Arthur L. Horwich

WALS 1.27.10 Arthur Horwich 4m49s (cropped)

Arthur L. Horwich is an American biologist and geneticist renowned for his pioneering work in the field of protein folding. He is a Sterling Professor of Genetics and Pediatrics at Yale University and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Early Life and Education

Arthur L. Horwich was born in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University and earned his M.D. from the Yale School of Medicine. Following his medical degree, Horwich completed a residency in pediatrics at the Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Career and Research

Horwich's research has significantly advanced the understanding of how proteins fold into their functional three-dimensional structures. His most notable work involves the discovery of the role of chaperonins in protein folding. Chaperonins are a type of molecular chaperone that assist in the folding of proteins within the cell.

Horwich's groundbreaking research began in the late 1980s when he and his colleagues discovered that the chaperonin GroEL in Escherichia coli (E. coli) assists in the proper folding of proteins. This discovery was pivotal in the field of molecular biology and has implications for understanding diseases caused by protein misfolding, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Awards and Honors

Arthur L. Horwich has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to science, including:

• The Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research
• The Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine
• The Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize
• The Gairdner Foundation International Award

He is also a member of several prestigious organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Personal Life

Horwich resides in Connecticut with his family. He continues to be actively involved in research and mentoring the next generation of scientists.

See Also

• Protein folding
• Chaperonin
• Molecular chaperone
• GroEL
• Yale University
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute