IGDR seminar series
INSTITUTE OF GENETICS
AND DEVELOPMENT OF RENNES
Dr. Michael N. Hall
Biozentrum
University of Basel, Switzerland
TOR signaling in growth and metabolism
Campus Villejean, Building 2, Amphitheatre A
Friday, March 20, 2015 - 14:00
Dr. Michael N. Hall is Professor of Biochemistry at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel
and a world leader in the field of cell growth control. He and his team discovered TOR (Target
of Rapamycin), a protein kinase that is a central regulator of cell growth and metabolism. The
importance of TOR and its signalling pathway is demonstrated by its conservation among
eukaryotes, from single-celled organisms to large animals and plants, and by its role in
fundamental processes such as development and ageing. Moreover, deregulation of the TOR
pathway is implicated in diseases including obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Dr. Hall's findings
have reshaped our understanding of cell growth, demonstrating that it is a highly regulated
process rather than a passive consequence of nutrient availability.
Dr. Hall is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and has received numerous
awards for his groundbreaking research, including the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine
(2009), the Marcel Benoist Prize for Sciences or Humanities (2012), the Sir Hans Krebs Medal
(2014), and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2014).
Sponsored by
I.G.D.R. | Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes
UMR 6290 - Campus Santé de Villejean - 2, avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes
Tel : + 33 (0)2 23 23 49 52 - www.igdr.univ-rennes1.fr