RIP, George Palade

Two days ago, UCSD gained a Nobel Laureate. The day before that, we lost one - George Palade. I work in a building across from the one that bears his name, and in which his wife, Dr. Marilyn Farquhar, still works.

Full UCSD press release below:

ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UCSD
ALL STUDENTS AT UCSD

SUBJECT: The Passing of Nobel Laureate George Palade, M.D.

Nobel Laureate George Palade, M.D., universally considered the father of
modern cell biology, died at his Del Mar home on Tuesday, October 7,
2008 after a long illness. He was 95.

The University of California, San Diego community mourns our respected
colleague, friend and valued counselor. Dr. Palade was Professor
Emeritus of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and founding
Dean for Scientific Affairs at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Dr. Palade’s impact on the course of science, as well as a personal
impact on countless colleagues and students who were inspired by his
teaching and his example, will live on in the work of so many brilliant
scholars who benefited from his guidance and wisdom. These include many
whom he personally recruited to UC San Diego.

He was internationally recognized for his pioneering use of electron
microscopy and cell fractionation. He was best known for his work in
establishing the pathway for synthesis and transport of proteins along
the secretory pathway, illuminating how cells build and transport their
protein building blocks. He was an extraordinary teacher and mentor to
some of the leading scientists in the field today. An important mission
throughout his life was to train new generations of scientists, based on
his belief that scientific discovery is “an enterprise that continues
generation after generation.”

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine 1974 for his
contributions to the understanding of cell structure, chemistry and
function, a prize he shared with Albert Claude and Christian de Duve.
Among his many international honors, he was the recipient of the
National Medal of Science, the Gairdner Special Award, and the Albert
Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research and the Louisa Gross Horwitz
Prize, and had been a member of the National Academy of Sciences since
1961. He also was a member of the Institute of Medicine, the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Belgian Academy of Medicine, and
the Royal Society of London.

George Palade was recruited to UC San Diego from Yale University in 1990
to serve as UCSD School of Medicine’s first Dean for Scientific Affairs.
He created the department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, which has
risen to become one of the preeminent cell biology programs in the
nation. During his tenure, was instrumental in bringing such important
programs as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Ludwig Institute
for Cancer Research to UCSD.

To honor him, the Cellular and Molecular Medicine Building West was
renamed the George Palade Laboratories for Cellular and Molecular
Medicine in 2004, and more recently the George E. Palade Endowed Chair
was established by friends and colleagues and the Richard Lounsbery
Foundation. Plans for a memorial ceremony to celebrate his life and
career are pending. Further information about efforts to honor Dr.
Palade may be found at:

http://health.ucsd.edu/news/2008/10-10-obituary-palade.htm

Our heartfelt condolences are extended to his wife, Dr. Marilyn
Farquhar, and family.



Marye Anne Fox
Chancellor

David Brenner
Vice Chancellor –
Health Sciences
Dean of the School of Medicine