- 2003 Canada Gairdner International Award
Intro
American biophysicist and University Professor at Columbia University in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Violin Family Professor of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics. He won the Canada Gairdner International Award 2003 for contributions to macromolecular crystallography, in the development of robust methods of phasing and refinement, and in the determination of complex and biologically important structures.
Education and Work Experience
1968, Ph.D. in Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University
1984-Present, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
2008-Present, Violin Family Professor of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
2010-Present, Scientific Director, New York Structural Biology Center
Honors and Awards
1992, Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2003, Canada Gairdner International Award
2004, Harvey Prize
2012, Einstein Professorship of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Major Academic Achievements
Wayne Hendrickson's pioneering studies of the anomalous dispersion effect have established this technique as the method of choice for determining protein crystal structures in as rapid and straightforward manner as possible and has made the concept of structural genomics an experimental reality. In addition to his central role in the development of multi-wavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) methods, he was also a pioneer in the development of computer programs that are used to build and refine atomic models for proteins on the basis of X-ray diffraction measurements. His contributions to methodology are complemented by his determination of the first structure of a tyrosine kinase and the structure of the HIV protein, gp120, in complex with the CD4 receptor and a neutralizing human antibody.