School Notes: School of Medicine
September/October 2011

Advancing Stem Cell Science

A recent gift to the Yale Stem Cell Center from the Li Ka Shing Foundation will fund improvements in two of the center’s four core laboratories. In the human embryonic stem cell facility, the donation will support the introduction of induced pluripotent stem cell technology, which will bring scientists closer to tailoring patient-specific cells for the treatment of disease. The gift will also fund the replacement of the genomics core’s Illumina sequencer with a newer model, as well as the hiring of a new research associate and the enhancement of analytical software.

Microbiologist Honored

Jorge Galán, Lucille P. Markey Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis, professor of cell biology, and chair of the section of microbial pathogenesis, has won the 2011 Robert Koch Award, one of the highest honors in microbiology, for his work on the mechanisms of infection by food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. These bacteria cause millions of cases of infectious gastroenteritis worldwide each year. “With his fundamental research on mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis [Galán] contributed substantially to the foundation of cellular microbiology as a scientific field,” stated the award citation from the Robert Koch Foundation, based in Berlin, Germany. He and members of his lab study the molecular “cross-talk” that occurs between pathogens and their hosts during infection.

Leader in Vascular Biology Appointed as Gilman Professor

William C. Sessa, a leading researcher on blood vessel function and vascular disease, has been designated as Alfred Gilman Professor of Pharmacology. Sessa’s research focuses on the vascular endothelium, cells that line all blood vessels and form the largest endocrine organ in the human body. His laboratory is investigating the factors, including genes, that can cause dysregulation of the endothelium and contribute to cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and other diseases. He is also using proteomics techniques to discover novel proteins that may regulate blood vessel function. Sessa joined the Yale faculty in 1993 as an assistant professor of pharmacology and has been a full professor at the School of Medicine since 1999. He serves as director of the interdepartmental vascular biology and therapeutics program and as vice chair of the Department of Pharmacology. Sessa has authored or coauthored more than 200 research articles or papers.