School of medicine

School Notes: School of Medicine
July/August 2015

Nancy J. Brown | http://medicine.yale.edu

Scientist named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator

John MacMicking, associate professor of microbial pathogenesis, has been named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator, one of 26 from a pool of 894 eligible applicants this year. The HHMI grants long-term funding to researchers who demonstrate innovative approaches to problems in the biological sciences. Each researcher receives guaranteed support for five years with the possibility of renewal; the grants are flexible, allowing investigators the freedom to explore new avenues for their projects. MacMicking’s own research explores how individual cells in the body, separate from the immune system, protect themselves against infection. His lab has identified a new family of enzymes in both immune and non-immune cells that play a critical role in this defense. MacMicking is joining the ranks of approximately 324 HHMI investigators across 70 different research institutions, including 18 Nobel laureates currently receiving support. He will begin his HHMI appointment in September.

Professor receives state’s top honor

Joan A. Steitz, Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, is the recipient of the 2015 Connecticut Medal of Science for her pioneering work in understanding the structure and function of RNA. Steitz has been an international leader in describing the molecular events involved in creation of messenger RNA (mRNA), which transcribes information coded on DNA and delivers it to ribosomes, which in turn translate the information needed to produce proteins. Steitz’s lab discovered tiny particles in cells called small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) and described their role in splicing, an essential step in creating mRNA. Her insights have been applied to numerous research areas, including cancer and autoimmune and infectious diseases. Steitz, the first woman to receive the state’s medal, continues to explore RNA structure and function. Her research includes defining the functions of other non-coding RNPs, such as those that guide the modification of ribosomal RNAs and several produced by cancer-causing herpes viruses. The Medal of Science is administered by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and is Connecticut’s highest honor for scientific achievement in fields crucial to the state’s economic competitiveness and social well-being.

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