Sheldon Schuster

Sheldon Mark Schuster
Schuster in 2015
2nd President of Keck Graduate Institute
In office July 15, 2003 – June 30, 2024
Preceded by	Henry E. Riggs
Succeeded by	Mohamed Abousalem
Personal details
Born	1947 (1947) San Mateo, California, U.S.
Scientific career
Alma mater	University of California, Davis (BS) University of Arizona (PhD)
Fields	Biochemistry and molecular biology
Institutions	Keck Graduate Institute UF Brain Institute University of Florida University of Nebraska–Lincoln University of Wisconsin-Madison
Thesis	The Regulation of the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Multienzyme Complex by Calcium and Magnesium in Heart Mitochondrial Systems (1974)
Doctoral advisor	Merle S. Olson

Sheldon M. Schuster (born 1947) is an American biochemist, cancer researcher and academic. He served as president of Keck Graduate Institute from 2003–2024. He previously served as a professor at University of Nebraska–Lincoln and University of Florida. While at Florida, he was the director of research and the university's biotechnology program.

Early life

Schuster was born in 1947 in San Francisco Bay Area, California where he was also raised.

He attended University of California, Davis, graduating with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry. He went on to attend a doctorate program at University of Arizona, graduating in 1974 with a PhD in biochemistry; after which, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin Institute for Enzyme Research.

Career

In 1976, Schuster began teaching chemistry and biology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He continued teaching at the university until 1988, when he left to join the faculty of University of Florida.

Schuster became a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at University of Florida in 1989. In 1992, he went on to become the director of the biotechnology program and also served as the assistant VP of research at the University of Florida (UF).

In 2000, while working at the UF Brain Institute, Weihong Tan, Schuster, Jeffery Li and Xiaohong Fang published a study on a synthetic DNA that acts like a photophore. The molecule, which illuminates when exposed to particular other molecules, can potentially be used to detect specific proteins or genes, which could allow for the detection of certain diseases.

On July 15, 2003, Schuster became the second president of Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), taking over for the founding president of the institute, Henry E. Riggs. According to the National Research Council, Schuster helped expand KGI's Professional Science Master's Degree program "to include new centers focused on bioprocessing, rare diseases, and biomarkers." Schuster served as president at KGI for 21 years and retired in 2024.

He is currently one of the editors of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education journal and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has co-founded two pharmaceutical companies, AquaGene and Restoragen (previously known as BioNebraska). Schuster also serves as the vice chairman for the National Organization for Rare Disorders.