George Yancopoulos

Yancopoulos is the son of Greek immigrants, and spent his early childhood in Woodside, New York. As a student at the Bronx High School of Science, Yancopoulos was a top winner of the 1976 Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Intel and then Regeneron later assumed the title sponsorship for the Science Talent Search.{{cite web| url =https://www.wsj.com/articles/regeneron-named-as-science-talent-search-sponsor-1464235262|title=Regeneron Named as Science Talent Search Sponsor|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|author=Ron Winslow|date =May 26, 2016}}

After graduating as valedictorian of both the Bronx High School of Science and Columbia College, Yancopoulos received his MD and PhD degrees in 1987 from Columbia University's College of Physicians & Surgeons. He then worked in the field of molecular immunology at Columbia University with Dr. Fred Alt, for which he received the Lucille P. Markey Scholar Award.

He was elected to both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2004. According to a study by the Institute for Scientific Information, he was the eleventh most highly cited scientist in the world during the 1990s, and the only scientist from the biotechnology industry on the list.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/scholars/events/speakers/th2005-06.php|title = Cusp Speaker Series Presents: 2005–2006}}

Yancopoulos was a graduate student in Fred Alt's laboratory at Columbia University in the 1980s. Much of Yancopoulos and Alt's work in immunology, including common recombination, accessibility control of recombination and scanning or tracking of recombinant action, has been recently validated.{{cite journal| url= http://www.jimmunol.org/content/195/11/5103|title=Beyond Hypothesis: Direct Evidence That V(D)J Recombination Is Regulated by the Accessibility of Chromatin Substrates|author=Michael S. Krangel|journal=Journal of Immunology| date =December 1, 2015|volume=195|issue=11|pages=5103–5105|doi=10.4049/jimmunol.1502150|pmid=26589747|s2cid=39216064|doi-access=free}}

Yancopoulos joined Regeneron in its earliest days. Once there, he cloned novel families of growth factors, neurotrophic factors, ephrins/Ephs and angiopoietins, and elucidated the basis of how many receptors work.{{cite web| url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/20004851.html|title=George D. Yancopoulos|publisher=National Academy of Sciences|access-date =September 17, 2018}} His work has included study of how nerves regenerate{{cite news |title= George Yancopoulos: Doing Well by Trying to Do Good |url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=george-yancopoulos-westinghouse |newspaper=Scientific American |date=October 6, 2008 |access-date=May 1, 2011}} and how muscles connect to nerves.{{cite news |title=How Nerve Meets Muscle and Begins to Talk |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/21/science/how-nerve-meets-muscle-and-begins-to-talk.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=May 21, 1996 |access-date=May 1, 2011}}

For example, the very first paper from his work at Regeneron documented the cloning of NT3 (Neurotrophic factor 3), a neurotrophic factor in the Nerve growth factor family.{{cite journal |vauthors=Maisonpierre PC, Belluscio L, Squinto S, etal |title=Neurotrophin-3: a neurotrophic factor related to NGF and BDNF |journal=Science |volume=247 |issue=4949 Pt 1 |pages=1446–51 |date=March 1990 |pmid=2321006 |doi=10.1126/science.2321006|bibcode=1990Sci...247.1446M |s2cid=37763746 }} His group also cloned receptors for neurotrophic factors, such as TrkB, the receptor for BDNF, and showed that they were sufficient to mediate signaling without the requirement of the Low affinity Nerve Growth Factor receptor (LNGFR).{{cite journal |vauthors=Glass DJ, Nye SH, Hantzopoulos P, etal |title=TrkB mediates BDNF/NT-3-dependent survival and proliferation in fibroblasts lacking the low affinity NGF receptor |journal=Cell |volume=66 |issue=2 |pages=405–13 |date=July 1991 |pmid=1649703 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(91)90629-D|s2cid=43626580 }}

Yancopoulos and his colleagues discovered a receptor tyrosine kinase which they named "MuSK" (Muscle Specific Kinase, or MuSK protein). They went on to show that MuSK is required for the formation of the neuromuscular junction, the key structure which allows motor neurons to induce skeletal muscle to contract.{{cite journal |vauthors=DeChiara TM, Bowen DC, Valenzuela DM, etal |title=The receptor tyrosine kinase MuSK is required for neuromuscular junction formation in vivo |journal=Cell |volume=85 |issue=4 |pages=501–12 |date=May 1996 |pmid=8653786 |doi=10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81251-9|s2cid=17455481 |doi-access=free }} They next demonstrated that the ligand for MuSK is agrin, a protein secreted by the motor neuron to induce formation of the neuromuscular junction.{{cite journal |vauthors=Glass DJ, Bowen DC, Stitt TN, etal |title=Agrin acts via a MuSK receptor complex |journal=Cell |volume=85 |issue=4 |pages=513–523 |date=May 1996 |pmid=8653787 |doi=10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81252-0|s2cid=14930468 |doi-access=free }}

