Background
Inder M. Verma was born in 1947 in Sangrur, Punjab, India and educated at Lucknow University.
Inder M. Verma was born in 1947 in Sangrur, Punjab, India and educated at Lucknow University.
Master of Science in Biochemistry, Lucknow University, India, 1966. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, 1971.
He is recognized for seminal discoveries in the fields of cancer, immunology, and gene therapy. Verma is the current editor-in-chief of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). In 1974, Verma joined the Salk Institute as an Assistant Professor.
He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1979, and Professor in 1985.
He also holds an Adjunct Professor appointment at the University of California, San Diego. Verma is one of the foremost recognized leaders in gene therapy, retrovirology, and cancer.
His work on viruses and cancer led to the identification of several oncogenes, including c-fos, and their function in normal cells. His development of virus mediated gene transfer techniques, including a stripped down version of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, has become the foundation for gene therapy to cure several congenital as well as adult onset diseases including cancer.
The viral vectors are routinely used in molecular biology laboratories.
Personal life They have a daughter Simone, who lives in Louisiana Jolla. They have twin granddaughters, Sophie and Marijke. 2010: Pasarow Award in Cancer.
Fellow: American Academy Microbiology, National Academy of Sciences India (foreign). Member: National Academy of Sciences (council member 2006-2009), American Society Gene Therapy (president 2000-2001), European Molecular Biology Organization (associate), Third World Academy of Sciences, Institute Medicine.