Award of the American Society for Cell Biology

Anthony Hyman will present Keith R. Porter Lecture at Cell Bio Virtual 2020

© Sven Döring

The American Society for Cell Biology presents the Keith R. Porter Award to Anthony Hyman, one of four founding directors of the MPI-CBG. He will present the Keith R. Porter Lecture at Cell Bio Virtual 2020, an ASCB|EMBO Meeting, on Wednesday, December 9 at 11:30 am ET virtually. This lecture is named in memory of Keith R. Porter, one of ASCB’s founding members, and is presented by an eminent cell biologist each year at the ASCB|EMBO Meeting. 

Using Caenorhabditis elegans as his model organism, Hyman has contributed to the understanding of the mechanism by which centrioles replicate, separate, and trigger microtubule nucleation. The Hyman lab has also elucidated some of the mysteries of spindle assembly and positioning. Over the last two decades, Hyman has become known for using C.elegans as a model system to create the “parts list” used in various cytoplasmic processes. While teaching at the Woods Hole physiology course with Clifford Brangwynne and Frank Jülicher, Hyman was among the first to witness that cells employ phase separation to create fleeting, non–membrane-bound sub-compartments. Understanding why and how these compartments form, and also what happens if their formation process goes awry, could provide insight into neurodegenerative diseases.

“Tony Hyman has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the microtubule cytoskeleton and its role in cell division, and has been a pioneer in the study of cellular compartmentalization by phase separation phenomena,” said ASCB President Eva Nogales.

Hyman’s career has been highly recognized, and just this year he was awarded the Wiley Prize in Biomedical Research and the NOMIS Distinguished Scientist Award and was elected to the National Academy of the Sciences.

“I would like to dedicate this lecture to my wife Suzanne Eaton, who passed away last year.  So much of my progress in science was predicated on her love and support,” Hyman says. “It is a great honor in any cell biologist’s career to be asked to give the Keith Porter lecture.”

ASCB press release:
https://www.ascb.org/meetings/hyman-to-present-keith-porter-lecture-at-cell-bio-virtual-2020/