The Drs. Peter and Marlene MacLeish Endowed Lectureship
Inaugural Lectures
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) reached its initial $250,000 Endowment goal for
a lecture series named in honor of two long-term faculty, Drs. Peter and Marlene MacLeish. It was established in 2017, thanks to initial start-up funds from Zach Hall, Ph.D.,
and Julie Ann Giacobassi.
The inaugural Drs. Peter and Marlene MacLeish Endowed Lectureship Lectures were held on Tuesday, March 27, 2018. Nobel Prize winner Martin Chalfie, Ph.D., presented two lectures that day. Over 400 faculty, staff, students, and friends attended the 12:30 pm scientific lecture, with nearly 200 in attendance for his 6:00 pm presentation titled "Green Florescent Protein (GFP): Lighting Up Life." The evening presentation focused on lessons learned from his journey of scientific discovery.
Dr. Chalfie is the co-recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the introduction of GFP as a biological marker. He is also a university professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University.
Scientific Lecture
Determining Neuronal Fate in C. elegans
Community Lecture
Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP): Lighting Up Life
Following the evening presentation, Ms. Rose Scott, host of WABE’s 90.1 “Closer Look,” moderated a panel discussion titled “Scientific Discovery for All of Us,” focused on creative approaches to scientific discovery as it relates to achieving health equity.
The panel was introduced by Dr. Elizabeth Ofili and featured the following guest:
Leland L. Jones, Sr, D.Min., Senior Pastor of the Greater New Light Missionary Baptist Church Atlanta GA; Member, Community Advisory Board (CAB) Morehouse School of Medicine; and Member of the Community Engagement Working Group on Genomics, National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
L. Neicey Johnson, B.S.N., J.D., Founder and CEO, Visions, Inc. Chair, Community Steering Board, Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance.
Mike Zwick, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Vice President for Research, Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center Assistant Dean of Research, Emory University School of Medicine; and Associate Professor Departments of Human Genetics and Pediatrics; and Multi PI, All of Us Research Program, National Institutes of Health
Priscilla Pemu, M.D., M.S.C.R., Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine; and Multi PI, All of Us Research Program, National Institutes of Health.
“We are truly honored Dr. Chalfie joined us for this historical moment at Morehouse
School of Medicine and look forward to the continuation of this lectureship as we
advance neuroscience research at MSM and inspire neuroscience education in the community,”
said Sandra Harris-Hooker, Ph.D., vice president and executive vice dean at MSM.
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