Thomas Dean Pollard
Personal
Born July 7, 1942 in Pasadena, CA
Married to Patricia Snowden February 7, 1964
Children: Katherine Snowden Pollard, born 1972, Daniel Avery Pollard, born 1975
Education
1964 B.A., cum laude. Pomona College
1968 M.D., cum laude. Harvard Medical School
Academic Career
1968-69 Medical internship, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
1969-72 Staff Associate, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Section on Biochemistry and Ultrastructure, National Heart and Lung Institute, Bethesda, MD
1972-75 Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Harvard Medical School
1975-78 Associate Professor of Anatomy, Harvard Medical School
1977-96 Bayard Halsted Professor and Director, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
1984 Visiting Scientist, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, U.K.
1996-00 President, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
1996-01 Professor, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
1997-01 Adjunct Professor of Biology, of Bioengineering and of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego
2001-05 Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology and of Cell Biology, Yale University
2003-05 Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University
2004-10 Chair, Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology
2006-21 Sterling Professor of Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology and of Cell Biology and of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University
2010-14 Dean, Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (cognizant Dean of the Faculty for the Natural and Social Sciences)
2017 Miller Visiting Professor, University of California, Berkeley
2021- Sterling Professor Emeritus of Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology and of Cell Biology and of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University
2021-23 Senior Research Scientist, Department of Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology, Yale University
2022-24 Visiting Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
2024- Research Associate, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Honors
1961 F.S. Jennings Memorial Prize for freshman English writing, Pomona College
1968 Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, Harvard Medical School
1974-78 USPHS Research Career Development Award
1981 Member, Baltimore Road Runners Club team that set the world record in the 100-man 100-mile relay (stood until 1997)
1984 Guggenheim Fellowship
1984 Winston Churchill Overseas Fellow, Churchill College, Cambridge, England
1988-98 MERIT Award, National Institute of General Medical Science
1990 Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1992 Fellow, National Academy of Sciences of the United States
1993 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
1996 Rosenstiel Award, Brandeis University (jointly with James Spudich)
1997 Public Service Award, Biophysical Society
1997 Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology
1999 Fellow, Biophysical Society
1999 Member, National Academy of Medicine (formerly Institute of Medicine)
2004 E.B. Wilson Medal, American Society for Cell Biology
2005 Honorary Doctor of Science, Pomona College
2006 Gairdner International Award in Biomedical Sciences (jointly with Alan Hall)
2008 Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Miami Medical School
2010 Public Service Award, American Society for Cell Biology
2010 Associate Member, European Molecular Biology Organization
2013 Honorary Doctor of Science, The Ohio State University
2015 National Academy of Sciences Award for Scientific Reviewing
2015 Wilbur Cross Medal, Yale University
2016 Carl Zeiss Award, German Society of Cell Biology
2016 Fellow, American Society for Cell Biology
2017 National age group champion, 20 kilometer road race
2017 Miller Visiting Professor, University of California, Berkeley
2025 Connecticut Medal of Science, State of Connecticut
Named Lectures
1985 Harden Lecture, Biochemical Society (U.K.)
1989 Keith R. Porter Lecture, American Society for Cell Biology
1998 Bashour Lecture, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
1999 Selkurt Lecture, University of Indiana Medical School
2000 Ricketts Lecture, University of Chicago
2000 Jon Singer Lecture, San Diego Cell Biology Association
2001 Lynch Lectures, University of Notre Dame
2001 Naidorf Lecture, Columbia University
2002 Pepe Lecture, University of Pennsylvania
2005 Alma Howard Lecture, McGill University
2006 Stower Lectures, University of California Davis
2006 Erlanger-Gasser Lecture, Washington University, St. Louis
2006 Director’s Lecture, National Institutes of Health
2007 Pomerat Lecture, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
2009 Calbiochem Lectures, University of California San Diego
2010 Harold Beams Lecture, University of Iowa
2011 Hewson Swift Lecture, University of Chicago
2011 Camillo Benzo Lectureship, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse
2012 Donald Casper Lecture, Florida State University
2013 Paul Doty Lecture, Harvard University
2014 Woody Lecture, Colorado State University
2014 Smith Freeman Lecture, Northwestern University School of Medicine
2015 Don W. Fawcett Lectures, Harvard Medical School
2015 Kensal van Holde Lecture, Marine Biological Laboratory
2016 Priscilla Connell Lecture, University of Michigan
Professional Activities
1973-76 Instructor, Physiology Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
1974 Instructor, Workshop on Cell Motility, Friday Harbor Lab, University of Washington
1975 Co-organizer, Meeting on Cell Motility, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
