Richard Gordon (theoretical biologist)

Richard "Dick" Gordon (born November 6, 1943) is an American theoretical biologist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest son of Jack Gordon, a salesman and American handball champion,[1] and artist Diana Gordon. He is married to retired scientist Natalie K Björklund with whom he co-wrote his second book and several academic publications. He has three sons, Leland, Bryson and Chason Gordon and three stepchildren Justin, Alan and Lana Hunstad. Gordon was a professor at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1978 to 2011. He is retired and currently volunteers as a scientist for the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea, Florida where he winters, and he holds an adjunct position in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University. Gordon lives in Alonsa, Manitoba, Canada.

Richard Gordon during the Open Problems of Computational Biology 3rd International Workshop Telluride Summer Research Centre Telluride CO July 11–25, 1993

Academic career

Gordon was educated at University of Chicago where he did an undergraduate degree in mathematics and a PhD at University of Oregon in chemical physics under Terrell L Hill. His thesis was On Stochastic Growth and Form and Steady State Properties of Ising Lattice Membranes. He published his first paper in 1966.[2] Gordon is an eclectic scientist and prolific writer with over 200 peer-reviewed publications in a wide number of fields. He has edited 17 academic books and special issues of scientific journals including two books of his own both of which detail his work on embryonic differentiation waves.[3][4] Gordon has been summoned twice to the Canadian Parliament to testify as an expert scientific witness.[5][6] He is best known for interdisciplinary and cross disciplinary work bridging biology with fields such as mathematics, engineering, physics and chemistry. He wrote the first paper on diatom nanotechnology founding that field.[7][8] He started the field of adaptive image processing.[9] He has also published about algal biofuels,[10] computed tomography,[11][12] AIDS prevention,[13] neural tube defects,[14][15] embryo physics,[16][17] astrobiology[18] as well as research[19][20] and social ethics.[21] His most cited paper is one where he applied the linear Kaczmarz method to create the nonlinear Algebraic Reconstruction Technique for image reconstruction with Robert Bender and Gabor Herman in 1970.[22]

Notable scientific publications

Books
  • Gordon, N. & Gordon, R. Embryogenesis Explained, World Scientific Publishing, Singapore, 2016.[4]
  • Gordon, R. (1999). The Hierarchical Genome and Differentiation Waves: Novel Unification of Development, Genetics and Evolution. Singapore & London, World Scientific & Imperial College Press.[3]

Selected academic publications
  • Gordon, R., R. Bender & G.T. Herman (1970). Algebraic Reconstruction Techniques (ART) for three-dimensional electron microscopy and x-ray photography. Journal of Theoretical Biology 29(3), 471-481.[22]
  • Gordon, R., G.T. Herman & S.A. Johnson (1975). Image reconstruction from projections. Scientific American 233(4), cover, 12, 56-61, 64-68, 139.[23]
  • Gordon, R. (1976). Dose reduction in computerized tomography. [Guest Editorial]. Investigative Radiology 111(6), 508-517.[24]
  • Gordon, R. & A.G. Jacobson (1978). The shaping of tissues in embryos. Scientific American 238(6), 106-113, 160.[25]
  • Gordon, R., N.K. Björklund & P.D. Nieuwkoop (1994). Dialogue on embryonic induction and differentiation waves. International Review of Cytology 150, 373-420.[26]
  • Gordon, R. & R.W. Drum (1994). The chemical basis of diatom morphogenesis. International Review of Cytology 150, 243-372, 421-422.[27]

Other work

The Canadian charity Books With Wings was founded by Richard Gordon.[28] He started the work after developing an intense interest in Afghanistan as his personal response to the September 11 attacks.[29] Books With Wings is a collaborative project between Canadian, British, and American students and their counterparts in Afghanistan to provide books for universities throughout Afghanistan.[30][31][32] Sally Armstrong described Gordon's early efforts to start Books With Wings in her book Ascent of Women.[33]

