Biography of Stuart Lindsay

Abstract

Stuart received his BSc and PhD in physics from the University of Manchester in 1972 and 1976, respectively. After a brief period working in the Phillips Labs, he joined Arizona State University (ASU) as a faculty member in 1979. While much of his current interest is in the molecular basis of diseases, Stuart has made long-lasting contributions to several fields in nanotechnology and biophysics over his past three decades at ASU. He was the first to develop inelastic light scattering spectroscopy to study low frequency vibration modes in DNA, which has led to a better understanding of collective motions in DNA and A–B transition in DNA. The early stages of his scientific career at ASU also included studying materials under extremely high pressure, glass transitions and the light scattering of semiconductor materials. He pioneered the scanning probe microscopy imaging of DNA and other biological molecules in water. His unusual talent in experimental physics and instrumentation led to the development of a 9-pass Fabry–Perot for high-resolution optical spectroscopy and a variety of innovative technologies for scanning probe microscopy. He co-founded the Molecular Imaging Corporation (now acquired by Agilent). In addition to biological molecules, Stuart is one of the pioneers who applied scanning tunneling microscopy to studying fundamental phenomena at solid–liquid interfaces, including charge transport, interfacial forces and molecular adsorption in solutions. His seminal work in single molecule electron transport provides new insights into not only the mechanism of the scanning tunneling microscopy of molecules, but also molecular electronics.Stuart's contribution to science goes beyond the original research mentioned above. His passion and energy for science have inspired and influenced many younger scientists, including his students, postdoctoral researchers and junior faculty. We wish Stuart many more happy, healthy and productive years ahead.