1975-80 Member, NIGMS Cellular and Molecular Basis of Disease Review Committee
1976-77 Member, Executive Committee, American Society for Cell Biology
1976-79 Member, Council, American Society for Cell Biology
1977-80 Member, Council, Biophysical Society
1982 Chairman, Local Arrangements, Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology
1984-85 Program Chairman, 1985 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology
1984-86 Member, Council, the Association of Anatomy Chairmen
1984-97 Member, Selection Committee for Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust Scholars
1984-88 Member, Molecular Cytology Study Section, NIH; Chair, 1986-88
1985-86 Panel on Cell Biology, National Research Council
1986-88 Committee on Research Opportunities in Biology, National Research Council
1987-88 President, American Society for Cell Biology
1987-93 Overseers’ Committee for the Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard University
1987-90 Council, Biophysical Society
1989-93 Director, Physiology Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
1990-93 Member, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council
1990-23 Member, Public Policy Committee, American Society for Cell Biology
1990- Board Member, Coalition for Life Sciences (formerly Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy)
1990-97 Trustee, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
1991-97 Member, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scientific Review Board
1991-95 Member, Coordinating Council for Education, National Research Council
1991-96 External Advisor NSF Science and Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University
1992-93 President, Biophysical Society
1993-98 Chairman, NRC Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council
1994-98 Council, National Institute of General Medical Sciences
1995 Co-organizer, Keystone Meeting on Molecular Motors, Taos, NM
1995-22 National Coordinator, Congressional Liaison Committee of the JSC/Coalition for Life Science
1995-97 Member, Class Membership Committee, National Academy of Sciences
1995-99 Chair, Public Policy Committee, Biophysical Society
1996- Chair’s Advisory Committee, Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy
1996-99 Member, Electorate Nominating Committee, Section on Medical Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science
1997-98 Member, Council Scientific Planning Subcommittee, NHGRI, NIH
1997-01 Member, Board of Advisors, San Diego Science and Technology Council
1997-01 Member, Selection Committee Hollaender Award, National Academy of Sciences
1998-02 Member, Interdisciplinary Grants Committee, Packard Foundation
1998-01 Member, Medical Advisory Board, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
1998- Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Cytokinetics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
1999-01 Member, Board of Directors, California Healthcare Institute
2001-02 Member, Strategic Planning Committee, Marine Biological Laboratory
2000-03 Chair, Class II- 2 Nominating Committee, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2002 Organizer, Keystone Meeting on Neural Pathfinding, Taos, NM
2002-08 Member, Public Policy Committee, Biophysical Society
2002-04 Member, Committee on Nominations, American Association for the Advancement of Science
2002-05 Chair, Class II, Biological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences
2002-03 Member, Membership Committee, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2003-06 Member, Science, Technology and Law Panel, National Academy of Sciences
2003 Overseers’ Committee, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard
2003-20 Member, Advisory Committee National Resource for Cell Analysis and Modeling, University of Connecticut Health Center
2004-07 Chair, Annual Fund, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
2005 Chair, Search Committee for Executive Director, American Society for Cell Biology
2006-14 Member, Board of Scientific Advisers, The Jane Coffin Child Memorial Fund for Medical Research
2006-10 Member, Board of Directors, American Association for the Advancement of Science
2006-15 College of Reviewers for the Canada Research Chairs Program
2006-07 Member, Women in Cell Biology Committee, American Society for Cell Biology
2007-10 Chair, Public Policy Committee, American Society for Cell Biology
2008-12 Member, Advisory Board for Q-Bio Conference
2008-09 Member, National Steering Committee: Vision and Change Conference on Undergraduate Biology Education for the 21st Century, AAAS/NSF
2009-11 Member, Advisory Board, Image Library of the American Society for Cell Biology
2010-13 Member, ARISE II report committee, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2011-12 Member, Nominations Committee, American Association for the Advancement of Science
2012 Member, E.B. Wilson Medal selection committee, American Society for Cell Biology
2012 Member, Richard Lounsbery Award Committee, National Academy of Sciences
2012 Member, External Review Committee of the Whitman Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
2013 Member, External Review Committee, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University
2013-14 Member, Fundraising committee, Pomona College Class of 1964 reunion
2014-22 Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, Allen Institute for Cell Science
2016-19 Chair, Section 29 on Biophysics and Computational Biology, National Academy of Sciences
2017-21 Member, Council of the National Academy of Sciences
2018-21 Chair, Development Committee, National Academy of Sciences
