Leland H. Hartwell

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Lore & Background

Leland H. Hartwell received the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries regarding the mechanisms that control cell division. He served as president and director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, retiring in 2010. After retiring, Hartwell left to join Arizona State University.

Reader's Guide

He was the third president and director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, serving until 2010. Following his retirement from the center, he moved to Arizona State University.

Did You Know?

• Leland H. Hartwell shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries regarding the mechanisms that control cell division.
• Hartwell retired as president and director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in 2010.
• After retiring from the center, Hartwell left to join Arizona State University.
• The center has employed three Nobel laureates: Linda B. Buck, Leland H. Hartwell, and E. Donnall Thomas.

Nobel Recognition for Cell Division Research

Leland H. Hartwell stands as one of the most distinguished scientists associated with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington. In 2001, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, an honor that recognized his groundbreaking discoveries concerning the mechanisms that govern cell division. This achievement placed him among the select group of researchers whose work has shaped the fundamental understanding of how living cells replicate and grow. At the time of his recognition, Hartwell was employed at the center, which had been operating in the Pacific Northwest since 1975. His work on cell division control mechanisms represented a significant contribution to the basic research mission the center had pursued since receiving its NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center status in 1976. The Nobel Prize cemented his legacy as a scientist whose discoveries touched the very foundations of cellular biology, a field intimately connected to the broader understanding and treatment of cancer.

Serving as the Center's Third President

Hartwell's connection to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center extended well beyond his laboratory research. He served as the institution's third President, a leadership role that placed him at the helm of one of the nation's premier cancer research institutes. His tenure as president spanned a period during which the center continued to grow and evolve, having been established in 1975 and designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the NCI in 1976. His leadership came after the center had navigated significant challenges, including the 2001 Seattle Times investigation into research ethics and the subsequent adoption of new conflict-of-interest rules. Hartwell retired from his presidential role in 2010, at which point Lawrence Corey was appointed as the fourth President to continue guiding the institute. The succession of leadership at the center reflected its ongoing commitment to both research excellence and institutional stewardship over its decades of operation in Seattle.

One of Three Nobel Laureates at the Center

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle has been home to an extraordinary concentration of scientific talent, and Leland H. Hartwell was one of three individuals employed there who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His 2001 award for work on cell division mechanisms joined the honors of Linda B. Buck, who in 2004 was recognized for her elucidation of the olfactory system, and E. Donnall Thomas, who received the prize in 1990 for his pioneering contributions to bone-marrow transplantation. Thomas held a particularly close connection to the institution, having been its co-founder. The fact that three Nobel laureates were associated with a single cancer research center in the Pacific Northwest underscored the depth of scientific achievement the institute had cultivated since its origins in 1975. Hartwell's presence among this distinguished trio reflected the center's role as a magnet for researchers working at the frontiers of biomedical science.

A New Chapter at Arizona State University

Following his retirement from leading the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in 2010, Leland H. Hartwell embarked on a new professional chapter by joining Arizona State University. His departure in 2010 was followed by the appointment of Lawrence Corey as the center's fourth President, signaling a transition in leadership at the institution. This transition came at a time when the center was continuing to expand its operations and influence, eventually merging with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in 2022 to form the unified Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.