In Memoriam, Gordon Gill, M.D., Professor Emeritus, UC San Diego School of Medicine

Gordon N. Gill, M.D., professor emeritus in the UC San Diego School of Medicine, passed away October 3, 2021. He was 83. Dr. Gill was among the earliest faculty members at UC San Diego arriving on campus in 1969. For the next 36 years, he would serve in many capacities, as a scientist, as a physician, as a mentor and as an academic leader. He retired as professor emeritus in 2005.

“Gordon was the consummate physician-scientist and teacher,” said Nicholas Webster, Ph.D., professor of medicine and current co-chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism in the School of Medicine. “He was also an exemplary citizen and helped shape the development of UC San Diego into the research powerhouse that we know today.”

Dr. Gill’s early research was conducted in collaboration with Len Garren, M.D., an internationally renowned molecular biologist and practicing physician who recruited Dr. Gill to UC San Diego from Yale University. Dr. Gill would succeed Dr. Garren as division chief after Dr. Garren died in 1971 at the age of 43. Dr. Gill was chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism from 1971 to 1985.

His work focused on cyclic nucleotide kinases, especially cAMP and cGMP. These proteins are critical intracellular messengers that help regulate cell functions. Gill’s later studies explored hormone action and signal transduction – the molecular mechanism through which information is received and translated into biological responses. More specifically, Dr. Gill studied the epidermal growth factor and its receptor and he defined its intracellular trafficking and sorting pathways. He also investigated the role of LIM-domain proteins in development and the function of RNA polymerase CTD phosphatases. Over a long and productive career, Dr. Gill published more than 180 scientific articles.

Dr. Gill received his bachelor’s and medical degrees from Vanderbilt University. After serving a residency and a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship at Yale-New Haven Hospital under Dr. Garren, he followed Dr. Garren to the new UC San Diego School of Medicine, which opened in 1968 with a first class of 47 students.

In an interview celebrating the 50th anniversary of the School of Medicine in 2018, Dr. Gill recounted that there were no buildings on the medical school campus at the time, so Dr. Gill’s lab space was rented at the Salk Institute and he commuted to Hillcrest to see patients. In addition to serving as division chief, Dr. Gill was also associate chair for scientific affairs in the Department of Medicine (1992-95), acting director of Moores Cancer Center (2002-2003), Interim Dean for Scientific Affairs (2001-2003), and chair of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. He served on numerous scientific boards and the editorial boards of many professional journals, including editor for “Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology” from 1974 to 1992. He was an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American College of Physicians and published almost 200 scholarly papers.

Dr. Gill is survived by his wife Patricia, four children, seven grandchildren and a brother. A memorial service will be held at a later date in his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama.

The Department established the Dr. Gordon Gill Memorial Lecture Fund. Commitments towards this fund will allow us to establish an annual lecture series in his honor. Information is below for those wishing to support this fund.

Make an online gift: https://giveto.ucsd.edu/giving/home, search fund # 7179

Make checks payable to: UC Regents (note: Fund # E7179)

Send to:
UC San Diego Gift Processing
9500 Gilman Drive #0940
La Jolla, CA 92093-0940
Include your name, contact information, and indicate “fund # E7179”

Sincerely,

David A. Brenner, M.D.
Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences

Zea Borok, M.D.
Helen M. Ranney Professor and Chair

Wolfgang H. Dillmann, M.D.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Nicholas J.G. Webster, Ph.D.
Kristen Kulasa, M.D.
Co-Chiefs, Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism