MIKE GRAVEL was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, to French Canadian immigrants. He attended French-speaking Catholic schools and as a teenager, when he wasn't working with his father and brothers in the house painting and construction business, volunteered in local Springfield politics, developing an avid interest in government.

Senator Gravel enlisted in the U.S. Army (1951-54) and served as special adjutant in the Communication Intelligence Services and as a Special Agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps. He received a B.S. in Economics from Columbia University, New York City, and holds four honorary degrees in law and public affairs.

Mike Gravel served in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1963-66, and as Speaker from 1965-66. He then represented Alaska in the U.S. Senate from 1969-81. He served on the Finance, Interior, and Environmental and Public Works committees, chairing the Energy, Water Resources, Buildings and Grounds, and Environmental Pollution subcommittees.

In 1971, he waged a successful one-man filibuster for five months that forced the Nixon administration to cut a deal, effectively ending the draft in the United States. He is most prominently known for his release of the Pentagon Papers, the secret official study that revealed the lies and manipulations of successive U.S. administrations that misled the country into the Vietnam War. After the New York Times published portions of the leaked study, the Nixon administration moved to block any further publication of information and to punish any newspaper publisher who revealed the contents.

From the floor of the senate, Gravel (a junior senator at the time) insisted that his constituents had a right to know the truth behind the war and proceeded to read 4,100 pages of the 7,000 page document into the senate record. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Senator Gravel did not have the right and responsibility to share official documents with his constituents.

He then published The Senator Gravel Edition, The Pentagon Papers, Beacon Press (1971). This publication resulted in litigation, Gravel v. U.S., resulting in a landmark Supreme Court decision (No. 71-1017-1026) relative to the Speech and Debate Clause (Article 1, Section 6) of the United States Constitution.

He has worked as a cab driver in New York City, a clerk on Wall Street and as a brakeman on the Alaska Railroad.  He founded and served as president of The Democracy Foundation, Philadelphia II, and Direct Democracy, nonprofit corporations dedicated to the establishment of direct democracy in the United States through the enactment of the National Initiative for Democracy by American voters.

Books authored by Senator Gravel are Jobs and More Jobs, and Citizen Power. He lectures and writes about governance, foreign affairs, economics, Social Security, tax reform, energy, environmental issues and democracy.

Senator Gravel is married to Whitney Stewart Gravel and has two grown children: Martin Gravel living in Colorado and Lynne Gravel Mosier, living in California. The Gravels have four grandchildren: Renee, Alex, Madison and Mackenzie.

TRAVIS WALTON was one of a group of loggers, who, on November 5, 1975, in the mountains of northeastern Arizona observed a strange, unusually bright light in the sky. One of those men, Travis Walton, recklessly left the safety of his truck to take a closer look. What happened next sent his companions fleeing in fear. When Travis failed to reappear, the men were suspected of murder. For five days authorities mounted a massive manhunt in search of Walton or his body. Walton eventually reappeared, disoriented and initially unable to tell the details of his terrifying encounter. His book Fire in the Sky provides an account of his experience. A major motion picture was also made with the same name.

ABOUT THE BOOK Fire in the Sky by Travis Walton
On november 5, 1975, a group of loggers in the mountans of northeastern Arizona observed a strange, unusually bright light in the sky. One of those men, Travis Walton, recklessly left the safety of their truck to take a closer look. Suddenly, as he walked toward the light, Walton was blasted back by a bolt of mysterious energy.

His Companions fled in fear. When they reported an encounter with a UFO — something they would have considered impossible if they had not witnessed it themselves — the men were suspected of murder. For five days authorities mounted a massive manhunt in search of Walton — or his body. Then Walton reappeared, disorented and initially unable to tell the whole story of his terrifying encounter.

In Fire in the Sky Travis Walton relates in his own words the best documented account of alien abduction yet recorded, the story of his harrowing ordeal at the hands of silent captors and his return to a disbelieving world of hostile interrogators, exploitative press and self-styled "debunkers." Travis recounts the struggle to get a fair hearing, and confronts his detractors with a stinging rebuttal.

Now, the real story behind the hit movie from Paramount — a detailed expose of the campaign to suppress Walton's story, and first-time revelations of startling new developments.   396 pp.

