 |
| Patrick Gray is the 2005–2006 Distinguished Alumni Fellow in Natural Sciences |
Most Nefarious Deeds:
Responsible for helping to discover and patent a vaccine for Hepatitis B at UC San Francisco in 1979. Since its release in 1986, “RecombiVax” has been distributed to over one million people, including Patrick Gray himself prior to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2001.
University Ties:
Graduated from UO in 1974 with a degree in Biology and returned to the university in 2001 to study in the Zebrafish International Research Center with John Postlethwait.
Aliases:
Pat has assumed many roles in his never-ending pursuit of knowledge. Father of Two, Groundbreaking Researcher, Published Biologist, Vice President of Science for biotech firm ICOS, Consultant for Venture Capital Firm, Vice President of Research for MacroGenics and now CEO of Nura, Inc., a neuroscience biotech, are a few of the titles he has held. In addition, this scientist is responsible for over thirty U.S. patents on twenty various technologies.
Accomplices:
Pat’s partner in crime continues to be his high school sweet-heart and wife of thirty-one years. Professionally, he began his research with John Postlethwait, then working on the fruit fly Drosophila, now with Zebrafish.
Stomping Grounds:
A true Oregonian, Pat grew up in Roseburg, home of fruit flies, and came to Eugene to study at the UO. His enthusiasm to learn took him to Colorado, London and San Francisco on various research projects, but he has since returned to the Northwest to make a permanent home in Seattle.
Influences:
Pat credits John Postlethwait for piquing his interest in science during his days at the UO, but it was his father’s background as a county health officer that led to Pat’s early aspiration to study medicine. This influence is evident in his work with vaccines and immunotherapeutics for cancer, autoimmune and infectious disease.
|
