Singapore, April 2, 2008: Eminent stem cell biologist Prof Davor Solter from the Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology (Germany) and the Wistar Institute at Philadelphia (USA) has joined Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), an arm of Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore and will set up a research program to study gene expression in early mammalian embryos at IMB.

 

As a Principal Investigator at IMB, Prof Solter will lead a group of researchers in the area of developmental stem cell biology, studying early embryos and molecular switches in the embryos which determine whether stem cells remain in the pluripotent stage or go into specific differentiation lineages. The understanding gained from this research will be critically important in enabling the manipulation of embryonic stem cells for eventual therapeutic applications.

 

Dr. Solter was also instrumental in discovering the phenomenon of genomic imprinting, for which he received the March of Dimes Prize for Developmental Biology in 1998 and the Rosenstiel Award in 2007.

 

Most of his work was done at the Wistar Institute, where Prof Solter still holds an adjunct professorship, and at the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology where he is an emeritus Director and Member. Prof Solter's high professional standing is reflected in numerous appointments on scientific and editorial boards and memberships in prestigious organizations such as Academia Europaea, European Molecular Biology Organization and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

 

Prof Birgit Lane, Executive Director of IMB said, “Prof Solter is regarded as one of the most eminent and senior developmental stem cell biologists in the world today, and a key thought leader. His huge knowledge and understanding of developmental and stem cell biology will be invaluable to the stem cell research in Singapore - not just within A*STAR but within the whole community."

 

Concurrent with his A*STAR appointment, Prof Solter will also hold a joint appointment as Prof at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.  He will strengthen the links between the medical school and research institutes and participate in training the next generation of doctors with strong scientific grounding that would prepare them to be clinician-scientists or clinical research collaborators.

 

Prof Solter began his career as a medical doctor in Croatia in 1965.  Whilst in medical school at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, he worked as a teaching assistant in the Department of Anatomy and was exposed to research early and at close range.  He practiced medicine and also returned to the same university to earn his PhD in 1971 and thereafter moved to Wistar Institute as a researcher.