Michael H. Gelb

Professor Michael H. Gleb (born 1957) is an American biochemist and chemist specializing in enzymes and particularly those of medical significance. He is the Boris and Barbara L. Weinstein Endowed Chair in Chemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle. He also teaches Honors Organic Chemistry, Chemical Biology and Enzymology.

Education
Gelb studied chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Davis before taking a Ph.D under Stephen G. Sligar at Yale University on aspects of the catalytic mechanism of cytochrome P450. Granted an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship, he then investigated mechanism-based inactivators of serine proteases and developed fluorinated ketones as tight-binding inhibitors of several classes of proteases, working with Robert H. Abeles at Brandeis University.

Professional life
Since 1985 Gleb has been a faculty member at the University of Washington in the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

In order to investigate enzymatic processes of biomedical importance, the Gelb laboratory employs a variety of methods from molecular and cellular biochemistry as well as synthetic organic chemistry. Major accomplishments from the Gelb laboratory include: 1) The discovery of protein isoprenylation in the late 1980s (together with Professor John Glomset); 2) The development of methods to analyze enzymes that work on membrane surfaces (together with Professors Mahendra Jain and Otto Berg); 3) The development of Isotope-Coded Affinity Tags for quantitative proteomics (together with Professors Ruedi Aebersold and Frank Turecek); 4) The development of tandem mass spectrometry for newborn screening of enzyme deficiency diseases (together with Professors Frank Turecek and C. Ronald Scott). Routine newborn screening of lysosomal storage diseases using technology developed in the Gelb laboratory was brought into use in New York state in 2006 . Plans are underway to expand screening in other regions of the US and in several other countries.

His current research interests include: 1) Studying the function and regulation of a group of enzymes called phospholipase A2 that are involved in lipid mediator biosynthesis related to inflammation; 2) Anti-malaria and anti-trypanosome drug discovery; 3) New technology for the newborn screening of enzyme deficiency diseases including lysosomal storage diseases.

Awards
Gelb's awards include:
 * Gustavus John Esselen Award (2013) for Chemistry in the Public Interest, NE Section, American Chemical Society (2013)
 * Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2009-)
 * Harry and Catherine Jaynne Boand Endowed Professor of Chemistry (2008-)
 * Merit Award from the National Institutes of Health (2007-)
 * Medicines for Malaria Venture Project of the Year (2002).
 * Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry from the American Chemical Society (1993).
 * ICI Pharmaceuticals Award for Excellence in Chemistry (1993).
 * Alfred P. Sloan Fellow.
 * Merck New Faculty Development Award (1986).
 * American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship (1983–85).