Hopkins' heavy hitters
The sun beats down on the grass as the pitcher winds up for his delivery. The cheers from both dugouts and the shouts from those gathered in the stands fill the early evening spring air.
   It's the extra innings of the second game of a doubleheader, and the winning run is in scoring position. On the mound the pitcher checks the signs from the catcher, nods his head and then zips a ball toward home plate.
   Just minutes earlier one of the home players had yelled out, "So who wants to be the hero?"
   It appears this batter at the plate has decided it's his day to fill that role: The ball comes in and the batter promptly lines a single into center field, the winning run comes home and the home team bounds off the bench to celebrate one more notch in the win column.
   Just another beautiful, and successful, day at the ballpark. Full story...

Top award in molecular biology goes to JH
Phil Beachy, associate professor of molecular biology and genetics and associate Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, likes to say that he "found the molecule that keeps on giving," and his molecule just "gave" him a top prize, the National Academy of Sciences' Molecular Biology award.
   Beachy won for his work to isolate and study hedgehog protein, a growth-controlling compound whose quirky name only hints at its ingenious and seemingly unpredictable behavior.
   Hedgehog helps supervise animal and human development from fertilized egg to newborn, and has been linked to some cancers.
   Beachy, who came to Hopkins in 1988, will receive the award and $20,000 April 27 in a ceremony at NAS headquarters. Full story...

The Gazette The Johns Hopkins University Suite 100
3003 North Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218 (410) 516-8514 [email protected].