AmJHumGenet35:1077-1080,1983 THEWILLIAMALLANMEMORIALAWARD PresentedtoElizabethF.Neufeld,Ph.D.,attheannualmeeting oftheAmericanSocietyofHumanGenetics Detroit,September29-October2,1982 Introductionby KURTHIRSCHHORN SUMMARY Theopportunityforthispresentationprovidesmewiththreegratifications.The firstandmostimportantisthatthescientistbeinghonoredisElizabethNeufeld. ThesecondisthehonorbestoweduponmebybeingselectedtointroduceDr. Neufeld.Finally,thepreparationofthisintroductionhasprovidedmewiththe opportunitytoreconstructascientificcareerfromitsbeginningstoitspresent excitingmomentum,anexerciseinwhichIwashelpedwithgreatenthusiasmby anumberofpeoplewhohaveknownLizduringthevariousphasesofherscientific life. Iamparticularlypleasedtonotethatourawardeeistheproductofthatunique breedinggroundofsuccessstories,thespecialNewYorkeducationsystem.After arrivinginNewYorkin1940attheageof12fromParis,arefugeefromNazi persecutionsinEurope,LizNeufeld,likesomanyotheryoungrefugeesatthe time,qualifiedforoneofthespecializedschoolsinNewYork-theHunterCollege HighSchool.FromthereshewenttoQueensCollege,oneofthemajorhigh- qualityfreeinstitutionsofhigherlearningoftheNewYorkCitycollegesystem, andgraduatedwithaBachelorofSciencedegreein1948.Obviouslyturnedon toascientificcareer,shesuccessfullyappliedforaresearchassistantshipatthe JacksonLaboratoryinBarHarbor,Maine,wheresheworkedwiththefirstof hermentors,Dr.ElizabethRussell,tothisdayhergoodfriendandenthusiastic admirer.Herfirstpublicationsarederivedfromthatexperienceandareconcerned withhematologicgeneticsofmice.ShethenbrieflywenttotheUniversityof Rochesterasagraduatestudent,aneffortthatwasunfortunatelyinterruptedfor personalreasons.In1951,shemarriedBenNeufeld,currentlyahealthplanner intheHealthResourceServicesAdministration,andtookajobasaresearch assistantwithNathanKaplan,whoatthattimewasdoinghisresearchatJohns Hopkins,andwhowasthesecondofherimportantearlyscientificinfluences.A DepartmentofPediatrics,MountSinaiSchoolofMedicine,OneGustaveL.LevyPlace,New York,NY10029. 1983bytheAmericanSocietyofHumanGenetics.Allrightsreserved.0002-9297/83/3506-0001$02.00 1077 seriesofpapersresultedfromthiscollaborationwhichconcernspyridinenucleotide metabolism.AyearlatersherestartedhergraduateeducationasaPh.D.candidate withW.Z.HassidincomparativebiochemistryatBerkeley.Duringthishighly productivephaseofherlife,sheworkedtogetherwithanumberofpeople,among whomwasVictorGinsburg,wholaterwasinstrumentalinpursuadingDeWitt StettentobringhertotheNationalInstitutesofHealthandtogiveher herown laboratory.Herwork,resultinginnumerouspublicationsinthebestbiochemical journals,concentratedonnucleotidesandcomplexcarbohydrates,thelatterpro- vidingherwiththebackgroundfortheexperimentsforwhichsheisbeinghonored today.SheremainedatBerkeleyasapostdoctoralfellowwithanotherimportant teacher,DanMazia,withwhomsheworkedonnonproteinsulphydrylcompounds inmitosis,acquaintingherwithanelementofgreatimportanceinherfuture work.Followingthisfellowship,shereturnedtoHassidslaboratory,whereshe pursuedavarietyofdirectionsconcerningsubstitutedsugars,polysaccharides, andglycoproteins.When,in1963,despiteherphenomenallyproductiveresearch, thereappearedtobeadelayinobtainingafacultyposition,atatimewhen recognitionofleadershipforwomeninsciencewasstillsomethingofanovelty, shewasbroughttotheNationalInstitutesofHealth,whereshehasbeenever since.Hercareerblossomed,andshewaspromotedfromresearchbiochemistto ChiefoftheSectionofHumanBiochemicalGeneticsin1973,andthenin1979, toChiefoftheGeneticsandBiochemistryBranchoftheNationalInstituteof Arthritis,Diabetes,andDigestiveandKidneyDiseases,thepositionwhichshe holdsatthistime.Shehasbeenamemberofanumberofeditorialboardsand importantcommitteesandcouncils,includingatermontheBoardofDirectors ofthisSocietyfrom1977to1980.Amajorcommitmenthasbeenherparticipation ontheBoard,andmostrecentlyaspresidentoftheFoundationforAdvanced EducationintheSciencesinBethesda, anorganizationwhichhelpsforeignscientists toadjust,sponsorschambermusicconcerts,andprovidesaninterfacebetween scienceandculturefortheNationalInstitutesofHealthcommunity.Shehas receivednumeroushonorsduringthelast10years,includingselectiontothe NationalAcademyofSciencesin1977,anhonorarydegreefromtheReneDescartes UniversityinParisandRussellSageCollegein1980,andtheprestigiousGairdner FoundationAwardin1981. Thespecificworkwhichhasledtothesewell-deserveddistinctions,aswell astotheAllanAward,beganin1967,whenDr.Neufeldbecameinterestedin Hurlersyndrome.Itwasaccepteddogmainthosedaysthatmucopolysaccharides accumulatedinthisdiseasebecauseofaberrantregulationoftheirsynthesis resultinginoverproduction.Herpriorworkonthebiosynthesisofcellwall polymersinplantsmadeherparticularlyqualifiedtostudythisproblem,since suchpolymerssharewithmucopolysaccharidesthepresenceofuronicacidsor sugarnucleotides,afrequentthemeinherearlierpapers.Shequicklysaw the potentialusefulnessofculturedfibroblastsforsuchexperimentsinhumanbio- chemicalgeneticsandbegantotacklethisproblem.Inthosedays,someofthe bestyoungpeoplecamet