Stephen J. O'Brien
Encyclopedia
Stephen J. O'Brien is an American geneticist
. He was the editor-in-chief, and is currently the advisory editor of the scientific journal
Journal of Heredity
. He received a Ph.D. degree studying genetics at Cornell University
in 1971 and was a Cornell A. D. White Professor-at-large from 1999-2005.
He is known for his contributions on the evolution of mammal
ian virus
es and the adaptation to this exposure by the host, but also works on mammalian systematics. He works as chief in the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National Cancer Institute
, USA. O'Brien is also the author or editor of several books and monographs, including:
Some of his work has been on the discovery and explanation of low genetic variability in the cheetah species. A large contributor to the hypothesis that the cheetah was reduced in population size due to a large bottlenecking event
, O’Brien has been analyzing the causes and effects of the cheetah’s genetic homogeny since 1980, and it is one of the most published authors on the subject.
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
. He was the editor-in-chief, and is currently the advisory editor of the scientific journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
Journal of Heredity
Journal of Heredity
The Journal of Heredity is a scientific journal concerned with heredity in a biological sense, i.e. genetics...
. He received a Ph.D. degree studying genetics at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1971 and was a Cornell A. D. White Professor-at-large from 1999-2005.
He is known for his contributions on the evolution of mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
ian virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es and the adaptation to this exposure by the host, but also works on mammalian systematics. He works as chief in the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
, USA. O'Brien is also the author or editor of several books and monographs, including:
- Genetic Maps, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1990)
- Tears of the Cheetah (2003, autobiographic)
- Atlas of Mammalian Chromosomes, Wiley, (2006)
Some of his work has been on the discovery and explanation of low genetic variability in the cheetah species. A large contributor to the hypothesis that the cheetah was reduced in population size due to a large bottlenecking event
Population bottleneck
A population bottleneck is an evolutionary event in which a significant percentage of a population or species is killed or otherwise prevented from reproducing....
, O’Brien has been analyzing the causes and effects of the cheetah’s genetic homogeny since 1980, and it is one of the most published authors on the subject.