Biography
Ronald David Vale ForMemRS (born 1959) is an American biochemist and cell biologist. He is a Janelia Senior Group Leader at HHMI [ 3 ] and an emeritus professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology , University of California, San Francisco . [ 4 ] His research is focused on motor proteins , particularly kinesin and dynein . [ 5 ] He was awarded the Canada Gairdner International Award for Biomedical Research in 2019, the Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine in 2017 together with Ian Gibbons , and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 2012 alongside Michael Sheetz and James Spudich . He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the National Academy of Sciences . He was the president of the American Society for Cell Biology in 2012. [ 6 ] He has also been an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1995. [ 4 ] In 2019, Vale was named executive director of the Janelia Research Campus and a vice president of HHMI; his appointment began in early 2020 and ended in August 2024. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Vale was born in Hollywood , California . His mother, Evelyn, was a former actress; his father, Eugene , was a novelist and screenwriter. He finished high school at Hollywood High School . For his grade 10 science project, he set up a laboratory at the basement of his home to investigate the circadian rhythm of bean plants. His guidance counselor contacted Karl Hammer at the University of California, Los Angeles , who allowed Vale to continue his experiments at his laboratory. His guidance counselor also encouraged Vale to submit his work to the Westinghouse Science Talent Search (now the Regeneron Science Talent Search ), where he was selected as one of the top forty students in the US. [ 1 ] Vale is a first-generation university student. [ 1 ] He entered the College of Creative Studies , University of California, Santa Barbara , and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and biology in 1980. [ 9 ] Du Fields: Biochemistry, Cell Biology
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