Dr. Tom Rapoport has been a Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School since 1995 and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 1997. Prior to joining Harvard, Rapoport was a Professor at the Institute for Molecular Biology in East Berlin, which later became the Max-Delbrück Institute for Molecular Medicine. Rapoport received his PhD from Humboldt University of Berlin.
Rapoport’s research focuses on the understanding how organelles, in particular the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), derives its characteristic shape and performs its specific functions. He has had a long standing interest in how proteins are translocated across organelle membranes. His pioneering research has been recognized with many awards including the Max-Delbrück Medal in 2005, the Sir Hans Kreb Medal in 2007, and the Schleiden Medal in 2011, among many others. Rapoport is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA and the German Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina. He is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
