Honors for Bai, Thompson and Visweswariah

Honorary professorship for Bai

Lu "Lucy" Bai has been named the Verne M. Willaman Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State University. The appointment is awarded by the Penn State Office of the President and honors Bai’s research contributions, teaching and service to the university. Willaman was a Penn State alumni and businessman, who presided over Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation.

Bai’s research focuses on understanding how gene expression is regulated by chromatin. Her lab is currently working to identify and characterize pioneer factors, specialized proteins that can bind to densely packed regions of chromatin and make them accessible to the cellular machinery required for gene expression. She has received many awards, including being named a Suzanne and Bob Wright Fellow of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation in 2008 and receiving a Women and Science Fellowship in 2007.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award and grateful for the confidence that the college and the department have placed in me and my research,” Bai said. “This recognition is not solely mine. It belongs to my entire research group whose hard work and dedication make this possible. I am especially grateful to our graduate students, who are the driving force behind the lab, continually pushing the boundaries of our chromatin research.”

Thompson named endowed chair

Paul Thompson has been named the Endowed Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology II by the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees. Thompson is one of 12 joint endowed chairs at UMass Chan and UMass Memorial Health.

Thompson is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biotechnology at UMass Chan. His lab develops chemoproteomic tools for biomarker discovery and chemical probes to target disease-modifying enzymes. Thompson is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and recently received a BRIDGE Innovation and Business Development award from UMass Chan to develop a PAD2 inhibitor for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In addition, he has founded several biotech companies, including Danger Bio and Padlock Therapeutics, which was acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb.  

“With the approval of these endowed chairs by the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees, we are further strengthening our deep relationship with the University and the Medical School as we together forge a clear path in what has become a challenging health care environment,” Eric Dickson, president and CEO of UMass Memorial Health, said. “This investment demonstrates our shared values and commitment to our faculty and to the future of our organizations.” 

Visweswariah named IUBMB president-elect

Sandhya Visweswariah has been named the president-elect of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. IUBMB’s mission is to promote research and education in biochemistry and molecular biology throughout the world. The organization gives particular attention to promoting opportunities for trainees in areas where biomolecular sciences are actively developing.

Visweswariah is an honorary professor in the department of developmental biology and genetics at the Indian Institute of Science. Her lab studies signal transduction mediated by cyclic nucleotides and their receptors, including receptor guanylyl cyclases, phosphodiesterases and novel nucleotide cyclases in bacteria. In addition to her research, she works to remove roadblocks for women in science in India. In 2019, she won the Indian Institute of Science’s Rustom Choksi Award for Excellence in Science and Engineering. Visweswariah is a fellow of the World Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Science Academy and the Indian Academy of Sciences. She has mentored more than 30 Ph.D. students and trained several postdoctoral fellows and research assistants in her laboratory.

IUBMB posted on social media: “Congratulations to Professor Sandhya Visweswariah … for her election to president-elect of IUBMB at the 26th Ordinary General Assembly. Welcome to the leadership team!”