Mark Lemmon, the Alfred Gilman Professor and Chair of Pharmacology, and co-director of the Yale Cancer Biology Institute, was one of 52 scientists elected this year as a Fellow of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom's national academy of science.
Lemmon was recognized by the Society for his pioneering contributions to the fields of cell signaling and cancer research, with work that also addresses more basic and general questions in biochemistry and biophysics. His work has focused on the signaling mechanisms of cell surface receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that, when mutated, cause cancers and other diseases. Due to his achievements, it is now well known how the prototypical RTK (epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR) signals across membranes. The results of his investigations are now helping to guide clinical decisions, bringing biochemistry and structural biology into personalized medicine.
Founded in 1660, the Royal Society has three roles: as a provider of independent scientific advice, as a learned society, and as a funding agency. Its Fellowship includes renowned scientists from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, plus Foreign Members from across the World.