IU Biology alum C. David Allis is recipient of the 2018 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award in recognition of his pioneering research in epigenetics, specifically on how histone proteins are modified and how this affects gene expression. The Lasker Award is one of the highest honors in science and considered to be the "American Nobel Prize" in the biomedical sciences.
Working in the laboratory of Anthony P. Mahowald, Allis earned his Ph.D. from the IU Department of Biology in 1978. "It was a terrific lab environment. The people were great, and for where I was at that stage of my career, the science was exactly what I wanted to do," Allis said in his 2006 National Academy of Sciences profile.
Allis was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree during the 2015 Indiana University graduate commencement ceremony. Allis presented the graduate commencement address.
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