2018-20 Member, Governing Board, National Research Council
2018 Member, External Review Committee, Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins Medical School
2019-20 Member, Strategic Planning Committee, National Research Council
2020-22 Member, Career Transitions Task Force, ASCB
2021- Member, Committee to Visit Harvard Medical School and School of Dental Medicine
2021- Member, Cell Biology Advisory Board, Landmarks for Faculty Opinion
2023-24 Co-founder, Cyntegron Therapeutics
2024-26 Chair, Heritage Society, National Academy of Sciences
Editorial Boards
1976-81 Editorial Board, Cell Biology-International Reports
1977-82 Editorial Board, Journal of Cell Biology
1978-82 Editorial Board, Journal of Submicroscopic Cytology
1980-94 Editorial Board, Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton
1980-88 Editorial Board, Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility
1981-93 Editorial Board, Microscopy Research and Technique
1982-91 Associate Editor, Journal of Cell Biology
1982-93 Associate Editor, Annual Review of Biophysics
1988-17 Editorial Board, Current Opinion in Cell Biology
1991-22 Editorial Board, Current Biology
1991-05 Associate Editor, Molecular Biology of the Cell
1994-97 Editorial Board, Protein Profile
1995-15 Editorial Board, Trends in Biochemical Sciences
1996-98 Editorial Board, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
2001-07 Editorial Board, Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton; now Cytoskeleton
2001-05 Highlights Advisor, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
2005- Senior Editor, Molecular Biology of the Cell
2008-14 Editorial Board, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
2008-17 Editorial Board, Cell Health and Cytoskeleton
2009- Editorial Board, Cytoskeleton
2010-16 Editorial Board, Bioarchitecture
2018-21 Member, Faculty Advisory Board Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine
Johns Hopkins Medical School
1977-96 Member, Advisory Board of the Medical Faculty
1977-96 Member, First Year Medical Student Promotion Committee
1981-85 Member, Professorial Promotions Committee
1984-87 Member, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Centennial Steering Committee
1991-93 Member, Strategic Planning Steering Committee
1992-96 Coordinator, First Year Medical School Curriculum
1993-96 Founding Director, Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Yale University
2001-21 Member, Center for Structural Biology
2001-02 Chair, MCDB Faculty Search Committee
2002-03 Member, Scholar Awards Committee
2002 Member, Committee on Tenure and Appointments in the Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
2002-04 Member, Biological Sciences Division Advisory Committee
2002-04 Member, University Budget Committee
2002-04 Member, Capital Projects Subcommittee of the University Budget Committee 2002-
2002-04 Chair, MCDB Building Committee
2002-10 Member, MCDB Executive Committee
2002-06 Co-director, Graduate Track in Molecular Cell Biology Genetics and Development
2002-06 Member, Executive Committee, Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences
2002-03 Member, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Faculty Search Committee
2002-03 Member, Inquiry Committee regarding a misconduct accusation
2004-10 Member, Steering Committee for MCDB Building
2004-10 Chair, Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology
2004-10 Member, Faculty Council, Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies
2004-10 Member, Science and Engineering Chairs Committee
2004-10 Member, Basic Science Chairs Committee
2004-05 Member, Basic Science Subcommittee of the Yale School of Medicine Strategic Planning Committee
2005 Member, Dean’s Search Committee, Morse College
2005-20 Co-organizer, Yale Science Forum
2007-08 Organizer, Science and Engineering Chairs Committee
2008-18 Member, Executive Committee, Sackler Institute for Biological, Physical and Engineering Sciences
2009-10 Member, Search Committee for Director of the Yale Cancer Biology Institute
2009-10 Member, University Budget Committee
2010 Chair, Search Committee for Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
2010-12 Chair, Committee on Access of Scholarly Publications
2010-14 Member, Faculty of Arts and Science Steering Committee
2010-14 Member, Arts Area Advisory Committee
2011-12 Member, Policy and Strategy Board, Yale Climate and Energy Institute
2012-14 Member, Academic Review Committee
2014-21 Member, Systems Biology Institute Advisory Committee
2014-15 Member, MCDB faculty search committee
2015-17 Member, MCDB Q-Bio faculty search committee
2016-21 Member, Executive Committee, MCDB
2017-23 Member, External Recognition Committee
2018-21 Director, Program in Physical, Engineering and Biological Sciences
Teaching Awards
1979 W. Barry Wood Award for Excellence in Teaching - Johns Hopkins Medical Student Society
1982 Certificate of Excellence in Teaching - Johns Hopkins Medical Student Society
1986 Certificate of Excellence in Teaching - Johns Hopkins Medical Student Society
1988 W. Barry Wood Award for Excellence in Teaching - Johns Hopkins Medical Student Society
1989 W. Barry Wood Award for Excellence in Teaching - Johns Hopkins Medical Student Society
1993 Certificate of Excellence in Teaching - Johns Hopkins Medical Student Society
1994 Certificate of Excellence in Teaching - Johns Hopkins Medical Student Society
1994 Johns Hopkins Alumni Association Teaching Award
Memberships
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
American Society for Cell Biology
Biophysical Society
Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
Patent
1990 United States Patent 4,915,917 Glow discharge unit