Ernest A. Weymuller Jr, MD

Excitement at the University of Washington was palpable in 1992, when it was announced that Dr Leroy Hood would leave his position as Director of the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center at Cal Tech to accept the William Gates Chair in Molecular Biotechnology.

Time does not permit a full summary of Dr Hood' s vitae, but you should know that he has produced 434 papers and that he has been honored with the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award and the Louis Pasteur Award for Medical Innovation. In 1993 he was named Scientist of the Year by R & D Magazine for his instrumental role in launching and promoting the Human Genome Project and for his pioneering role in developing revolutionary instruments to study genes, hormones, and antibodies.

In his youth Lee was an outstanding quarterback. Now he climbs mountains for recreation. He and his wife, Valerie, have two grown children. This lectureship has featured leaders in our field, but on appropriate occasions has brought us Lewis Thomas, James Watson, and Howard Hiatt. It is my great privilege to introduce Dr Leroy Hood, the next of that distinguished company. Thank you, Lee, for accepting our invitation.

Leroy E. Hood, Twentieth Daniel C. Baker, Jr, Memorial Lecture