Summary
Francis Joseph Ryan[1] (February 1, 1916 – July 14, 1963) was an American zoologist. He was professor and chair of Columbia University's department of zoology.[2]
Francis J. Ryan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Francis Joseph Ryan February 1, 1916 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 14, 1963 (aged 47) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Columbia University |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellowship (1950) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Genetics |
| Institutions | Columbia University |
| Notable students | Joshua Lederberg |
Biography edit
Ryan was born on February 1, 1916, in Brooklyn, New York.[3] He received his B.A. from Columbia University in 1937 and his Ph.D. in 1941.[2] He then joined the faculty and eventually became assistant professor, associate professor, full professor and department head.[2] He was a mentor of future Nobel Prize winner Joshua Lederberg, who credited Ryan for "taking a callow underclassman from Washington Heights, brash and argumentative as precocious students often are, and turned [him] into a scientist."[4][5]
Ryan's research focused on a variety of fields, including experimental embryology, microbial genetics, and he did research on escherichia coli to understand how information about an organism is imprinted in its genetic structure.[2] His work during the 1950s also disproved the theories of Trofim Lysenko that evolutionary changes are initiated by the environment.[2]
Ryan received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1950.[6] He was also a Fulbright Professor at the University of Tokyo in 1955–1956, during which he also served as a consultant to Japanese microbiologists in industry and universities.[2] He held visiting professorships and fellowships at the Pasteur Institute and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.[2]
Ryan was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1960.[7] He was also a trustee of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.[2]
Ryan died of a heart attack on July 14, 1963, at 47 years old.[2]
References edit
- ^ "Francis Joseph Ryan 1916-1963". The American Naturalist. 98 (902): 258–259. 1964-09-01. doi:10.1086/an.98.902.2459453. ISSN 0003-0147.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "DR. FRANCIS RYAN, ZOOLOGIST, DEAD; Columbia Scientist Probed Secrets of Smallest Life Consultant in Japan". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
- ^ "Francis J. Ryan's application for fellowship at the John Simon Memorial Guggenheim Foundation - Digital Collections - National Library of Medicine". collections.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
- ^ "Dr. Francis J. Ryan at work at Columbia University". Joshua Lederberg - Profiles in Science. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
- ^ "Features: Nobel prose". www.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
- ^ "Francis J. Ryan". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
- ^ "Francis Joseph Ryan". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2022-06-23.