What was also noteworthy from this period was the cloning of the receptor for the ciliary neurotrophic factor CNTF.{{cite journal |vauthors=Davis S, Aldrich TH, Valenzuela DM, etal |title=The receptor for ciliary neurotrophic factor |journal=Science |volume=253 |issue=5015 |pages=59–63 |date=July 1991 |pmid=1648265 |doi=10.1126/science.1648265|bibcode=1991Sci...253...59D }} The understanding of this receptor induced Yancopoulos and his colleagues to use the receptor in a novel fashion, by making a secreted form so as to "trap" or inhibit the ligand's action. This documented the invention of the "receptor trap",{{cite journal |vauthors=Economides AN, Carpenter LR, Rudge JS, etal |title=Cytokine traps: multi-component, high-affinity blockers of cytokine action |journal=Nature Medicine |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=47–52 |date=January 2003 |pmid=12483208 |doi=10.1038/nm811|s2cid=6541399 }} a concept which was used importantly in making a trap to inhibit the action of VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor).{{cite journal |vauthors=Holash J, Davis S, Papadopoulos N, etal |title=VEGF-Trap: a VEGF blocker with potent antitumor effects |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=99 |issue=17 |pages=11393–11398 |date=August 2002 |pmid=12177445 |pmc=123267 |doi=10.1073/pnas.172398299|bibcode=2002PNAS...9911393H |doi-access=free }} The "VEGF Trap" was then used to design a medicine to treat Acute Macular Degeneration (AMD), a disease which causes blindness.

Yancopoulos was the first to propose making mouse models with genetically human immune systems ("Human mice").{{cite web| url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2013/08/14/how-two-guys-from-queens-are-changing-drug-discovery/|author=Matthew Herper|title= How Two Guys From Queens Are Changing Drug Discovery|work=Forbes|date =August 14, 2013}} This research led to Yancopoulos at Regeneron developing "the most valuable mouse ever made," bred to have immune systems that respond just as a human's would, so that it can be used for testing how the human body might react to various pharmaceuticals and other substances.

Several important human antibodies, which were then tested for their use as medicines, have come from these mice. For example, a "cocktail," or mixture of three distinct antibodies to the Ebola virus resulted in treatment for Ebola.{{cite journal| url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-020-00197-8| doi=10.1038/d41573-020-00197-8| title=FDA approves antibody cocktail for Ebola virus| date=2020| last1=Mullard| first1=Asher| journal=Nature Reviews Drug Discovery| volume=19| issue=12| page=827| pmid=33144717}} More recently, Yancopolous and his colleagues developed a cocktail of antibodies, using the mouse with a human immune system, to block the SARS-CoV-2 virus in order to treat COVID-19.{{cite journal| pmc=7299284| date=2020| last1=Hansen| first1=J.| last2=Baum| first2=A.| last3=Pascal| first3=K. E.| last4=Russo| first4=V.| last5=Giordano| first5=S.| last6=Wloga| first6=E.| last7=Fulton| first7=B. O.| last8=Yan| first8=Y.| last9=Koon| first9=K.| last10=Patel| first10=K.| last11=Chung| first11=K. M.| last12=Hermann| first12=A.| last13=Ullman| first13=E.| last14=Cruz| first14=J.| last15=Rafique| first15=A.| last16=Huang| first16=T.| last17=Fairhurst| first17=J.| last18=Libertiny| first18=C.| last19=Malbec| first19=M.| last20=Lee| first20=W. Y.| last21=Welsh| first21=R.| last22=Farr| first22=G.| last23=Pennington| first23=S.| last24=Deshpande| first24=D.| last25=Cheng| first25=J.| last26=Watty| first26=A.| last27=Bouffard| first27=P.| last28=Babb| first28=R.| last29=Levenkova| first29=N.| last30=Chen| first30=C.| title=Studies in humanized mice and convalescent humans yield a SARS-CoV-2 antibody cocktail| journal=Science| volume=369| issue=6506| pages=1010–1014| doi=10.1126/science.abd0827| pmid=32540901| bibcode=2020Sci...369.1010H| display-authors=1}}

