Laureate Lecture Series

Fred H. Gage, PhD, the Vi and John Adler Professor for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disease at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, University of California, San Diego, will be the final speaker in the 2013 Laureate Lecture Series, a yearlong program highlighting some of the top biomedical researchers in their fields. Dr. Gage’s lecture, “Neuronal Plasticity and Neural Diversity,” will take place at noon on Tuesday, December 3, in Lecture Room 6, Scaife Hall.

Dr. Gage earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 1972. He completed his Master of Science degree and his PhD at Johns Hopkins University in 1975 and 1976, respectively. As an associate professor of histology at Lund University in Sweden from 1981 to 1985, Dr. Gage collaborated with Anders Björklund, MD, PhD—an international leader in studies of reparative and neuro-protective mechanisms in the central nervous system—on new approaches to cell repair in neurodegenerative disease, trauma, and aging.

In 1985, Dr. Gage joined the faculty of the University of California, San Diego, as an associate professor of neurosciences. In 1995, he joined the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where he is the Vi and John Adler Professor for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disease. His research focuses on the adult central nervous system and the unexpected plasticity and adaptability to environmental stimulation that remains throughout the life of mammals.

In 1998, Dr. Gage’s laboratory demonstrated that humans are capable of growing new nerve cells and that small populations of immature nerve cells can be found in the adult human brain. By studying the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis, Gage hopes to understand how immature nerve cells can be induced to become functioning nerve cells in the adult brain and spinal cord—work that may lead to new therapeutics for neurodegenerative conditions.

His lab models neurological diseases in vitro using human stem cells in an effort to understand the progression and mechanisms that lead to neuronal and glial dysfunction. He also studies the genomic mosaicism that exists in the brain as a result of mobile elements that are active during neurogenesis.

Dr. Gage serves on the scientific advisory boards of the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the International Society for Stem Cell Research, and the Ontario Brain Institute. He is a member of the editorial boards of 18 journals and has authored, co-authored, or edited more than 650 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and textbooks.

Among his many awards are the IPSEN Foundation’s Neuronal Plasticity Prize, the Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievements in Health and Education, the Metropolitan Life Foundation’s Award for Medical Research, the Fyssen Foundation’s International Prize, the Santiago Grisolía Chair Prize, and the Keio Medical Science Prize. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

		Fred H. Gage, PhD Vi and John Adler Professor for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disease Salk Institute for Biological Studies Neuronal Plasticity and Neural Diversity Tuesday, December 3, 12 Noon Scaife Hall, Lecture Room 6 Fred H. Gage, PhD, the Vi and John Adler Professor for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disease at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, University of California, San Diego, will be the final speaker in the 2013 Laureate Lecture Series, a yearlong program highlighting some of the top biomedical researchers in their fields. Dr. Gage’s lecture, “Neuronal Plasticity and Neural Diversity,” will take place at noon on Tuesday, December 3, in Lecture Room 6, Scaife Hall. Dr. Gage earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 1972. He completed his Master of Science degree and his PhD at Johns Hopkins University in 1975 and 1976, respectively. As an associate professor of histology at Lund University in Sweden from 1981 to 1985, Dr. Gage collaborated with Anders Björklund, MD, PhD—an international leader in studies of reparative and neuro-protective mechanisms in the central nervous system—on new approaches to cell repair in neurodegenerative disease, trauma, and aging. In 1985, Dr. Gage joined the faculty of the University of California, San Diego, as an associate professor of neurosciences. In 1995, he joined the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where he is the Vi and John Adler Professor for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disease. His research focuses on the adult central nervous system and the unexpected plasticity and adaptability to environmental stimulation that remains throughout the life of mammals. In 1998, Dr. Gage’s laboratory demonstrated that humans are capable of growing new nerve cells and that small populations of immature nerve cells can be found in the adult human brain. By studying the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis, Gage hopes to understand how immature nerve cells can be induced to become functioning nerve cells in the adult brain and spinal cord—work that may lead to new therapeutics for neurodegenerative conditions. His lab models neurological diseases in vitro using human stem cells in an effort to understand the progression and mechanisms that lead to neuronal and glial dysfunction. He also studies the genomic mosaicism that exists in the brain as a result of mobile elements that are active during neurogenesis. Dr. Gage serves on the scientific advisory boards of the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the International Society for Stem Cell Research, and the Ontario Brain Institute. He is a member of the editorial boards of 18 journals and has authored, co-authored, or edited more than 650 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and textbooks. Among his many awards are the IPSEN Foundation’s Neuronal Plasticity Prize, the Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievements in Health and Education, the Metropolitan Life Foundation’s Award for Medical Research, the Fyssen Foundation’s International Prize, the Santiago Grisolía Chair Prize, and the Keio Medical Science Prize. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.