Andrew Mark Lippard Memorial Lecture
Lecture History
The Annual Andrew Mark Lippard Memorial Lecture was established in 1975 in memory of Professor and Mrs. Stephen J. Lippard’s seven year-old son, Andrew Mark, who had died of an acute encephalopathy two years previously. The lecture series is co-sponsored by the Andrew Mark Lippard Memorial Fund, the Columbia MD-PhD Program, and the Department of Neurology.
Professor Lippard was a member of the Department of Chemistry at Columbia at the time of his son’s death. Together with his wife, he established this annual lecture series to stimulate studies on the cause and pathogenesis of encephalopathic disease, particularly with respect to viral components. The annual lecture is traditionally given each Autumn, as close as possible to September 29th, the date of Andrew Mark Lippard's death.
The first Lippard Lecturer was Dr. Philip R. Dodge. Subsequent lecturers included prominent virologists (e.g. Richard T. Johnson, Michael B. Oldstone, Thomas C. Merigan). Topics began to vary more widely in 1982, with Leon E. Rosenberg, Robert G. Schulman, and Stanley B. Pruisner. The scope of lecture topics has continued to evolve with the field.
A complete list of Lippard Lecturers is provided on the next slide. Of note, five former Lippard Lecturers have subsequently won The Nobel Prize.
Most Recent 2024 Lecture Information:
The Unbreakable Attraction of Mosquitoes to Humans
Leslie B. Vosshall, PhD
Robin Chemers Neustein Professor
The Rockefeller University Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Leslie B. Vosshall, PhD is Robin Chemers Neustein Professor at The Rockefeller University, and Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Dr. Vosshall is a molecular neurobiologist who studies how behaviors emerge from the integration of sensory input with internal physiological states, with a specific focus on host-seeking and blood-feeding by mosquitoes that spread dangerous viruses. Vosshall is a vocal proponent of pre-prints and open science, as well as a strong supporter of diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM. Her ongoing initiatives aim to enhance the culture and climate in HHMI laboratories by fostering inclusive mentoring.
The Lippard Lectures: A Legacy in Neuroscience
For nearly four decades, the Andrew Mark Lippard Memorial Lecture Series has brought experts from across the field of neuroscience to Columbia University Irving Medical Center, to share and discuss the latest cutting-edge research. The list of past distinguished Lippard lecturers is a testament to Columbia's position at the forefront of new ideas and approaches to neurology.
Supporting the Lippard Lectures
The Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Department of Neurology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center remains a world leader in neurological research, patient care, and education thanks to the generous support of its friends and partners. If you would like to make a gift to support the Annual Andrew Mark Lippard Memorial Lecture Series, please visit our online giving page.
Selection Committee
Each year the featured Lippard lecturer is chosen by an interdisciplinary committee comprised of research leaders from across the medical center. Current committee members include:
- Elizabeth Bradshaw, PhD
- Mr. Alexander Lippard
- Joshua Lippard, Esq.
- Stephen Lippard, PhD (ex officio)
- Richard Mayeux, MD, MSc
- George Mentis, PhD
- Serge Przedborski, MD, PhD (Chair)
- Steven Reiner, MD
- Jonathan Rosand, MD
- Peter St George-Hyslop, OC, FRS, FRSC, FRCPC
- Neil Shneider, MD, PhD
- Robert J. Wechsler-Reya, PhD
For more information, please email Tessa Bouche at thb2108@cumc.columbia.edu.