Yancopoulos left academia in 1989 to become the founding scientist and chief scientific officer of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals with founder and chief executive officer Leonard Schleifer, M.D., Ph.D. In 2016, Yancopoulos was also named president of the company.{{cite web| url =https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=186629&privcapId=33715|title=George D. Yancopoulos|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|access-date =July 23, 2018}}

Yancopoulos plays an active role in Regeneron's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education commitments, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, America's oldest high school science and math competition.{{cite web| url = https://student.societyforscience.org/regeneron-founded-two-sts-alumni|title=Regeneron Founded by Two STS Alumni|publisher=Society for Science & the Public|access-date =July 27, 2018}}

In 2014, Yancopoulos led the launch of the Regeneron Genetics Center, a major initiative in human genetic research that has sequenced exomes from over 1,000,000 people {{as of|2020|February|lc=y}}.{{cite web| url= https://www.regeneron.com/genetics-center|title=Regeneron Genetics Center|date=2023 }}{{cite web| url =https://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/regeneron-genetics-center-surpasses-250k-exomes-sequenced-and-ramping-up/81255168 |title=Regeneron Genetics Center Surpasses 250K Exomes Sequenced, and Ramping Up|publisher=Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News|author=Alex Philippidis|date =November 15, 2017}}

Forbes magazine states Yancopoulos' financial stake in Regeneron has made him a billionaire. He is the first research and development chief in the pharmaceutical industry to become a billionaire.{{cite web|last1=Mathew| first1=Herper|title=Regeneron's George Yancopoulos Becomes Pharma's First Billionaire R&D Chief|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2015/07/28/regenerons-george-yancopoulos-becomes-pharmas-first-billionaire-rd-chief/| website=forbes.com|access-date=28 July 2015}}

Yancopoulos won a NY/NJ CEO Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/9074-marc-tessier-lavigne-receives-lifetime-achievement-award-from-biotech-executives|title = Marc Tessier-Lavigne receives lifetime achievement award from biotech executives}}

Yancopoulos has been awarded Columbia University's Stevens Triennial Prize for Research and its University Medal of Excellence for Distinguished Achievement.{{cite web| url =https://www.burke.org/media/news/2013/06/dr-george-d-yancopoulos-founding-scientist/96|title=Dr. George D. Yancopoulos, Founding Scientist, Regeneron Laboratories, to Be Honored by Burke Rehabilitation Center|date=3 June 2013|publisher=Burke Rehabilitation Hospital|access-date =June 3, 2013 }}

In 2016, Leonard Schleifer and George Yancopoulos were named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year 2016 National Award Winners in life sciences.{{cite web| url = https://westfaironline.com/83441/regenerons-schleifer-yancopoulos-share-entrepreneur-of-year-award/|author=John Golden|title=Regeneron's Schleifer, Yancopoulos share Entrepreneur of Year award|publisher=Westfair Online|date = November 22, 2016}}

The George D. Yancopoulos Young Scientist Award is given at the Westchester Science & Engineering Fair.{{cite web| url=https://www.lifesci.nyc/advisory-council/george-d-yancopoulos-md-phd|title=Advisory Council: George D. Yancopoulos, MD, PhD|publisher=LifeSci NYC|access-date =July 31, 2018}}

He was inducted into the Bronx Science Hall of Fame in 2017 and was recognized by the Yale School of Management, CEO Institute as a Legends in Leadership Award in 2017.{{cite web| url=https://thesciencesurvey.com/hall-of-fame-alumni/2018/05/30/george-yancopoulos-76/|author=Sofie Levine|title=George Yancopoulos '76|publisher=The Science Survey|date =May 30, 2018}}{{cite web | url =https://som.yale.edu/centers/chief-executive-leadership-institute/about-celi/legend-in-leadership| title =Legend in Leadership Recipients| last=|first=|date = December 15, 2017| publisher =Yale School of Management}}

In 2019, he received the Alexander Hamilton Award,{{cite web | url =https://www.college.columbia.edu/news/dr-george-d-yancopoulos-cc-80-gsas-86-vps-87-honored-alexander-hamilton-dinner| title = Dr. George D. Yancopoulos CC'80, GSAS'86, VPS'87 honored at Alexander Hamilton Dinner | last=|first=|date = November 22, 2019| publisher =Columbia College}} Columbia's highest honor for contributions to science and medicine, and was recognized by Forbes as one of America's 100 Most Innovative Leaders.{{cite web | url =https://www.forbes.com/lists/innovative-leaders/| title = #20 George Yancopoulos | last=|first=|date = April 20, 2020| work =Forbes}}

