 |
||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
News
- Feature Stories Archive
- Events Calendar
- Press Releases
- Fact Sheets
- Media Contact/Inquiries
- Newsletter Archives
Press Releases
March 19, 2003Contact Information NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING BIOLOGIST JOINS SETI INSTITUTE BOARDMountain View, CA - The SETI Institute today announced the appointment of Dr. Baruch S. Blumberg to the Institute’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Blumberg is a winner of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Blumberg’s appointment fulfills an important Institute goal of expanding the scientific range of its board to match the broad scope of its mission and the interdisciplinary composition of its research team. Says SETI Institute CEO, Thomas Pierson, “We have sought the appointment of an esteemed biologist to our board for quite some time, and we truly have found the best possible individual to fill that role.” Blumberg is currently a Distinguished Scientist at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as a Professor of Medicine and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as the first Director of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute from May 1999 until last October, and also was Senior Advisor to the NASA Administrator for one year during that time. Comments MacArthur Award winner Dr. Christopher Chyba, Director and Carl Sagan Chair holder in the LITU center, “Barry is an accomplished, world-renowned biologist and an established leader in the astrobiology community. We benefited from his participation in our working group, and are pleased that he has strengthened his commitment to the Institute through Board membership." Blumberg is the latest addition to a distinguished assemblage of science, technology, and business leaders that comprise the Institute’s Board of Trustees, and he assumes his new role at a time of critical growth for the organization. "The SETI Institute is unique within the space science community," he notes, "for the way it addresses the full spectrum of questions posed by astrobiology. I look forward to helping guide the SETI Institute’s efforts." Blumberg holds a medical degree from Columbia University, New York City as well as a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Oxford University where, between 1989 and 1994, he was Master of Balliol College. Blumberg is perhaps best known for his Nobel Prize-winning work that led to the invention of a vaccine for hepatitis B. The vaccine prevents acute and chronic hepatitis as well as primary cancer of the liver. It is the first widely used preventative cancer vaccine. Holding honorary degrees from many universities and colleges, Blumberg is also a member or fellow of several professional associations, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Society of Human Genetics and the American Philosophical Society. Chairman of the SETI Institute’s Board of Trustees and SETI pioneer Dr. Frank Drake remarks, “Biologists often accompanied sailing expeditions in the Golden Age of Exploration. Adding Dr. Blumberg to the SETI Institute Board is the right thing to do as we pursue our exploration of the cosmos. Like many fine scientists whose work touches on SETI, Barry has a fascination for exploration that rests on a solid foundation of humanism and compassion.” Founded in 1984, the interdisciplinary SETI Institute is a private 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to research and education exploring the origin, nature, and prevalence of life in the universe. Since inception, the SETI Institute has been a leader in SETI research and remains the only research organization dedicated to the comprehensive investigation of the prospects for all manner of life, including intelligent life off-Earth. Contact InformationDiane Richards ImageOn-line resources: |
