Curriculum Vitae

Henry A. Lester
Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29,
California Institute of Technology,
Pasadena CA 91125 USA
Phone 626-395-4946; fax 626-564-8709; mobile 818-422-8169
Skype lesterha
email lester@caltech.edu http://www.caltech.edu/~lester
Born: July 4, 1945, in New York City
Family: Married 1978, to Margaret L. Hershey
Children: Beth Sarah Lester, born 1980; Benjamin Levy Lester, born 1983
1610 Bushnell Avenue, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Citizenship: U.S.A.
` Also Germany, granted 2008 (Article 116 II 2 of German Constitution)
Education: 1963-1966 Harvard College. A.B. with Highest Honors in Chemistry & Physics
1966-1971 The Rockefeller University. Ph.D. in Biophysics (Advisors: F. A. Dodge, H. K. Hartline, F. Ratliff)
1971-1973 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institut Pasteur, Paris (Advisor: J.-P. Changeux)
1. Professional History:
1973-present Assistant, Associate, Professor, and Bren Professor of Biology, Caltech
Sabbaticals: 1980-1981 Department of Biological Chemistry, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
2005 Howard Florey Institute, University of Melbourne
2014 Janelia Research Campus, HHMI
2. Present Research Interests:
Ion Channels
Synaptic Transmission
Light-flash physiology
Neuronal engineering and interventional neuroscience
Mouse Models for Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases
Parkinson’s Disease
Nicotine Addiction
Psychiatric disease
3. Fellowships and Honors:
NSF predoctoral (1966-1968)
NIH predoctoral (1968-1971)
NIH postdoctoral (1971-1973)
Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship (1974-1976)
NIH Research Career Development Award (1977-1982)
Senator Jacob Javits Investigator, NINDS (1985-1999)
Richard E. Heikkila Research Scholar Award, National Parkinson Foundation, 2000
American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Elected 2006)
K.S. Cole Award, Biophysical Society, 2007
Named and Keynote Lectureships:
Grass Foundation Visiting Scientist, Society for Neuroscience
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Hawaii Chapter, 1989; Michigan Chapter, 1990; Birmingham AL Chapter, 1998
Bristol-Myers Lecture, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1991
Harvey Lecture, 1996
Keynote Lecture, Oregon Health Sciences University Graduate Research Forum, 1997
Vanzant Lecture, Rice University, 1997
DeCamp Lecture, Rockefeller University, 1998
Keynote Lecture, 1999 FASEB Conference on Transporters
Keynote Lecture, New England Pharmacologists 29th Annual Meeting, Brown University, 2000
Keynote Lecture, NINDS-NIMH Intramural Retreat, 2000
Nahum Lecture, Yale University School of Medicine, 2001
Keynote Lecture, NIMH Dynamical Neuroscience Symposium, 2002
Keynote Lecture, University of Southern California Neuroscience Retreat, 2005
Keynote Lecture, SFN Satellite: The 5-HT3 Receptor
Watson Lecture, Caltech (1978 and 2002)
Q. R. Murphy Lecture, Univ. Wisconsin at Madison, 2006
Distinguished Lecture, Dept of Physiology & Membrane Biology, UC Davis (2006)
Uri Littauer Lecture, Israel Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2009
Distinguished Lecture, University of Texas at Austin, 2009
Ray Fuller Lecture & Award, American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, 2009
John Brookhart Lecture, Oregon Health Services University, 2009
Keynote Speaker, Texas Tech Research Week, 2010.
Keynote Speaker, Vanderbilt Student Research, 2010.
Basic Science Keynote Lecture, Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 2011
Keynote Speaker, USC Biochemistry Retreat, 2012
Keynote Speaker & Organizer, Cold Spring Harbor Asia Conf. on Ion Channels, 2012
Koppanyi Lecture, Georgetown Univ, 2013
Sackler Lecturer, Tel-Aviv University, 2014
4. National & international service
Societies:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (Fellow, 1987)
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapetuics
American Physiological Society (until 2010)
Biophysical Society (Council, 1992-1996; Exec Bd, 1994-1996; President, 2009-2010)
Society for Neuroscience
Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
Society of Biological Psychiatry
Society of General Physiologists
Editorial Boards:
ACS Chemical Neurobiology, 2009-present
Journal of Biological Chemistry (1999-2002)
Journal of General Physiology (Advisory Editor, 1989-2005) 1989-present
Receptors and Channels (1992-1998)
Journal of Experimental Biology (1989-1998)
Molecular Membrane Biology (1991-1997)
Molecular Pharmacology (2007-present)
Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (1996-2010)
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Physiological Genomics (1999-present)
Channels (2006-present)
Reviews for journals:
ACNP, Am. J. Physiol, Arch Gen Psychiatry, Assay Drug Dev Tech, BBA, Biochem J, Biochemistry, Biological Psychiatry, Biomed Central, Biophys J, Biotechniques, Brain Res, Brit J Pharmacol, Cell, Cell Biochem Biophys, Cell Mol Neuroscience, Cellular Molecular Neurobiol, Chem BioChem, Circ Res, Develop Biol, EMBO Journal, Epilepsia, European J Biochem, European J Neurosci, FEBS J, Genes Brain + Behavior, Insect Biochem, J Am Chem Soc, J Biol Chem, J Cell Science, J Clinical Invest, J Exp Bi, J Experimental Med, J Gen Physiol, J Membrane Biology, J Mol Biol, J Neurobiol, J Neurochem, J Neurophysiol, J Neurosci, J Phys Chem, J Physiology, JPET, MCB, Mol Brain Research, Mol Pharm, Molecular Cell, Mol Membr Biol., Nature, Nature Cell Biol, Nature Chemical Biol, Nature Medicine, Nature Neurosci, Neuron, Neuropharmacology, Neuropsychopharmacology, Neuroscience, Neuroscience Letters, News Physiol Sci, Pflugers, Pharmacol Biochem Behavior, Photochem Photobiol Sci, Physiol Genomics, PloS, PNAS, Progress in Biophysics, Psychopharmacology, Psychoneuropharmacology, Science, STKE, Trends Neurosci, Trends Pharmacol
