In Memory of Verne M. Chapman

Verne played a unique role in the field of mouse genetics, fostering interactions between investigators in the international arena, and nurturing and developing the careers of young scientists. Verne was one of the founding members of The International Mammalian Genome Society and helped write the original by-laws.  He recruited most of the chromosome committee chairs and wrote the first NIH grant funding the IMGS from 1991 and held it until his death. The IMGS honors his memory each year through the Verne Chapman Memorial Lecture and the Verne Chapman Young Investigator Award during the International Mammalian Genome Conference. For those not fortunate enough to have known Verne, here are some excerpts from his obituary to help you learn more about him. 

Verne M. Chapman, PhD, died suddenly on August 30, 1995, while attending a scientific meeting in Tsukuba Science City, Japan. Born in Sacramento, California, Dr. Chapman was a graduate of California State Polytechnic College.  He was awarded a doctorate in genetics from Oregon State University in 1965, and later completed three consecutive postdoctoral fellowships at the Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine; Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Verne joined the staff of Roswell Park in 1972 as a senior cancer research scientist in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and was appointed Department Chair in 1982.

Internationally recognized as one of the world's leading mammalian geneticists, Dr. Chapman's investigations led to the development of genetic and physical maps of the chromosomes of the laboratory mouse.  These tools were critical to identifying and analyzing the molecular defects often associated with cancer.  Another important contribution was the generation of alleles that were critical for evaluation of dystrophin constructs for gene therapy of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. In 1994 the Roswell Park Alliance awarded Dr. Chapman the Dr. Thomas B. Tomasi Hope Award, which honors a Roswell Park cancer researcher whose work has made a significant contribution to advances in cancer care and has brought hope to cancer patients. Dr. Chapman was also designated an eminent scientist of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Tsukuba Science City, Japan.  Over the last four years of his life, Verne collaborated with investigators at this research institute on a project to identify and characterize genes.

According to colleagues, Verne was an unusually interactive individual. His personal connections were extensive, with collaborators in Europe and Japan as well as the United States.  He was a major force in initiating the International Mammalian Genome Society.  He was a superb leader, promoting excellence in research and teaching.  He was a tireless, energetic, and resilient mammalian genetic researcher whose work was always significant, timely, and at the cutting edge.  Importantly, Dr. Chapman was a warm and caring individual who could always be counted on and who stood behind his beliefs. In addition to his scientific career, Verne Chapman made many contributions to his community, and he supported environmental and human rights causes during his 23 years in the Western New York area.