Wylie Vale, Salk scientist, pioneer and leader, dies at 70

January 6, 2012

Wylie Vale, Salk scientist, pioneer and leader, dies at 70

Salk scientist made significant discoveries in brain health, heart failure, metabolism and hormones

January 6, 2012

LA JOLLA, CA—Dr. Wylie Vale, a Salk Institute professor and world-renowned expert on brain hormones, died January 3 while on vacation in Hana, Hawaii. He was 70 years old.

Vale was head of the Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology and the Helen McLoraine Chair in Molecular Neurobiology at the Salk.

He was highly regarded as the global authority on peptide hormones and growth factors that provide communication between the brain and endocrine system. Vale and his collaborators identified the central switchboard, a group of neuropeptides and their receptors that mediate the body’s responses to stress and stress-related disorders. Their research led to new methods for the diagnosis of pituitary disease and opened new possibilities for the development of drugs aimed at treating anxiety, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and even drug abuse.

Vale was born in Houston, Texas, on July 3, 1941. He earned his B.A. degree in biology from Rice University and his Ph.D. in physiology and biochemistry from Baylor College of Medicine. He would later work with Roger Guillemin, Nobel laureate and Salk scientist, before joining the Salk in 1970.

Vale received his distinguished appointment as professor at the institute in 1980. Since then, he discovered more than a dozen novel peptide hormones and receptors, co-authored more than 600 peer-reviewed papers and is among the most cited scientific authors of the past several decades. He was also an adjunct professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego.

In 1981, Vale and his colleagues became the first to characterize the peptide known as corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). They demonstrated that the production of CRF by certain cells in the brain triggered many of the body’s hormonal, immune and behavioral responses to stressful situations. Vale’s work revealed that an unusual high production of CRF is associated with several disorders, including anxiety, drug abuse, depression and anorexia.

In 2004, Vale and his colleagues at the University of California, San Diego established the firmest link between a family of hormones that helps the body adapt to stress and possible new treatments for congestive heart failure. Vale discovered that the hormone urocortin-2 has a positive impact on heart function, and the hormone was shown to significantly enhance heart muscle contractions.

As a result of Vale’s research, he co-founded Neurocrine Biosciences, a public company based in part upon his identification and study of peptides and receptors. His discoveries also led to several other companies in the world to work on CRF blockers, leading to clinical trials for the treatment of anxiety and depression.

“Wylie was a brilliant scientist, witty, always optimistic, full of life and one of the wisest faculty colleagues,” said Inder Verma, a professor in Salk’s Laboratory of Genetics. “I will miss his constant bantering and self-deprecating humor more than I can imagine.”

In recognition of his scientific achievements, Vale was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also served as the president of the American Endocrine Society and the International Society of Endocrinology.

He spent more than 40 years conducting groundbreaking research at the Salk Institute. Vale passed away in his sleep. He is survived by his wife Betty, their daughters, Elizabeth and Susannah, and his granddaughter Celeste. A private service is planned for the family.

Click to view Wylie Vale’s tribute page and leave a memory>>

关于索尔克生物研究所：

索尔克生物研究所是世界顶尖的基础研究机构之一，其国际知名的教职人员在一个独特、协作和富有创造性的环境中，深入探究生命科学的基本问题。索尔克科学家们致力于发现和指导未来几代研究人员，通过研究神经科学、遗传学、细胞和植物生物学以及相关学科，在癌症、衰老、阿尔茨海默氏症、糖尿病和传染病的认识方面做出了开创性的贡献。.

学院取得了许多成就，获得了包括诺贝尔奖和美国国家科学院院士在内的无数荣誉。该研究所由脊髓灰质炎疫苗先驱 Jonas Salk 博士于 1960 年创立，是一家独立的非营利组织和建筑地标。.