On Friday, November 22nd 2019, the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology honored one of its most distinguished faculty, Professor Emeritus Dr. JF Kuo, with the presentation of an endowed fund in his name. The funding is made possible by his family, colleagues, students, friends, and local community. The fund will be used to support an annual lectureship and potentially additional Department activities as the endowment grows. Born in Taiwan, Dr. Kuo joined the Department in 1972 and established himself as a pioneer and internationally recognized leader in the field of signal transduction by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), and protein kinase C (PKC). His work on PKC regulation by calcium and phospholipids has generated a long-lasting impact and novel insights for understanding and treating a variety of human diseases. Before Emory, Dr. Kuo worked closely with Paul Greengard at Yale University, and was a major catalyst for Dr. Greengard’s Nobel Prize-winning work. The Nov. 22nd event celebrated not only these remarkable achievements, but also his impact as a treasured colleague, a caring mentor, and a loving and devoted husband and father to his wife Alexandra and his children Calvin and Frances.
Dr. Jyh-Fa Kuo is a pioneer in the field of signal transduction and is internationally recognized for his critical contributions to our understanding of major intracellular kinases, such as cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), and protein kinase C (PKC). His work on protein kinase regulation by calcium and phospholipids has generated a long-lasting impact and novel insights for understanding and treating a variety of human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.
His research was recognized by the NIH MERIT Award (R37, 1986-1996). He was a highly respected mentor, serving as Director of Graduate Studies of the Pharmacology Department. His trainees have continued on to distinguished careers in academia and biotechnology. Among many honors, Dr. Kuo was named as Honorary Doctor of Medicine from the University of Linköping, Sweden, awarded by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in 1980. Dr. Kuo is also a novelist and published two books “Where the Orchid Blooms” (2005) and “Weeping Willow in the Mist (2016)
Jyh-Fa Kuo was born in Taiwan in 1933 and received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana in 1964. After four years in American Cyanamid Co. as a Research Biochemist, he joined the Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in three years. In 1972, Dr. Kuo was recruited to the Department of Pharmacology at Emory University and served as tenured Associate Professor and tenured Professor until his retirement in 1999. He is a Professor Emeritus of Emory University.
The Jyh-Fa Kuo Endowment was created to honor Dr. Kuo for his enormous contributions and mentorship to the biomedical field. The funding is made possible by his family, colleagues, students, friends, and local community. This is the first Endowed Fund established by the department at this 90th anniversary in 2019, which initially supports an annual lecture event to feature thought leaders of the field. The Jyh-Fa Kuo Endowment provides a platform to stimulate new ideas and inspire young scientists in biomedical research and education.