THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016
PROGRAM 6:00 P.M. | CASPARY AUDITORIUM
RECEPTION TO FOLLOW | ABBY ALDRICH ROCKEFELLER HALL
The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue at East 66th Street
President, The Rockefeller University
IN CONVERSATION WITH
Assistant Managing Editor and Columnist
The Wall Street Journal
An internationally recognized physician-scientist, Richard P. Lifton was named Rockefeller's eleventh president on May 5 and took office on September 1. Rick Lifton, who has been at the cutting edge of genomics since his college days, led Yale University's department of genetics for the past 18 years. Dr. Lifton also served as executive director of the Yale Center for Genome Analysis, which he founded in 2009. Dr. Lifton is perhaps best known for elucidating the connection between salt and high blood pressure. His work identified the specific genes that drive blood pressure to high or low extremes, and pinpointed the kidney's role in regulating salt in the body. At Rockefeller, Dr. Lifton is continuing his research in genetics, while leading efforts to build on the University's extraordinary history of transformative science.
On December 1, Wall Street Journal columnist Laura Landro will engage Dr. Lifton in a conversation about both his research and his priorities and plans for the University's future. They will discuss how his use of genome-level sequencing methods has enabled him to identify mutations underlying distinctive traits and diseases, including cardiovascular disease, tumor growth, kidney disease, neuropsychiatric disease, and osteoporosis, among others. Ms. Landro will also ask Dr. Lifton to discuss breakthroughs he sees on the horizon and how genetic studies can outline a path for disease prevention and therapy. In addition, they will discuss Rockefeller's unique research environment and the role that the University will play in the future of biomedicine.
A recipient of a 2014 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, Dr. Lifton is a member of the National Academies of Sciences and Medicine. He has served on numerous NIH panels and recently co-chaired the working group responsible for planning the White House/NIH Precision Medicine Initiative. Technology he has developed has been put into wide use, and he has advised or collaborated with scientists worldwide, including many at Rockefeller.
Ms. Landro is an assistant managing editor at The Wall Street Journal, where her column, "The Informed Patient," appears. Author of the bestselling memoir Survivor: Taking Charge of Your Fight Against Cancer, Ms. Landro is a recipient of the Gerald Loeb Award for deadline reporting and the Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications.
Please contact Elizabeth Kennedy with questions at (212) 327-7712 or ekennedy@rockefeller.edu.