Christopher T. Walsh
Encyclopedia
Christopher T. Walsh is a Hamilton Kuhn professor of biological chemistry and pharmacology
at Harvard Medical School
. His research focuses on enzyme
s and enzyme inhibition
, and most recently he is focused on the problem of antibiotic resistance
. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
in 1989.
in 1965. As an undergraduate, he worked with E. O. Wilson
and published a first author paper in the journal Nature
, where he and his colleagues described the composition of the fire ant
trail substance. He went on to graduate school at Rockefeller University
, where he earned his Ph.D. in life science in 1970.
in 1972, and later that year joined the faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
as a professor of chemistry and biology. In 1987, he joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School, where he remains to this day. Walsh has authored more than 650 publications in scholarly journals and trained several graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
. His research focuses on enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
s and enzyme inhibition
Enzyme inhibitor
An enzyme inhibitor is a molecule that binds to enzymes and decreases their activity. Since blocking an enzyme's activity can kill a pathogen or correct a metabolic imbalance, many drugs are enzyme inhibitors. They are also used as herbicides and pesticides...
, and most recently he is focused on the problem of antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is a type of drug resistance where a microorganism is able to survive exposure to an antibiotic. While a spontaneous or induced genetic mutation in bacteria may confer resistance to antimicrobial drugs, genes that confer resistance can be transferred between bacteria in a...
. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1989.
Early life and education
Walsh earned his A.B. degree in biology from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1965. As an undergraduate, he worked with E. O. Wilson
E. O. Wilson
Edward Osborne Wilson is an American biologist, researcher , theorist , naturalist and author. His biological specialty is myrmecology, the study of ants....
and published a first author paper in the journal Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
, where he and his colleagues described the composition of the fire ant
Fire ant
Fire ants are a variety of stinging ants with over 285 species worldwide. They have several common names, including ginger ants, tropical fire ants and red ants.- Appearance :...
trail substance. He went on to graduate school at Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...
, where he earned his Ph.D. in life science in 1970.
Career
Walsh completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
in 1972, and later that year joined the faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
as a professor of chemistry and biology. In 1987, he joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School, where he remains to this day. Walsh has authored more than 650 publications in scholarly journals and trained several graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
Books
- Enzymatic Reaction Mechanisms (1978). Published by Freeman Inc (ISBN 978-0716700708).
- Antibiotics: Actions, Origins, Resistance (2003), by Christopher Walsh. Published by ASM Press (ISBN 978-1555812546).
- Post-translation Modification of Proteins: Expanding Nature's Inventory (2006), by C.T. Walsh. Published by Roberts and Company (ISBN 0974707732).