References
  1. US Handball Hall of Fame
  2. Gordon, R.On stochastic growth and form Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 56(5), 1497-1504 1966
  3. Gordon, R. The Hierarchical Genome and Differentiation Waves: Novel Unification of Development, Genetics and Evolution Singapore & London, World Scientific & Imperial College Press, 1999
  4. Gordon N, Gordon R Embryogenesis Explained World Scientific Publishing, Singapore, 2016 ISBN 978-981-4350-48-8
  5. Gordon, R. & B.J. Poulin Testimony at Standing Committee on Health, Canadian Parliament The Minister of Health, 1999
  6. Poulin, B.J. & R. Gordon Statement on Peer Review to Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology Parliament of Canada, November 29, 2001, Ottawa, Parliament of Canada.
  7. Gordon, R. & B.D. Aguda (1988) Diatom morphogenesis: natural fractal fabrication of a complex microstructure Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Part 1/4: Cardiology and Imaging, 4-7 Nov. 1988, New Orleans, LA, USA. Ed.: G. Harris & C. Walker. New York, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: 273-274, 1988
  8. Gordon, R. et al The Glass Menagerie: diatoms for novel applications in nanotechnology Trends in Biotechnology 27(2), 116-127, 2009
  9. Gordon, R. & R.M. Rangayyan Feature enhancement of film mammograms using fixed and adaptive neighborhoods Applied Optics 23(4), 560-564, 1984
  10. Ramachandra, T.V., D.M. Mahapatra, Karthick B. & R. Gordon Milking diatoms for sustainable energy: biochemical engineering versus gasoline-secreting diatom solar panels Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 48(19, Complex Materials II special issue, October), 8769-8788 2009
  11. Gordon, R. Stop breast cancer now! Imagining imaging pathways towards search, destroy, cure and watchful waiting of premetastasis breast cancer Breast Cancer - A Lobar Disease. Ed.: T. Tot. London, Springer: 167-203, 2011
  12. Dhawan, A.P., R. Gordon & R.M. Rangayyan Nevoscopy: three-dimensional computed tomography for nevi and melanomas in situ by transillumination IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging MI-3(2), 54-61, 1984
  13. Gordon, R. A critical review of the physics and statistics of condoms and their role in individual versus societal survival of the AIDS epidemic Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy 15(1), 5-30, 1989
  14. Gordon, R.A review of the theories of vertebrate neurulation and their relationship to the mechanics of neural tube birth defects. J. Embryol. Exp. Morph. 89(Suppl.), 229-255, 1985.
  15. Björklund, N.K. & R. Gordon A hypothesis linking low folate intake to neural tube defects due to failure of post-translation methylations of the cytoskeleton International Journal of Developmental Biology 50(2/3), 135-141,2006
  16. Gordon, R. & G.W. Brodland The cytoskeletal mechanics of brain morphogenesis Cell Biophysics 11(1), 177-238, 1987
  17. Brodland, G.W. et al Furrowing surface contraction wave coincident with primary neural induction in amphibian embryos Journal of Morphology 219(2), 131-142,1994
  18. Gordon, R. Sharov, A.A. Habitability of the Universe before Earth Elsevier Academic Press, Amsterdam, 2018
  19. Gordon, R. & B.J. Poulin. Cost of the NSERC science grant peer review system exceeds the cost of giving every qualified researcher a baseline grant. Accountability in Research: Policies and Quality Assurance 16(1), 1-28, 2009
  20. Gordon, R.The vanishing physician scientist: a critical review and analysis Accountability in Research: Policies and Quality Assurance 19(2), 89-113, 2012
  21. Gordon, R., B.J. Poulin & C. Wright World Minimum Wage: ethical, economic and social considerations, illustrated by three cases Third International Society of Business, Economics and Ethics (ISBEE) World Congress July 14–17, 2004, University of Melbourne, Australia. Ed.: M.C. Arruda & J. Milton-Smith, Globethics.com
  22. Gordon, R., R. Bender & G.T. Herman Algebraic Reconstruction Techniques (ART) for three-dimensional electron microscopy and x-ray photography Journal of Theoretical Biology 29(3), 471-481, 1970
  23. Gordon, R., G.T. Herman & S.A. Johnson Image reconstruction from projections Scientific American 233(4), cover, 12, 56-61, 64-68, 139, 1970
  24. Gordon, R.Dose reduction in computerized tomography Investigative Radiology 111(6), 508-517, 1976
  25. Gordon, R. & A.G. Jacobson The shaping of tissues in embryos Scientific American 238(6), 106-113, 160, 1978
  26. Gordon, R., N.K. Björklund & P.D. Nieuwkoop Dialogue on embryonic induction and differentiation waves International Review of Cytology 150, 373-420, 1994
  27. Gordon, R. & R.W. Drum The chemical basis of diatom morphogenesis International Review of Cytology 150, 243-372, 421-422, 1994
  28. "NRM: Manitoba MDs rebuild Afghan medical libraries". 2015-06-28. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  29. Staff. "About Books With Wings". Books With Wings. Archived from the original on 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  30. Staff. "Books With Wings: We get books to Afghanistan". Books With Wings. Archived from the original on 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  31. Staff (2010). "Books With Wings". University of Manitoba Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine. Archived from the original on 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  32. Duncan, Katie (24 June 2015). "Fulham supper club raises a glass to universities in Afghanistan". South West Londoner. Archived from the original on 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  33. Armstrong, A Ascent of women Toronto : Random House Canada, 2013
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