Major Grant Reviewing Activities:
I have served on NIH Study Sections in each of five successive calendar decades
National Institutes of Health:
Neurological Sciences Study Section (1981-1982)
Physiology Study Section (1985-1989)
NIMH Special Review Committee (1992-1994)
National Advisory Mental Health Council, NIMH (2000-2004)
NTRC Study Section, 2007-2011
American Heart Association:
Greater L. A. Affiliate, Research Committee (1983-5)
California Affiliate, Grant review
Courses and Conferences Organized:
Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, Neurobiology Course Instructor (1985-1986)
Gordon Conference on Ion Channels, Chairman (1990)
NINDS Workshop on Channelopathies, 2002
Australian Course in Advanced Neuroscience, Queensland, 2007, 2008, 2009
Advisory Committees:
Cornell University, Section of Neurobiology and Behavior (Chairman) (1982)
CNRS Centre de Genetique Human, Montpellier (1997)
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Unit of Molecular Neurobiology (1997 and 2005)
FASEB Burroughs Wellcome Fund Visiting Professorships (1998-2001)
Transporter Program Project, Mount Sinai Medical School (1999-2004)
Center for Genetics and Genomics, Brown University (2000-2004)
FASEB Research Conferences (2001-2005)
Department of Chemistry, University of Montana (2005-)
Nicotinic Receptor PPG, Univ. of Chicago (1997-2011)
5. Center Directorships
Director, Silvio Conte NIMH Center for Neuroscience Research, Caltech (1992-2002)
Director, NIDA National Cooperative Drug Discovery Group in Smoking Cessation
(Caltech, University of Colorado at Boulder, Targacept), (2005-2010; 2010-2015)
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6. Caltech service
Committees & leadership:
Biology Graduate Admissions Committee, 1975-2000 (most years)
Five Biology Search Committees, including two Chairs
Search Committee: Vice President for Student Affairs, 2002
Faculty Board (5 years total)
Vice Chair of the Faculty, 2003-2005
Chair of the Faculty, 2005-2007
Chair, Task Force on Mental and Suicide Prevention, 2009-2011
Executive Officer for Neuroscience, 2010-2013
Teaching and Training:
1974-1999 (alternate years). Biology 161, Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory. Enrollment (Undergrad and Graduate), ~ 20
1974-2001 (alternate years). Biology 211, Topics in Membrane and Synaptic Physiology, Enrollment (Primarily Graduate), ~15
Director, Postdoctoral Training Grant in Neurobiology, 1987-1992.
Director, Predoctoral Training Grant in Neurobiology, 1993-1998.
2000-2006 (annual). Biology 1, “Drugs and the Brain”. This is Caltech’s required core course in biology. Enrollment (primarily Freshmen), 180.
2007-present. Biology 150, Introduction to Neuroscience (with Mary Kennedy, Ralph Adolphs).
2012 – present, Coursera MOOC, Drugs and the Brain. https://www.coursera.org/course/drugsandbrain
2012-13:4400 Statements of Achievement.
2014; > 2000 Statements of Achievement
Professor of the Month, March 2013
7. Industry
Industrial Activities (via Gooseberry Data):
Axon Instruments, Inc. Union City, CA. Board of Directors 1984-2004 (Australian Stock Exchange. Acquired by Molecular Devices, 2004).
Synaptic Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Paramus, NJ, 1988-2002 (Acquired by Lundbeck, 2002). Consultant
Neurion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Pasadena, CA. 2002-2008. Co-founder; Board of Directors; Co-chair of SAB.
Encode Bio, Inc. Pasadena, CA. 2006-present. Co-chair of SAB.
Ophidian Bio, 2008- (Consultant)
Photoswitch Bio, 2008- (Consultant)
Trademark:
pCLAMP, issued to California Institute of Technology for software, 1989 (see Kegel et al., 1985; Refereed paper #27).
U. S. Patents:
5,728,535 Lester, et. al. 1998. Method for determining agents that modulate an inward rectifier, G-protein activated, mammalian, potassium KGA channel polypeptide
5,734,021 Lester, et. al. 1998. Inward rectifier, G-protein activated, mammalian potassium KGA channel polypeptide
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5,744,324 Lester, et. al. 1998. Nucleic acids encoding potassium channels which form inward rectifier, G-protein activated, mammalian, heteromultimeric, potassium channels and uses thereof
5,747,278 Lester, et al. 1998. DNA encoding inward rectifier, G-protein activated, mammalian, potassium KGA channel and uses thereof
6,255,459 Lester, et al. 2001. Antibodies to a G protein-activated, inward rectifying KGA channel.
6,753,456 Lester et al, 2004. Point Mutant Mice with Hypersensitive Alpha4 Nicotinic Receptors: Dopaminergic Pathology and Increased Anxiety.
6,750,375 Schwarz et al, 2004. Transgenic mice comprising a disruption an in RGS9 gene.
7,138,248 Lester et al, 2006. Method of inhibiting inward rectifier, G-protein activated, mammalian potassium channels and uses thereof.
8,642,352 Moss et al., 2014. Methods and Systems for Detection of Stoichiometry by Forster Resonance Energy Transfer
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