For Friends of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Table of Contents From the Chair ................................................................ 3 International Programs ................................................. 38 Hector F. DeLuca Biochemical Sciences Complex ...........5 Our Department in England ........................................ 38 New Discoveries ............................................................. 6 Our Department in India .............................................39 Proles .............................................................................. Our Department in Uganda ......................................... 41 New faculty ...................................................................... In Memoriam .................................................................... Katie Henzler-Wildman ............................................. 15 Mo Cleland ..................................................................43 Vatsan Raman ............................................................ 17 John Garver ................................................................. 44 Philip Romero ............................................................18 Alfred Harper .............................................................. 45 Ophelia Venturelli ...................................................... 19 Vinod K. Shah ............................................................. 45 Alumni ............................................................................ Honors and Awards ........................................................... Michael Green ............................................................20 Boyer Awards ...............................................................46 William Rutter ...........................................................21 Faculty ......................................................................... 47 Emeritus .......................................................................... Sta ............................................................................. 48 Perry Frey ...................................................................22 Postdoctoral Scholars .................................................. 48 Dave Nelson ............................................................... 26 Graduate Students ....................................................... 49 Education and Training ..................................................... Undergraduates ........................................................... 55 Graduate Program: IPiB ..............................................27 From the Labs ................................................................... Biochemistry Graduate Degrees ..................................28 Emeritus ...................................................................... 57 Biochemistry Advisor Graduate Degrees ..................... 32 Faculty ......................................................................... 59 Graduate Student Organization: SFLC ........................35 Contact Information .................................................... 77 Postdoctoral Program ..................................................36 Donors ......................................................................... 78 Undergraduate Program .............................................. 37 Undergraduate Student Organization .......................... 37 E-mail: [email protected] Regular mail in care of the department – see page 77 for address information Like the Department on Facebook Follow the Department on Twitter facebook.com/UWBiochem twitter.com/UWBiochem From the Chair By Professor Brian Fox to hold the combined Biophysics Raines), and Dr. Scott Aoki (Prof. Kimble). Instrumentation Facility/Biophysics e Sigrid Leirmo Award, provided by Optical Core (BIF/BOC). When complete, a memorial endowment from the family, the BIF/BOC space will hold state-of- is given each year to a graduate student the-art instrumentation and microscopes for excellence in research and outstanding used to support the cutting-edge research service, and so honors Dr. Leirmo’s spirit being carried out in the Department. Our and achievements. e most recent winners operating plan for this facility also includes of this award have been Kim Haupt in 2016 making it accessible to researchers from (Prof. Kimble), Raashi Sreenivasan in 2015 across the campus. (Prof. Record), Emily Ru in 2014 (Prof. A new Biochemistry website was created Record), and Amber Schuh in 2013 (Prof. I have experienced the great honor and launched in December 2014. We also Audhya). of being Chair of the Department now have an active social media presence, of Biochemistry at the University of and our website and social media channels Faculty Accomplishments Wisconsin-Madison since July 2015. I are continually updated with new stories e Biochemistry faculty have active would like to personally thank Prof. Betty and features that we encourage you to check federal and non-federal grants and Craig for 10 years of outstanding leadership out. We hope you enjoy the more frequent contracts in excess of $15M, speaking to of the Department. She provided a strong and diverse forms of electronic and print the breadth of research being carried out foundation for hiring and investment in communications that keep you up to date in the Department today. Collectively, the department, and we (faculty, sta, on our Department’s impact. Please let us the Department has published over 350 and students) are now pursuing the many know your thoughts on these so that we may articles and chapters in the past two years. avenues laid out by her eorts. continue to improve. Despite the highly competitive nature of I would also like to thank Prof. Hector extramurally funded research in these times, Deluca, who has been a great friend and Student Accomplishments our faculty have continued to do well, counselor since I met him 24 years ago. Our undergraduate students continue to which is a testament to their dedication His unwavering support as I have learned be remarkably successful. We have over 650 and excellence in research. ere have also the complexities of being Chair has undergraduates who received a Bachelor’s been 46 new patents issued to nine dierent been immensely helpful, and I sincerely degree in Biochemistry since May 2013. Biochemistry faculty since 2015, and several appreciate it. Among these, 28 have received prestigious start-up companies have been formed, e following provides a brief outline of Hilldale Fellowships to perform research a demonstration of the continued focus noteworthy occurrences since our last print with Biochemistry faculty advisors. e on merging basic research with practical newsletter. I hope you will recognize that Department supports the research and travel discovery that has always been near to the the Department continues to ourish and of outstanding undergraduates through heart of this Department. innovate even in these challenging times for our Biochemistry Scholars Program (led Several of our faculty had notable research and higher education. by Prof. Mike Cox). e Department also career achievements. ese include David provides opportunities for international Pagliarini, who was promoted to Associate Sta Accomplishments experiences through our Uganda Program Professor and appointed Director and In 2015, the Department Administrative (led by Prof. James Ntambi); the SCORE Nielsen Chair of Metabolism, Morgridge team (Charlie Lor, Cathy Michael, David and Super G programs (led by Prof. Marv Institute for Research; Alan Attie, Parker and Kerry Tobin) won our rst Wickens); and the Khorana/Bose programs American Association for the Advancement campus-wide Administrative Improvement (led by Prof. Aseem Ansari), which also of Science Fellow; Laura Kiessling, Award. eir contribution was the brings many undergraduate interns from Alexander M. Cruickshank Award, Biochemistry Logistics Tool. is is a India into the department. Gordon Research Conferences; Judith portable bar-code scanning and tracking app ere were 69 graduate students who Kimble, Chair, President's Committee that allows ecient handling of packaging received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry since on the National Medal of Science, 2015- invoices. e BLT arose from necessity, as our last newsletter in 2012, and 116 2017; Ann Palmenberg, WARF Roland over 15,000 packages are now coming into postdoctoral fellows have trained with Rueckert Professor in Biochemistry and the Biochemistry Department each year. Biochemistry faculty. Our trainees are Molecular Virology; Ronald Raines, We use this sta-created tool for inventory, going on to successful careers in industry, Humboldt Research Award, Alexander tracking and distribution throughout the academia, government and many other von Humboldt Foundation; John Ralph, entire Hector F. DeLuca Biochemical professions. Distinguished Professor, University of Sciences Complex, which has more square Our most recent winners of the Boyer Tokyo, Japan; Michael Sussman, Wisconsin footage than the main oor of the Kohl Awards for Postdoctoral Excellence, Alumni Research Foundation Innovation Center! provided by an endowment from Nobel Award; and Douglas Weibel, Scialog Fellow, laureate Paul D. Boyer, have been Dr. Research Corporation and Gordon & Betty Research Infrastructure Zak Campbell (Prof. Wickens), Dr. Eric Moore Foundation. Aer several ts and starts, we have Montemayor (Prof. Butcher), Dr. Melkam Dave Nelson