ST. GEORGE — Dixie State University will host Dixie alumnus Dr. Gregory Prince as he discusses his life’s work in medical research at the next President’s Colleagues of Dixie State University meeting Monday at noon.
Prince will present “Half a Century, Three Careers” during the event that will take place at the Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center located on Dixie Regional Medical Center’s River Road campus. The meeting is free and open to the public.
During his presentation, Prince will discuss his research of viruses, particularly respiratory syncvtial virus – or RSV – a common and very contagious virus that infects the respiratory tract of most children before their second birthday. For a small percentage of infants, the virus can cause bronchiolitis or pneumonia, which can be life threatening.
Prince will also discuss his dedication to advancing solutions for adults with autism, as well as his role at Soft Cell Biological Research, a St. George-based biotech startup with the unique ability to culture and study L-form bacteria for long-term research.
About Dr. Gregory Prince
Prince discovered his interest in medical research after graduating as valedictorian from Dixie College in 1967 and then the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry in 1973, before he went on to earn a doctorate in pathology from UCLA in 1975.
He began his 15-year career in medical research at the National Institutes of Health, with a focus on RSV. In 1987, he and two pediatricians founded Virion Systems, Inc., to commercialize his discoveries in the field. Those discoveries led to the development of Synagis, a drug that is now given to a quarter-million premature infants throughout the world each winter.
Most recently, Prince has shifted his emphasis from viruses to bacteria and serves as chief scientific officer of Soft Cell.
Prince’s passion, however, is autism. He and his wife, JaLynn, founded the Madison House Autism Foundation, named for their son. The foundation finds and develops solutions to the challenges adults with autism face and creates awareness of the lifespan challenges autistic adults face.
In addition to his medical research, Prince maintains a strong commitment to higher education, currently serving as the chairman of the National Advisory Council of Dixie State University, chairman of the University of Utah School of Dentistry Advisory Board and a member of the National Presidential Advisory Board of Utah Valley University and the Board of Governors of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
The President’s Colleagues of DSU, established more than 20 years ago by former DSU President Douglas Alder, is a group of retired professors and other professionals who live mostly in the Washington County area. Alder, who also started DSU’s Honors Program, organized the group as a way to increase academic activities on campus.
Event details
- What: President’s Colleagues of Dixie State University meeting featuring Dr. Gregory Prince.
- When: Monday, Oct. 1, at noon.
- Where: Lecture Hall 156 of Dixie State’s Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center at the Dixie Regional Medical Center campus at 1526 E. Medical Center Drive, St. George.
- Cost: The meeting is free and open to the public.
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