Dr. Lester Packer is a professor in the Department of Molecular
and Cell Biology at the University of California at Berkeley. He
received a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Biochemistry from Yale University
in 1956. At Berkeley he has been Professor of Physiology
since 1961, Director of the Membrane Bioenergetics Group at the
University of California at Berkeley, and a Senior Scientist at the
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory since 1972. His research, in the area
of biological oxidation and bioenergetics has emphasized studies on
the role of oxidants and antioxidants in biological systems.
He is one of the world's leading researchers on vitamin E and
biological antioxidants. His recent work has elucidated new areas
in the biochemistry of vitamin E--the vitamin E cycle. This is
relevent to the understanding of new enzymic reactions of vitamin
E, the vitamin E radical, and the biological consequences of the
action of vitamin E. Recent work concerns the prevention of oxidatively
induced injury in biological systems by antioxidants and how
antioxidants such as vitamin E and lipoic acid affect gene expression
and cell regulation. These investigations are helping to develop a
new broader understanding of biological antioxidant defense mechanisms.
Dr. Packer has edited more than 50 books, authored over 500
articles, is a member of 8 professional societies and 3 editorial boards
of scientific journals, and has organized numerous conferences in
the area of his research interests. Currently he is President of The
Oxygen Club of California, President Elect of International Society
for Free Radical Research, and Vice President of UNESCO's Global
Network on Molecular and Cell Biology.
Address correspondence to: Lester Packer, 251 Life Sciences Addition,
University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.