Two new inductees to Maine South High School’s Wall of Honor – the late Dr. Susan Lindquist and Dr. Ravi Salgia, of Chicago – will be honored during a September 21 dinner at Cafe La Cave in Des Plaines. Both have been extraordinary contributors in the realm of science and human health.
A molecular biologist, Lindquist was a pioneer in genetic science, fundamentally changing our understanding of such degenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
A physician and researcher, Salgia’s work in lab and clinical settings has advanced the understanding of how tumors work and what will stop them.
Dr. Susan Lindquist
Working at the University of Chicago and then the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Mass., Lindquist, who died in October 2016 at age 67, performed groundbreaking work in a process known as “protein folding,” or how proteins change shape during cell division. Abnormalities in this process can cause neurological disorders. The Genetics Society of America lauded her work as “paradigm-shifting” when it awarded her its annual medal in 2008.
A 1967 Maine South graduate, Lindquist referred to her research as “high-risk, high payoff. Some of my projects don’t work, but when they do work, they are pretty fabulous.” Lindquist’s career is all the more noteworthy because it was launched in an era when women in science research were few and far between. Lindquist said of her first faculty appointment “I didn’t have expectations of getting tenure. So this was an aspect of gender inequality that was positive. It allowed me to be fearless – freedom due to lack of expectations for a woman.”
Dr. Ravi Salgia
As director of the Chest Oncology and Thoracic Oncology Research Program at the University of Chicago Medicine, Salgia has created innovative screening and prevention methods for people suffering with lung cancer. A 1977 Maine South graduate, his research includes studying targeted therapies that enhance the quality of life for patients with cancer. This work has led to a variety of therapies that are matched to and most effective for any particular stage of lung cancer.
Salgia has also emphasized the importance and value of making laboratory research available to practitioners and clinical knowledge available to researchers, for the benefit of both arenas. As noted on the University’s website, “the researcher-clinician (Dr. Salgia) continues to narrow the gap between understanding how tumors work and what will stop them in their tracks.”
Salgia said of his work: “Lung cancer is still a very difficult disease for many of our patients, but we are coming up with innovative ways of treating it. I see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Maine South High School and the Wall of Honor Selection Committee recognize graduates for outstanding contributions to society through significant career accomplishments and/or community service. This serves the dual purpose of recognizing such accomplishments and presenting Distinguished Alumni as role models for current students at Maine South. To qualify for recognition, the nominee must have graduated from Maine South and must be at least 35 years old. A nominee may be recognized posthumously.
The Wall of Honor, sponsored by the Maine Township High School District 207 Educational Foundation, was created in 2013 as part of the 50th anniversary of Maine South High School. Initial inductees were 2016 Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (Class of ‘65); Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Patricia Callahan (Class of ‘89); and noted climate scientist Nathan Hultman (Class of ‘92) The 2015 Induction class consisted of Ray Ozzie, one-time chief software architect of Microsoft (Class of 1973), and Mark Filip, a one-time federal judge and Acting U.S. Attorney General (Class of 1984).