Richard Lerner
Encyclopedia
Richard A. Lerner is an American research chemist
. Best known for his work on catalytic antibodies, Lerner is currently President of The Scripps Research Institute
(TSRI), and a member of its Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, in La Jolla, California.
and excelled at chemistry and wrestling
as a schoolboy. After attending Northwestern University
as an undergraduate, Lerner obtained an MD
from Stanford Medical School in 1964 then undertook postdoctoral training at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, an early incarnation of the institute he would eventually lead. In the 1970s Lerner carried out research at the Wistar Institute
in Philadelphia then returned to La Jolla to the now renamed Research Institute of Scripps Clinic. In 1982 he was appointed chairman of the Department of Molecular Biology
, then five years later assumed the directorship. In 1991, when the TSRI was established as a nonprofit entity, Lerner became its first president.
In addition to his research into catalytic antibodies, providing a method of catalyzing chemical reactions thought impossible using classical techniques, Lerner has led extensive studies into protein structure
, characterised cis-9,10-octadecenoamide
, a novel lipid
hormone
that induces sleep, and provided the first evidence of a role for ozone
in human disease. As of 2007, Lerner's résumé
listed 67 patent
s and 403 published scientific papers.
In addition to his role as TSRI president , Lerner is the Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of Immunochemistry and Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Chair in Chemistry. He has been the recipient of over 29 honors and prizes. These include the Parke-Davis
Award in 1978, the San Marino
Prize in 1990, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry
for 1994 (with Peter Schultz). He was the Myron L. Bender
and Muriel S. Bender Summer Lecturer at Northwestern University
in 1994 as well. Richard Lerner was awarded the California Scientist of the Year Award in 1996 and the University of California
Presidential Medal in 2002. He has also been elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
and the United States National Academy of Sciences
. In 2010 he was awarded an honorary degree
from the University of Warwick
to add to those he received from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in 2001, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
in 2003 and Florida Atlantic University
in 2004 and University of Oxford
in 2007.
Under Lerner's leadership, The Scripps Research Institute has grown threefold in terms of laboratory space and more than quadrupled its staff levels, making it among the largest nonprofit biomedical research organizations in the world. He also oversaw the establishment of a sister research campus, called Scripps Florida
, in Palm Beach County. In 2006, Lerner announced that he intends to "return to full-time research in [his] laboratory" in five years In 2011 it was announced that Lerner's replacement as Scripps President will be Michael Marletta
. Lerner will officially step down on 1 January, 2012, having led the Institute for 25 years,
In 2005 Lerner's TSRI salary was US$1,212,071, placing among the top ten percent of nonprofit executives in the USA. Lerner also serves on the boards of six for-profit and nonprofit companies, including Kraft Foods
, advises four other companies and two venture capital funds. He has declined to reveal the sum of his earnings, but acknowledged he earned $8.5 million for his part in the discovery of Humira.
Lerner's entrepreneurial activities have drawn comment. A consumer advocacy organization, Public Citizen
, claimed it constitutes "a conflict of interest" while acknowledging there is "nothing illegal" in his multiple activities. Donald Kennedy
described Lerner's numerous commitments as "unusually rich array... But if he can manage them fairly, then I can't make a particular criticism of it." Lerner's contract with TSRI stipulates he spends no more than 10% of his time on outside activities, however, and he says the actual amount is "far less." Lerner has also published a novel called Epidemic 9 (ISBN 068803585X) about, according to the St. Petersburg Times
, "a young scientific investigator who swears off wealth and status in favor of public service work".
Lerner married Nicola Green Lerner, a physician, in 1981. He has three adult children; Danica, Arik and Aaron by a previous marriage to Diana Pickett, a psychotherapist.
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
. Best known for his work on catalytic antibodies, Lerner is currently President of The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute is an American medical research facility that focuses on research in the basic biomedical sciences. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, with a sister facility in Jupiter, Florida, the institute is home to 3,000 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and...
(TSRI), and a member of its Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, in La Jolla, California.
Biography
Lerner grew up in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and excelled at chemistry and wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
as a schoolboy. After attending Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
as an undergraduate, Lerner obtained an MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from Stanford Medical School in 1964 then undertook postdoctoral training at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, an early incarnation of the institute he would eventually lead. In the 1970s Lerner carried out research at the Wistar Institute
Wistar Institute
The Wistar Institute is a biomedical center, with a focus on cancer research and vaccine development. It is located in the University City section of Philadelphia, Pa...
in Philadelphia then returned to La Jolla to the now renamed Research Institute of Scripps Clinic. In 1982 he was appointed chairman of the Department of Molecular Biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
, then five years later assumed the directorship. In 1991, when the TSRI was established as a nonprofit entity, Lerner became its first president.
