FATHER OF DOUBLE HELIX VISITS UH
Nobel Laureate James D. Watson Gives Annual Farfel Lecture
James D. Watson, known for his discovery of the DNA structure,
will speak at the University of Houston at 7 p.m., April 7, as part
of the Farfel Distinguished Lecture Series. The event is free and
open to the public, but requires a reservation.
Watson was awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine,
together with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins. Watson and his
co-recipients were the first to propose that DNA (deoxyribonucleic
acid), the material inside a molecule that carries all genetic information,
takes the shape of a slightly twisted ladder, called the double
helix.
This discovery helped the scientific community understand the structure
of the molecule more accurately and led to myriad discoveries on
the function and practical uses of DNA. Watson’s UH lecture
is titled “My Life with DNA.”
The Farfel Distinguished Lecture series is UH’s most prestigious
lectureship. Designed to bring provocative thinkers in every field
to the university and to the Houston community at large, it is endowed
though a generous gift from the family of philanthropists Aaron
and Esther Farfel in their memory. Aaron Farfel served on the UH
System Board of Regents for 16 years and was chairman from 1971
to 1979.
Watson received his Ph.D. in zoology from Indiana University in
1950 and joined the faculty at Harvard University in 1956. In 1968,
he became director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Long
Island, New York, becoming president in 1994. In 1988, Watson was
appointed director of the National Center for Human Genome Research
and successfully initiated the Human Genome Project, a massive undertaking
to decipher the entire genetic code of the human species.
Holding more than 20 honorary degrees, Watson has held research
fellowships in Copenhagen and at the University of Cambridge. He
also has been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the
National Medal of Science and membership in the United Kingdom’s
Royal Society.
In a special appearance, Watson also will speak to the cell biology
class of Werner Hoch, assistant professor of biology and biochemistry,
from 10-11:15 a.m., April 7. This is not a public event, but media
can attend by prior arrangement.
Those requesting an admission ticket must call 713-743-2255.
WHO: |
James D. Watson
1962 Nobel Laureate for the Double Helix |
WHAT: |
Farfel Distinguished Lecture Series |
WHEN: |
7 p.m., Thursday, April 7 |
WHERE: |
University of Houston
Cullen Performance Hall
Entrance 1 off University Drive and Texas Spur 5
Free parking in Lot 20 with shuttle service available |
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