February 11, 2002 The Rockefeller University News Release "Rockefeller University Appoints Thomas P. Sakmar Acting President" The Board of Trustees of The Rockefeller University today named Thomas P. Sakmar, M.D. to serve as acting president of the university. December 27, 2001 42nd Annual Alfred E. Mirsky Holiday Lectures on Science "Tune On, Tune In: The Human Genome, Molecular Switches and Signaling" Dr. Sakmar discusses the recent publishing of the human genome structure and its current relevance to the worlds of science and medicine as part of The Rockefeller University's annual series of scientific lectures for New York area high school students. Click on link to hear his lecture and view the accompanying slide presentation. November 2000 DNA Learning Site Interview "DNA and proteins are key molecules of the cell nucleus" Dr. Sakmar is interviewed by the Dolan DNA Learning Center for its "DNA from the Beginning" animated primer. In this four-part discussion, he explores the controversy behind Phoebus Levene's tetranucleotide theory and its effect on the field of nucleic acid research. Click on the above link and select the audio/video option on lower panel to watch the interview. June 14, 2001 Thomas P. Sakmar presents Centennial Doctorate Honoris Lausa in Chemistry to H. Gobind Khorana, PhD At The Rockefeller University's convocation ceremony, Dr. Sakmar honors his former mentor Dr. H. Gobind Khorana, Nobel Laureate and Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Biology and Chemistry at MIT. Dr. Khorana received the Nobel prize in 1968 for his work in interpreting the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis. Click on the link to view Dr. Sakmar's speech. May 21, 2001 Chemical & Engineering News, Volume 79, Number 21 "Nipping AIDS in the Bud" "One of the promising avenues of investigation in the search for novel AIDS medications is the pursuit of viral entry inhibitors." CCR-5, one of the G-protein coupled receptors currently under study in the Sakmar lab, is one of the main co-receptors involved in the entry of HIV into cells. This article on potential new medications in the fight against AIDS highlights the lab's work with Tatjana Dragic of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, John P. Moore of Weill Medical College of Cornell University and coworkers on CCR-5. September 2000 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Bulletin "Mentoring the Youngest Researchers" Dr. Sakmar's positive experiences working with high school interns demonstrate that mentorship can be highly rewarding for both the student and the lab involved. June 4, 2000 New York Times Magazine "The Smart Set" The Sakmar lab's high school intern Eugene Simuni is profiled in this article on the academically elite science students at Midwood High School in Brooklyn. During his work with the lab, Eugene used computerized data on the three-dimensional atomic structure of the G proteins rhodopsin and transducin to compare the way they related a biological signal inside cells. He is currently an undergraduate at Harvard.