EDWARD PECK served as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (U. Alexis Johnson) in the Nixon Administration, January 1971. He was Chief of Mission in Baghdad (Iraq, 1977 to 1980) in the Carter Administration and later held senior posts in Washington and abroad. He also served as a Foreign Service Officer in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt, and as Ambassador in Mauritania. At the State Department he served as Deputy Director of Covert Intelligence Programs, Director of the Office of Egyptian Affairs and as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. He served as deputy director of the White House Task Force on Terrorism in the Reagan Administration. He is president of Foreign Services International, a consulting firm that works with governments, businesses and educational institutions across the world.

CRITICISM OF G. W. BUSH PLAN TO INVADE IRAQ AND OF THE MIDDLE EAST POLICY...
Edward Peck argued against invading Iraq prior to the March 2003 invasion. He argued, in part, "when you take out Saddam Hussein, the key question you have to ask then is, what happens after that? And we don't have a clue. Nobody knows, but it's probably going to be bad. And a lot of people are going to be very upset about that, because that really is not written into our role in this world is to decide who rules Iraq." Peck has been highly critical of U.S. policy toward Israel, arguing through the Council for the National Interest (CNI) in which he plays an active role, that the U.S. should be more even handed in its Middle East policy. He argues that while Hezbollah could be considered a terrorist organization, it is no more terrorist than Israel or the U.S. itself. He supports a dialogue with Hezbollah. He claims that in 2000, at the Camp David talks, Israel offered the Palestinians "12 little Bantustans." Peck has met with Hamas leaders calling some of them "moderate". Peck has also said that he also believes that Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization.

JEREMIAH WRIGHT CONTROVERSY...
In March 2008 the U.S. Presidential campaign of Barack Obama was affected when videos of sermons by the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, his former pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ, came to media attention. In one broadcast on many media outlets, including ABC News, Wright, on September 16, 2001, referenced an appearance of Peck on Fox News before saying, "We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye...and now we are indignant, because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost." Wright attributed to Peck the credit for allegedly "pointing out" that "America's chickens are coming home to roost", a phrase Wright repeated several times. According to PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler, though Peck did cite numerous faults against America and criticized its foreign policy, "Peck never used the phrase about chickens coming home to roost. His answers were more nuanced."

GAZA FLOTILLA RAID... In May 2010, Peck was among the pro-Palestinian activists in the Gaza flotilla trying to break through Israel's blockade of Gaza. Peck was not harmed in Israel's raid; he reported he was brought to Israel "at gunpoint" and expelled the same day for "having illegally entered Israel"; he flew to Newark, New Jersey.

Laura Walker is the author of OracleReport.com, a daily overview of energetics based on the Sabian symbols of astrology, and books on the Black Moon and Eris, which are available for free download on her site.

Before devoting her time fully to astrology and study of the ancient Gnostic teachings, Laura directed not for profit, grassroots sexual assault crisis agencies and was a leading advocate for victims of human trafficking.

Laura's work at OracleReport.com focuses on forwarding the Spiritual Renaissance that is underway, while monitoring and analyzing the collapsing control paradigm's attempts to maintain dominance over humanity using astrologically-timed rituals.

John White is a former Ballard High Standout in Louisville Kentucky. He also attended University of Southern Mississippi where he helped lead the Golden Eagles to an NIT Championship victory. This is a significant pause in history because it is not only the first of this kind of win on the campus, but it is the only one that the university has had in its history. John spent 14 seasons playing professionally in Europe.

John has played at the highest level in Europe and was the leading scorer for the league while playing in England, France, Cyprus, Austria, Venezuela and Finland. His dynamic leadership on and off of the court earned him a plethora of accolades and awards in several of the countries he played in. Mr. White is known as "the man to get the ball to in the clutch". His skillful ability to create shots from anywhere on the court earned him the "MVP" title on most of the teams he played. His passion for the game of basketball coupled with his experience has earned him several coaching positions since his tenure . It comes as no surprise that , during his first year of coaching a semi-pro team, that John would snag a championship title. In addition to that, he is still revered as one of the greatest shooters in the game of basketball (according to his peers and previous coaches alike). His shot precision technique is sought after by many who encounter him. He is no amateur by any stretch of the imagination.

He is presently a scout for Global Basketball. He is also very active in his AAU sports club and coaches an Peak Performance 8th grade AAU team. John is married with 4 children who adore him.

Greg joined the NBC Right Now team as a sports anchor/reporter in September 2013. He's also involved in our high school football and basketball broadcasts on SWX. A 2013 graduate of Gonzaga University, Greg is excited to be back in Washington after a post-grad stint broadcasting minor league baseball in the Midwest. While at Gonzaga, he covered and called games for Eastern Washington University, Whitworth University, local high schools, and also anchored sports at GUTV, the school's cable television outlet. Upon graduation, Greg was ranked the #9 collegiate sportscaster in the country by the Sportscasters Talent Agency of America's annual All America Program. When he's not working, he'll still be watching sports, probably obsessing over his Gonzaga Bulldogs and San Francisco Giants. He's listening to Bruce Springsteen right now, as well. Feel free to send any story ideas his way at greg.talbott@kndu.com.

