Person
Adams, Jerry McKee (1940 - )
FAA FAHMS FRS
- Born
- 17 June 1940
United States of America - Occupation
- Molecular biologist
Summary
Jerry Adams is noted for his achievements in molecular biology, immunology and the molecular genetics of cancer. Although born in the USA, Adams has carried out most of his research in Australia at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne. He is now joint head of the Institute's Molecular Genetics of Cancer Division, a position he shares with his with his wife Suzanne Cory. Together they and their research team have made many major contributions to medical science. They were the first clone mammalian genes in Australia and discovered (i) that antibody genes encode to recombine in a myriad of ways to help fight infection, (ii) the genetic mutation that leads to Burkitt's lymphoma and (iii) the connection between apoptosis (programmed cell death) and cancer, while studying bcl-2 gene in follicular lymphoma (the most common human lymphoma).
Details
After completing his PhD, Adams was awarded the Helen Hay Whitney Fellowship to pursue post-doctoral training. Firstly, Adams spent a year working for Professor James Watson at the MRCL of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. He then moved to the Institut de Biologie Moléculaire, at the University of Geneva where he trained under Professor A. Tissiéres. During this stay in Geneva he met Suzanne Cory and started their long-term collaboration. Adams and Cory moved to Australia and began working at WEHI where they established the Institute's first molecular genetics laboratory. Their research first looked into how lymphocytes could produce so many different antibodies providing insights into the constant and variable segments of antibodies and how they are rearranged and deleted. Next Adams and his team moved into the study of the genetics of cancer and again made major contributions. In 1982 Adams, and Cory, was made joint head of the new Molecular Genetics of Cancer Division at WEHI and continues to hold this post today. His efforts and achievements have been widely recognized and awarded.
Chronology
- 1962
- Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), Emory University in Atlanta, USA
- 1962 - 1967
- Career position - National Science Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellow at Harvard University, USA
- 1967
- Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Harvard University in Massachusetts, USA
- 1967 - 1968
- Career position - Helen Hay Whitney Fellow at the Medical Research Council Laboratory (MRCL) of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK
- 1969 - 1970
- Career position - Helen Hay Whitney Fellow at the Institut de Biologie Moléculaire, Université de Genéve
- 1971 - 1976
- Award - Established Investigator of American Heart Association award
- 1972 - 1976
- Career position - Research Officer at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), Victoria
- 1977 - 1979
- Career position - Research Fellow then Senior Research Fellow at WEHI
- 1980 - 1982
- Career position - Principal Research Fellow at WEHI
- 1982 -
- Career position - Senior Principal Research Fellow at WEHI
- 1982 -
- Career position - Joint Head of Molecular Biology of Cancer Division (formally the Molecular Biology Unit) at the WEHI
- 1982
- Award - David Syme Research Prize (with Suzanne Cory), University of Melbourne
- 1986 -
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
- 1986
- Award - Lemberg Medal and Oration, Australian Biochemical Society
- 1992
- Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)
- 1993 -
- Career position - Research Professor of Molecular Genetics, University of Melbourne
- 1995
- Career position - Member, Fellowship Selection Committee (SC8), Australian Academy of Science
- 1996
- Award - Fellow, Royal Society of Victoria (FRSV)
- 1996 - 1998
- Career position - Member, Awards Committee, Australian Society for Biochemical and Molecular Biology
- 1997 -
- Career position - Member of the Board, Australian Genome Research Facility
- 1997 - 2004?
- Career position - Member of the Board, CRC for Discovery of Genes for Common Human Diseases
- 1998
- Career position - Member, Conference Planning Committee, Australian Society for Biochemical and Molecular Biology
- 2000
- Career position - Member, Discipline Panel (Cell Biology), National Health and Medical Research Council
- 2000
- Award - Tall Poppy Award, Australian Institute of Political Science
- 1 Jan 2001
- Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society and science in medical research
- 2004
- Career position - Member, Organising Committee, Lorne Genome Conference
- 2008 -
- Award - Member, National Academy of Science, U.S.A.
- 2014
- Award - Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture, Australian Academy of Science
- 2021 -
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (FAHMS)
Related entries
Wife
Published resources
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6183179. Details
- VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/56443473. Details
- 'Professor Jerry Adams FAA FRS FAHMS', Fellows of the Academy, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, https://aahms.org/fellowship-archives/professor-jerry-adams/. Details
- 'Jerry Adams - Citation at year of election, 1986', The Academy's Fellows [including profiles and other relevant links], Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, 2019, https://www.science.org.au/profile/jerry-adams. Details
- Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture, Australian Academy of Science, 2022, https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/awards-and-opportunities/macfarlane-burnet-medal-and-lecture. Details
- 'Adams, Jerry McKee (1940-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1475622. Details
See also
Rosanne Walker & Annette Alafaci
Created: 6 April 2000, Last modified: 14 December 2022