George M. Martin

Martin was born in New York City, the son of a police officer.{{Cite journal |last=Austad |first=Steven N. |date=2023-06-01 |title=George M. Martin: tribute and personal remembrance |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-023-00747-z |journal=GeroScience |language=en |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=2085–2086 |doi=10.1007/s11357-023-00747-z |issn=2509-2723 |pmc=10400482 |pmid=36745353}} Martin attended less than a year at the Cooper Union School of Engineering, and one year at the College of the City of New York before serving in the US Navy from 1945 to 1946.{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=George |date=2019-04-08 |title=George M. Martin, M.D. Curriculum Vita |url=https://www.umh.de/fileadmin/Einrichtungsordner/Zentren/Interdisziplinaeres_Zentrum_f%C3%BCr_Altern_Halle__IZAH_/1_Fotostelle/Speakers_2021/GMM_CV_-_8_April_2019_George_Martin.pdf |access-date=2023-08-27}} He moved to Alaska at age 19, and held various jobs including playing trumpet in a jazz band and working for a railroad company.{{Cite journal |last1=Rabinovitch |first1=Peter S |last2=Disteche |first2=Christine |last3=Kaeberlein |first3=Matt |last4=Martin |first4=Kelsey C |last5=Monnat |first5=Raymond J |last6=Oshima |first6=Junko |last7=Promislow |first7=Daniel |date=2023-01-04 |title=In Memory of George M. Martin |journal=The Journals of Gerontology: Series A |volume=78 |issue=4 |pages=619–620 |doi=10.1093/gerona/glac257 |pmid=36609876 |issn=1079-5006|doi-access=free }} After two years at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Martin completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Washington in 1949 before completing his medical doctorate from the same institution in 1952. He subsequently completed his internship at the Montreal General Hospital, followed by a residency in anatomic pathology at the University of Chicago. In 1957, Martin accepted a faculty position at the University of Washington in the Department of Pathology,{{Cite web |title=An Interview with the ADRC's Founding Director - Memory and Brain Wellness Center |url=https://depts.washington.edu/mbwc/news/article/george-martin-interview |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=depts.washington.edu}} where he founded the Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory. Martin became the founding director of the University of Washington Medical Scientist Training Program in 1970.{{Cite web |title=UW MSTP History {{!}} Medical Scientist Training Program |url=https://mstp.washington.edu/about-mstp/uw-mstp-history/ |access-date=2023-08-27}}

Martin served as the Scientific Director of the American Federation for Aging Research and as president of the Tissue Culture Association and the Gerontological Society of America. He served as a scientific editor and served on editorial boards of many scholarly journals, including Science, Age and Ageing, Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, Aging Cell, Ageing Research Reviews, Geriatrics and Gerontology International and Alzheimer's Disease Review. Martin was also the chairman of the scientific advisory board for The Ellison Biomedical Foundation.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

Martin's early work focused on the neurobiology of Wilson's disease and the function of caeruloplasmin, the underlying gene responsible for this disorder.{{Cite journal |last1=McALISTER |first1=R. |last2=Martin |first2=G. M. |last3=Benditt |first3=E. P. |date=June 1961 |title=Evidence for Multiple Cæruloplasmin Components in Human Serum |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/190927b0 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=190 |issue=4779 |pages=927–929 |doi=10.1038/190927b0 |pmid=13773713 |bibcode=1961Natur.190..927M |s2cid=4251125 |issn=1476-4687}}{{Cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=G. M. |last2=Derr |first2=M. A. |last3=Benditt |first3=E. P. |title=Ceruloplasmins of Several Animal Species. Comparison of Electrophoretic Mobilities and Substrate Specificity |date=March 1964 |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14127032 |journal=Laboratory Investigation; A Journal of Technical Methods and Pathology |volume=13 |pages=282–287 |issn=0023-6837 |pmid=14127032}} This work served as a catalyst for Martin to learn about genetics, as supported by Arno Motulsky, founder of the University of Washington department of Medical Genetics. Martin also contributed to early work surrounding the techniques and use of human cell culture,{{Cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=G. M. |last2=Tuan |first2=A. |date=October 1966 |title=A definitive cloning technique for human fibroblast cultures |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5924411 |journal=Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine |volume=123 |issue=1 |pages=138–140 |doi=10.3181/00379727-123-31423 |issn=0037-9727 |pmid=5924411|s2cid=34390842 }}{{Cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=G. M. |last2=Sprague |first2=C. |last3=Bryant |first3=J. S. |date=1967-05-06 |title=Mitotic nondisjunction in cultivated human cells |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4226946 |journal=Nature |volume=214 |issue=5088 |pages=612–613 |doi=10.1038/214612a0 |issn=0028-0836 |pmid=4226946|bibcode=1967Natur.214..612M |s2cid=4155643 }} including describing donor covariates that contributed to replicative limits in culture.{{Cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=G. M. |last2=Sprague |first2=C. A. |last3=Epstein |first3=C. J. |date=July 1970 |title=Replicative life-span of cultivated human cells. Effects of donor's age, tissue, and genotype |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5431223 |journal=Laboratory Investigation; A Journal of Technical Methods and Pathology |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=86–92 |issn=0023-6837 |pmid=5431223}}

