Professor Randy Schekman, a laureate of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, was conferred the honorific title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the senate of “Nicolae Testemițanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy (USMF). “The honorific title was conferred for assistance offered to the global health systems and for fundamental discoveries in molecular biology on which all the normal biological and pathological processes of living organisms are based,” USMF rector Emil Ceban stated in the title conferring ceremony, IPN reports.
The Republic of Moldova is the native country of the great-grandparents of the U.S. scientist. These lived in Lipcani town of Briceni district. Emil Ceban noted that the visit by professor Randy Schekman is a new return to the Republic of Moldova by a member of his family the past almost 100 years.
Scientist Randy Schekman is well-known on the world scientific arena for his meritorious results in promoting science and for his substantial contribution to fundamental research in cytology. The USMF rector said that in 2013, professor Randy Schekman, together with professors Thomas Südhof and James Rothman, won the Novel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his role in revealing the machinery that regulates the transport and secretion of proteins in cells. He discovered a set of genes that were required for vesicle traffic. At the moment, the professor is preoccupied with the application of his research to studies on the genetic diseases of protein transport.
“I surely support and voted for this important decision by the senate and it is definitely significant for our university to have this world-renowned, eminent scientist in our ranks,” said Stanislav Groppa, pro-rector for research activity of “Nicolae Testemițanu” University.
Ion Tighineanu, president of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, noted that professor Randy Schekman stating with 2019 established relations of cooperation with Moldovan researchers, opening on April 28, 2020 the scientific symposium titled “COVID-19 Pandemic: Scientific medical support or what we should know about SARS-CoV-2 and the pandemic” which was staged by the Academy of Sciences of Moldova in cooperation with “Nicolae Testemițanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Professor Randy Schekman said that he was honored to receive such a title. His visit to the Republic of Moldova is a trip that he awaited for several years. Also, the academic community in Moldova insisted on his coming to the country.
The program of professor Randy Schekman’s visit includes the presentation of a plenary scientific report entitled “Genes, cells and discoveries in basic science and disease” at the International Scientific Conference on Nanotechnologies and Biomedical Engineering, which will be held in Chisinau during September 20-23, 2023.
