Share thisO'Malley to receive top science honor at White House
Kimberlee Norton
713-798-4710
kknorton@bcm.edu
HOUSTON -- (Aug. 25, 2008) -- President George W. Bush will award the National Medal of Science to Dr. Bert O'Malley, chair of molecular and cellular biology at Baylor College of Medicine, in a ceremony at the White House next month.
O'Malley is one of eight leaders in science to be honored by the president as recipients of the 2007 National Medal of Science. The ceremony will be Sept. 29.
Highest scientific honor in nation
The award is the highest honor in the nation for scientists. It recognizes pioneering scientific research in a range of fields, including biological, physical, mathematical, social, behavioral and engineering sciences.
O'Malley is only the fifth in Texas to receive the award in biological sciences, and joins Dr. Michael E. DeBakey as the only other recipient from BCM. Also from Texas are Dr. Norman E. Borlaug of Texas A&M University, and Drs. Michael S. Brown and Joseph S. Goldstein, both of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. All three later received the Nobel Prize.
"It is a great surprise," O'Malley said. "It certainly is appreciated and is humbling."
Father of molecular endocrinology
Often referred to as the father of molecular endocrinology, O'Malley began his career at BCM 36 years ago. He said this award is good for the college and the Texas Medical Center.
"Baylor is known for its strong science, and this is an objective piece of evidence for that," he said. "It has easy access to clinical activities, translational activities and fundamental science activities. And that is what a scientist really enjoys."
Dr. Peter G. Traber, BCM president and CEO, said, "I can think of no one more deserving of the nation's highest science award. Bert O'Malley's scientific discoveries have opened new areas of science and his expertise is well-known throughout the world. His leadership at Baylor is legendary. The fundamental research of Dr. O'Malley and his colleagues has laid the groundwork for innovative medical therapies that have benefitted countless patients."
Cited for pioneering work
The official award for O'Malley states, "For his pioneering work on the molecular mechanisms of steroid hormone action and hormone receptors and coactivators which has had a profound impact on our knowledge of steroid hormones in normal development and in diseases, including cancer."
He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at Duke University Medical School.
The National Medal of Science depicts man, surrounded by earth, sea, and sky, contemplating and seeking to understand nature. The crystal in his hand symbolizes the universal order and also suggests the basic unit of living things. The formula he is sketching in the sand symbolizes scientific abstraction.
In 1965, he became a clinical associate at the National Cancer Institute and in 1967, was named to the molecular biology section of the Endocrine Branch of the NCI. From 1969 to 1973, he was professor and director of the Reproductive Biology Center at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
He came to Houston in 1973 as the Tom Thompson Professor and chair of the cell biology department and director of the Baylor Center for Reproductive Biology.
O'Malley holds numerous honorary degrees and is the recipient of many awards. He is the author of more than 600 items and is the holder of 19 patents for special techniques and inventions developed in the study of his field.
The National Medal of Science was established by Congress in 1959 as a Presidential Award to be given to individuals "deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences." In 1980 Congress expanded this recognition to include the social and behavioral sciences.
A committee of 12 scientists and engineers is appointed by the President to evaluate the nominees for the award. Since its establishment, the National Medal of Science has been awarded to 441 distinguished scientists and engineers whose careers spanned decades of research and development.
Dr. DeBakey was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Reagan in 1987.