Cynthia Crawford was born a twin, but with totally different blood and tissue type than her sister and the rest of her family.

Her father worked on top-secret missions for the OSS; and she remembers being taken to underground military medical facilities for testing and examinations during her childhood, also enduring numerous alien abductions, examinations and impregnations, as well as miraculous healings.

Her life changed dramatically after learning she is a hybrid from a government experiment, and she decided to consciously face the other worldly beings who were abducting her. She was awakened to the mission that brought her to this planet at this very special time in history. Cynthia is known as the “ET Sculptor” of beings she and others have encountered. She says these Star Beings work through her putting their own frequency in the sculptures to help awaken people to their own truths. She also devotes her life to teaching how we are all connected to these beings, and the lessons they have taught her that can change the world for the better.

Gwendolyn McNutt has an amazing story of love, perseverance, loss, and faith. Her book "Angels Never Die" tells the story of the loss of their 4 sons to diseases that they could not have known about in advance. This book shows us how love and faith can help overcome the most tragic circumstances and how she became stronger during the hardest of times. This story also teaches us well beyond anything else that understanding the gifts of God and standing on the faith that He will provide the means to overcome the grief and pain of such a tragedy is the only way we have of dealing with life here on earth. Angels Never Die is a testament to the lives of her four sons and a story that will melt your heart and make you realize the important things in life are right there before you.

Craig contributes to the growth of Higher Brain Living® in a variety of ways. With over three decades of experience, Craig is a Licensed Psychologist, Clinical Social Worker (Emeritus), and published Leadership Development Specialist. Previously Craig was a national pioneer, trainer, coach and published author in professional journals in the breakthrough understanding known as the Three Principles (Mind-Consciousness-Thought).

Craig left his 30-year practice to devote full time to bringing Higher Brain Living® to the world. As co-owner of an AWAKEN Higher Brain Living center in the Northeast Arts District of Minneapolis with his oldest son Zach, he has created and grown a dynamic and the largest AWAKEN Center in the nation - currently with 10 outstanding facilitators and 2 support staff. He was instrumental in obtaining approval for the first professional internship in Higher Brain Living® from an accredited graduate school.

Craig conducts media interviews and National Higher Brain Living® Presentations throughout the country. He is the developer of the Professional Continuing Education Initiative to reach out to health and helping professionals with State and nationally approved CE credits. Given his past experience as a leadership development specialist, he also has initiatives reaching out to corporate leaders and to academia.

Gregory Joseph is a Internationally acclaimed intuitive, healer and seminar leader, has traveled around the globe to heal people of seemingly incurable diseases and many disabling physical and mental conditions. He has facilitated healing for international dignitaries physicians, celebrities, and people just like you.  Most people come to Greg who are suffering from pain, and have given up all hope of any resolution.       

Inspiring, moving, and a breath of fresh air, Padma Aon has been teaching worldwide for the last 15 years, bringing change and timeless wisdom to tens of thousands of souls. Padma is a Lover of God, a potent evolutionary catalyst and supporter of souls, bringing together ancient and modern, esoteric and practical, to help create change fast for those who truly desire it.

His books reveal different aspects of the full potential of the human soul, drawn from the many sacred traditions he has been Initiated into. His previous books include: The Power of Shakti and Womb Wisdom (Inner Traditions), the much loved The Christ Blueprint and The Nine Eyes of Light: Ascension Keys from Egypt (NAB/Random House) and Sacred Wounds, Original Innocence.

As a globally distributed sacred music producer, Padma has performed worldwide, producing two albums for Sub Rosa/BMG: Rhythmic Intelligence, and Song of Light. He has appeared on BBC Radio One, Dreamland Radio, H²0 Radio Network, XLR8R, Straight No Chaser, Variety, Spirit and Destiny, Kindred Spirit and Christ Consciousness magazines amongst others. His two latest Albums, Life Cycles and Music for Christ Consciousness, are both available online.

His TV work involved discovering the first ever found mummified Tibetan Lama for ”Mystery of the Tibetan Mummy”, Discovery Channel 2001, and narrating Peabody Award Winner Stephen Olssen’s Cannes and SunDance Festival Documentary “Sounds of the Soul” about the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music.

