The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology of Milan (IFOM) expresses its deepest condolences on the passing away, on October 26th, 2013, of Prof. Michael Neuberger, Ph.D. FRS.
Prof. Michael Neuberger  served as Joint Head of Division of Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK and Honorary Professor of Molecular Immunology at the University of Cambridge.  

Prof. Neuberger was an exceptional scientist whose major research interests were directed towards the understanding of the biochemical processes and the physiological pathways by which diversity is created within antibodies. In his 25 years of work on antibodies, he made key discoveries on the molecular mechanisms of antibody gene expression and diversification as well as important contributions to the major technologies underpinning antibody engineering. The antibody diversification mechanism has now been recognized as a leading contribution for cancer mutations and has opened a new field in molecular oncology.

He published more than 150 manuscripts and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1993, and was a Trustee of the Isaac Newton Trust. He was awarded numerous awards in recognition of his scientific contributions in the antibody field, including the Novartis Medal (Biochemical Society), the William Bate Hardy Prize, the GlaxoSmithKline Medal (Royal Society) and the Dannie-Heineman Prize (Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Disease). Prof. Neuberger received Bachelors degree at Cambridge University and Doctorate work at the University of London in the laboratory of B.S. Hartley. In May 2013, Prof. Neuberger was elected Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Prof. Neuberger served as member of Executive Committee of the Medical Research Council, in Cambridge, England and, up to his last days, he also served as Member of Scientific Advisory Board at IFOM where he shared his views and invaluable experience. His demise is a great loss for the entire research community and we convey our sincere condolences to Prof. Neuberger's family.