Tony Pawson (biochemist)

Anthony James Pawson (18 October 1952 – 7 August

2013[1]) was a British-born Canadian genetic scientist. Tony Pawson
CH OC OOnt FRS FRSC
He was known and recognized for his work on cellular
organization, including how cells respond to growth
signals, and how they communicate with each other.[2]

Pawson is the recipient of several notable awards such

as Gairdner Foundation International Award, Wolf
Prize in Medicine, Thomson Reuters Citation
Laureates and Kyoto Prize.
Born Anthony James Pawson
18 October 1952
Biography Maidstone, England
Died 7 August 2013 (aged 60)
Pawson was born in Maidstone, England.[1] He was
Toronto, Ontario
the son of the sportsman and writer Tony Pawson, and
Nationality British-Canadian
botanist and high-school teacher Hilarie. He was the
eldest of three children.[3] Alma mater Clare College, Cambridge
King's College London (PhD)
He was educated at Winchester College[4] and Clare Known for Cellular signal transduction
College, Cambridge, where he received an MA in
Awards Gairdner Foundation International
biochemistry followed by a PhD from King's College
Award (1994)
London in 1976. From 1976 to 1980 he pursued
Flavelle Medal (1998)
postdoctoral work at the University of California,
Wolf Prize in Medicine (2005)
Berkeley. From 1981 to 1985, he was Assistant
Professor in microbiology at the University of British Royal Medal (2005)

Columbia.[5] Kyoto Prize (2008)

Fellow of the Royal Society
Pawson was a Distinguished Investigator and former Scientific career
Director of Research at the Samuel Lunenfeld
Fields Genetics, microbiology
Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital and
Institutions University of Toronto
Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics at
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
the University of Toronto both of which he joined in
Samuel Lunenfeld Research
1985.[6]
Institute
Pawson died on 7 August 2013 of unspecified causes at Thesis Studies on the Proteins and
the age of 60.[7][8][9][2] Nucleic Acids of RNA Tumour
Viruses (https://ethos.bl.uk/Order
Details.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.46846
Research 4) (1976)
Pawson's research changed the understanding of signal transduction, the molecular mechanisms by which
cells respond to external cues, and how they communicate with each other. He identified the
phosphotyrosine-binding Src homology 2 (SH2 domain) as the prototypic non-catalytic interaction
module. SH2 domains serve as a model for a large family of protein modules that act together to control
many aspects of cellular signalling. Since the discovery of SH2 domains, hundreds of different modules
have been identified in many proteins.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Honours and awards

1994 Gairdner Foundation International Award
1994 Fellow of the Royal Society of London and the Royal Society of Canada
1995 Robert L. Noble Prize from the National Cancer Institute of Canada
1998 Pezcoller-AACR International Award for Cancer Research
1998 Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts
and Sciences
1998 The Royal Society of Canada Flavelle Medal for meritorious achievement in biological
science
2000 J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine[20]
2004 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University
2004 Poulsson Medal, the Norwegian Society of Pharmacology and Toxicology
2004 Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (US)
2004 Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2005 Wolf Prize in Medicine "for his discovery of protein domains essential for mediating
protein-protein interactions in cellular signaling pathways, and the insights this research has
provided into cancer"
2005 The Royal Medal (The Queen's Medal) from The Royal Society of London
2006 Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour
2007 Premiers Summit Award
2007 Howard Taylor Ricketts Award from University of Chicago
2008 Kyoto Prize – "Japan's Nobel" for "Proposing and Proving the Concept of Adapter
Molecules in the Signal Transduction"
2012 Clarivate Citation Laureate[21]
2012 Thomson Reuters Citation Laureates, candidate for Nobel Prize in Medicine "for
identification of the phosphotyrosine binding SH2 domain and demonstrating its function in
protein-protein interactions"
2013 Annual award of the Canadian National Proteomics Network, thereafter named the
CNPN-Tony Pawson Proteomics Award[22][21]