Jessamyn McIntyre is the Executive Producer at 710 ESPN Seattle.  She currently produces for Bob & Groz from 12-3pm.  Jessamyn can also be heard as the radio Sideline Reporter for Washington State Football broadcasts.  Follow Jessamyn on Twitter @JessamynESPN

Allan L. Botkin earned his Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree from Baylor University in 1983 and then worked for the next 20 years at a Chicago area VA hospital specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He has treated combat veterans from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm. Dr. Botkin and his colleagues were among the first in the country to regularly use a new and very powerful psychological procedure called eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR

In 1995 Dr. Botkin discovered (by accident) that a variation of EMDR reliably induced after-death communications (ADCs) in his patients. ADCs are experiences that nearly all people believe are authentic communications with deceased people. While Dr. Botkin has remained neutral with regard to the spiritual authenticity of his patients’ ADCs, he has maintained that the healing associated with these experiences goes well beyond what has even been considered possible in the fields of grief and trauma therapy. Dr. Botkin calls his new procedure induced after-death communication (IADC).

After leaving the VA in 2003 and founding The Center for Grief and Traumatic Loss, LLC in Libertyville, IL, Dr. Botkin and his IADC trained colleagues all over the world have induced many thousands of ADCs. His book is Induced After Death Communication: A Miraculous Therapy for Grief and Loss. Dr. Botkin has also published scientific papers on PTSD, EMDR, IADC and brain function.

Christopher Speed, MND, APO, is a tristate area based clinical nitritionist, sietitian, health expert and Director of Omega Wellness.

Chris was the Food and Nutrition Strategist for Oldways Preservation and Exchange, where he helped increase awareness of the healthfulness of a number of traditional eating patterns which ranged from Asian to Mediterranean diets. His particular interests lay in the dietary fat intake of these diets, especially the role of seafood and omega-3 fats as well as omega-6′s.

He was the first Global Director of Food and Nutrition Sciences at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, where he provided counsel to many food brands, raw ingredient manufacturers and prepared food/quick service restaurants so that they may best navigate the ever changing nutrition landscape.

Chris founded the North American chapter of Minami Nutrition USA, where he launched a unique supercritical CO2 extracted omega-3 supplement line into key retail accounts in North America and Europe, leading to its recent acquisition by Atrium Innovation. He is a much sought after presenter on all health issues related to omega-3 supplementation, designer made supplements that take into account up-to-date nutritional science and chronic disease needs, especially as it helps consumers balance their current excess intake of omega-6′s. He is a Master of Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Sydney, continues his academic work as an Associate Editor of the European Journal of Cancer Prevention and is an adjunct Lecturer at New York University Nutrition School.

Chris sits on the Expert Panel at Mission Ready to help consumers realize the full extent to which omega-3′s can support health and wellness, to elevate the health credentials of the supplement industry and promote greater dialogue around the health crisis that lies within diets that are deficient in omega-3′s and excess omega-6′s.

Ordinary Miracles Series: Today we spotlight quite miracle workers doing extraordinary things.

Our Guest: Sheldon Jo

In this broadcast our special guest Sheldon Jo will talk about energy healing and his spiritual transformation though A Course In Miracles.

Sheldon Jo is a healer, and a student of A Course In Miracles. Through Prayer and meditation he discovered that his ‘touch’ has the power to assist with miraculous healings. Sheldon offers workshops as a step in sharing this gift with more people. He is currently on the Board of Director’s for the non-profit organization - Arts Unity Movement

Cindy Smith, Animal Communicator
Deepening the connections between people and animals.

I facilitate communication between people and the animals in their lives. The easiest way to think of it is to imagine you are speaking one language and your animal is speaking another. I act as a translator between the two of you. My goal is to deepen the connection through mutual respect, compassion and communication.

Communication seems to be one of the major themes of my life. I have a Masters in Education from the University of Northern Colorado. I’ve been a counselor in the mental health field and a teacher in the high school setting.

I worked with developmentally disabled adults for 14 years, many of whom had limited communication skills. They helped me develop my empathetic and telepathic skills as we worked together to communicate. I also worked as a high school teacher for years and found teens to be another misunderstood group. They taught me to listen deeply and not make assumptions based solely on behavior. They showed me great strength and heart in the face of difficult histories, as do many of the animals I meet. Often I find problems between animals and people to be simple misunderstandings.

