Lawrence S.B. Goldstein facts for kids
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Lawrence S.B. Goldstein
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Lawrence S.B. Goldstein was born on February 20, 1956, in Buffalo, New York. He is a professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego. He also works as an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Goldstein gets money for his research from groups like the NIH and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. In 2020, he was chosen to be part of the National Academy of Sciences. This is a very high honor for scientists.
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About Lawrence S.B. Goldstein
His Education and Early Career
Dr. Goldstein studied biology and genetics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He earned his first degree there in 1976. He then got his Ph.D. degree in genetics from the University of Washington, Seattle in 1980.
After his Ph.D., he did more research. This is called postdoctoral research. He worked at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1980 to 1983. Then he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983 and 1984. From 1984 to 1993, he was a professor at Harvard University. In 1993, he moved to UCSD and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He has received special honors for his work, including an award from the Ellison Medical Foundation.
His Important Research
Dr. Goldstein's main research helps us understand how things move inside brain cells, called neurons. He studies how tiny parts move around inside these cells. He also looks at what happens when these movements go wrong. This can cause serious brain diseases.
His lab was the first to describe special proteins called kinesin. These proteins act like tiny motors inside cells. Dr. Goldstein's team also found important links between these cell movements and diseases. These include serious conditions like Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease.
Helping Science and Society
Dr. Goldstein has also played a big role in science policy for the country. He has been on many science advisory committees. These groups help guide how science is done. He has also written and spoken a lot about science issues. He has been interviewed by many news outlets.
He has even spoken to government leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. He talked about funding for science research and about stem cell research. He also helped start a company called Cytokinetics, Inc.. This company works on developing new medicines. Dr. Goldstein also served as the elected secretary for the American Society for Cell Biology.