Yancopoulos was recognized by Fortune in 2020 as one of the World's 25 Greatest Leaders: Heroes of the Pandemic.{{cite web | url =https://som.yale.edu/centers/chief-executive-leadership-institute/about-celi/legend-in-leadership| title = #8 George Yancopoulos | last=|first=|date = April 20, 2020| publisher =Fortune}}

In 2021, Yancopoulos won the Roy Vagelos Humanitarian Award for REGEN-COV, Prix Galien Foundation{{cite news|title=Laureates since 2007 |url=https://online.fliphtml5.com/eqig/hekc/#p=4|access-date=October 13, 2022 |work=The Galien Foundation|date=October 13, 2022|language=en}} and the New York Intellectual Property Law Association's Inventors of the Year for REGEN-COV.{{cite news|title=Inventor of the Year Award |url=https://www.nyipla.org/nyipla/InventoroftheYearAward.asp|access-date=October 13, 2022 |work=The New York Intellectual Property Law Association |date=October 13, 2022 |language=en}}

Yancopoulos serves on a number of Boards, including on Regeneron's Board of Directors. He currently serves on the Columbia University Medical Center Board of Visitors, as Vice Chair starting in 2012;{{cite news |last1=|first1= |title=Leadership and Administration |url=https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/about-us/explore-cuimc/leadership-and-administration |access-date=October 12, 2022 |work=Columbia University|date=October 12, 2022 |language=en}} the Board of Trustees for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, since 2015;{{cite news |last1=|first1= |title=Regeneron's Dr. George D. Yancopoulos elected to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Board of Trustees |url=https://www.cshl.edu/regeneron-s-dr-george-d-yancopoulos-elected-to-cold-spring-harbor-laboratory-board-of-trustees/ |access-date=October 12, 2022 |work=Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory |date=October 12, 2022 |language=en}} the Scientific Advisory Council, Alliance on Cancer Gene Therapy, since 2007;{{cite news|title=George D. Yancopoulos, MD, PhD |url=https://acgtfoundation.org/people/george-yancopoulos/|access-date=October 12, 2022 |work=Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy|date=October 12, 2022 |language=en}} the Scleroderma Research Foundation, Scientific Advisory Board, starting in 2004;{{cite news|title=Bio|url=https://srfcure.org/george-yancopoulos/|access-date=October 12, 2022 |work=Scleroderma Research Foundation|date=October 12, 2022 |language=en}} and the Pershing Square Cancer Research Alliance, Advisory Board, since 2018.{{cite news|title=Prize Advisory Board|url=https://psscra.org/about-us/prize-advisory-board/ |access-date=October 12, 2022 |work=Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance |date=October 12, 2022 |language=en}}

