Dr. Wylie W. Vale, Jr. Memorial Lecture celebrates and inspires research
The Department of Integrative Physiology at Baylor College of Medicine organizes the Dr. Wylie W. Vale, Jr. Memorial Lecture every two years. The event celebrates the life and many research accomplishments of Vale, who received a doctorate in physiology and biochemistry from Baylor in 1968, by inviting renowned scientists in the field of metabolism to present their work to the Baylor community.
The lecture series is made possible by a gift from the Clayton Foundation for Research in honor of Vale. The Foundation is a non-profit medical research organization in Houston, Texas, established in 1933 by Benjamin Clayton.
Its mission is to support medical and scientific research for the purpose of finding discoveries for the cause, prevention and cure of human diseases for the benefit of mankind.
Vale made several major medical breakthroughs that have significantly influenced research and patient care.
He discovered more than a dozen novel peptide hormones and receptors, co-authored more than 600 peer-reviewed papers and is among the most cited scientific authors of the past several decades.
For instance, in 1981, Vale and his colleagues were the first to characterize the peptide known as corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), which triggers the body’s stress response. The following year, Vale and his team discovered the growth hormone releasing factor, which controls the body’s growth. His work on CRF blockers has led to clinical trials and the development of therapeutic interventions for anxiety and depression.
Dr. Jared Rutter was the Vale Memorial Lecture speaker this year. He is a Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and holds the Dee Glen and Ida Smith Endowed Chair for Cancer Research at the University of Utah. Rutter also is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
During his talk, “Metabolism, Cellular Disease and the Language that Unites them,” Rutter discussed his working hypothesis that cellular metabolic states are part of a ‘language’ that cells use to communicate their status and use this information to make decisions, such as divide or not, or activate cell death. His lab is taking multiple approaches to understand the mechanisms whereby cells sense metabolic state and modulate their fate decisions.
Dr. Susan Hamilton, chair of integrative physiology said, “Dr. Rutter presented an awe-inspiring research seminar that provided strong evidence for the existence of new mechanisms of regulation of known metabolic pathways.”
Dr. Michael Bround, assistant professor of integrative physiology and a new McNair Scholar at Baylor, who introduced Vale to the audience, commented that “Dr. Rutter presented groundbreaking work connecting cellular metabolism to post-translational modifications and mRNA translation, demonstrating new ways metabolic products can regulate cellular function and directly communicate with the cell. His research underscores metabolism as a central driver of cell behavior beyond traditional roles in energy production and biosynthesis.”
The lecture was attended by faculty, staff, students and postdocs of the department.
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