Gene Brown, Ph.D.

Dr. Brown has served MIT and the Department of Biology since taking a position as an Instructor in 1954. He was the Head of the Department from 1977 to 1985 and left that position to become Dean of the School of Science from 1985 to 1991. Dr. Brown teaches the Biology Core Course 7.05 General Biochemistry as well as 7.35 Topics in Metabolic Biochemistry, and along with advising many students including in his role as Department UROP advisor, he works closely with the Education Office in its mission to serve the Biology student population.

Whitehead Professor of Biochemistry, Emeritus
Ph.D. 1953, University of Wisconsin
Room 68-223B
Phone: 617-253-0882
Email: gmbrown [at] mit.edu

Herman N. Eisen, Ph.d.

Dr. Eisen, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, maintains an active lab. See his Research Summary.

Maurice Fox, Ph.D.

Dr. Fox came to MIT's Department of Biology in 1962 from a position at Rockefeller University. He was instrumental in revising, modernizing, and upgrading the teaching of Genetics in the Department (7.03). Along with Malcolm Gefter he created the graduate-level Methods and Logic class (7.50). Dr. Fox served as Head of the Department from 1985-1989. His research involved the investigation of DNA mutations and flaws, and included the resolution of the mechanism of recombination, as well as investigation of the effectiveness of medical procedures. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a member of the Institute of Medicine and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Professor of Molecular Biology, Emeritus
Ph.D. 1951, University of Chicago
Room 68-577a
Phone: (617) 253-4728
Email: msfox [at] mit.edu

H. Gobind Khorana, Ph.D.

Dr. Khorana, one of our four Nobel Laureates and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, studied the molecular mechanisms of visual transduction in the vertebrate photoreceptor cells. He maintained an active lab until recently retiring; his research summary is here.

Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Biology and Chemistry, Emeritus, and Senior Lecturer
Ph.D. 1948, Univ. of Liverpool
Email: khorana [at] mit.edu

Boris Magasanik, Ph.D.

Dr. Magasanik was Dr. Brown's predecessor as Head of the Biology Department, serving from 1966 to 1977. He became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1969. Dr. Magasanik, who teaches the undergraduate courses 7.21 Microbial Physiology and 7.25 Biological Regulatory Mechanisms, is the author of over 250 publications dealing with microbial physiology and the regulation of gene expression in bacteria and yeast.

Jacques Monod Professor of Microbiology, Emeritus
Ph.D. 1948, Columbia University
Room 68-625
Phone: (617) 253-2637
Email: bmag [at] mit.edu

Other Emeriti Professors

David Baltimore, PhD; Professor of Biology Emeritus

Arnold Demain, PhD; Professor of Industrial Microbiology Emeritus

Malcolm Gefter, PhD; Professor of Biochemistry Emeritus

Jerome Lettvin, MD; Professor of Electrical and Bioengineering and Communications Physiology Emeritus

Sheldon Penman, PhD; Professor of Cell Biology Emeritus

Phillips Robbins, PhD; Professor of Biochemistry Emeritus

Robert D. Rosenberg, MD, PhD; Whitehead Professor of Biology Emeritus

Paul Schimmel, PhD; John D. MacArthur Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics Emeritus

Ethan R. Signer, PhD; Professor of Biology Emeritus

Annamaria Torriani-Gorini, PhD; Professor of Biology Emerita