Alton Meister was a distinguished American biochemist whose career spanned over five decades of groundbreaking research and academic leadership. Born in New York City in 1922 to Morris Meister and Florence Glickstein Meister, he demonstrated exceptional academic promise from an early age, earning his undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1942. He subsequently pursued medical training at Cornell University Medical College, where he received his MD in 1945, establishing the foundation for his future research career. Following his medical education, Meister conducted pioneering research at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he remained until 1955. His early career trajectory culminated in his appointment as Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at Tufts University, marking the beginning of his influential leadership in academic biochemistry.
Meister achieved international recognition for his pioneering contributions to the study of glutathione metabolism, a fundamental area of biochemical research with profound implications for understanding cellular antioxidant systems. His meticulous investigations into the biochemical pathways and physiological significance of glutathione established foundational knowledge that continues to inform modern research in oxidative stress and cellular defense mechanisms. The significance of Meister's work was reflected in his substantial research funding, including significant NIH support that enabled his laboratory to conduct comprehensive investigations over many years. His scholarly output, comprising numerous influential publications that have been cited extensively throughout the scientific literature, demonstrated both depth and breadth in biochemical research. Meister's work on glutathione metabolism represented a paradigm shift in how researchers understood cellular redox processes and their relationship to health and disease.
As an academic leader, Meister served as chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at Cornell University Medical College from 1967 until 1991, where he shaped the direction of biochemical research and education for a generation of scientists. His leadership extended beyond administrative roles, as he mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who went on to make their own significant contributions to the field of biochemistry. The enduring impact of Meister's work is evidenced by the extensive archival collection of his professional papers, which span 380 linear inches and are preserved at the Weill Cornell Medical Center Archives for future scholarly study. Though he passed away in 1995 at the age of 72 from complications of a stroke, Meister's scientific legacy continues to influence contemporary research in redox biology and metabolic biochemistry. His contributions to the understanding of glutathione metabolism remain foundational to ongoing investigations into cellular antioxidant systems and their role in human health and disease.
