| Sidney Altman  Born: 7-May-1939
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Chemist, Biologist Nationality: Canada
Executive summary: Proved enzyme role of RNA Molecular biologist Sidney Altman discovered in 1983 that ribonucleic acid (RNA) can initiate some biological reactions, acting as a abiocatalyst and seemingly playing the role of a protein enzyme. This overturned the established scientific understanding that RNA acts only as a carrier of genetic information, and challenged basic biological tenets on the origins of life. He won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1989, sharing the award with Thomas R. Cech, who reached very similar conclusions in his own independent work. Father: Victor Altman (grocery worker)
Mother: Ray Arlin (textile worker)
Wife: Ann Korner (m. 1972, one son, one daughter)
Son: Daniel (b. 1974)
Daughter: Leah (b. 1977)
High School: West Hill High School, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (1956)
University: BS Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1960)
Lecturer: Physics, Columbia University (1960-62)
University: PhD Biophysics, University of Colorado (1967)
Teacher: Molecular Biology, Vanderbilt University (1967)
Scholar: Molecular Biology, Harvard University (1967-69)
Fellow: Molecular Biology, Cambridge University (1969-71)
Teacher: Biology, Yale University (1971-80)
Professor: Biology, Yale University (1980-90)
Administrator: Dean of Yale College, Yale University (1985-90)
Professor: Sterling Professor of Biology, Yale University (1990-)
Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1989 (with Thomas R. Cech)
Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Science 1989
National Institutes of Health Merit Award 1989
Novartis-Drew Award in Biomedical Research 1999
Biomega Laboratories Scientific Advisory Board
Chiron Corporation Scientific Advisory Board, PathoGenesis Corp.
Antisense and Nucleic Acid Drug Development Editorial Board (1997-)
American Scientist Editorial Board (1977-90)
Cell Associate Editor (1983-87)
RNA Editorial Board (1995-)
American Academy of Arts and Sciences 1990
American Association for the Advancement of Science 1987
American Philosophical Society 1990
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Council on Foreign Relations
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Research grant, 1967-69
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Board of Directors
Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology Trustee (2000-)
Federation of American Scientists Board of Sponsors
Genetics Society of America
National Academy of Sciences 1990
Weizmann Institute of Science Board of Governors
Canadian Ancestry
Naturalized US Citizen 1984 (concurrent)
Official Website:
http://www.biology.yale.edu/facultystaff/altman.html
Author of books:
Transfer RNA (1978)
Science at Yale (2002)
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