Congratulations to Ron Vale, an exceptional scientific leader who has made major contributions to research and teaching at the MBL since the early 1980s. In 2016, he received the MBL’s highest honor, the title of Distinguished Scientist.

By Meghan Rosen

Cell biologist Ron Vale, a pioneer in the field of molecular motors – the tiny, biological machines that can ferry cargo across cells – has been elected the executive director of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s (HHMI) Janelia Research Campus and an HHMI vice president. His appointment will begin in early 2020.

An HHMI investigator at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Vale will succeed geneticist Gerry Rubin, who has served as Janelia’s executive director since its founding in 2003. Vale is poised to lead Janelia at a defining moment in its history: the research center, internationally recognized for advanced microscopy, cutting-edge tools, and breakthroughs in brain science, recently announced an open competition to decide an additional research area. Read more …