▁chem istry ▁as ▁a ▁Vis iting ▁Professor ▁at ▁Harvard ▁for ▁the ▁Spring ▁sem ester ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁he ▁was ▁ten ured ▁in ▁the ▁then - new ▁Labor atory ▁of ▁Chem ical ▁Physics ▁and ▁became ▁its ▁chief ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁E aton ' s ▁early ▁work ▁at ▁N I H ▁built ▁on ▁his ▁work ▁on ▁h eme ▁prote ins , ▁foc using ▁mainly ▁on ▁hem og lo bin ▁and ▁the ▁ab normal ▁aggreg ation ▁of ▁the ▁mut ant ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁protein ▁found ▁in ▁sick le - cell ▁an emia . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁E aton ▁began ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁theoretical ▁and ▁experimental ▁studies ▁of ▁protein ▁fol ding ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁particularly ▁influ ential ▁in ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁fast - fold ing ▁prote ins ▁and ▁applications ▁of ▁single ▁mole c ule ▁flu ores c ence ▁spect ro sc opy . ▁▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁research , ▁E aton ▁is ▁cred ited ▁for ▁developing ▁the ▁Labor atory ▁of ▁Chem ical ▁Physics ▁within ▁the ▁National ▁Institute ▁of ▁Di ab etes ▁and ▁Dig est ive ▁and ▁Kid ney ▁D ise ases , ▁N I H ▁into ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁very ▁top ▁bi oph ys ics / struct ural ▁bi ology ▁depart ments ▁in ▁the ▁USA . ▁E aton , ▁as ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁Labor atory ▁of ▁Chem ical ▁Physics , ▁rec ru ited ▁the ▁legend ary ▁the or ist , ▁Robert ▁Zw anz ig ,