Joseph DeRisi
Encyclopedia
Joseph DeRisi is an American
biochemist
, specializing in molecular biology
, parasitology
, genomics
, virology
, and computational biology
.
He received a B.A. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1992) from the University of California, Santa Cruz
, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry (1999) from Stanford University
.
Joseph DeRisi is currently a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
(HHMI) Investigator and a Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry
and Biophysics
at the University of California, San Francisco
(UCSF) with a joint appointment at the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences
(QB3).
DeRisi's best-known achievements are his work on profiling gene expression throughout the lifecycle of the malaria
-causing protozoan Plasmodium falciparum
and his analysis of the SARS virus.
DeRisi uses microarray
s extensively in his work, and has designed and built both hardware and software for microarrays. He is a proponent of open access to microarray technology, and maintains a website with software and protocols for microarray operations. He is also a proponent of open access publishing, and has publications in the Public Library of Science
journals.
DeRisi has also studied colony collapse among honeybees. He and a research partner, Don Ganem, have identified a parasite, Nosema ceranae, that may be partly responsible. http://today.ucsf.edu/stories/ucsf-sleuths-identify-suspects-in-mystery-of-vanishing-honeybees/
Notably, DeRisi was named a MacArthur fellow
in 2004 (a MacArthur fellowship is also known as the "Genius" award), and was awarded the 14th Annual Heinz Award
for Technology, the Economy and Employment in 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
biochemist
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
, specializing in molecular biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
, parasitology
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
, genomics
Genomics
Genomics is a discipline in genetics concerning the study of the genomes of organisms. The field includes intensive efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping efforts. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis,...
, virology
Virology
Virology is the study of viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy...
, and computational biology
Computational biology
Computational biology involves the development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, behavioral, and social systems...
.
He received a B.A. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1992) from the University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry (1999) from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
Joseph DeRisi is currently a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...
(HHMI) Investigator and a Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
and Biophysics
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
at the University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
(UCSF) with a joint appointment at the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences
California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences
The California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences is a nonprofit research and technology commercialization institute spanning three University of California campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area: UC Berkeley, UCSF, and UC Santa Cruz...
(QB3).
DeRisi's best-known achievements are his work on profiling gene expression throughout the lifecycle of the malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
-causing protozoan Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium falciparum is a protozoan parasite, one of the species of Plasmodium that cause malaria in humans. It is transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria caused by this species is the most dangerous form of malaria, with the highest rates of complications and mortality...
and his analysis of the SARS virus.
DeRisi uses microarray
Microarray
A microarray is a multiplex lab-on-a-chip. It is a 2D array on a solid substrate that assays large amounts of biological material using high-throughput screening methods.Types of microarrays include:...
s extensively in his work, and has designed and built both hardware and software for microarrays. He is a proponent of open access to microarray technology, and maintains a website with software and protocols for microarray operations. He is also a proponent of open access publishing, and has publications in the Public Library of Science
Public Library of Science
The Public Library of Science is a nonprofit open-access scientific publishing project aimed at creating a library of open access journals and other scientific literature under an open content license...
journals.
DeRisi has also studied colony collapse among honeybees. He and a research partner, Don Ganem, have identified a parasite, Nosema ceranae, that may be partly responsible. http://today.ucsf.edu/stories/ucsf-sleuths-identify-suspects-in-mystery-of-vanishing-honeybees/
Notably, DeRisi was named a MacArthur fellow
MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Based in Chicago but supporting non-profit organizations that work in 60 countries, MacArthur has awarded more than US$4 billion since its inception in 1978...
in 2004 (a MacArthur fellowship is also known as the "Genius" award), and was awarded the 14th Annual Heinz Award
Heinz Award
The Heinz Award is an award currently given annually to ten honorees by the Heinz Family Foundation. The Heinz Awards recognize outstanding individuals for their contributions in the five areas of: Arts and Humanities, the Environment, the Human Condition, Public Policy, and Technology, the Economy...
for Technology, the Economy and Employment in 2008.
External links
- DeRisi Lab
- Joseph DeRisi, Ph.D., bio on site of the Howard Hughes Medical InstituteHoward Hughes Medical InstituteHoward Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...
- microarrays.org (Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
copy) - Joseph L. DeRisi, profile on the Searle Scholars ProgramSearle Scholars ProgramThe Searle Scholars Program is a career development award made annually to the 15 young US professionals in biomedical research and chemistry considered most promising...
site - Tech Awards, 2001 Health Award Laureate, Joseph L. DeRisi
- Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering
- 2004 MacArthur Fellows Announcement
- 2004 Wired RAVE Awards
- BayBio Pantheon
- Alumni Achievement Awards
- 2007 Chabot Science Award
- The Heinz Awards, Joseph DeRisi profile
- Joe DeRisi solves medical mysteries via TED.com