Layton McCurdy, M.D., vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, has recently announced the appointment of Yusuf A. Hannun, M.D., as the chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Hannun's appointment will become effective June 1.

A native of Saudi Arabia, Yusuf Awni Hannun, M.D., gradu- ated with distinction in 1981 from the medical school at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon. There he served an internship and residency in internal medicine before coming to Duke University Medical Center for a fellowship in oncology.

At Duke he fell under the spell of the laboratory, working as a post-doctoral fellow under the guidance of Robert Bell, Ph.D., a highly respected biochemistry researcher who encouraged Hannun's interest in the cellular signal transduction actions of membrane lipids. Understanding the mechanisms of signal transduction (the process of transmitting function-activating cues within and among cells) is a vital key to understanding how cells are controlled, and how to control them.

At the time Hannun launched his research efforts, some of the actions of membrane lipids had been known for some time, but their role in cell regulation, differentiation, cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis (the internally programmed natural end to a cell's lifespan) was not appreciated. Using a variety of novel methods, Hannun made a series of important discoveries, including the recognition of the signaling function of substances called sphingolipids. These complex membrane lipids serve as reservoirs of information which can be released (transduced) by various enzymes responding to stimuli from both inside and outside cells. These enzymes cause substrates to release compounds like diaccylglycerol or ceramide that acts as “second messengers” to regulate the activity of proteins that control a variety of cell functions.

Hannun's work has resulted in the publication of more than 160 papers in the most competitive and critically reviewed scientific journals. He has accepted dozens of visiting professorships at universities throughout the world and has directed programs or made presentations at scores of the world's leading scientific conferences in biochemistry and molecular medicine. He has also been recognized through awards such as the R. Wayne Rundles Award for Excellence in Cancer Research. Hannun's ability to secure substantial grant funding is another remarkable aspect to his professional history. Currently, his research is supported by six grants totaling more than $2.7 million. These include two highly coveted R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health.

His academic appointments have included work as director of the Duke University Program in Molecular Medicine, professor in their Division of Hematology—Oncology and associate professor of Cell Biology. He also served as associate director of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. Hannun is married to Lina Marie Obeid, M.D., another highly productive investigator in the field of membrane lipids. Her work explores the role of these compounds in the process of cellular senescence and death (apoptosis)

The couple have three children (triplets)—two girls and a boy, age 10.

On behalf of the MUSC faculty and staff, I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Yusuf A. Hannun, M.D., as chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is the first to hold the Ralph F. Hirschmann Chair of Biomedical Research. In Dr. Hannun, we have one of the rapidly rising scientific stars in molecular medicine. He comes to us from Duke University where, in a career that has spanned barely 15 years, he has emerged as a pioneer in a major new area of biological research, the study of membrane lipids in signal transduction and cell regulation. He has published extensively on this topic and has attracted tremendous grant support. in addition to his personal accomplishments, he brings a high level of creativity, insight and ability to inspire fellow scientists. these attributes make him the perfect choice to lead research efforts within the department, as well as inconjunction with other programs. It also gives me great pleasure to announce that Dr. Hannun's wife Lina Obeid, M.D., will be joining our faculty, accepting the Boyle Chair in Geriatrics. A gifted scientist in her own right, she has focused her research on a closely related area of molecular medicine. Dr. Hannun takes over a department that has been managed superbly by Barry Ledford, Ph.D., an excellent scientist who will continue to serve MUSC in his academic and research roles. Dr. Ledford directed departmental operations since 1989, and we owe him a great debt of gratitude for his many contributions. I hope you will join with me in welcoming Dr. Hannun, his wife and their three children to their new hometown.

Layton McCurdy, M.D. Dean and Vice President for Medical Affairs