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Genetics

Walter Gehring (Zurich, 1939) graduated in zoology at the University of Zurich. Two years later, in 1965, he obtained his Ph.D. at the same university, under the Management of the prestigious biologist and geneticist Ernst Hadorn. He then crossed the ocean and held a postdoctoral stay at the University of Yale for two years. In 1969 he was named assistant professor of the departments of anatomy and molecular biophysics at the same university, but finally returned to Switzerland (1972), to the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, to assume the challenge of working as a professor of developmental biology and genetics. His professional work already showed his main interests in research: developmental biology and molecular genetics.

From the interests to research; from research to the totally revolutionary results; and from the results to global recognition. This is how the life of Walter Gehring could be summarized, a biologist who can boast of being one of the scientists who has most contributed to the deciphering of the genetic bases of the development and evolution of living beings. More specifically, in 1983 Gehring and his team, while studying the Drosophila fly, deciphered the homeobox sequence, a set of similar genes highly preserved during the evolutive process that controls the developmental process of the body pattern in arthropods and also vertebrates. The discovery was key to interpret the genetic control of embryonic development.

But his contributions didn't just lie in this finding, considered a revolution in the field of molecular biology and evolutive genetics. During the 90's, Gehring discovered the PAX6 gene and the genetic network linked to it, responsible for the determination of the photoreception. New findings about the genetics of the eyes marked one more before and after in his curriculum.

Institutionally, Gehring has served as a member or with a charge of greater importance, of several prestigious societies. Amongst them it is worth mentioned some like the one of general secretary of the European Molecular Biology Organization, president of the International Society of Developmental Biologists, or foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of Great Britain.

And he has received many awards. Amongst them the Prize Kyoto of basic sciences in 2000, the Prize Balzan of developmental biology in 2002 or the nomination as doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Barcelona in 2010.

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