Christopher T. Walsh (February 16, 1944 – January 10, 2023) was a Hamilton Kuhn professor of biological chemistry and

pharmacology Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur betwee ...

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...

. His research focused on

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

s and enzyme inhibition, and most recently focused on the problem of

antibiotic resistance Antimicrobial resistance (AMR or AR) occurs when microbes evolve mechanisms that protect them from antimicrobials, which are drugs used to treat infections. This resistance affects all classes of microbes, including bacteria (antibiotic resis ...

. He was elected to the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

in 1989.

Education

He earned his A.B. degree in biology from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1965. As an undergraduate, he worked with E. O. Wilson and published a first author paper in the journal ''

Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

'', where he and his colleagues described the composition of the fire ant trail substance. He went on to graduate school at

Rockefeller University The Rockefeller University is a Private university, private Medical research, biomedical Research university, research and graduate-only university in New York City, New York. It focuses primarily on the biological and medical sciences and pro ...

, where he earned his Ph.D. in life science in 1970.

Career

Walsh completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Robert Abeles at

Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

in 1972, and later that year joined the faculty at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

as a professor of chemistry and biology. In 1987, he joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School to serve as the chair of the newly created Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology. He served as the president and CEO of the

Dana–Farber Cancer Institute Dana–Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is a comprehensive cancer treatment and research center in Boston, Massachusetts. Dana-Farber is the founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard's Comprehensive Cancer Center designated ...

from 1992 to 1995. Walsh authored more than 650 publications in scholarly journals and trained several graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Among his professional activities, Walsh was a member of the Board of Scientific Governors of The Scripps Research Institute, the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

, The National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine,

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

, and the American Academy of Microbiology.

Personal life

Walsh was born in Boston and went to Roxbury Latin School. Walsh died following a fall on January 10, 2023, at the age of 78. He was married to Diana Chapman Walsh who was the president of

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

from 1993 to 2007. They have one daughter, Allison Kurian, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Stanford University.

Notable publications

Books

*''Enzymatic Reaction Mechanisms'' (1978). Published by Freeman Inc (). *''Antibiotics: Actions, Origins, Resistance'' (2003), by Christopher Walsh. Published by ASM Press (). *''Post-translation Modification of Proteins: Expanding Nature's Inventory'' (2006), by C.T. Walsh. Published by Roberts and Company ().

References

External links

Walsh ''et al'' publications on Pubmed
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Christopher T. 1944 births 2023 deaths Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences American biochemists Harvard College alumni Rockefeller University alumni Harvard Medical School faculty Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology Members of the American Philosophical Society Members of the National Academy of Medicine Scientists from Boston Benjamin Franklin Medal (Franklin Institute) laureates