VITAL SIGNS M J J ON ON A RK W G G I I L L BE BE AS R R H T T F F B UR O O X X N Geisel School of Medicine faculty who are fellows of the American The American Association for the Advancement of Science recently named Duane Compton (left), Jason Moore (center), and Association for the Advancement George O’Toole (right) fellows. of Science (AAAS) AAAS honors three researchers Charles Barlowe, Ph.D., chair and Three Geisel School of Medi- cell division. Much of his work rectly challenge mainstream ap- professor of biochemistry cine faculty members have has focused on the mechanics of proaches in human genetics, and Ta-Yuan Chang, Ph.D., professor of been elected 2011 fellows of chromosome segregation—and this award is a recognition that biochemistry the American Association for the problems caused when chro- we are doing so successfully.” the Advancement of Science mosomes are not properly dis- O’Toole, a professor of mi- Ambrose Cheung, M.D., professor of (AAAS). Duane Compton, tributed as a cell divides. Comp- crobiology and immunology, has microbiology and immunology Ph.D., Jason Moore, Ph.D., and ton has also studied the related conducted research that has led Duane Compton, Ph.D., professor of George O’Toole, Ph.D., all re- problem of chromosome insta- to a much better understanding biochemistry ceived the honor, bringing the bility—the tendency for cells of how bacteria form large colo- Jay Dunlap, Ph.D., chair and total number of AAAS fellows to segregate their chromosomes nies called biofilms, which has professor of genetics and professor on the faculty to 14. The AAAS incorrectly, which is a common significant clinical implications of biochemistry is the world’s largest scientific feature of cancer cells. In 2009, for the treatment of diseases society and inducts new fellows Compton and other researchers such as cystic fibrosis. Biofilms Jennifer Loros, Ph.D., professor of each year to recognize scientists in his lab were the first to report are more resistant to antibiotics biochemistry and of genetics who have made significant con- a successful attempt to sup- than individual bacteria cells, Jason Moore, Ph.D., Third Century tributions to their fields. press chromosome instability in so O’Toole’s work on unravel- Professor, professor of genetics “The election of these out- cancer cells. ing the mechanics of biofilm and of community and family standing faculty members Moore, a professor of genet- formation has opened the way medicine as AAAS fellows illustrates ics and of community and family to develop more effective treat- Martin Lubin, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Geisel School of Medicine’s medicine, is the director of the ments. “It was a great honor to microbiology and immunology creative curiosity, scientific Institute for Quantitative Bio- be named an AAAS fellow,” he professor of rigor, and passion to improve medical Sciences and a leader says. “And I think it speaks well George O’Toole, Ph.D., microbiology and immunology the lives of the people we serve,” in the field of computational ge- of the medical school to have says Dean Wiley “Chip” Souba, netics. For years he has argued three fellows named this year— Elmer Pfefferkorn, Ph.D., professor M.D., Sc.D. for the importance of looking at I am fortunate to be in some ex- of microbiology and immunology Nominations and elections the complexity of relationships cellent company here.” emeritus are determined by other scien- between genes when teasing Moore points out that an- Hilda Weyl Sokol, Ph.D., professor of tists, which the new fellows ap- apart the causes of common dis- other researcher who was also physiology emeritus preciate. “It is nice to know that eases, which has run contrary to named an AAAS fellow this year Harold Sox, M.D., professor of our scientific peers recognize the the field’s focus on finding single will soon join the Geisel School. medicine emeritus contributions that my group has genetic mutations to explain Scott Williams, Ph.D., currently made,” says Compton, a profes- these diseases. a researcher at Vanderbilt and Michael Sporn, M.D., professor of sor of biochemistry and the se- “Being named a fellow is im- a long-time collaborator with pharmacology and toxicology nior associate dean of research. portant to me because it is an Moore, will arrive this summer and of medicine “I’m honored by that and grate- endorsement of our research to become the director of the William Wickner, M.D., James C. ful to all the students and fellows program, which challenges the Center for Integrative Biomedi- Chilcott 1920 Distinguished that have contributed to the status quo of assuming that cal Sciences, adding yet another Professor of Biochemistry work in my lab over the years.” genes have simple effects on the AAAS fellow to the faculty. Compton’s research has led risk of common human diseases,” — Amos Esty to an improved understanding of Moore says. “It is not easy to di- Spring 2012 dartmed.dartmouth.edu | Dartmouth Medicine 7.