Dr. Olson has dedicated his career to deciphering mechanisms that control muscle gene regulation and development. He received B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Wake Forest University. After postdoctoral training with Luis Glaser at Washington University School of Medicine, he joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in 1984 and became Professor and Chairman in 1991. In 1995, he founded the Department of Molecular Biology at UT Southwestern. Dr. Olson has received numerous prestigious awards and honors. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and its Institute of Medicine.