By Melissa Harris and Stacie Loftus
In the Fall of 2023, William J. Pavan (or Bill to all that knew him) retired from the National Human Genome Research Institute of the NIH after an illustrious career. The fields of genetics and development have been rooted in the study pigmentation for over a century. The utility of observing mouse coat color as a phenotype useful for deciphering genes and genomic functions that regulate development and disease was not lost on Bill. For over thirty years, longer than his tenure at NHGRI, Bill contributed to the field of pigmentation biology and as an active member of PASPCR. Bill received PASPCR’s Young Investigator Award twice, in 1993 and 1997, served as a PASPCR council member in 1998-2000 and again in 2005-2007, and was honored by the society with PASPCR’s Aaron B. Lerner Special Lectureship in 2014. He is now a life time honorary member in the PASPCR.
Over the years, research within the Pavan Laboratory touched on numerous drivers of melanocyte lineage specification, differentiation and cell migration (SOX10, MITF, PAX3, TFAP2A, ENDRB, ERBB3, RAB38, MFSD12 and others) and their contribution to human disease and pigment variation. More broadly his research contributed to developing numerous melanocyte lineage-specific, genomic resources including high-depth RNA sequencing from which led to the identification of melanocyte eQTLs and a deciphering of the cis-regulatory landscape of melanocytes and melanoma cells. Bill might describe himself as a geneticist or pigmentation biologist, but to so many of us he was first and foremost a generous colleague, a mentor, and a friend. For the latter part of his time at the NIH, Bill served as the Director of the NHGRI Intramural Training Office enabling junior trainees to explore and discover avenues to create satisfying and impactful careers in science. This inclination towards mentorship and collegiality extended to PASPCR society members, and many of us found Bill and his lab to be a valuable resource for mice and reagents, along with advice on science or life itself. Even in retirement Bill will be continuing to use these leadership skills he has honed over the years as he plans to continue in his role as a community mediator. We at PASPCR wish Bill well in retirement.