I draw on these experiences, combined with 35 years of meditation practice in my work with animals. Recently, I’ve begun using sports performance training with people who team with their animals in competitive events. The combination of communication with your animal, and mentally preparing for the event yourself, can often improve performance for both of you!

Since communication is telepathic I don’t need to be in the presence of the animal or person. I work by phone or email with people all over the world.

Dr. Nancy Kay wanted to become a veterinarian for just about as long as she can remember. Her veterinary degree is from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, and she completed her residency training in small animal internal medicine at the University of California-Davis Veterinary School.

Dr. Kay is a board certified specialist in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and published in several professional journals and textbooks. She lectures professionally to regional and national audiences, and one of her favorite lecture topics is communication between veterinarians and their clients. Since the release of her book, Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life, Dr. Kay has lectured extensively and written numerous magazine articles on the topic of medical advocacy and veterinarian/client communication. She was a featured guest on the popular National Public Radio show, Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Dr. Kay's newest book is called, Your Dog's Best Health: A Dozen Reasonable Things to Expect From Your Vet.  Her award winning blog, "Spot Speaks" is posted weekly (http://speakingforspot.com/blog/).  

Dr. Kay was selected by the American Animal Hospital Association to receive the 2009 Hill’s Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award. This award is given annually to a veterinarian or nonveterinarian who has advanced animal welfare through extraordinary service or by furthering humane principles, education, and understanding. Dr. Kay was selected as the 2011 Leo K. Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year, an award presented every year by the American Veterinary Medical Association to a veterinarian whose work exemplifies and promotes the human animal bond. Dr. Kay has received several awards from the Dog Writer’s Association of America.

Dr. Kay's personal life revolves around her husband (also a veterinarian), her three children (none of whom aspire to be veterinarians) and their menagerie of four-legged family members. When she's not writing, she spends her spare moments in the garden or riding atop her favorite horse. Dr. Kay and her husband reside in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Biography from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Schekman

Randy Wayne Schekman (born December 30, 1948) is a Nobel Prize-winning American cell biologist at the University of California, Berkeley,[6] and former editor-in-chief of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.[2][7][8] In 2011, he was announced as the editor of eLife, a new high-profile open-access journal published by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Max Planck Society and the Wellcome Trust launching in 2012.[9] He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1992.[10] Schekman shared the 2013 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with James Rothman and Thomas C. Südhof for their ground-breaking work on cell membrane vesicle trafficking.[5][11]

Schekman was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Alfred Schekman, an electrical engineer and inventor.[12] He graduated from Western High School in Anaheim, California, in 1966.[13] He received a BA in Molecular Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in 1971. He spent his third year at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, as an exchange student.[14][2] He received a PhD in 1975 from Stanford University for research on DNA replication working with Arthur Kornberg.[15] He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1984 and Professor in 1994.

Since 1991, Schekman has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator,[16] Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, at the University of California, Berkeley. The Schekman Lab at that university carries out research into molecular descriptions of the process of membrane assembly and vesicular traffic[17] in eukaryotic cells[18][19] including yeast.[20] Before that, he was a faculty member with the now disbanded Department of Biochemistry at the same university.

In 2002, Schekman received the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research[21] and Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize of Columbia University along with James Rothman for their discovery of cellular membrane trafficking, a process that cells use to organize their activities and communicate with their environment.[22] He was awarded the Massry Prize from the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, in 2010. Schekman is also a member of the Selection Committee for Life Science and Medicine which chooses winners of the Shaw Prize.

In 2013, he was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society. His nomination read:

    Using a brilliantly conceived genetic screen, Schekman isolated sec mutants that accumulate secretory pathway intermediates, he cloned the corresponding genes and he established biochemical reactions that faithfully reproduced specific secretory pathway events. These studies transformed the secretion field, previously descriptive and morphological, into a molecular and mechanistic one. The cell-free reactions that Schekman established led to his isolation of the Sec61 translocation complex, the (COPII) vesicle coat complex, and the first purified inter-organelle transport vesicles. The Sec proteins are strikingly conserved and the trafficking mechanisms that Schekman discovered are at the heart of neurotransmission, hormone secretion, cholesterol homeostasis and metabolic regulation.[4]

Schekman, Thomas C. Südhof, and James Rothman were awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells".[5] Schekman "has already said he will donate his share of the prize money, $400,000, to create an endowment for the Esther and Wendy Schekman Chair in Basic Cancer Biology at UC Berkeley. Schekman’s mother and sister, for whom the post is named, both died of cancer." [23]