In addition to his research into catalytic antibodies, providing a method of catalyzing chemical reactions thought impossible using classical techniques, Lerner has led extensive studies into protein structure
Protein structure
Proteins are an important class of biological macromolecules present in all organisms. Proteins are polymers of amino acids. Classified by their physical size, proteins are nanoparticles . Each protein polymer – also known as a polypeptide – consists of a sequence formed from 20 possible L-α-amino...
, characterised cis-9,10-octadecenoamide
Oleamide
Oleamide is an amide of the fatty acid oleic acid. It is an endogenous substance: it occurs naturally in the body of animals. It accumulates in the cerebrospinal fluid during sleep deprivation and induces sleep in animals...
, a novel lipid
Lipid
Lipids constitute a broad group of naturally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins , monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, and others...
hormone
Hormone
A hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one...
that induces sleep, and provided the first evidence of a role for ozone
Ozone
Ozone , or trioxygen, is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope...
in human disease. As of 2007, Lerner's résumé
Résumé
A résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
listed 67 patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s and 403 published scientific papers.
In addition to his role as TSRI president , Lerner is the Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of Immunochemistry and Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Chair in Chemistry. He has been the recipient of over 29 honors and prizes. These include the Parke-Davis
Parke-Davis
Parke-Davis is a subsidiary of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Although no longer an independent corporation, it was once America's oldest and largest drug maker, and played an important role in medical history.- History :...
Award in 1978, the San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
Prize in 1990, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry
Wolf Prize in Chemistry
The Wolf Prize in Chemistry 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 Agriculture, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics and Arts.-Laureates:...
for 1994 (with Peter Schultz). He was the Myron L. Bender
Myron L. Bender
Myron Lee Bender was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He obtained his B.S. and his Ph.D. from Purdue University. The latter was under the direction of Henry B. Hass. After postdoctoral research under Paul D. Barlett , and Frank H. Westheimer , he spent one year as a faculty member at the...
and Muriel S. Bender Summer Lecturer at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in 1994 as well. Richard Lerner was awarded the California Scientist of the Year Award in 1996 and the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
Presidential Medal in 2002. He has also been elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
and 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 2010 he was awarded an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
to add to those he received from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in 2001, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is a university in Beersheba, Israel, established in 1969. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has a current enrollment of 17,400 students, and is one of Israel's fastest growing universities....
in 2003 and Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
in 2004 and University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in 2007.
Under Lerner's leadership, The Scripps Research Institute has grown threefold in terms of laboratory space and more than quadrupled its staff levels, making it among the largest nonprofit biomedical research organizations in the world. He also oversaw the establishment of a sister research campus, called Scripps Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, in Palm Beach County. In 2006, Lerner announced that he intends to "return to full-time research in [his] laboratory" in five years In 2011 it was announced that Lerner's replacement as Scripps President will be Michael Marletta
Michael Marletta
Michael A. Marletta is an American biochemist, professor at University of California, Berkeley and president-elect of The Scripps Research Institute....
. Lerner will officially step down on 1 January, 2012, having led the Institute for 25 years,
In 2005 Lerner's TSRI salary was US$1,212,071, placing among the top ten percent of nonprofit executives in the USA. Lerner also serves on the boards of six for-profit and nonprofit companies, including Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, advises four other companies and two venture capital funds. He has declined to reveal the sum of his earnings, but acknowledged he earned $8.5 million for his part in the discovery of Humira.
Lerner's entrepreneurial activities have drawn comment. A consumer advocacy organization, Public Citizen
Public Citizen
Public Citizen is a non-profit, consumer rights advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a branch in Austin, Texas. Public Citizen was founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, headed for 26 years by Joan Claybrook, and is now headed by Robert Weissman.-Lobbying Efforts:Public Citizen...
, claimed it constitutes "a conflict of interest" while acknowledging there is "nothing illegal" in his multiple activities. Donald Kennedy
Donald Kennedy
Donald Kennedy is an American scientist, public administrator and academic.Donald Kennedy was born in New York and educated at Harvard University...
described Lerner's numerous commitments as "unusually rich array... But if he can manage them fairly, then I can't make a particular criticism of it." Lerner's contract with TSRI stipulates he spends no more than 10% of his time on outside activities, however, and he says the actual amount is "far less." Lerner has also published a novel called Epidemic 9 (ISBN 068803585X) about, according to the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
, "a young scientific investigator who swears off wealth and status in favor of public service work".
Lerner married Nicola Green Lerner, a physician, in 1981. He has three adult children; Danica, Arik and Aaron by a previous marriage to Diana Pickett, a psychotherapist.
External links
- Richard Alan Lerner, Curriculum Vitae
- Richard Lerner named "Scientist of the Year" by The Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation
- The Scripps Research Institute