Biography
Philip Leder (November 19, 1934 – February 2, 2020) was an American geneticist . Leder was born in Washington, D.C. , and studied at Harvard University , graduating in 1956. In 1960, he graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed his medical residency at the University of Minnesota. Leder made several contributions in each decade of the modern genetics era from the 1960s through the 1990s. He may be best known for his early work with Marshall Nirenberg in the elucidation of the genetic code and the Nirenberg and Leder experiment . Since then, he has made several contributions in the fields of molecular genetics , immunology and the genetics of cancer . His group defined the base sequence of a complete mammalian gene (the gene for beta globin ), which enabled him to determine its organization in detail, including its associated control signals. His research into the structure of genes which carry the code for antibody molecules was of major significance. The main focus of this inquiry was the question of how the vast diversity of antibody molecules is formed by a limited number of encoded genes. Leder's work on antibody genes was later extended to research into Burkitt's lymphoma , a tumour of antibody-producing cells, which involves the oncogene c-myc . This was crucial in understanding the origin of this type of tumor. In 1988, Leder and Timothy Stewart were granted the first patent on a genetically engineered animal . This animal, a mouse which had genes injected into its embryo to increase susceptibility to cancer, became known as the " oncomouse " and has been used in the laboratory study of cancer therapies. Fields: Genetics, Molecular biology, Biochemistry
About the Lasker Award
The Lasker Awards have been awarded annually since 1946 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science or who have performed public service on behalf of medicine. They are administered by the Lasker Foundation, founded by advertising pioneer Albert Lasker and his wife Mary Woodard Lasker (a medical research activist). The awards are sometimes referred to as "America's Nobels."
Quick Facts
- Award: Lasker Award - Basic Medical Research
- Added: 2026-02-07
- Source: Wikipedia
- Established: 1946
- Presented by: Lasker Foundation