March 22, 2004

CMM West Named For Nobel Laureate George Palade

By Leslie Franz

George Palade M.D.

“We never truly touch or see these wonderful tiny devices that keep every cell and every being alive – since they are far beyond what our senses can perceive unaided. But for us they are alive in our minds, close to our hearts, very much parts of the real world, just like the galaxies with their neutron stars and their pulsars are at the other end of the spectrum of dimensions of matter for our colleagues, the radioastronomers.

“For a scientist, it is a unique experience to live through a period in which his field of endeavour comes to bloom – to be witness to those rare moments when the dawn of understanding finally descends upon what appeared to be confusion only a while ago—to listen to the sound of darkness crumbling.” George E. Palade, Nobel Banquet speech, December 1974

UCSD Vice Chancellor Edward Holmes, George Palade

A distinguished group of scientists and guests traveled from around the country to celebrate the naming of the University of California, San Diego’s Cellular and Molecular Medicine West Building as the George Palade Laboratories for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

The UCSD School of Medicine’s founding Dean for Scientific Affairs George Palade, M.D., was guest of honor, joined by members of his family at ceremonies which took place on March 16 at the School of Medicine.

Members of the George E. Palade Chair Honorary Committee with George Palade and Marilyn Farquhar

Palade, considered to be the father of modern cell biology, is internationally recognized for his pioneering use of a combination of electron microscopy and cell fractionation (biochemistry) to describe the structure and function of cells. He has received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the National Medal of Science, the Gairdner Special Award, the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, and the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, and he has been a member of the National Academy of Sciences since 1961, among his many honors.

“George Palade is an extraordinarily visionary and gifted scientist, and a generous mentor who has earned the widespread respect and affection of colleagues, many of whom trained under him and have gone on to stellar careers of their own,” said Edward W. Holmes, M.D., UCSD’s Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences “As the School of Medicine’s first Dean for Scientific Affairs, he has created a legacy for what a position such as this can accomplish. Most importantly, he brought to UCSD his vision for and commitment to academic and scientific excellence. He implemented this vision in the creation of a new department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and with his and Marilyn Farquhar's leadership it has risen to be one of the preeminent cell biology programs in the nation.

“He was instrumental in recruiting some of the leading cell and molecular biologists in the country to this campus -- and these recruits in turn have enriched the academic climate of the entire community in San Diego,” said Holmes. “He has worked tirelessly, and successfully, to identify new resources and bring them to UCSD. As a result of his efforts we now enjoy what is one of the most dynamic and stimulating scientific environments in the nation.

Dr. Palade accepts congratulations from Dr. David Sabatini

“I am therefore honored on behalf of the UCSD community, with the approval of UC President Robert C. Dynes, to name these facilities after George Palade, with the hope and expectation that the name will inspire all who pass through here to follow their curiosity as far as it will take them, to strive for excellence in all that they do, and to share their knowledge and experience with peers and students alike – following the example George has set for biomedical investigators around the world,” said Holmes.

Clockwise from left: UCSD colleagues Christopher Glass, M.D., Ph.D.; Michael G. Rosenfeld, Ph.D.; Gordon Gill, M.D.; Daniel Steinberg, M.D., Ph.D., and George E. Palade, M.D.

Palade was born in Romania, where he earned his M.D. He briefly practiced medicine and served in the medical corps of the Romanian Army during World War II, but early on his interests were directed toward the biomedical sciences. He came to the United States in 1946 to pursue his scientific studies at New York University, and became intrigued by the promise of electron microscopy in advancing the field of cell biology.

He soon moved to the Rockefeller Institute where he conducted groundbreaking work in tissue-preparation methods, advanced centrifuging techniques and cell fractionation, combined with electron microscopy studies that resulted in the discovery and description of several cellular structures and their organization. In addition to conducting his own seminal work, his laboratory became a training ground for many of today’s leading cell biologists.

Clockwise from left: Doug and Wendy Farquhar, son and daughter-in-law of Marilyn Farquhar; Marilyn Farquhar; Georgia Van Duzen, daughter of George Palade; and George E. Palade

In 1973 he left the Rockefeller Institute to join Yale University Medical School as chair of the new Department of Cell Biology. He has written that “the main reason for this move was my belief that the time had come for fruitful interactions between the new discipline of Cell Biology and the traditional fields of interest of medical schools, namely Pathology and Clinical Medicine.”

In 1990 he left Yale to accept the position of Dean for Scientific Affairs at UCSD’s School of Medicine. As a result of his leadership, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research established laboratories at UCSD, and he attracted the interest and support of the Markey Foundation for Graduate Student Fellowships, and many other important private and public sponsors of biomedical research and training. Though he retired in 2001 he remains active, and continues to serve as a valued advisor.

His contributions extend beyond his research and academic activities. He has served on numerous scientific advisory and review boards, and was a founding father of the Journal of Cell Biology, and served as inaugural editor of the Annual Review of Cell Biology for the first ten years of its existence.

To further honor Palade's career, UCSD has initiated a campaign for the establishment of an endowed chair that will honor in perpetuity his contributions to science, research and teaching. For more information regarding the George E. Palade Endowed Chair contact Elizabeth Shed (858) 822-1119, eshed@ucsd.edu.

In addition to Holmes, guests who spoke at the dedication of the Palade Laboratories were David Sabatini, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine and co-chair of the George E. Palade Chair Honorary Committee; James Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Director of Medical Studies, Yale University School of Medicine and also co-chair of the honorary committee; and Randy Schekman, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco.

Also, Lubert Stryer, M.D., Winzer Professor of Cell Biology and Professor of Neurobiology at Stanford University, School of Medicine, and his wife Andrea Stryer, an author; Samuel Silverstein, M.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, and Professor of Medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University; and Gerard Burrow, David Paige Smith Professor of Medicine and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Yale University School of Medicine and former Dean and Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, UCSD.

And, from UCSD, Marilyn Farquhar, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Scott Emr, Ph.D., Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Biology, and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Larry Goldstein, Ph.D., Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Christopher Glass, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Medicine; Daniel Steinberg, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine; Susan Taylor, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Gordon Gill, M.D., Professor of Medicine.

Media Contact: Leslie Franz (619) 543-6163