New Symposium Honors Molecular Virology Pioneer

05/24/2018

World-renowned scientists will gather at Saint Louis University in June to honor the legacy of Maurice Green, Ph.D., one of the leading figures in molecular virology, at a symposium named in Green’s memory.

During his more than six decades of work, Maurice Green became a pioneer in the field of molecular virology. SLU photo

Two of the experts speaking knew Green and his work more intimately than most. Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., and Michael Green, M.D., Ph.D., have followed in their father’s footsteps, becoming leading researchers themselves.

The Maurice Green, Ph.D., Research Symposium will take place from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12, in the Education Union Auditorium. Organizers say that the symposium carries forward the longtime SLU researcher’s passion for cutting-edge science.

“Maurice Green would have relished hearing the cutting-edge science that will undoubtedly be described at the symposium,” Paul Lowenstein, emeritus assistant research professor said. “His contributions to adenovirology, molecular virology and tumor biology over the years were so varied and significant.”

Green spent more than 60 years at SLU where he served as chairman of the Institute for Molecular Virology (IMV) and head of the IMV division within the School of Medicine’s Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. During his career, Green was among the first to investigate how viruses could be used as probes to understand the biology of normal cells and how cancer works at the molecular level. He went on to coin the term “molecular virology.” Techniques Green and his lab developed contributed to advances in how to study viruses, the ways viruses infect cells and what viruses are.

Over the course of his long career, Green’s work was recognized nationally through funding as part of President Richard Nixon’s “War on Cancer” initiative and from the National Institutes of Health. Green authored more than 300 papers and headed numerous research studies.

In addition to his research work, Green’s contributions as a member of the School of Medicine’s faculty through service and his role in hiring and mentoring young faculty have been noted.

“His imprint on the IMV and the School of Medicine cannot be exaggerated,” Lowenstein explained.

The symposium’s speakers include S. Jane Flint, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology at Princeton University, and Arnold J. Berk, M.D., chair of molecular cell biology and professor, June Lascelles Scholar, at the University of California Los Angeles. Flint and Berk are known for their work on adenoviruses, Green’s primary research specialty.

The Green brothers followed their father’s path closely into research. Michael Green is currently chair of molecular, cell and cancer biology at the University of Massachusetts’s Medical School. Some of his earliest lab work was done at his father’s side. Michael Green has been widely lauded for his research.

Eric Green is director of the Institute of Genomic Research for the National Institutes of Health. Eric Green is known for his work advancing the personalization of medicine and work on the Human Genome Project.

The symposium will begin with a welcome and remarks just before 10 a.m. and will conclude with a reception.

The symposium is free to attend but RSVPs are requested. Lunch will be provided and parking will be available in the Hickory East Garage.

To RSVP or for more information, contact Dawn Schwartz. RSVPs are due by Monday, June 4.