ROCKVILLE, Md., May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has elected Jeremy M. Berg, Ph.D., as the next president of the nonprofit. His term begins July 1, 2012.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110526/DC08945LOGO)  

Berg has directed the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health since November 2003. He is leaving that position in June to join the University of Pittsburgh.

"I am delighted to be elected to this important position at ASBMB," said Berg. "I am looking forward to working with the other members to promote science that has so much to contribute to American society."

As NIGMS director, Berg  has overseen a $2 billion budget that funds research in the areas of cell biology, biophysics, genetics, developmental biology, pharmacology, physiology, biological chemistry, bioinformatics and computational biology.  Before serving at the NIH, Berg was a professor and the director of the department of biophysics and biophysical chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for 13 years. He is well known for his research on the role of zinc in nucleic-acid binding proteins.

In December, Berg announced he would leave the NIGMS to become the first associate senior vice chancellor for science strategy and planning for the University of Pittsburgh's Schools of the Health Sciences, a leadership role that will foster the university's position on the forefront of biomedical research.  He also will hold a faculty position in the department of computational and systems biology at the School of Medicine.

"We are delighted to have such an outstanding leader take the helm of ASBMB next year," said Suzanne Pfeffer, the current president of ASBMB and a faculty member at Stanford University School of Medicine. "Berg brings tremendous excellence in biochemistry and firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of NIH and key science policy issues."

In October, Berg won the Howard K. Schachman Public Service Award, which is issued by ASBMB annually and recognizes an individual who demonstrates dedication to public service in support of biomedical science, as exemplified by the award's namesake, Howard K. Schachman, who led the society's Public Affairs Advisory Committee for more than a decade.  He also recently received a Public Service Award from the American Chemical Society and was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

To download a photo of Berg, visit http://www.box.net/shared/2av9jsjqxb.

About the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, at nonprofit research institutions and in industry. The Society's student members attend undergraduate or graduate institutions.  For more information about ASBMB, visit www.asbmb.org.  

SOURCE American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology