Martin Chalfie
| Martin Chalfie | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Martin Lee Chalfie January 15, 1947 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Citizenship | American |
| Fields | Neurobiology |
| Institutions | Columbia University |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Known for | Green fluorescent protein |
| Notable awards |
E. B. Wilson Medal (2008) Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2008) Golden Goose Award (2012) |
| Spouse | Tulle Hazelrigg |
Martin Lee Chalfie (born January 15, 1947) is an American scientist. He is University Professor at Columbia University. He shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Osamu Shimomura and Roger Y. Tsien "for the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein, GFP". He holds a Ph.D. in neurobiology from Harvard University.
Chalfie grew up in Chicago, Illinois, son of the guitarist Eli Chalfie (1910—1996) and owner of an apparel store Vivian Chalfie (née Friedlen, 1913—2005). His maternal grandfather, Meyer L. Friedlen, immigrated to Chicago from Moscow at an early age; his paternal grandparents, Benjamin and Esther Chalfie, came to Cincinnati from Brest-Litovsk.
He matriculated at Harvard University in 1965, intending to be a math major, but he switched to biochemistry because it combined his interests in chemistry, math, and biology. He spent the summer after his junior year working in the laboratory of Klaus Weber at Harvard, but "It was so disheartening to completely fail that I decided I shouldn’t be in biology." As a result, in his senior year, he completed his major and took courses in law, theater, and Russian literature.
He also competed on the swim team at Harvard and was named captain in his senior year. At the time, swimming coach Bill Brooks said, "Marty will make an excellent captain because he has the admiration of the entire team." As captain, he won the Harold S. Ulen trophy, awarded "to a senior on the Harvard team who best demonstrates those qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, and team cooperation as exemplified by Harold S. Ulen." Following the announcement of Chalfie's Nobel award, his freshman-year roommate observed of Chalfie, “He would always identify himself as a swimmer.”
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