Elliott Ross, Ph.D., an accomplished scientist whose research focuses on how cells receive, integrate, and sort information, has been named Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology after 43 years as a UT Southwestern faculty member.

Over his extensive career he has made numerous contributions to education and held many administrative positions that benefited UT Southwestern, including Associate Dean for Basic Research. But conducting research as a biochemist has always been the most satisfying personally, Dr. Ross said.

“The idea of getting paid for what you love to do is pretty wonderful,” he said. “I’ve spent virtually my entire adult life doing just that.”

How information moves from outside of cells to within them using signaling proteins to assimilate and amplify information from hormones and neurotransmitters has long fascinated Dr. Ross.

“The cells must know how to integrate information to get them to do the right things,” he said. “And it is all done through fundamental biochemistry.”

Early in his career, Dr. Ross played a significant part in research that would transform the field of cell signaling. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Virginia, he designed and executed research that resulted in the discovery of the first known G proteins – key nodes in cellular signaling circuits. Through the years, he focused on the signaling proteins downstream of G proteins and on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large family of proteins that act as cell surface receptors and mediate numerous physiological responses to hormones, neurotransmitters, and environmental stimulants. GPCRs also have immense potential as therapeutic targets for a broad spectrum of diseases.

At UTSW, Dr. Ross led the Pharmacology Graduate Program and founded the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, which he directed for 10 years. He also served on the UTSW Promotions and Tenure Committee and chaired the Post-Tenure Review Committee. Additionally, he was the Research Integrity Officer, Assistant Dean of Scientific Integrity, and Chair of the Core Laboratories Oversight Committee.

Dr. Ross has made a significant impact at UTSW, said David Mangelsdorf, Ph.D., Chair of Pharmacology.

“There are not many who can compare with a career like Elliott’s for his contributions to the three key pillars of academic life at UT Southwestern: scientific research, education, and administrative service,” Dr. Mangelsdorf said. “For over four decades, Elliott’s research defined the pharmacology of G-protein signaling. His numerous positions in the Graduate School were instrumental to trainee education.”

As a boy growing up in Stockton, California, he was driven by curiosity, a trait that led him to become a scientist, Dr. Ross said.

“Finding out how biology works is really about finding out how life works,” he said.

He earned his Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of California, Davis and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Cornell University. He held several positions at the University of Virginia before joining the UTSW faculty in 1981, attracted by the rich opportunities to conduct research.

“What is great about UT Southwestern is that it is an incredible intellectual environment,” he said. “It has been a wonderful place to do research.”