Jonathan Nowak*

B.A., The University of Chicago
Specification and Function of Early Hair Follicle Stem Cells
presented by Elaine Fuchs

Jonathan Nowak received his B.A. from The University of Chicago with majors in biology and economics. We now celebrate his completion of the Ph.D. program at The Rockefeller University and, in the coming year, his M.D. at Weill Cornell Medical College. So do the degrees define the person? In Jonathan’s case, they do. Jonathan has far-reaching interests and has displayed a genuine desire to learn and explore the intellectual depths that underlie each of his degrees. I’ve witnessed this first-hand while serving as his mentor through his successful Ph.D. thesis on the transcriptional control of epithelial differentiation and stem cell maintenance.

Jonathan came to my lab with a clear interest in stem cell biology. During his studies, he identified changes in the expression of the “Sox” family of transcription factors. When hair follicle stem cells switch from a resting to growing state, they turn off one Sox gene and turn on another. For his thesis research, he showed that this switch is important to our understanding of how stem cells regulate when to remain dormant, when to make hair and skin and when to repair wounds.

Jonathan’s important discoveries were published in two papers, one in Genes & Development and the other in Cell Stem Cell. His major paper is likely to be a landmark in the field, lasting long after this wonderful day in which he is honored with a degree that recognizes these accomplishments.

Jonathan brings intellectual brain power, a quickness of mind, excellent bench skills and a wonderful enthusiasm to everything that he does. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Jonathan relishes challenges that go beyond those that relate to his career. His honeymoon in the last year of his thesis research was not to Niagara Falls or Hawaii, but rather to the glaciers and frontiers of Tierra del Fuego. I’ve cherished the opportunity to witness this rising star in action.