnik is Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and of Microbiology and Immunology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He is also Associate Director for the Stanford Institute for Immunity, Transplantation, and Infection, and a Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment. Dr. Schoolnik is a distinguished leader in the area of molecular microbial pathogenesis and pioneered the use of DNA microarrays for studying gene expression in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He is currently investigating the biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the molecular ecology of Vibrio cholerae in the Ganges Delta using a systems biology approach to look at how the tuberculosis bacterium behaves in human cells. He and his colleagues have established an online tuberculosis genome and gene expression database and are investigating which TB genes are expressed in infected tissue. Dr. Schoolnik co-chaired the NIAID Blue Ribbon Committee on Bioterrorism and was the founding editor of Molecular Microbiology. He also serves on the scientific advisory boards of numerous companies and national and international agencies.

Tadataka "Tachi" Yamada is President of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program. He leads the foundation’s efforts to help develop and deliver low-cost drugs, vaccines, and other life-saving health tools to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, and other diseases of the developing world. He oversees Global Health’s grant-making activities that provide funding for discovery, development, delivery, and advocacy. Dr. Yamada was a member of the Board of Directors at GlaxoSmithKline where he also served as Chairman of Research and Development. He has been chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and has served in an executive capacity for numerous foundations and distinguished scientific organizations.