Martin's major research focus involved using genetic approaches to elucidate the pathobiology of aging and age-related diseases. Martin's work provided important insights into multiple topics in the field of geroscience. His group conducted genetic linking studies identifying loci associated with familial forms of Alzheimer's disease,{{Cite journal |last1=Schellenberg |first1=G. D. |last2=Bird |first2=T. D. |last3=Wijsman |first3=E. M. |last4=Orr |first4=H. T. |last5=Anderson |first5=L. |last6=Nemens |first6=E. |last7=White |first7=J. A. |last8=Bonnycastle |first8=L. |last9=Weber |first9=J. L. |last10=Alonso |first10=M. E. |date=1992-10-23 |title=Genetic linkage evidence for a familial Alzheimer's disease locus on chromosome 14 |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1411576 |journal=Science |volume=258 |issue=5082 |pages=668–671 |doi=10.1126/science.1411576 |issn=0036-8075 |pmid=1411576|bibcode=1992Sci...258..668S }}{{cite journal |vauthors=Schellenberg GD, Deeb SS, Boehnke M, etal |date=April 1987 |title=Association of an apolipoprotein CII allele with familial dementia of the Alzheimer type |journal=Journal of Neurogenetics |volume=4 |issue=2–3 |pages=97–108 |doi=10.3109/01677068709102337 |pmid=2885403}} a discovery that led to the recognition of amyloid beta (Aβ) in the pathology of that disorder.{{Cite journal |last1=Guo |first1=Q. |last2=Furukawa |first2=K. |last3=Sopher |first3=B. L. |last4=Pham |first4=D. G. |last5=Xie |first5=J. |last6=Robinson |first6=N. |last7=Martin |first7=G. M. |last8=Mattson |first8=M. P. |date=1996-12-20 |title=Alzheimer's PS-1 mutation perturbs calcium homeostasis and sensitizes PC12 cells to death induced by amyloid beta-peptide |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9051814 |journal=NeuroReport |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=379–383 |doi=10.1097/00001756-199612200-00074 |issn=0959-4965 |pmid=9051814|s2cid=11404496 }} Martin's group separately identified the genetic defect causing the aging disease Werner syndrome,{{cite journal |vauthors=Oshima J, Yu CE, Boehnke M, etal |title=Integrated mapping analysis of the Werner syndrome region of chromosome 8 |journal=Genomics |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=100–13 |date=September 1994 |pmid=7829057 |doi=10.1006/geno.1994.1464|hdl=2027.42/31345 |url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31345/1/0000255.pdf |hdl-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Yu |first1=C. E. |last2=Oshima |first2=J. |last3=Fu |first3=Y. H. |last4=Wijsman |first4=E. M. |last5=Hisama |first5=F. |last6=Alisch |first6=R. |last7=Matthews |first7=S. |last8=Nakura |first8=J. |last9=Miki |first9=T. |last10=Ouais |first10=S. |last11=Martin |first11=G. M. |last12=Mulligan |first12=J. |last13=Schellenberg |first13=G. D. |date=1996-04-12 |title=Positional cloning of the Werner's syndrome gene |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8602509 |journal=Science |volume=272 |issue=5259 |pages=258–262 |doi=10.1126/science.272.5259.258 |issn=0036-8075 |pmid=8602509|bibcode=1996Sci...272..258Y |s2cid=18172607 }} and its underlying contributory mechanisms to the disorder.{{Cite journal |last1=Gray |first1=M. D. |last2=Shen |first2=J. C. |last3=Kamath-Loeb |first3=A. S. |last4=Blank |first4=A. |last5=Sopher |first5=B. L. |last6=Martin |first6=G. M. |last7=Oshima |first7=J. |last8=Loeb |first8=L. A. |date=September 1997 |title=The Werner syndrome protein is a DNA helicase |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9288107 |journal=Nature Genetics |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=100–103 |doi=10.1038/ng0997-100 |issn=1061-4036 |pmid=9288107|s2cid=20587915 }}{{Cite journal |last1=Balajee |first1=A. S. |last2=Machwe |first2=A. |last3=May |first3=A. |last4=Gray |first4=M. D. |last5=Oshima |first5=J. |last6=Martin |first6=G. M. |last7=Nehlin |first7=J. O. |last8=Brosh |first8=R. |last9=Orren |first9=D. K. |last10=Bohr |first10=V. A. |date=August 1999 |title=The Werner syndrome protein is involved in RNA polymerase II transcription |journal=Molecular Biology of the Cell |volume=10 |issue=8 |pages=2655–2668 |doi=10.1091/mbc.10.8.2655 |issn=1059-1524 |pmc=25497 |pmid=10436020}} His studies provided the first evidence that epithelial cells from arteries, especially from parts that develop severe atherosclerosis, have limited potential to divide.