Laurie Glimcher

Laurie H. Glimcher is an American physician-scientist and dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. She succeeded Antonio M. Gotto Jr. in January 2012.[1] She is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Prior to her joining Weill Cornell, Glimcher was the Irene Heinz Given Professor of Immunology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.[2] Clinically, she is a specialist in osteoporosis.[1] She received her bachelor's degree at Radcliffe College in 1972 and her M.D. at Harvard Medical School in 1976.

Her research, according to her biography at Harvard, "uses biochemical and genetic approaches to elucidate the molecular pathways that regulate CD4 T helper cell development and activation. ... The Glimcher laboratory defined the genetic bases of both IL-4 and IFNg expression in T cells. They identified the proto-oncogene c-maf as the transcription factor responsible for Th2-specific IL-4 expression [and]...discovered the first Th1-specific transcription factor, T-bet and demonstrated that this single factor is a master-regulator of IFNg gene expression and the Th1 phenotype." [2]

She is reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education to have " extensive ties to two pharmaceutical companies, Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb.[1][3] According to the New York Times, since 1997 she has been on the Board of Bristol-Myers Squibb, and "received $244,500 in compensation for 2010" and "1.4 million in deferred share units" [1] Her research at Harvard has been partially funded by a three-year contract with Merck, "the company that makes Fosamax".[1] She is also on the Board of the Waters Corporation, a lab equipment manufacturer.[1] In this article, she "defended her outside interests, saying they presented no conflict as long as they were transparent. She said she wanted to 'leverage the strengths of everyone,' whether scientists, pharmaceutical companies or biotechnology companies. 'There should be no silos between all of these different strengths,' " [1]

Glimcher became the object of protests in the fall of 2015, which aimed to hold her responsible for a New York Blood Center decision to defund a primate research center in Liberia. Protestors argued that this resulted in the abandonment of 66 chimpanzees that had been research subjects there. Primatologist Jane Goodall became visibly involved in the protest. Glimcher left the NYBC board at the conclusion of her two year term at around the same time.[4]

On February 23, 2016 Glimcher was named the next President and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to begin in January 2017, succeeding Dr. Edward J. Benz.

Memberships

Awards

She was honored by a symposium at Harvard on April 15, 2011, titled " “A Commitment to Lineage: A Symposium in Celebration of Laurie Glimcher,.[5]

Protests

In May 2015, because of her role on the board of the New York Blood Center, concerned New Yorkers began protesting at the Cornell Medical School the neglect of 66 chimpanzees in Liberia abandoned by Dr. Glimcher with no food or water. The protests continue.[6][7]

Selected recent publications

jointly with other members of her laboratory:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hartocollis, Anemona (September 7, 2011). "Harvard Researcher Chosen as New Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College". The New York Times. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  2. 1 2 official p. at Harvard
  3. ↑ "New Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College Calls for Stronger Ties to Industry". Chronicle of Higher Education. September 8, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Weill Cornell Medicine Dean Accused of Chimp Abandonment". The Cornell Daily Sun. October 29, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  5. ↑ "HSPH's Laurie Glimcher Honored at Day-Long Symposium". Harvard School of Public Health. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  6. ↑ Protest at Cornell against NYBC's Laurie Glimcher, Videos by TheirTurn.net
  7. ↑ New York Blood Center Abandons 66 Chimps, Leaving Them To Die of Starvation, May 28, 2015, Donny Moss, TheirTurn.net

External links

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