July 6, 2012
LA JOLLA, CA—The Salk Institute is pleased to announce that faculty member Greg Lemke has been named the inaugural holder of the Françoise Gilot-Salk Chair, in recognition of his significant research accomplishments and scientific leadership.
Ferring Pharmaceuticals, a global, specialty biopharmaceuticals company that recently donated $10 million to provide funding for the highest research priorities at the Salk Institute, established the endowed chair in honor of Françoise Gilot-Salk –the internationally acclaimed artist and the widow of Dr. Jonas Salk.
“Selecting Greg as the recipient of this chair is further acknowledgement of his exceptional scientific accomplishments” said Salk president William R. Brody. “He epitomizes the Salk Institute’s legacy of excellence and innovation and I congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition”
Lemke, a professor in the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, is renowned for his distinguished contributions to understanding the roles that receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) pathways play in regulating nervous system development and immune system function. The endowment will help support his research on the role that TAM receptors play in immune regulation. These receptors, which were discovered in Lemke’s lab, are central inhibitors of the innate immune response to bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Diminished activity of the TAM system is associated with systemic Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and other human inflammatory syndromes, while activation of the TAMs facilitates virus infection.
Lemke is currently investigating agents that either activate or inhibit TAM receptor signaling to develop new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of human autoimmune diseases and viral infections.
Acerca del Instituto Salk de Estudios Biológicos:
El Instituto Salk de Estudios Biológicos es una de las instituciones de investigación básica más destacadas del mundo, donde un cuerpo docente de prestigio internacional investiga cuestiones fundamentales de las ciencias de la vida en un entorno único, colaborativo y creativo. Centrados tanto en el descubrimiento como en la formación de las futuras generaciones de investigadores, los científicos del Salk realizan contribuciones revolucionarias a nuestra comprensión del cáncer, el envejecimiento, el Alzheimer, la diabetes y las enfermedades infecciosas mediante el estudio de la neurociencia, la genética, la biología celular y vegetal, y otras disciplinas relacionadas.
Los logros del cuerpo docente han sido reconocidos con numerosos galardones, entre los que se incluyen premios Nobel y la pertenencia a la Academia Nacional de Ciencias. Fundado en 1960 por el Dr. Jonas Salk, pionero en la vacuna contra la poliomielitis, el Instituto es una organización independiente sin fines de lucro y un hito arquitectónico.
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