Keynote Speaker—James Rothman, PhD

Meet Our Opening Keynote Speaker 

James Rothman, PhD
Nobel Laureate
Sterling Professor of Cell Biology, Yale University

Keynote Presentation: New Insights into Basic Mechanisms of Synaptic Neurotransmission
Location: Baltimore Convention Center
Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025, 4:15 p.m. EDT

James Rothman, PhD, the Sterling Professor of Cell Biology at Yale University, is one of the leading figures in biochemistry and cell biology. He chairs the Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Cell Biology and is the director and founder of the Nanobiology Institute on Yale’s West Campus.  

In 2013, Rothman received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for groundbreaking research on vesicle trafficking. His work laid the foundation for understanding crucial processes such as the release of insulin into the blood, communication between nerve cells in the brain, and the entry of viruses to infect cells. Vesicle trafficking involves tiny, membrane-enclosed vesicles that transport specialized cargo to precise destinations within the cell. This delivery process, known as membrane fusion, is essential to many physiological functions, with dysfunction linked to metabolic, neuropsychiatric and other diseases. In 1984, Rothman replicated vesicle budding and fusion in a cell-free system and discovered the SNARE protein complex in 1993, which specifies and mediates membrane fusion. He also unveiled the GTPase-switch mechanism that regulates coated vesicle budding in cells. 

Rothman’s contributions span multiple fields. Collaborating with Gero Miesenbock, he pioneered techniques to record neural activity using synapto-pHluorins. He identified hsp70 proteins as ATPases and peptide-binding proteins, which govern protein folding and unfolding. Theoretically, he proposed that the Golgi apparatus purifies proteins through iterative processing, much like a distillation column—a concept foundational to Golgi models today. Rothman also provided the earliest evidence of stepwise processing and directional transport across the Golgi stack. 

Currently, Rothman’s research focuses on the biophysics of membrane fusion in exocytosis, high-resolution dynamics of the Golgi apparatus, and bio-inspired nanotechnology design. Rothman has earned numerous prestigious awards, including the King Faisal International Prize for Science, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Biomedical Research and the National Academy of Sciences’ Lounsbery Award. Rothman is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal Society, and he is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Kicking off the Summit, Rothman will speak at 4:15 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the Baltimore Convention Center. Join us following Rothman's talk for a welcome festival for all registrants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.