Stephen J. O'Brien, chief of the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity at the National Cancer Institute, will deliver a public lecture titled "The Landscape of Comparative Genomics in Mammals" as part of a colloquium on genomics, Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 4 p.m. in 135 Emerson Hall on the Cornell University campus.

A 1971 Cornell graduate and an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large, O'Brien will discuss comparative insights gained from applications and discoveries of the whole genome sequences of other mammals. The talk is free and open to the public.

During his second visit as an A.D. White professor, O'Brien also will participate in classes in genetics, biochemistry and molecular and cell biology. In addition he will meet with undergraduate biology students in the James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health at Cornell.

O'Brien's interests and expertise span a broad range of biological topics that bridge the sciences and humanities. He is internationally recognized for his research contributions to human and animal genetics, evolutionary biology, retrovirology and species conservation. In collaboration with others, his achievements include: mapping over 100 human genes, including scores of cancer oncogenes; development of the domestic cat gene map as a model for comparative genome analyses; discovery of the unique genetic uniformity of the African cheetah, a prelude to genetic assessment of that endangered species; solving the century-old mystery of the giant panda's evolutionary history; discovery of epidemic prevalence of feline AIDS among wild cat species; and description of the first human gene to affect HIV-1 infection and AIDS progression, CCR5. O'Brien co-founded and co-directs NOAHS (New Opportunities in Animal Health Sciences), a consortium of scientists and apprentices dedicated to applying biomedical technology on behalf of species conservation and to training a generation of conservation biomedical scientists. In his recently published book, Tears of the Cheetah , O'Brien narrates fast-moving science adventure stories that explore the mysteries of survival among the earth's most endangered and beloved wildlife. O'Brien's book describes the secret histories of exotic species, such as Indonesian orangutans, humpback whales and the imperiled cheetah, the world's fastest animal, which, nonetheless, cannot escape its own genetic weaknesses.

The A.D. White Professors-at-Large Program began in 1965 to bring distinguished scholars to the Cornell campus for formal and informal exchanges with faculty and students. For more information about current A.D. White professorship appointments, visit this Web site: http://www.cornell.edu/Academic/Professors-at-Large/ .