ALVAREZ GONZALEZ, Rafael

Statement of interest

I started my scientific research career at age 15 in college in the 1970s. I majored in biological chemistry and pharmacology — in a five-year laboratory-intense program that required an innovative research thesis for graduation.

In the third year, I started a project on cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in cultured cells, using and reading the Journal of Biological Chemistry as the main reference. Thus, I knew, before my military service and voting that I was to vigorously pursue joining the society behind that exemplary and high-quality peer-reviewed scientific journal. Thanks to that project, I received a full graduate fellowship for my Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of North Texas at Denton and finished in five years (1980–1985).

After attending the annual meetings of the ASBMB (then called the American Society of Biological Chemists) and completing my first postdoc in Europe, I went to the Samuel Roberts Noble foundation in Oklahoma and joined the society as regular member in 1987.

Over the years, I have been privileged to serve in the education committee (1990–1993) and minority affairs and career development committee (1993–1996), and I represented the ASBMB in a meeting with my congressional representatives in Texas. Recently, I was privileged to contribute the society’s undergraduate accreditation program (2011–2014). More importantly, our research team in Texas has managed to publish in the JBC five times out of more than 50 peer-reviewed publications.

Today, after 35 years with the ASBMB, I wish to contribute to the society to confirm and expand its global leadership and influence in the field, always maintaining the high standards of excellence that make it what it is, with inclusivity, diversity and equity for all. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to continue giving back to the society, which has generously supported my career throughout, in a new important role.

Education and training

• B.S., Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo (Mexico), 1979
• M.S., University of North Texas at Denton, 1983
• Ph.D., University of North Texas at Denton, 1985
• Postdoctoral fellow, University of Zurich (Tierspital), (1985–1986)
• Senior postdoctoral fellow, Samuel Roberts Nobel Foundation (1987–1988)

Awards and honors

• Undergraduate fellowship, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo (1974–1979)
• National top 1% graduate fellowship from CONACYT, Mexico (1980–1985)
• Lindau alumnus (1986)
• Centennial (1890–1990) doctoral alumnus of UNT at Denton (1990)
• Noble Foundation research grant (1989–1992)
• National Foundation for Infectious Diseases grant (1992–1993)
• Petroleum research grant from the American Chemical Society to study the chemistry of enzymatic nucleic acid polymerization (1991–1992)
• American Chemical Society Project SEED funding for summer experience in enzyme chemistry for disadvantaged local high school students (multiple years)
• Texas Advance Research Program grant, today known as Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (1992–1994)
• NIGMS/NIH First Award (1994–2001)
• Visiting biochemistry professor award from the Mexican Department of Education (1994–1995)
• Funding from multiple international sources to organize an international symposium on ADP-ribosyl transferases in Mexico, with over 100 attendees from 16 countries (1997)
• Centennial (1917–2017) alumnus of QFB, Universidad Michoacana (2017)
• Karyon speaker, XIX Annual Mexican Congress of Biological Chemistry (2022)

Experience

• Assistant professor of microbiology and immunology, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at Fort Worth (1989–1995)
• Acting chairman of microbiology and immunology, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at Fort Worth (1995–1996)
• Associate professor of molecular biology and immunology, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at Fort Worth (1996–2011)
• Visiting professor of virology and cancer, DKFZ–ATV, German Cancer Research Center (1998–1999)
• Reviewer, National Institute of General Medical Sciences MARC program (1999–2002)
• Review panel chair, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (2002–2005)
• Reviewer, U.S. Department of Defense breast cancer research program (2010–2011)
• Reviewer, SACNAS abstracts (2010–2015)
• Reviewer, Lindau abstracts (2017–2022)
• Reviewer, Protein Society Annual Symposium (2022)
• Reviewer, National Science Foundation GRFP Program (2019–2022)
• Reviewer for more than a dozen journals, including the JBC, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Science, Journal of Molecular Biology, International Journal of Cancer, Cancer Research, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, Proteins and Proteomics, and Molecular Cancer Research
• Editorial board member, Cancer Investigation (2000–2022)
• More than 100 posters presented and more than 60 research seminars in 25 countries (in English, Spanish or broken German)
• Ambassador, Susan G. Komen (2022–2023).