Jay Tischfield is MacMillan Professor II and the Founding Chair of the Department of Genetics at Rutgers University.[1]. He is currently Director of the Human Genetics Institue of New Jersey.
He also is the CEO and scientific director of the Rutgers University Cell & DNA Repository, the largest university-based repository in the world.[2] Tischfield has four U.S patents to his name.[3]
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Professor Tischfield obtained his bachelor’s degree in biology in 1967 at the City University of New York, Brooklyn College. He finished his master’s degree in biology at Yale University in 1969, where he received his PhD in 1973.
At Yale, Tischfield worked on mapping human genes to chromosomes. He used mice-man somatic cell hybridization to find out which genes are on which chromosomes. He identified the gene for indophenol oxidase in mammals.[4] Later, this gene was identified by researchers from Duke University as the gene coding for the enzyme superoxide dismutase,[5] which is involved in Down syndrome and some cases of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Professor Tischfield is a diplomate of the American Board of Medical Genetics in PhD Medical Genetics and Clinical Molecular Genetics. He is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics.
Professor Tischfield’s research at Rutgers University focuses on the genetic basis of complex diseases that are caused by a number of genes, and often triggered by environmental causes. Tischfield’s lab investigates [autism], alcohol addiction and dihydroxyadenine urolithiasis and cystinuria, kidney diseases characterized by severe kidney stones. The laboratory has developed knockout mouse models for both kidney stone diseases and is developing therapies.[6]
Another research area is focused on loss of heterozygosity, a side effect of DNA-repair and recombination. Via this mechanism, tumor suppressor genes can be deactivated, leading to cancer.
Tischfield’s group uses population studies to find genes that are involved in diseases, using samples from the Rutgers University Cell & DNA Repository. In the past, the Repository contributed samples to a research project concerning the genetic causes of progeria.[7] This study revealed that progeria patients have a defect in the Lamin A gene on chromosome 1.[8] The discovery led to a clinical drug trial with a farnesyl transferase inhibitor, that started in May 2007.
Professor Tischfield's role has extended from science to University and New Jersey State politics and in 2011 NJBIZ listed Tischfield as being the 85th most powerful person in New Jersey business because of his political influence. [9]
Tischfield is married and has three sons, all involved in biological science research. The oldest has completed his PhD in neuroscience, his middle some is working on his PhD in computational biology, while the youngest is completing an MD-PhD in neuroscience[10][11][12] Jay Tischfield is also a big fan of Donald Duck.[13]
During his time as an undergraduate student, Tischfield was interested in marine biology, but events led to studying yeast genetics instead. During that time, he took on scuba diving, and is an experienced diver today.
His other hobbies include building computers, photography and auto racing.