John E. Casida
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entomologist, toxicologist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
Birth and education
John E. Casida was born in 1929 in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He completed this BS from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1951. He completed his MS in 1951 and PhD in 1954 from the same university.
Research
John E. Casida is known for his research on the toxicologyToxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
and mode of action of most major insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, and their synergists. This research included the discovery that ryanoid and cyclodiene insecticides disrupt the calcium and GABA
Gabâ
Gabâ or gabaa, for the people in many parts of the Philippines), is the concept of a non-human and non-divine, imminent retribution. A sort of negative karma, it is generally seen as an evil effect on a person because of their wrongdoings or transgressions...
channels, which has opened up research directed towards identifying new compounds that interact with GABA receptors. Additional areas of study include research on the synthesis, metabolism, toxicokinetics and mechanisms of toxicity of the organophosphates, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids
Neonicotinoids
Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides which act on the central nervous system of insects with lower toxicity to mammals. Neonicotinoids are among the most widely used insecticides worldwide, but recently the uses of some members of this class have been restricted in some countries due to a...
. In addition, he is described as being a "Highly Cited" researcher by ISI Web of Knowledge, and currently has in excess of 850 scientific publications.
He has synthesized compounds that are more active and less persistent than insecticides currently used in agricultural practice and his contributions have provided a rational basis for the evaluation of the risks and benefits of pesticides and toxicants.
He was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1991 and to the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(UK) in 1998. In 1993, he was awarded the Wolf Prize in Agriculture
Wolf Prize in Agriculture
The Wolf Prize in Agriculture is awarded once a year by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics and the Arts...
"for his pioneering studies on the mode of action of insecticides, design of safer pesticides and contributions to the understanding of nerve and muscle function in insects". Additional honors include receiving the Founders Award from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (1994) and the Koro-Sho Prize from the Pesticide Science Society of Japan (1995). He is currently the William Muriece Hoskins Chair in Chemical and Molecular Entomology at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.