Harary, Isaac

Biography

Harary was born on March 15, 1923 in New York City, New York; BA, Brooklyn College, 1945; Ph.D. in biochemistry, New York University, 1952; postdoctoral fellowship with the American Cancer Society (1952-55); assistant clinical professor of physiological chemistry (1955-1961); associate professor of physiological chemistry and nuclear medicine (1961-65); and professor of biological chemistry (1965-87), UCLA School of Medicine; pioneered the use of cultured (in vitro) mammalian heart cells as a model system, demonstrating that they retain cardiac functions in the single, isolated cell; his research included investigations of internal and external environmental conditions which predispose the heart cell to maintain its function, the control of myosin synthesis by metabolic and hormonal factors, the fusion of cultured skeletal cells, and the rate of calcium and cyclic AMP in cellular synthesis.

Biographical Narrative

Isaac Harary, a developmental biochemist, was born March 15, 1923 in New York, New York. He received a B.A. degree from Brooklyn College (1941-1945) and a doctorate in biochemistry from New York University (1948-1952), followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with the American Cancer Society (1952-1955). Harary was appointed to the faculty at UCLA in 1955 and spent the remainder of his career there, ascending through the ranks as Assistant Clinical Professor (Physiological Chemistry, 1955-1961), Associate Professor (Physiological Chemistry and Nuclear Medicine, 1961-1963; Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, and Biological Chem-istry, 1963-1965), and Professor (Biological Chemistry, 1965-1987).

Harary studied the mechanisms involved in the control of metabolism in differentiated cells, in particular the specialized function and structure of the mammalian heart. He pioneered the use of cultured ( in vitro ) mammalian heart cells as a model system, demonstrating that they retain cardiac functions in the single, isolated cell. His research in the Laboratory of Nuclear Med-icine and Radiation Biology at UCLA included investigations of internal and external environ-mental conditions which predispose the heart cell to maintain its function, the control of myosin synthesis by metabolic and hormonal factors, the fusion of cultured skeletal cells, and the role of calcium and cyclic AMP in cellular synthesis.

From the guide to the Isaac Harary Papers, 1950-1987, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.)