What some people might not know about Dr. John Reed, president and CEO of La Jolla’s Burnham Institute for Medical Research, is that he’s also an endurance athlete who takes pride in running marathons and participating in triathlons.
But Reed, who also spends a good amount of time with his three sons and wife at their home in Rancho Santa Fe, has been nationally recognized for his longtime dedication and hard work in another field: cell biology and general biomedicine, with a focus on cancer and neurological diseases. For that, he will be honored March 28 as 2007 Scientist of the Year.
“He’s just a prolifically active person,” said Nancy Beddingfield, director of public affairs at the Burnham Institute, adding that she’s had the privilege of working with Reed since 1992. “He is a lion among researchers.”
A dinner and presentation by Reed will begin at 6 p.m. at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina, followed by Reed’s acceptance of the award.
The award will be presented by the San Diego Chapter of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has awarded more than $5 million to graduate and undergraduate science, technology and medical students at San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego and Scripps Research Institute, according to Bea Haddinger, co-president of the San Diego Chapter of ARCS.
“We are very excited to be able to honor Dr. Reed because he is one of the foremost scientists of his day,” Hadinger said. “He’s an outstanding example for our scholars as they work to make an imprint on the world of science today and in the future.”
San Diego ARCS presented 53 students with scholarships this year, and more than 450 of the foundation’s scholar alums are now employed in San Diego, Hadinger said.
Reed, who is the 21st scientist to be honored for outstanding work, will join the ranks of others such as Dr. Irwin Jacobs, co-founder and chairman of Qualcomm, and Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman to orbit earth aboard space shuttle Challenger in 1983.
Reed, who attended University of Pennsylvania Medical School and has formal training as a pathologist, decided early in his education to become a physician scientist so he could work toward discovering new forms of treatment, Beddingfield said.
His research in cell death, or apoptosis ” a genetically controlled program that activates the body’s cells to die ” has been key over the past 15 years in identifying the intricacies of cancer and other neurological diseases, according to Beddingfield. His work in the field has been ranked as most cited in the world, she said.
Several types of cancer are a result of cells refusing to die, Beddingfield said, explaining that Reed was able to create a medical drug for cancer, given in addition to chemotherapy, to regenerate cell death and therefore make the treatment more effective. The drug is in phase three of clinical trials.
Reed’s position as both a physician and scientist is unusual but also comes in handy, Beddingfield said.
“Because he is a practicing scientist and also manages 750 employees, every decision he makes is steeped in empathy for his fellow scientists,” she said. “He is a man who likes to move fast and he knew he could see that progress faster in the laboratory.”
Tickets for the dinner and reception are $75, and reservations are required no later than March 22. To reserve a seat, call Patricia Stewart, (619) 435-6482.
For more information about Reed and his research or the ARCS Foundation, visit www.arcsfoundation.org/sandiego.