References
1. Bernstein, Alan; Rossant, Janet (2013). "Anthony James Pawson (1952–2013) Biochemist
whose vision of cell signalling transformed cancer research" (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F501
168a). Nature. 501 (7466): 168. Bibcode:2013Natur.501..168B (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.ed
u/abs/2013Natur.501..168B). doi:10.1038/501168a (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F501168a).
PMID 24025833 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24025833).
 2. Vitello, Paul (29 August 2013). "Anthony Pawson, Biologist in Cell-Protein Breakthrough,
Dies at 60" (https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/world/americas/anthony-pawson-biologist-
in-cell-protein-breakthrough-dies-at-60.html). The New York Times.
3. Buck, Genna (14 August 2013). "Anthony Pawson helped discover how cells communicate
with each other" (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/anthony-pa
wson-helped-discover-how-cells-communicate-with-each-other/article13778193/). The
Globe and Mail. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
4. Kyriakis, John M. "Retrospective Tony Pawson (1952–2013)" (http://www.asbmb.org/asbmbt
oday/asbmbtoday_article.aspx?id=48920). ASBMB Today. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
5. "Tony Pawson, renowned Canadian scientist, dies at 60" (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/t
ony-pawson-renowned-canadian-scientist-dies-at-60-1.1301463). CBC. 9 August 2013.
6. "In Memoriam: Anthony Pawson" (https://magazine.utoronto.ca/people/faculty-staff/in-memo
riam-anthony-pawson-jim-woodgett-lunenfeld-tanenbaum-research-institute-mount-sinai-hos
pital/). University of Toronto Magazine. 1 December 2013.
7. "Renowned Toronto genetic researcher Dr. Tony Pawson dies | Toronto Star" (https://www.th
estar.com/life/health_wellness/2013/08/08/renowned_toronto_genetic_researcher_dr_tony_
pawson_dies.html). Thestar.com. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
8. "Scientific community reels at the loss of the world-renowned Tony Pawson" (https://www.m
acleans.ca/2013/08/09/scientific-community-reels-at-the-loss-of-the-world-renowned-tony-p
awson/). Maclean's. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
9. Paul Wells (9 August 2013). "RIP Tony Pawson" (https://www.macleans.ca/2013/08/09/rip-to
ny-pawson/). Maclean's. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
10. Pawson, T.; Nash, P. (2003). "Assembly of Cell Regulatory Systems Through Protein
Interaction Domains". Science. 300 (5618): 445–452. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.321.3136 (https://cit
eseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.321.3136). doi:10.1126/science.1083653
(https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1083653). PMID 12702867 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.ni
h.gov/12702867). S2CID 14634947 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:14634947).
11. Nash, P.; Tang, X.; Orlicky, S.; Chen, Q.; Gertler, F. B.; Mendenhall, M. D.; Sicheri, F.;
Pawson, T.; Tyers, M. (2001). "Multisite phosphorylation of a CDK inhibitor sets a threshold
for the onset of DNA replication". Nature. 414 (6863): 514–521.
Bibcode:2001Natur.414..514N (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001Natur.414..514N).
doi:10.1038/35107009 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F35107009). PMID 11734846 (https://pub
med.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11734846). S2CID 16924667 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusI
D:16924667).
12. Holland, S. J.; Gale, N. W.; Mbamalu, G.; Yancopoulos, G. D.; Henkemeyer, M.; Pawson, T.
(1996). "Bidirectional signalling through the EPH-family receptor Nuk and its transmembrane
ligands". Nature. 383 (6602): 722–725. Bibcode:1996Natur.383..722H (https://ui.adsabs.har
vard.edu/abs/1996Natur.383..722H). doi:10.1038/383722a0 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F383
722a0). hdl:1807/9444 (https://hdl.handle.net/1807%2F9444). PMID 8878483 (https://pubm
ed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8878483). S2CID 4349898 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:43
49898).
13. Salcini, A. E.; McGlade, J.; Pelicci, G.; Nicoletti, I.; Pawson, T.; Pelicci, P. G. (1994).
"Formation of Shc-Grb2 complexes is necessary to induce neoplastic transformation by
overexpression of Shc proteins". Oncogene. 9 (10): 2827–2836. PMID 8084588 (https://pub
med.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8084588).
14. Henkemeyer, M.; Marengere, L. E.; McGlade, J.; Olivier, J. P.; Conlon, R. A.; Holmyard, D.
P.; Letwin, K.; Pawson, T. (1994). "Immunolocalization of the Nuk receptor tyrosine kinase
