Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866-1945): Geneticist

Morgan, whose training was in morphology, physiology and experimental embryology, was appointed Professor of Experimental Zoology at Columbia University, New York in 1904. He remained there until 1928 when he was appointed Professor of Biology at the California Institute of Technology, at Pasadena, U.S.A. In 1933 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the role played by the chromosome in heredity. During his period at Columbia University Morgan advanced the study of cytology and built up a world class laboratory for the study of fruit fly genetics. He also made important contributions to experimental embryology.