Bert L. Vallee

Bert Lester Vallee (1 June 1919 – 7 May 2010) was an American medical scientist and biochemist noted for his research in angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) and biological properties of trace metals. Nicknamed "Mr. Zinc", his research on biological metals led to the discoveries of the roles of zinc and the concomitant zinc-binding proteins, metallothioneins. His research on angiogenesis resulted in the discoveries of angiogenesis factors that have important roles in cancer development, such as angiogenin and fibroblast growth factor.

Born in Germany, Vallee graduated in zoology from the University of Bern. With fellowship from the international programme International Student Service of the League of Nations, he entered New York University, which awarded him an M.D. degree at the height of World War II. He was able to work with eminent Jewish refugee scientists simultaneously at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He retired from Harvard as Edgar M. Bronfman Distinguished Senior Professor.

Vallee was the founder and president of the Endowment and the CBBSM (Center for Biochemical & Biophysical Sciences & Medicine). He received the Kaj Linderstrøm-Lang Prize for protein research from Carlsberg Laboratory, the Willard Gibbs Medal from the American Chemical Society and the William C. Rose Award from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In 1996, with his wife, he founded The Vallee Foundation for promoting education and research in biomedicine.