In 1987, Richard Lerner, chair of the Scripps Department of Molecular Biology, was appointed the research institute’s new direc’tor after Dixon’s retirement.

Under Lerners leadership, the research operations will triple in size and eminent scientistsﾗincluding K.C. Nicolaou (1989), K. Barry Sharpless (1990), and Gerald Edelman (1992), to name only a few – will join the research institute’s faculty.

Lerner, MD, a scientific pioneer who developed technologies that had a major impact on science and medicine, and who played a critical role in shaping Scripps Research and San Diego’s burgeoning life sciences sector, passed away on December 2, 2021. He was 83 years old.