• {{cite journal |vauthors=Yancopoulos GD, Alt FW |title=Developmentally controlled and tissue-specific expression of unrearranged VH gene segments |journal=Cell |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=271–81 |date=February 1985 |pmid=2578321 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(85)90141-2|s2cid=41868099 }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Yancopoulos GD, Blackwell TK, Suh H, Hood L, Alt FW |title=Introduced T cell receptor variable region gene segments recombine in pre-B cells: evidence that B and T cells use a common recombinase |journal=Cell |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=251–9 |date=January 1986 |pmid=3484682 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(86)90759-2|s2cid=35030279 }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Maisonpierre PC, Belluscio L, Squinto S, etal |title=Neurotrophin-3: a neurotrophic factor related to NGF and BDNF |journal=Science |volume=247 |issue=4949 Pt 1 |pages=1446–51 |date=March 1990 |pmid=2321006 |doi=10.1126/science.2321006|bibcode=1990Sci...247.1446M |s2cid=37763746 }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Boulton TG, Nye SH, Robbins DJ, etal |title=ERKs: a family of protein-serine/threonine kinases that are activated and tyrosine phosphorylated in response to insulin and NGF |journal=Cell |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=663–75 |date=May 1991 |pmid=2032290 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(91)90098-J|s2cid=35051321 }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Glass DJ, Nye SH, Hantzopoulos P, etal |title=TrkB mediates BDNF/NT-3-dependent survival and proliferation in fibroblasts lacking the low affinity NGF receptor |journal=Cell |volume=66 |issue=2 |pages=405–13 |date=July 1991 |pmid=1649703 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(91)90629-D|s2cid=43626580 }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Davis S, Aldrich TH, Valenzuela DM, etal |title=The receptor for ciliary neurotrophic factor |journal=Science |volume=253 |issue=5015 |pages=59–63 |date=July 1991 |pmid=1648265 |doi=10.1126/science.1648265|bibcode=1991Sci...253...59D }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Ip NY, Stitt TN, Tapley P, etal |title=Similarities and differences in the way neurotrophins interact with the Trk receptors in neuronal and nonneuronal cells |journal=Neuron |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=137–49 |date=February 1993 |pmid=7679912 |doi=10.1016/0896-6273(93)90306-C|s2cid=46072027 }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Davis S, Gale NW, Aldrich TH, etal |title=Ligands for EPH-related receptor tyrosine kinases that require membrane attachment or clustering for activity |journal=Science |volume=266 |issue=5186 |pages=816–9 |date=November 1994 |pmid=7973638 |doi=10.1126/science.7973638|bibcode=1994Sci...266..816D }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=DeChiara TM, Vejsada R, Poueymirou WT, etal |title=Mice lacking the CNTF receptor, unlike mice lacking CNTF, exhibit profound motor neuron deficits at birth |journal=Cell |volume=83 |issue=2 |pages=313–22 |date=October 1995 |pmid=7585948 |doi=10.1016/0092-8674(95)90172-8|s2cid=239940 |doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Economides AN, Ravetch JV, Yancopoulos GD, Stahl N |title=Designer cytokines: targeting actions to cells of choice |journal=Science |volume=270 |issue=5240 |pages=1351–3 |date=November 1995 |pmid=7481821 |doi=10.1126/science.270.5240.1351|bibcode=1995Sci...270.1351E |s2cid=8882029 }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=DeChiara TM, Bowen DC, Valenzuela DM, etal |title=The receptor tyrosine kinase MuSK is required for neuromuscular junction formation in vivo |journal=Cell |volume=85 |issue=4 |pages=501–12 |date=May 1996 |pmid=8653786 |doi=10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81251-9|s2cid=17455481 |doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Glass DJ, Bowen DC, Stitt TN, etal |title=Agrin acts via a MuSK receptor complex |journal=Cell |volume=85 |issue=4 |pages=513–23 |date=May 1996 |pmid=8653787 |doi=10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81252-0|s2cid=14930468 |doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Davis S, Aldrich TH, Jones PF, etal |title=Isolation of angiopoietin-1, a ligand for the TIE2 receptor, by secretion-trap expression cloning |journal=Cell |volume=87 |issue=7 |pages=1161–9 |date=December 1996 |pmid=8980223 |doi=10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81812-7|s2cid=17197564 |doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Shrivastava A, Radziejewski C, Campbell E, etal |title=An orphan receptor tyrosine kinase family whose members serve as nonintegrin collagen receptors |journal=Molecular Cell |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=25–34 |date=December 1997 |pmid=9659900 |doi=10.1016/S1097-2765(00)80004-0|doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=DeChiara TM, Kimble RB, Poueymirou WT, etal |title=Ror2, encoding a receptor-like tyrosine kinase, is required for cartilage and growth plate development |journal=Nature Genetics |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=271–4 |date=March 2000 |pmid=10700181 |doi=10.1038/73488|s2cid=239184 }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Holash J, Davis S, Papadopoulos N, etal |title=VEGF-Trap: a VEGF blocker with potent antitumor effects |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=99 |issue=17 |pages=11393–8 |date=August 2002 |pmid=12177445 |pmc=123267 |doi=10.1073/pnas.172398299|bibcode=2002PNAS...9911393H |doi-access=free }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Valenzuela DM, Murphy AJ, Frendewey D, etal |title=High-throughput engineering of the mouse genome coupled with high-resolution expression analysis |journal=Nature Biotechnology |volume=21 |issue=6 |pages=652–9 |date=June 2003 |pmid=12730667 |doi=10.1038/nbt822|s2cid=18962215 }}
• {{cite journal |vauthors=Economides AN, Carpenter LR, Rudge JS, etal |title=Cytokine traps: multi-component, high-affinity blockers of cytokine action |journal=Nature Medicine |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=47–52 |date=January 2003 |pmid=12483208 |doi=10.1038/nm811|s2cid=6541399 }}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yancopoulos, George D.}}

Category:People from Woodside, Queens

Category:1959 births

Category:Living people

Category:The Bronx High School of Science alumni

Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences

Category:People from Yorktown Heights, New York

Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Category:American people of Greek descent

Category:Columbia College (New York) alumni

Category:Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni

Category:21st-century American biologists

Category:Scientists from New York (state)

Category:20th-century American people of Greek descent