Nov., 05, 2012 College News - R. Blake Hill, PhD, a recognized leader in protein chemistry, has been appointed Professor of Biochemistry at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He comes from Johns Hopkins University, where he was Associate Professor of Biology and Chemistry. Dr. Hill’s research is focused on proteins that regulate the mitochondrial lifecycle during aging, neurodegeneration and cancer.
While at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Hill helped create a university-wide nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) center and developed one of approximately 20 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded programs in chemical biology in the country. He brings with him several NIH grants to the College – one to determine the molecular basis of the mitochondrial fission complex and one to promote diversity in health-related research.
He has authored or co-authored 32 journal articles, is first named inventor on a U.S. Patent application titled, A Two Hybrid-Based Screen to Identify Disruptive Residues at Multiple Protein Interfaces,” and has two current NIH grants During his career, he has served on many national and international committees and has served as a reviewer for numerous scientific journals.
Dr. Hill earned his PhD from Yale University in 1995, after which he was an NIH and George W. Raiziss Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to attending graduate school, he worked as a chemist at the Upjohn Company. He received his BA from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Mich.