ROBERT ELLIOT POLLACK printable

Telephone: (212) 854-2409

Fax: (212) 851 4430

Email: pollack@columbia.edu

Homepage: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/faculty-data/robert-pollack/faculty.html

Addresses:

Biological Sciences/CSSR: 749 Fairchild, MC2419, Columbia University, NY, NY 10027

Home: 460 Riverside Drive, Apt. 61, New York City, NY 10027

Curriculum Vitae:

Born Brooklyn, New York, September 2, 1940.

Married Amy Steinberg, December 21, 1961.

Daughter, Marya.

Education

2000-2001 Chavruta partnership Study, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah.

1998-1999 Sabbatical year in the First Year Program, Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, Dept. of Psychiatry, Columbia University.

1996-1998 Jewish Theological Seminary, Chavruta Study Group on Theology, Prof. Neil Gillman.

1969-1970 Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel, with Prof. Ernest Winocour. NIH Special Fellowship.

1966-1968 New York University Medical Center, Pathology Department, N.Y. NIH Postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Howard Green.

1963, summer Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, Embryology.

1961-1966 Brandeis University, Biology Department, NIH Predoctoral Training Fellowship, Ph.D. Thesis: "Studies on the Specificity of Transfer RNA."

1957-1961 Columbia College, Columbia University, N. Y., B.A., major in Physics. New York State Regents Scholarship.

Honors

2008 Gershom Mendes Seixas Award, Columbia-Barnard Hillel

2005 Bonhoeffer Lecture, Humboldt University, Berlin.

2002 Torah u’Madda Lecture, Yeshiva University.

2001 Mendel Lecture, St. Peter’s College.

2000 Distinguished Lecturer in the Humanities, Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.

1999 Schoff Memorial Lectures, Columbia University.

1999 Gittelson-Meyerowitz Distinguished Service Award, Sutton place Synagogue.

1995 Lionel Trilling Award, For Signs of Life: The Language and Meanings of DNA.

1994 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

1993 Fellow, John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.

1989 Alexander Hamilton Medal, Columbia University.

1987 William Brockman Memorial Lecture, U. Michigan

1986 Who's Who in America; American Men and Women of Science.

1986 American Association For Higher Education, Commendation.

1974 National Institutes of Health Research Career Development Award.

Academic Appointments

Current:

Since 1978 Professor, Columbia University, Department of Biological Sciences.

Since 2002 Adjunct Professor of Science and Religion, Union Theological Seminary.

Since 2000 Adjunct Professor, Columbia University, Departments of Religion, EEEB.

Since 1999 Lecturer, Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.

Since 1994 Adjunct Professor, Columbia University, Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.

Past:

2005-2006 Fellow, Heyman Center for the Humanities.

1998-1999 Affiliate Scholar, Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University.

1993-1994 Visiting Scholar, Dartmouth College, Department of Anthropology.

1975-1978 Professor, SUNY Stony Brook Medical School, department of Microbiology.

1970-1974 Senior Scientist, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

1968-1970 Instructor; Asst. Prof., NYU Medical Center, Pathology Department.

Selected Public Speaking

2006-2008 The Riverside Church, NYC; New York Theological Seminary; All Souls Church, NYC; Columbia College Dean’s Day; Calhoun School, NY; Communion and Liberation, NYU; The Century Association, NY; Yeshiva University Kollel, NY; Skirball Institute, NY; Church World Service Disaster Ministry Forum, Princeton Theological Seminary; Jewish Theological Seminary, Adenauer Forum; Congregation Ramath Orah, NYC; Metanexus, Philadelphia; Center for Religious Inquiry, NYC; Philoctetes Society, NYC; Church of the Ascension, New York, First Presbyterian Church, NY; First Presbyterian Church, Greenwich, CT; WNYC-FM; American Museum of Natural History, NYC.

Associations

Century Association

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Corporate Boards

1999-2007 Tapestry Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TPPH), a pharmaceuticals firm. Director.

1995-2005 Nutrition 21 Inc. (Nasdaq: NXXI), a nutrient supplements firm. Director.

Administrative Appointments

Current

Since 1999 Director, Columbia University Center for the Study of Science and Religion.

