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Other articles on this topic: Scripps Research Institute News>> Chemical & Engineering News>> Genome Web Daily>> Interview with departing Scripps president in Nature, March 1, 2011>> Profile of Michael Marletta in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (June 2010) |
Michael A. Marletta, Ph.D., a 1973 biochemistry graduate of SUNY Fredonia, has been named President of Scripps Research Institute, a world-renowned pioneer in biomedical science. With the appointment, which becomes effective Jan. 2, 2012, Marletta will succeed Richard A. Lerner, MD, who has led the institution for the past 25 years.
He will join the Scripps Research faculty in July and continue his research on the intersection of chemistry and biology. He is recognized as a leader in the discovery of the role of nitric oxide as a critical player in communication between cells.
With the appointment, Marletta will leave his post at UC Berkeley, where he is chair of the Department of Chemistry, co-director of the Chemical Biology Graduate Program, Aldo DeBenedictis Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology.
“We are thrilled Michael is assuming this important role,” said Dick Gephardt, President/CEO of Gephardt Government Affairs and Lead Trustee of the Scripps Research Board of Trustees. “We are confident Michael’s leadership and vision will ensure the institute’s continued preeminence in biomedical research and graduate education.”
Marletta indicated it is an honor to be named to lead one of the premier research institutions in the world. “In addition to my excitement about being asked to serve as president, I am thrilled about moving my research program to Scripps Research and working with my new Scripps Research colleagues to push forward the institute’s legacy of creating knowledge, improving healthcare, and educating the next generation of scientists.”
Lerner, who will continue to be a part of the research program, welcomes Marletta as his successor. “I have great confidence in his abilities and look forward to working with him during the transition and beyond. Given Michael’s expertise, we can be secure in the knowledge that the flagship programs of the institute will continue to thrive,” said Lerner.
The arrival of Marletta as president and recognition of Lerner’s service will be recognized throughout the year, as will the 50th anniversary of the institute’s focus on biomedical research.
A native of Rochester, Marletta graduated from SUNY Fredonia with a degree in Chemistry and Biology. He completed graduate work at the University of California at Berkeley and went on to a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has served as an assistant and associate professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, professor at the University of Michigan and professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Marletta is the recipient of dozens of awards and honors, including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (1995), election to the Institute of Medicine (1999); Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, University of Michigan (2000); election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2001); and election to the National Academy of Sciences (2006). He also served as a former Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.
Marletta currently serves on the editorial boards of ACS Chemical Biology and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, among other journals. A member of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Review Board and the Fredonia College Foundation Board of Directors, he also serves on scientific advisory boards of Lycera, Viamet Pharmaceuticals and N30 Pharma, and is a co-founder of Omniox, Inc.
Even with his considerable accomplishments, Marletta is still able make return visits to the Fredonia campus and give back to his alma mater. He created the Mary J. Marletta scholarship for the recruitment of freshmen or transfer students as biochemistry majors. This scholarship was created in the memory of his mother, who passed away just three days before Michael was to receive his Fredonia degree. In 2009, he also participated in the Natural Sciences Advisory Council, assisting in the development of the new science and technology center. He has been involved in numerous seminars on campus and spoke at the 2010 Scholars Breakfast.
Marletta and his wife, Margaret Gutowski, have a 15-year-old son, Matthew.
The Scripps Research Institute is one of the world's largest independent, non-profit biomedical research organizations. Headquartered in La Jolla, Calif., Scripps Research is internationally recognized for its discoveries in immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, neuroscience and vaccine development, as well as research into immune, cardiovascular, and infectious disease. The institute also includes a campus in Jupiter, Fla., where scientists focus on basic biomedical science, drug discovery, and technology development. Scripps Research currently employs approximately 3,000 scientists, staff, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students at its two campuses.
The institute's graduate program, which awards Ph.D. degrees in biology and chemistry, is ranked among the top 10 such programs in the nation. To learn more, see www.scripps.edu.
