MARIO RAMBERG CAPECCHI
2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics and Biology,
University of Utah School of Medicine
Biography:
Mario Ramberg Capecchi (Verona, Italy, 6 October 1937) is an Italian-born American molecular geneticist and a co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering a method to create mice in which a specific gene is turned off, known as knockout mice. He shared the prize with Martin Evans and Oliver Smithies. He is currently Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics and Biology at the University Of Utah School Of Medicine.
Mario Capecchi received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry and physics in 1961 from Antioch College in Ohio. Capecchi came to MIT as a graduate student intending to study physics and mathematics, but during the course of his studies, he became interested in molecular biology. He subsequently transferred to Harvard to join the lab of James D. Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA. Capecchi received his Ph.D. in biophysics in 1967 from Harvard University, with his doctoral thesis completed under the tutelage of Watson.
Capecchi was a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard University from 1967 to 1969. In 1969 he became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Harvard Medical School. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1971. In 1973 he joined the faculty at the University of Utah. Since 1988 Capecchi has also been an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He has given a talk for Duke University’s Program in Genetics and Genomics as part of their Distinguished Lecturer Series. He was the speaker for the 2010 Racker Lectures in Biology & Medicine and Cornell Distinguished Lecture in Cell and Molecular Biology at Cornell University.
Positions Held:
2002-2008 Co-Chairman of the Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine
1989-present Professor of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine
1988-present Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
1982-present Adjunct Professor of Oncological Sciences, Division of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine
1973-present Professor of Biology, University of Utah
1971-1973 Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
1969-1971 Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
Degrees:
Ph.D. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1967, Biophysics
B.S. Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, 1961, Chemistry and Physics
Recent Honors and Awards:
Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2009
Recipient of the 2008 Distinguished Scientist Award, American Heart Association
2007 Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine with Oliver Smithies and Martin Evans
2007 Jacob Heskel Gabbay Award in Biotechnology and Medicine
Recipient of the 2005 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology
Recipient of an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Medicine, University of Florence School of Medicine, Italy, 2004
Recipient of the 2002/03 Wolf Prize in Medicine
Recipient of the 2003 Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research
Elected to the European Academy of Sciences, 2002
Recipient of the 2002 John Scott Medal Award
Recipient of the 2002 Shaul and Meira Massry Foundation Prize
Recipient of NIH MERIT grant award, 2002 to 2011
Laureate of the 2001 National Medal of Science