Michael A. Marletta Takes Office as New President of Scripps Research Institute

LA JOLLA, Calif., Jan. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned biochemist Michael A. Marletta, PhD, assumed the post of president and CEO of The Scripps Research Institute January 1, succeeding Richard A. Lerner, MD, who led the institution for more than two decades.

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"I'm excited by the opportunity to advance the institute's mission, creating knowledge in the biosciences and applying that knowledge to understanding and curing human disease," said Marletta. "I also look forward to working with all the dynamic, committed people who make the institute's work possible."

Marletta moved to Scripps Research from the University of California, Berkeley, where he served as chair of the Department of Chemistry, co-director of the Chemical Biology Graduate Program, Aldo DeBenedictis Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology. He joined the Scripps Research faculty July 1, 2011, following his selection by the Board of Trustees as the institute's next head.

A former recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship as well as many other awards and honors, Marletta has focused his laboratory research on the intersection of chemistry and biology. He is an acknowledged pioneer in discovering the role of nitric oxide, a critical player in communication between cells.

Marletta is the third head of the institute in the 50 years since it began its focus on basic biomedical research. Its first director was Frank Dixon, MD, who arrived with his colleagues at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation (a forerunner of The Scripps Research Institute) in 1961 and was appointed head of research operations in 1970. Lerner, who had led the institute since 1987, will remain a member of the Scripps Research faculty.

For more information on Marletta, see his Scripps Research faculty web page at http://www.scripps.edu/research/faculty/marletta

About The Scripps Research Institute

The Scripps Research Institute is one of the world's largest independent, non-profit biomedical research organizations. Scripps Research is internationally recognized for its discoveries in immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and vaccine development, as well as for its insights into autoimmune, cardiovascular, and infectious disease. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, the institute also includes a campus in Jupiter, Florida, where scientists focus on drug discovery and technology development in addition to basic biomedical science. Scripps Research currently employs about 3,000 scientists, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students on its two campuses. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, is ranked among the top ten such programs in the nation. For more information, see www.scripps.edu

SOURCE Scripps Research Institute