Biochemistry and Biophysics - UNC School of Medicine
Document Actions
Department History
This section was provided courtesy of Dr. Thomas Traut
The Department of Biological Chemistry became an independent academic unit in 1935. In the earlier years of the twentieth century, the subject of biochemistry had been taught at UNC-Chapel Hill by professors holding an appointment within the Department of Physiology. Before 1938, biochemistry was completely taught by one professor. Only in 1939 did the department begin to grant the PhD degree. With the creation of an independent department, the faculty expanded slowly to include five professors by 1950; 21 by 1975; and now 30 in 2008. Student enrollment and PhDs awarded also increased as the department expanded. The annual scientific productivity is now at more than 120 papers published per year. In recent years an average doctoral student had just over 4 co-authored papers from dissertation research, and was first author on two papers.
Changing Names of the Department through the years
1932-1932: Department of Physiology
1933-1935: Department of Physiology & Biological Chemistry
1935-1942: Department of Biological Chemistry
1943-1971: Department of Biological Chemistry & Nutrition
1971-1991: Department of Biochemistry & Nutrition
1991-Present: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Past and Present Chairs of the Departments
1935 - 1937: Evan W. McChesney, PhD
1937 - 1954: James Clarence Andrews, PhD
1957 - 1971: Joseph Logan Irvin, PhD
1978 - 1989: Mary Ellen Jones, PhD
1989 - 1993: Michael G. Douglas, PhD
1998 - 2004: David E. Lee, PhD
2006-Present: Leslie V. Parise, PhD
Past and Present Chairs in chronological order:
Past Interim Chairs of the Department
1994 - 1997: William Marzluff, PhD
1997 - 1998: Ronald Swamstrom, PhD
2004 - 2006: Henrik Dohlman, PhD
Interim Chairs in chronological order:
CHRONOLOGY OF THE DEPARTMENT'S GROWTH: Entering Faculty
1920 through the 1930s | |
K. B. Perrine Frederick P. Brooks | 1923 - 1926 1926 - 1931 |
| |
1940 through the 1950s: | |
Michael K. Berkut Joseph Logan Irvin John E. Wilson Fred E. Bell Ralph Penniall | 1947 - 1980 1950 - 1983 1950 - 1990 1956 - 1994 1959 – 1986 |
| |
1960 through the 1970s: | |
Edward Glassman David Holbrook Jan Hermans Mary Ellen Jones James R. White | 1960 - 1983 1963 - 1995 1963 - 2004 1965 - 1992 1968 - 1987 |
| |
1980 through the 1990s: | |
Patricia Maness Aziz Sancar Stephen Crews Howard Fried Gwendolyn Sancar Ann Erickson Michael G. Douglas Laura Kalfayan Brian Popko Jean-Michel Vos Yue Xiong Mary Sue Coleman Hengming Ke George Rose William Marzluff Sharon Campbell Beverly Errede Yi Zhang | 1980 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1986 - 1988 - 1989 - 1993 1989 - 1994 1989 - 2002 1989 - 1994 1989 – 1990 - 1996 1991 - 1993 - 1994 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1999 - |
| |
2000 through the Present: | |
Dale Ramsden Christopher Borchers Henrik Dohlman Nikolay Dokholyan Brian Strahl Brian Kuhlman Jean Cook John Riordan John Sheehan Xian Chen Leslie Parise | 2001 – 2002 - 2002 - 2002 - 2004 - 2004 - 2006 - 2006 - |