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Studying early development of vertebrates got a lot easier thanks to Chuck Kimmel. But he’ll be the first to tell you he didn’t do it alone.
About 30 years ago in the University of Oregon’s Institute of Molecular Biology, Dr. George Streisinger recognized that genetic analysis of the zebrafish could be very useful for the study of vertebrates. The zebrafish provided an alternative to the mouse, the species of choice for studies of vertebrate developmental genetics, because the small, transparent tropical fish made it easier to see what was going on within the mother’s uterus.
Dr. Streisinger passed away in 1984 and Chuck, with the inspiration of his colleague, picked up the study and established his international reputation as a developmental biologist in the process. Today, more than 130 laboratories, including several Nobel Laureates, in 28 countries use zebrafish for a wide range of studies. “This progress stems largely from Chuck,” says Dr. Monte Westerfield, professor of Biology at the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon and Director of the Zebrafish International Resource Center. “He continued and expanded these (Streisinger’s) initial studies and was the first to demonstrate the power of using zebrafish to study the molecular mechanisms that regulate vertebrate development.” The UO houses the Zebrafish National Stock Center, making the campus the central distribution point for zebrafish worldwide.
While his reputation as one of Oregon’s finest scientists has been firmly established since arriving at the UO in 1969, his status as a first-rate teacher is no less well known. “Chuck Kimmel has been an outstanding mentor of junior scientists at the graduate student and postdoctoral level,” says Dr. Igor Dawid, Chief, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health. “He is not only kind, thoughtful, considerate, and fair, but has a balanced, steady center that is the main basis for the trust and affection felt towards him by everyone who knows him well.”
Professor Kimmel is pleased to have his work recognized, but quick to share the credit. “I think that a huge reason that I got the appointment is because I’m sitting in a wonderful Institute of Neuroscience with great colleagues, and that makes it easy to do good things.”
Distinguished professors receive an annual research account of $5,000 for the first three years of their appointment and deliver an inaugural lecture during the first year. For more information on the Distinguished Professorship Lectures, please call 541-346-3950 or email alumnidev@cas.uoregon.edu.
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