2001 Achievement in Basic Science Award

Gabriel Nunez, M.D., professor, Pathology

Dr. Nunez has clearly established himself as one of the world leaders in studying the molecular pathways involved in apoptosis. He is one of the most innovative and productive scientists at the University of Michigan, and has made seminal contributions towards understanding the molecular pathways in apoptosis.

Dr. Nunez, has also made important contributions to the field of signal transduction and apoptosis. His group has embarked on a number of studies to apply knowledge of these pathways towards the therapy of human cancers. He has been extremely productive with over 135 publications in the highest quality peer reviewed journals, including Science, Nature, Cell, Journal of Biological Chemistry and PNAS. His laboratory is extremely well funded and he is the principal investigator on four RO1 grants as well as a grant from the Michigan Life Science Corridor Fund. Dr. Nunez' international reputation is evident in the many invitations he receives to present his work at international conferences. In addition, he has served on a number of study sections and review groups at the NIH.

He has been an exceptional leader at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, serving as the Co-leader of the Cancer Center's Cell Biology Program, the largest basic science research program within the Center.

Dr. Nunez joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1991. He completed his M.D. and did his internship at the University of Seville Medical School, in Seville, Spain, and completed his postdoctoral fellowship in Immunology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas. Dr. Nunez was a house officer in

the Department of Pathology and completed a Postdocotoral Fellowship in Molecular Biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.