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Sanford Singer

Professor Emeritus

Emeritus

College of Arts and Sciences: Chemistry

Contact

Email: Sanford Singer
SC 284
Website: Visit Site

Degrees

  • Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Michigan, 1967
  • M.S., Biochemistry, University of Michigan, 1964
  • B.S., Chemistry, Brooklyn College, 1962

Profile

Dr. Singer came to UD's chemistry department in 1972 after a year of post-doctoral work at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (New York City), followed by four years at Philadelphia's Temple University School of Medicine. He is a biochemist and was academic advisor to many chemistry, biochemistry, premedical, predental and chemical engineering majors. Many of his research advisees have been coauthors of his 77 research publications. He is known for his unique and humorous poetry compositions created to laud each student who works with him and "awarded" at the department's end-of-the-year banquet.

Besides biochemistry duties, including coordinator of the B.S. biochemistry program, Dr. Singer served as the director of the UD Vivarium, and as an adjunct professor at the biology department and Wright State University Medical School's Department of Medicine. He also sat on the Internal Review Board at Dayton's Miami Valley Hospital. In his "spare time," Dr. Singer has written 289 essays on topics ranging from subcellular fractionation of tissues to the important contributions of rotary telephones that are published in Magill's Science Series, printed by Salem Press. 

Faculty perspective

"I have loved chemistry since I nearly burned down my parent's apartment, playing with a 'chemistry set,' at age 12. I took a biochemistry course in my senior year at New York's Brooklyn College, and it was love at first sight. I knew right off that I wanted to be a biochemist and have never regretted my choice. I believe that many other chemists I know, who work in other areas, feel just as strongly about their specialties. I remind all who wish to be chemists that it is a rigorous field to enter, but well worth it. When you graduate with a bachelor's degree you have completed an apprenticeship worth doing.

To complete qualification for full membership to 'the guild' one does a Ph.D. and postdocs. I did my Ph.D. at the Department of Biological Chemistry, U. of Michigan Medical School (1962-67). There, I took courses, worked in the lab 6 days a week (voluntarily), and enjoyed every minute of my thesis research in biochemical endocrinology. Then, I did two postdocs (in New York and Philadelphia) to learn newly emerging molecular biology and, next, to concentrate on biochemical endocrinology.

My 10 years of advanced training were made up of equal parts of hard work, excitement, and great fun. I was exceptionally lucky in having mentors who worked me hard but also like and respected students as "young cousins." These fine folks impressed me so much that I have always sought to follow their example by: keeping my door open to all students; being rigorous but kind; treating everyone with common human decency until knowing enough about them to give them earned respect.

To my mind there is nothing finer than being a chemist. We spend our lives learning new things, mostly science, some sociology and some psychology. We get paid to talk, and talk...and talk. We have lots of bright shiny toys (scientific instruments) to play with, doing research. We can stay sort of young, due to our interactions with the bright young people we train in the lab. I, for example, am 36 Singer Years old [(chronological age 62.5 + mental age 9.5))2]. Of course, being serious, we each get to add our small grains of information to the mountain of scientific endeavor that helps people to live longer and better. In my case 76 research publications plus 289 published general interest articles on topics including a biochemist's perspective on: aeronautics, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, philosophy, psychology, and religion. This biochemist agrees with Noel Coward 'work is fun and fun is work.'"

Research interests

Biochemistry endocrinology: Receptors; Enzymology/basis for sulfation of glucocorticoids, gonadal & pineal hormones, androgens, phenols, catecholamines, hypertension drugs, 6-hydroxymelatonin as well as relevance of sulfation to control processes, cardiovascular, endocrine, neurologic, and liver disease. Lipidology of fatty acid binding protein (FABP): Fatty acid binding-growth hormone interaction, cardiovascular/liver diseases, sulfation processes and exploration of canine FABP model.