In December 2013, Schekman called for academic journal publishing reform and open access science publication by announcing that his lab at the University of California, Berkeley would no longer submit to the prestigious closed-access journals Nature, Cell and Science, citing their self-serving and deleterious effects on science.[24] He has criticized these journals for artificially restricting the number of publications accepted to drive up demand.[24] In addition, Schekman says the journals accept papers that will be cited often, increasing the prestige of the journal, rather than those which demonstrate important results.[24] Schekman has said the prestige and difficulty of publishing in these journals sometimes cause scientists to cut corners or pursue trends, rather than conduct research on important questions. Schekman is the current editor of eLife, an open access journal and competitor to Nature, Cell, and Science.[24] Papers are accepted into eLife based on review by working scientists.[24] Access to accepted papers is free.[24]

James Edward Rothman (born November 3, 1950) is the Fergus F. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Yale University, the Chairman of the Department of Cell Biology at Yale School of Medicine, and the Director of the Nanobiology Institute at the Yale West Campus. Rothman is also concurrently serving as adjunct professor of physiology and cellular biophysics at Columbia University. and a research professor at the Institute of Neurology, University College, London. Rothman was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for his work on vesicle trafficking (shared with Randy Schekman and Thomas C. Südhof). He has also received many other honors, including the King Faisal International Prize in 1996, the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research both in 2002.

Professor James Rothman, the Wallace Professor of the Biomedical Sciences at Yale University, is one of the world's most distinguished biochemists and cell biologists. He is Chairman of the Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Cell Biology and is the Director and founder of the Nanobiology Institute on Yale’s new West Campus. Rothman graduated from Yale College (1971) where he studied physics. He received his Ph.D. degree in biological chemistry from Harvard (1976) and was a student at Harvard Medical School from 1971 to 1973. From 1976 to 1978, he completed a fellowship in the Department of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1978 to 1988, he was a professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University. Dr. Rothman was the E.R. Squibb Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University (1988-1991). He founded and chaired the Department of Cellular Biochemistry and Biophysics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (1991-2004), where he held the Paul A. Marks Chair and served as Vice-Chairman of Sloan-Kettering. Prior to coming to Yale in 2008, Dr. Rothman was the Wu Professor of Chemical Biology in the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, and Director of Columbia University’s Sulzberger Genome Center.

Professor Rothman discovered key molecular machinery responsible for transfer of materials among compartments within cells, providing the conceptual framework for understanding such diverse and important processes as the release of insulin into the blood, communication between nerve cells in the brain, and the entry of viruses to infect cells. Numerous kinds of tiny membrane-enveloped vesicles ferry packets of enclosed cargo. Each type of vesicle must deliver its specialized cargo to the correct destination among the maze of distinct compartments that populate the cytoplasm of a complex animal cell. The delivery process, termed membrane fusion, is fundamental for physiology and medicine, as pathology in this process can cause metabolic, neuropsychiatric and other diseases. Rothman reconstituted vesicle budding and fusion in a cell-free system (1984) and discovered the complex of SNARE proteins (1993) which mediates membrane fusion and affords it specificity. He also uncovered the GTPase-switch mechanism which controls coated vesicle budding in the cell (1991).

Rothman has also contributed to other fields. Together with Gero Miesenbock, he showed how patterns of synaptic activity in neural networks could be recorded optically using encoded synapto-pHlourins (1998). He discovered that hsp70’s are ATPases (1986) and peptide binding proteins (1989), thereby revealing how these molecular chaperones cycle on and off proteins to control their folding/unfolding. On theoretical grounds, he proposed (1981) that the role of the Golgi is to iteratively purify proteins, using its cisternae like plates in a distillation tower, an idea now implicit in all models of Golgi dynamics; and he provided the first evidence of sequential processing and vectorial transport across the stack (1981-1985). Rothman’s current research concerns the biophysics of membrane fusion and its regulation in exocytosis; the dynamics of the Golgi apparatus at super-resolution; and the use of bio-inspired design in nanotechnology.

Dr. Rothman has received numerous awards and honors in recognition of his work on vesicle trafficking and membrane fusion, including the King Faisal International Prize for Science (1996), the Gairdner Foundation International Award (1996), the Lounsbery Award of the National Academy of Sciences (1997), the Heineken Foundation Prize of the Netherlands Academy of Sciences (2000), the Louisa Gross Horwitz prize of Columbia University (2002), the Lasker Basic Science Award (2002), the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience (2010), the Massry Prize (2010) and the EB. Wilson Medal (2010). He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences (1993) and its Institute of Medicine (1995), and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1994).