Honoring a Pioneer in DNA Technology
In 2006, Einstein established the Marshall S. Horwitz, M.D., Faculty Prize for Research Excellence to commemorate the legacy of the prize’s namesake. Dr. Horwitz”s untimely death the previous year followed a career as a dedicated researcher, mentor and physician. Each year, a selection committee elects the faculty member they feel best follows the example set by Dr. Horwitz.
Dr. Schildkraut (third from right) with (from left) Dr. Steven Porcelli, Dr. Bruce Horwitz, Dr. Susan Band Horwtiz, Josh Horwitz, and Dr. Richard Kitsis
This year’s honoree was Dr. Carl Schildkraut, professor of cell biology. On March 12, 2018, more than 150 members of the Einstein community gathered in Robbins Auditorium to see Dr. Schildkraut accept his award and hear his presentation. Dr. Steven Porcelli, who now chairs the department that Dr. Horwitz once led, offered memories of the man who inspired the award.
An Innovative Researcher
Welcoming Dr. Schildkraut to the stage, Dr. Art Skoultchi, professor and chair of cell biology, shared highlights from the honoree’s career and noted that Dr. Schildkraut is truly a “pioneer of research on DNA” and “when a technology doesn’t exist, he invents it.”
In his lecture, “Understanding the DNA Helix to Understand Disease and Aging, ”Dr. Schildkraut discussed the various ways his lab has studied mammalian DNA replication through the years. He began his impressive research career as an undergraduate with publication of his studies on protein structure. His early work included discovering the phenomenon of DNA melting and reannealing, which laid the foundation for future technological innovations in the field. This research included working with Dr. Julius Marmur at Harvard, who Dr. Schildkruat would later team with as a colleague when he joined the faculty at Einstein. It was followed by postdoctoral studies in the lab of Nobel laureate Dr. Arthur Kornberg at Stanford University.
More recently, Dr. Schildkraut’s work has focused on DNA replication and genomic maintenance.
An Inspiring Mentor
Like Dr. Horwitz, Dr. Schildkraut is also appreciated for his work as a dedicated mentor to many budding researchers. Among the more touching anecdotes he related involved his special connection with Marshall Horwitz himself, who saved the life of Dr. Schildkraut’s daughter Sara when she was diagnosed at a young age with Kawasaki disease. The rare disease—for which there still is no cure—if not treated in time, causes inflammation that affects coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.
“Without Marshall on the treatment team, I’d have been less confident in the course of treatment that was determined,” recalled Dr. Schildkraut. “I consulted with him about what we could do and followed his advice. His recommendations and assurances made all the difference for my wife and me, and, ultimately, our daughter.”
Posted on: Friday, June 22, 2018