Since 2001 Jewish Campus Life Fund of Columbia University, Board member.

Since 2003 Congregation Ramath Orah, Board.

Since 2006 Senator, University Senate.

Past

1997-2001 Jewish Campus Life Fund of Columbia University, President.

1996-1999 Board of Overseers, List College, Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

1996-1998 Board of Trustees, Solomon Schechter High School of New York.

1989-1994 Board of Trustees, Brandeis University.

1990-1995 Board of Trustees, The New York Foundation.

1982-1989 Columbia College, Columbia University, Dean.

Advisory Boards

Current

Since 2007 Friends of Israel Science and Technology Schools.

Since 2006 Faculty Advisory Board, Columbia Science Review.

Since 2004 National Council of Churches, Human Genetics Policy Development Committee, “Senior Sage”.

Since 2003 International Advisory Board, John Templeton Foundation.

Since 2000 Science Advisory Board, New York Hall of Science.

Since 1999 Chair, Katzki award committee, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

Past

1999 Advisory Board, Fred Friendly Seminars.

1998 Advisory Board, Program in Religion and Ecology, Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard University.

2000-2002 Advisory Board, John Templeton Foundation.

2000-2002 Advisory Board, California Newsreel, program on Race.

1998 Senior consultant, Dialog Between Religion and Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

1996-2002 Advisory Board, Center for the History of Recent Science, George Washington University, Washington DC.

1996-1997 Commission on Israel-Diaspora Relations, Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem.

1995-2001 World Economic Forum, Geneva; Fellow and participant.

1995-1997 MacArthur/ACLS Liberal Arts Colleges Program, Consultant.

Editorial Boards

Current

Since 2002 Editorial board, FASEB Journal.

Since 2002 Senior Editor, Columbia University Press Series on Science and Religion.

Since 1998 Editorial Board, Earthscape (EPIC).

Since 1989 Editorial Board, “Environmental Management and Health.”

Past

1997-1999 Editorial Board, 21stC, Columbia University.

Teaching

Current

Since 2008 Biology C3500/F3500, Independent Research.

Since 2006 Frontiers of Science, Core Curriculum, Columbia College

Since 2005 Short course on science and religion for clergy, “DNA, Evolution, and the Soul.”

Past

2004-2008 Graduate Seminar for MA and M.Div students, “DNA, Evolution, and the Soul,” Union Theological Seminary.

1994-2005 Biology EEEB W2001, an entry-level majors course in molecular biology and genetics from an evolutionary perspective.

1989-2005 Biology BIOL 4065, a graduate-level seminar on the molecular biology of disease.

2003-2005 Religion V2820 "Science and Religion, East and West." An introductory course for the major in Science and Religion.

1989-2001 Biology BIOL3500, Independent Research (Director).

1997-1998 Lehrhaus, on Scientific and Jewish Texts, with Prof. Neil Gillman, Jewish Theological Seminary.

1996-1998 Inter-school Faculty Seminar on Human diversity.

1979-1998 Biology 1002, a course on the theory and practice of biology, for non-scientists.

Grants to the CSSR

Current Academic Year (2007-8)

Fetzer Institute, 2007-2009 ~$150,000

Earth Institute, sum of many grants ~$120,000

Gifts from individuals ~$30,000

Publications

I Research Articles in peer-reviewed journals

II Essays and Reviews

III Books

Other Media

IV Texts of talks

V Web materials

Publications

I Research Articles in peer-reviewed journals

1. Pollack, R., 1966.

Changes in Leucine-specific sRNA after infection of E. coli by phages T2 and T4. J. Gen. Physiol. 49: 1139-1145.

2. Pollack, R., H. Green, H., and G. Todaro, 1968.

Growth control in cultured cells: Selection of sublines with increased sensitivity to contact inhibition and decreased tumor-producing ability. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 60: 126-133.

3. Pollack, R., and M. Burger, 1969.

Surface-Specific characteristics of a contact-inhibited cell line containing the SV40 viral genome. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 62: 1074-1076.

4. Pollack, R., and G. Teebor, 1969.

Relationship of contact inhibition to tumor transplantability, morphology and growth rate. Cancer Res. 29: 1770-1772.

