One of the world’s most influential biologists, Dr. Baltimore has contributed widely to the understanding of cancer, AIDS and the molecular basis of the human body’s immune response. In 1975, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on viral replication and the discovery of reverse transcriptase. These discoveries revolutionized molecular biology and have been essential to understanding the life cycle of retroviruses. Dr. Baltimore ‘s current work focuses on control of inflammatory and immune responses, as well as on the use of gene therapy methods to treat HIV and cancer. He co-directs the Joint Center for Translational Medicine, which combines the bench-to-bedside efforts of Caltech and UCLA.
Throughout his career, Dr. Baltimore has participated in the work of numerous professional and governmental scientific organizations. He has influenced U. S. public policy on such issues as AIDS and genetic engineering. An early advocate of federal AIDS research, he co-chaired the 1986 National Academy of Sciences Committee on a National Strategy for AIDS and was appointed in 1996 to head the NIH AIDS Vaccine Research Committee.
Career Highlights
2021 Lasker~Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science
2006-2009 President, American Association for the Advancement of Science
2002 AMA Scientific Achievement Award
2000 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize
1999 National Medal of Science
1997-2006 President, California Institute of Technology
1996 Chair, NIH AIDS Vaccine Research Committee
1994-1997 Professor of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1990-1994 Professor of Biology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York
1990-1991 President, Rockefeller University
1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1974 Elected Member, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.
1974 Elected Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1974 Elected Member, Institute of Medicine
1972-1990 Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1964 PhD, Rockefeller University