What is the NIEHS Biomedical Career Symposium?
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The annual NIEHS Biomedical Career Symposium, now in its 27th year, is one of the largest assemblies of biomedical organizations and young scientists in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Targeting postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, the Career Symposium provides young scientists with an opportunity to explore a myriad of career options and create a contact network as they plan for their future careers in the biomedical sciences.
Symposium Date: April 15, 2025. Please save the date in your calendar.
Location: NIEHS, Research Triangle Park
Registration
The attendee registration CV/resume review signup will be open until March 28, 2025.
Keynote
Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D.
The 2012 Nobel Chemistry Prize Winner
The Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Duke University Medical Center
Keynote Address: A Tale of Two Callings
Dr. Lefkowitz's research began in the late 1960s, when the existence of drug and hormone receptors were controversial. His team spent many years developing methods to label and purify adrenergic receptors for adrenaline. In 1986, Dr. Lefkowitz's group cloned the beta2-adrenergic receptor gene and established the G protein-coupled receptors family (GPCRs). The discovery transformed our understanding of how the receptors signal through G proteins as well as the mechanism of receptor desensitization. Today, over half of prescription drugs, including beta blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers, and antihistamines target either directly or indirectly the receptors discovered by Dr. Lefkowitz's team. In 2022, Dr. Lefkowitz co-founded Septerna, a biotech company that specializes in developing GPCR drugs. Dr. Lefkowitz was trained as a physician, however, his time working as a research associate at the NIH, which started as a means to fulfill his draft obligation, turned into his lifelong passion for basic research. Dr. Lefkowitz's memoir, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm, recounts his early career as a cardiologist and his transition to biochemistry, which led to his Nobel Prize win.
Bio:
Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D. is the Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Professor of Medicine, Chemistry, Pathology, and Biochemistry at the Duke University Medical Center. He is also a member of the Duke Cancer Institute. He obtained his M.D. from Columbia University in 1966. Following his residency training in internal medicine at Columbia University, he served as a clinical and research associate at the NIH from 1968 to 1970. Dr. Lefkowitz joined Duke University in 1973, and has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 1976. Dr. Lefkowitz has received numerous honors and awards, including the National Medal of Science, the Shaw Prize, the Albany Prize, and the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was elected to the USA National Academy of Sciences in 1988, the Institute of Medicine in 1994, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1988.