Garth L. Nicolson

Garth L. Nicolson is a renowned biochemist and molecular biologist, best known for his research in cell membrane biochemistry and molecular genetics. He is the founder and president of the Institute for Molecular Medicine in Huntington Beach, California.

Early Life and Education

Garth L. Nicolson was born in 1943. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1965. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 1970.

Career

After completing his Ph.D., Nicolson worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. He then joined the faculty of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he served as the Chairman of the Department of Tumor Biology from 1984 to 1996.

In 1996, Nicolson founded the Institute for Molecular Medicine (IMM), a non-profit research organization dedicated to understanding and treating chronic diseases at the molecular level. He currently serves as the President and Chief Scientific Officer of the IMM.

Research

Nicolson's research has primarily focused on the biochemistry of cell membranes and the genetics of cancer cells. He is known for his work on the fluid mosaic model of cell membranes, which describes the membrane as a fluid combination of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates.

In the field of cancer research, Nicolson has made significant contributions to understanding the role of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in cancer development and progression. He has also conducted extensive research on the role of infections in chronic diseases, including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, and Gulf War illness.

Awards and Honors

Nicolson has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to biochemistry and molecular biology, including the Burroughs Wellcome Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK), the Stephen Paget Award of the Metastasis Research Society, and the Albert Schweitzer Award in the Sciences.