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John J. Rossi, PhD came to City of Hope (COH) in 1980 as an assistant research scientist in the Department of Molecular Genetics. He was promoted to chairman of the Division of Biology in 1992. In 1993, COH bestowed its highest honor upon him by naming him to its Gallery of Medical and Scientific Achievement for his pioneering work at the molecular level in the battle against AIDS and other major diseases. In 1998 Dr. Rossi was appointed as the Dean of the City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences.
Dr. Rossi is a world-renowned expert in ribozymes (molecular scissors). Dr. Rossi's major contributions to science have been through understanding the processing and metabolism of RNA inside the cell. Ribozymes, also known as catalytic RNA and "molecular scissors", are molecules that can break down nucleic acid inside a cell, thus they can be used to cut out "bad" genetic information and splice in "good" material. One of his most notable projects is in the area of ribozyme research in AIDS. He led the research team that first suggested applying ribozymes to treat HIV. His research in molecular genetics and microbiology has earned eight patents and has served as the basis for more than 120 scientific papers.
Born and raised in Washington D.C., Dr. Rossi received his bachelor's degree from the University of New Hampshire and earned his doctorate at the University ofConnecticut. He completed four years of post PhD training at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island before coming to COH. | 