chromosomes

NIH Remembers Research Pioneer Gary Felsenfeld

Dr. Gary Felsenfeld

“To focus on an experiment and to shut out everything else is one of the great pleasures,” said NIH distinguished investigator Dr. Gary Felsenfeld in his 2020 oral history. 

During his more than 60 years at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Felsenfeld’s keen focus and enthusiasm for science never flagged. His long career was marked by monumental, lasting breakthroughs that transformed the field of molecular biology, particularly in relation to chromatin — the complex mixture of DNA and proteins that form chromosomes inside the nucleus of a cell.

Felsenfeld died on May 1 at age 94.

Presidential NIH Visits: John F. Kennedy, 1962

Like many visiting scientists of the time, Dr. Joe Hin Tjio and his wife Inga were invited to live on the NIH campus in Building 20. In 1959, the Tjios moved in, largely because "I wanted to remain within walking distance of my lab," he said. Inga added mischievously, "It was because my husband never drove a car!"

President John F Kennedy presents Joe Hin Tjio with International Prize Award in 1962