Society
Whispers August 31st, 2005
By Voice Guest Columnist Margo Schwab
Salk Institute
Hosts Musical Evening, Under A Starry
Sky
The Salk Institute
for Biological Studies in La Jolla
hosted their 10th Annual Fundraiser
the "Symphony at Salk" last
Saturday evening, with a lot of big
brass in attendance. No it wasn't
just the big "big brass"
VIP sponsors, and Salk scientists,
it was literally the big brass sounds
trumpeting from the musical guests
of the evening, The Canadian Brass.
The Canadian Brass joined the San
Diego Symphony for an event that can
only be described as musical perfection
under the stars.
It started
with "pops", not musical
pops, but champagne pops. Glasses
of bubbly and a view to the blue Pacific
Ocean drew in VIP guests. Among them
was Honorary Chair Francoise Gilot
Salk, the international artist who
was married to polio vaccine pioneer
and Salk Institute namesake, Jonas
Salk.
Francoise was
joined by quite a few of the Salk
family including --Andres, Elizabeth,
Ellen, Hugh, Jonathan, Michael, Paulina,
Peter and Pia. Pia is the niece of
Jonas Salk. Pia's Uncle Jonas is estimated
to have saved billions of people with
his polio vaccine as well as paving
the way for HIV/Aids research. Pia,
meanwhile is working on saving the
discarded pet population via her www.1-800-save-a-pet.com
. Great works is in the DNA for this
family!
Since 1955,
the groundwork that Jonas laid with
the Salk Institute is formidable too.
The Salk Institute has been privy
to 5 Nobel Prize recipients. The Nobel
Prize winners are -- Francis Crick
for discovering the DNA double helix
which unfolded information as to chemical
structure of genes, Robert Holley
for figuring out "genetic code
and its function in protein synthesis,"
Renato Dulbecco for "discoveries
concerning the interaction between
tumor viruses and the genetic material
of cells," launching "the
era of recombinant DNA technology
and the bio-technology revolution",
Roger Guillemin for "discoveries
concerning the peptide hormone production
in the brain", leading to "growth
factors that regulate the body's physiological
systems", and Sydney Brenner
for "discoveries concerning genetic
regulation of organ development and
programmed cell death" leading
to "identification of 'cell death'
genes that play roles in cancer and
neurodegenerative diseases."
A lot of brain
power, but there are so many brilliant
scientists at Salk. Among them is
Dr. Terrence Sejnowski. Dr. Sejnowski's
research models physiological, mathematical,
behavioral and anatomical data to
more precisely understand how the
brain works. Meanwhile John Young
at Salk is researching the window
of opportunity to interrupt the HIV
virus before it merges with a cell
membrane.
Scientists
at the Salk Institute consist of 300
postdoctoral fellows, 100 graduate
students, representing 40 countries,
with 2,000 alumni.
And it was
a fun and tasty place to be on Saturday
as 850 supporters and quite a number
of volunteers enjoyed a delicious
box supper of honey-glazed salmon
with mango salsa, chicken roulade
with chevre, fresh herbs and sun-dried
tomatoes, a summer salad and divinely
delicious just baked chocolate cookies
with toasted walnuts. Dinner was prepared
by Water Fine Catering and served
up with Orfila Winery's "Ambassador
Reserve" Chardonnay.
Ambassador
Reserve is a fitting wine name for
a crowd that included many dignitaries.
Among them the now retired U.S. Ambassador,
The Honorable Charles Hostler, who
is now the Honorary Consul General
to the Kingdom of Bahrain. He was
there with his wife Chin-Yeh Hostler.
They were joined
by Salk Institute President and CEO
Richard Murphy, dynamic event chairperson
Betty Vale, creative director Mel
Yoakum, Louise and Robert Hill, Teresa
and Harry Hixson, Judy and Stephen
Schreibman, Stephanie Sperber and
Butch Florie, Karyn DeMartini and
Jason Szman, Todd Sears, Elaine Murphy,
Diana and Dave Geerdes, Teresa and
Merle Fishlowitz, the owners of San
Diego Magazine Jan and Jim Fitzpatrick,
Audrey Geisel of the Dr. Seuss Foundation
with Alex Butterfield, Jean Hahn Hardy,
Helga Halsey of the maritime Halsey
family and Sue and Lyle Kalish. More
there included Naomi Klatt in her
trademark lavender accompanied by
her son, Joseph Dean Klatt, menopause
expert and book author Ruth Jacobowitz,
with her husband Paul, Scripps College
alum and poet Natasha Josefowitz,
Barbara and Neil Kjos, Stacy and Paul
Jacobs of Qualcomm, Reinette and Barbara
Levine, Peggy Matthews, Lorna and
Chris McKellar, Noni and Drew Senyei
of Enterprise Partners Venture Capital,
Nancy Gold and Fred Applegate, Kathryn
Colachis of the Rancho Bernardo Inn
and more, Linda and David Hale, Jean
and Steve Hamerslag, Rita Bronowski
and Odile Crick. Odile was happily
married to Nobel Prize winner Francis
Crick until his passing last year.
More inspiring
minds at Salk Institute include Joanne
Chory, Ronald M. Evans, Stephen Heinemann,
Wylie Vale, Tony Hunter, Leslie Orgel,
Inder M. Verma, Charles Stevens and
Fred H. Gage. Fred is the Vi and John
Adler Chair for Research on Age-Related
Neurodegenerative Diseases.
One thing easier
to understand for those who are non-scientists
was the perfect La Jolla evening with
the fabulous San Diego Symphony and
The Canadian Brass. Before a note
was struck though, guest Symphony
Conductor Thomas Wilkins had high
notes of praise for beautiful La Jolla.
The evening then turned to music as
The Canadian Brass parodied each other
from 2 sides of the Salk Institute
before parading down to the stage.
Then it was time for an earful of
musical pleasure as the San Diego
Symphony and The Canadian Brass's
performed their renditions of Beethoven's
Prometheus Overture, Bach's Toccata
and Fugue in D minor, Rossini's The
Barber of Seville Overture and more,
to the delight of all.
Monies raised
by this event go towards funding biological
research and very importantly, cures.
Jonas Salk said it best. "Hope
lies in dreams, in imagination, and
in the courage of those who dare to
make dreams into reality."
Cheers to all
of the patrons and volunteers for
supporting the scientists who dare
to learn more for cures.
To learn more
about the Salk Institute for Biological
Studies please visit www.salk.edu
and for photo coverage of this event
please visit www.margomargo.com
Thanks
to delicious dining inspiration
at: The Marine Room, Mille Fleurs,
Blackhorse Grille, Scalini Restaurant,
J. Taylor's, Sbicca's Bistro, Il Fornaio,
Roppongi's Restaurant and Sushi Bar,
Nine-Ten, Fresh Restaurant and Sammy's
Woodfired Pizza &... Yummy Sake,
Yummy Sushi and Miss China Restaurant
in the Shores
Copyright
Margo Schwab 2005. All rights protected.
Margo Schwab and MargoMargo.com
photography, 27 years photography experience ** 619-384-7333