{{Cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=G. M. |last2=Sprague |first2=C. A. |date=1972-12-23 |title=Clonal senescence and atherosclerosis |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4118240 |journal=Lancet |volume=2 |issue=7791 |pages=1370–1371 |doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(72)92819-x |issn=0140-6736 |pmid=4118240}}{{Cite book |last1=Martin |first1=G. |last2=Ogburn |first2=C. |last3=Sprague |first3=C. |chapter=Senescence and Vascular Disease |title=Explorations in Aging |date=1975 |chapter-url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/810006 |series=Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology |volume=61 |pages=163–193 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4615-9032-3_9 |issn=0065-2598 |pmid=810006|isbn=978-1-4615-9034-7 }} He and colleagues demonstrated that senescent cells cannot be returned to a replicative state when their cytoplasm is combined with cytoplasm from normal, young cells.{{Cite journal |last1=Hoehn |first1=H. |last2=Bryant |first2=E. M. |last3=Johnston |first3=P. |last4=Norwood |first4=T. H. |last5=Martin |first5=G. M. |date=1975-12-18 |title=Non-selective isolation, stability and longevity of hybrids between normal human somatic cells |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1207734 |journal=Nature |volume=258 |issue=5536 |pages=608–610 |doi=10.1038/258608a0 |issn=0028-0836 |pmid=1207734|bibcode=1975Natur.258..608H |s2cid=11467452 }}{{Cite journal |last1=Norwood |first1=T. H. |last2=Pendergrass |first2=W. R. |last3=Sprague |first3=C. A. |last4=Martin |first4=G. M. |date=June 1974 |title=Dominance of the senescent phenotype in heterokaryons between replicative and post-replicative human fibroblast-like cells |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=71 |issue=6 |pages=2231–2235 |doi=10.1073/pnas.71.6.2231 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=388425 |pmid=4366757 |bibcode=1974PNAS...71.2231N |doi-access=free }} Martin's laboratory was the first to demonstrate the accumulation of somatic mutations in human epithelial cells during the aging process.{{Cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=G. M. |last2=Ogburn |first2=C. E. |last3=Colgin |first3=L. M. |last4=Gown |first4=A. M. |last5=Edland |first5=S. D. |last6=Monnat |first6=R. J. |date=February 1996 |title=Somatic mutations are frequent and increase with age in human kidney epithelial cells |journal=Human Molecular Genetics |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=215–221 |doi=10.1093/hmg/5.2.215 |issn=0964-6906 |pmid=8824877|doi-access=free }} His later research used genetic engineering in mice to elucidate mechanisms of aging and Alzheimer's disease.{{Cite journal |last1=Guo |first1=Q. |last2=Sebastian |first2=L. |last3=Sopher |first3=B. L. |last4=Miller |first4=M. W. |last5=Ware |first5=C. B. |last6=Martin |first6=G. M. |last7=Mattson |first7=M. P. |date=March 1999 |title=Increased vulnerability of hippocampal neurons from presenilin-1 mutant knock-in mice to amyloid beta-peptide toxicity: central roles of superoxide production and caspase activation |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10037473 |journal=Journal of Neurochemistry |volume=72 |issue=3 |pages=1019–1029 |doi=10.1046/j.1471-4159.1999.0721019.x |issn=0022-3042 |pmid=10037473|s2cid=221870765 }}

