- Ira Mellman
Ira Mellman, Ph.D. is an American cell biologist who discovered
endosomes . He serves as Director of Research Oncology atGenentech in South San Francisco, California.Research
Mellman's work has examined the role of
endocytosis in cell metabolism and human disease. He was among the first to characterize the endosomal system. Later projects include investigation ofLDL cholesterol receptor internalization, cellular sorting machinery, and the cellular basis for immunity.Early Life and Studies
Mellman grew up in New York, where he lived until he enrolled at
Oberlin College inOberlin, Ohio . While in college he maintained an interest in music but focused on the rapidly expanding field of cell biology.Move to Yale and Later Years
After leaving Oberlin, he enrolled in the graduate program at theUC Berkeley, but later transferred to
Yale University . He returned to Yale after completing postdoctoral work and remained there as a professor for over twenty years. During this time he wasSterling Professor ofCell Biology &Immunobiology , chair of the Cell Biology Department, Scientific Director of the Yale Cancer Center and a member of theLudwig Institute for Cancer Research . Mellman has served on the council of the American Society for Cell Biology and is the editor-in-chief of theJournal of Cell Biology .In 1977, he married Margaret Moench; the couple have three children.
Trivia
*Mellman keeps a picture of former
WTOP reporter and anchorman Ira Mellman on the front of his door.
*Mellman plays bass in his own rock band called "The Cellmates."References
* [http://www.ascb.org/index.cfm?navid=110&id=1326&tcode=nws3 The American Society for Cell Biology]
* [http://yalecancercenter.org/news/newsltr_pdfs/fall04.pdf Yale Cancer Center Newsletter]
External links
* [http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/177/4/570 Ira Mellman: from endosomes to industry]
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