5. Wang, R.J., R. Pollack, T. Kusano and H. Green, 1970.

Human-mouse hybrid cell lines and susceptibility to poliovirus. I. Conversion from polio sensitivity to polio resistance accompanying loss of human gene-dependent polio receptors. J. Virol. 5: 677-681.

6. Kusano, T., R. J. Wang, R. Pollack and H. Green, 1970.

Human-mouse hybrid cell lines and susceptibility to polio virus. II. Polio sensitivity and the chromosome constitution of the hybrids. J. Virol. 5: 682-685.

7. Pollack, R., 1970.

Cellular and viral contributions to maintenance of the SV40 transformed state. In Vitro 6: 58-65.

8. Pollack, R., Wolman, S. and Vogel, A., 1970.

Reversion of virus-transformed lines: Hyperploidy accompanies retention of viral genes. Nature 228: 938, 967-970.

9. Pollack, R., Salas, J., Wang, R., Kusano, T., and Green, H., 1971.

Human-mouse hybrid cell lines and susceptibility to species-specific viruses. J. Cell.Physiol. 77: 117-120.

10. Green, H., Wang, R., Basilico, C., Pollack, R., Kusano, T. and Salas, J., 1971.

Mammalian somatic cell hybrids and their susceptibility to viral infection. Fed. Proc. 30: 930-934.

10a. Pollack, R., and Sambrook, J., 1971.

Comments and suggestions on laboratory technique. Cold Spring Harbor Lab, internal memo, June 28.

11. Pollack, R., and Goldman, R., 1973.

Synthesis of infective polio virus in BSC-1 monkey cells enucleated with cytochalasin B. Science 179: 915-916.

12. Goldman, R., Pollack R., and Hopkins, N.H., 1973.

Preservation of normal behavior by enucleated cells in culture. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 70: 750-754.

13. Pollack, R., and Vogel, A., 1973.

Isolation and characterization of revertant cell lines. II. Growth control of a polyploid revertant line derived from SV40-transformed 3T3 mouse cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 82: 93-100.

14. Vogel, A., Risser, R., and Pollack, R., 1973.

Isolation and characterization of revertant cell lines. III. Isolation of density-revertants of SV40-transformed 3T3 cells using colchicine. J. Cell Physiol. 82: 181-188.

15. Vogel, A. and Pollack, R., 1973.

Isolation and characterization of revertant cell lines. IV. Direct selection of serum-revertant sublines of SV40-transformed 3T3 mouse cells. J. Cell Physiol. 82: 189-198.

16. Pollack, R., 1973.

The Culture of Mammalian Cells. Chapter 2, pp. 74-172, in The Molecular Biology of Tumor Viruses (ed. J. Tooze). Cold Spring Harbor Press: Cold Spring Harbor, New York.

17. Goldman, R., Berg, G., Bushnell, A., Chang, C., Dickerman, L., Hopkins,H., Miller, M., Pollack, R., and Wang, R., 1973.

Fibrillar systems in cell motility. Ciba Foundation Symposium 14: 83-107.

18. Oey, J., Vogel, A. and Pollack, R., 1974.

Intracellular cyclic AMP concentration responds specifically to growth regulation by serum. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71: 694-698.

19. Risser, R. and Pollack, R., 1974.

A non-selective analysis of SV40 transformation of mouse 3T3 cells. Virology 59: 477-489.

20. Pollack, R., Goldman, R.D., Conlon, S., and Chang, C., 1974.

Properties of enucleated cells. II. Characteristic overlapping of transformed cells is reestablished by enucleates. Cell 3: 51-54.

21. Vogel, A. and Pollack, R., 1974.

Isolation and characterization of revertant cell lines. VI. Susceptibility of revertants to retransformation by Simian Virus 40 and murine sarcoma virus. J. Virol. 14: 1404-1410.

22. Pollack, R., Risser, R., Conlon, S., and Rifkin, D., 1974.

Plasminogen activator production accompanies loss of anchorage regulation in transformation of primary rat embryo cells by Simian Virus 40. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71: 4792-2796.