Martin was not as well known as a futurist, but some of Martin's ideas predate predictions of better known futurists such as Ray Kurzweil and Vernor Vinge, and are similar to those eventually championed in the field. In 1971,{{Cite journal |last=Martin |first=G. M. |date=1971 |title=Brief proposal on immortality: an interim solution |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5546258 |journal=Perspectives in Biology and Medicine |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=339 |doi=10.1353/pbm.1971.0015 |issn=0031-5982 |pmid=5546258|s2cid=71120068 }} for example, Martin described a process for achieving a condition equatable to immortality using a scientific process now termed mind uploading:

{{Blockquote|The ultimate solution [for immortality] is pure science fiction. In fact, the rationale for implementing the interim solution is largely based upon two articles of faith. The first is the perfectly reasonable proposition that science will continue to grow{{spaced ndash}}if not at its present exponential rate, at least linearly. The second, requiring a good deal more optimism, is the belief that Homo sapiens, during this critical phase of his natural history, will not destroy himself and his planet. We shall assume that developments in neurobiology, bioengineering and related disciplines… will ultimately provide suitable techniques of 'read-out' of the stored information from cryobiologically preserved brains into nth generation computers capable of vastly outdoing the dynamic patterning of operation of our cerebral neurones. We would then join a family of humanoid 'post-somatic' bio-electrical hybrids capable of contributing to cultural evolution at rates far exceeding anything now imaginable.}}

Source:

• Sigma Xi
• Eleanor Roosevelt International Cancer Research Fellow, 1968-1969
• Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Faculty Scholar Award, 1978-1979
• Alpha Omega Alpha, 1980
• Gerontological Society of America Brookdale award, 1980
• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1982
• University of Washington School of Medicine Outstanding Alumnus Award, 1987{{Cite web |title=EMF: Bio |url=https://www.ellison-med-fn.org/emf_bio.jsp?pid=74 |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=www.ellison-med-fn.org}}
• National Institutes of Health Merit Award, 1989
• Allied Signal Achievement Award in Aging, 1990
• National Academy of Medicine, 1992
• American Aging Association Research Medal, 1992
• Gerontological Society of America Donald B. Kent award, 1993{{Cite web |title=Awardees |url=https://www.geron.org/membership/awards/awardees?showall=1 |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=www.geron.org}}
• American Federation for Aging Research Irving S. Wright award, 1996
• Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International, 1998
• Paul Glenn Foundation Award, 1998
• Distinguished Scientist Award, University of Urbino Faculty of Sciences, 1998
• World Alzheimer Congress Lifetime Achievement Award, 2000{{Cite web |title=AAIC Lifetime Achievement Awards {{!}} Alzheimer's Association |url=https://aaic.alz.org/about/award-lifetime-list.asp |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=AAIC |language=en}}
• Fondation IPSEN Longevity prize, 2002{{Cite web |date=2017-07-24 |title=The 22nd Longevity Prize of the Fondation IPSEN is Awarded to Andrzej Bartke |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170724005465/en/The-22nd-Longevity-Prize-of-the-Fondation-IPSEN-is-Awarded-to-Andrzej-Bartke |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}}
• American Aging Association Distinguished Scientist Award, 2004
• Shober Prize, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 2005
• Trustee Emeritus, Buck Institute for Age Research, 2006
• Honorary Alumnus (NIMH-sponsored Summer Research Institute in Geriatric Psychiatry), 2008
• Dart/New York University Biotechnology Achievement Award, 2011
• SENECA Medal for Research into Aging, Industrial Club of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany, 2011
• Inaugural Science Award of the Buck Institute for Research in Aging, 2011

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.pathology.washington.edu/research/labs/Martin/ Faculty webpage and CV]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, George M.}}

Category:1927 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:Biogerontologists

Category:University of Washington alumni

Category:University of Washington faculty

Category:Life extensionists

Category:Members of the National Academy of Medicine

Category:People from New York City