suggests roles in segmental patterning of the brain and axonogenesis". Oncogene. 9 (4):
1001–1014. PMID 8134103 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8134103).
15. Stephens, R. M.; Loeb, D. M.; Copeland, T. D.; Pawson, T.; Greene, L. A.; Kaplan, D. R.
(1994). "Trk receptors use redundant signal transduction pathways involving SHC and PLC-
gamma 1 to mediate NGF responses" (https://doi.org/10.1016%2F0896-6273%2894%2990
223-2). Neuron. 12 (3): 691–705. doi:10.1016/0896-6273(94)90223-2 (https://doi.org/10.101
6%2F0896-6273%2894%2990223-2). PMID 8155326 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/815
5326). S2CID 7053584 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:7053584).
16. Crowe, A. J.; McGlade, J.; Pawson, T.; Hayman, M. J. (1994). "Phosphorylation of the SHC
proteins on tyrosine correlates with the transformation of fibroblasts and erythroblasts by the
v-sea tyrosine kinase". Oncogene. 9 (2): 537–544. PMID 8290264 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.
nih.gov/8290264).
17. Marengere, L. E. M.; Songyang, Z.; Gish, G. D.; Schaller, M. D.; Parsons, J. T.; Stern, M. J.;
Cantley, L. C.; Pawson, T. (1994). "SH2 domain specificity and activity modified by a single
residue". Nature. 369 (6480): 502–505. Bibcode:1994Natur.369..502M (https://ui.adsabs.har
vard.edu/abs/1994Natur.369..502M). doi:10.1038/369502a0 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F369
502a0). hdl:1807/9433 (https://hdl.handle.net/1807%2F9433). PMID 7515480 (https://pubm
ed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7515480). S2CID 22767669 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:2
2767669).
18. Moran, M. F. (1990). "Src Homology Region 2 Domains Direct Protein-Protein Interactions in
Signal Transduction" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC55009). Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences. 87 (21): 8622–8626. Bibcode:1990PNAS...87.8622M (ht
tps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1990PNAS...87.8622M). doi:10.1073/pnas.87.21.8622 (http
s://doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.87.21.8622). PMC 55009 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art
icles/PMC55009). PMID 2236073 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2236073).
19. Feller, Stephan M. (2013). "Tony (Anthony James) Pawson, a giant in the field of cell
signaling research, dies unexpectedly at the age of 60" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ar
ticles/PMC3766090). Cell Communication and Signaling. 11: 61. doi:10.1186/1478-811X-
11-61 (https://doi.org/10.1186%2F1478-811X-11-61). PMC 3766090 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.n
ih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3766090).
20. "Exceptional contributions to cancer research recognized" (https://healthenews.mcgill.ca/exc
eptional-contributions-to-cancer-research-recognized/). Health e-News. 25 November 2011.
21. "Anthony Pawson - Canadian Medical Hall of Fame" (https://www.cdnmedhall.ca/laureates/a
nthonypawson#). www.cdnmedhall.ca.
22. "Past award winners" (https://www.cnpn.ca/about/past_award_winners.html). Canadian
National Proteomics Network. Retrieved 16 July 2019.

External links
Elaine Smith (5 July 2006). "Professor named to Order of Companions of Honour" (http://ww
w.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/060705-2434.asp). news@UofT. University of Toronto. Archived (ht
tps://web.archive.org/web/20070915110612/http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/060705-2434.
asp) from the original on 15 September 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
"Anthony Pawson – OC, O.Ont, PhD, FRS, FRSC" (https://web.archive.org/web/200502151
74839/http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/22024.html). Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 17
April 2007. Archived from the original (https://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/22024.html) on 15
February 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2007.
Laura Kane (8 August 2013). "Renowned Toronto genetic researcher Dr. Tony Pawson dies"
(https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2013/08/08/renowned_toronto_genetic_resear
cher_dr_tony_pawson_dies.html). The Toronto Star. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
Anthony Pawson official website (https://web.archive.org/web/20121012155012/http://pawso
nlab.mshri.on.ca/) at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
The Official Site of Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/horwitz/)
 Online Publications (University of Toronto) (https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/browse?type=a
uthor&order=ASC&rpp=20&value=Pawson%2C+Tony)

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