Cathy Drennan
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma materVassar College
University of Michigan
Scientific career
InstitutionsMIT
ThesisCrystallographic studies of FMN and Vitamin B12 Dependent Enzymes: Flavodoxin and Methionine Synthase
Doctoral advisorMartha L. Ludwig
Other academic advisorsDouglas C. Rees
Websitedrennan.mit.edu

Catherine (Cathy) Drennan is an American biochemist and crystallographer. She is the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Biochemistry professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a professor at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Early life and education

Drennan grew up in New York with her parents (a medical doctor and anthropologist). She received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Vassar College, working in the laboratory of Professor Miriam Rossi.[1] After college, Drennan spent time as high school science and drama teacher, in a quaker run school in Iowa.[2][3] She received her PhD in biological chemistry from the University of Michigan in 1995, working in the laboratory of the late Professor Martha L Ludwig. Drennan's thesis is titled "Crystallographic studies of FMN and Vitamin B12 Dependent Enzymes: Flavodoxin and Methionine Synthase".[4][5]

After her PhD, she joined Douglas Rees as a postdoctoral fellow in the California Institute of Technology.[6] During her time as a postdoctoral fellow, in 1997, she started and led the undergraduate poster competition at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) annual meeting. She also served on the ASBMB Education and Professional Development Committee. [7]

Drennan is dyslexic, but believes this has advantages in science, "don't listen to what anyone tells you what you can or cannot do...there is no dyslexia ceiling".[8][9] At high school, Drennan was told "she was probably not even going to graduate high school because of her dyslexia".[10]

Research

Drennan joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Drennan focuses on innovation in education and fundamental research.[11] She is interested in the future of college classrooms and creating a positive learning environment for diverse groups of students.[12] She is recognized for her contributions to science pedagogy.[13] In 2006 Drennan was named an HHMI Professor and awarded a $1 million grant to support educational initiatives for "Getting Biologists Excited about Chemistry".[14]

Drennan has studied enzymes that employ vitamin B12 since she was a graduate student.[15] Her research focus is metalloproteins and metalloenzymes, and developing structural approaches to visualize enzymes.[16][17][18] Her group uses X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy to characterize metalloproteins in action.[19][20] She is interested in conformational change during catalysis.[21] Her work also contributes to protecting the environment, as metals act as molecular helpers in chemical reactions.[22] Drennan is the author of over 100 Protein Data Bank submissions.[23]

Awards and honors

  • 2000
    • Surdna Foundation Research Award[24]
    • Cecil and Ida Green Career Development Chair[24]
  • 2001 - Searle Scholar[25]
  • 2002 - Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers[26]
  • 2003 - ASBMB–Schering–Plough Research Institute Scientific Achievement Award[27]
  • 2004 - Harold E. Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award[28]
  • 2005 - Everett Moore Baker Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching[29]
  • 2006 - Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor[30]
  • 2008 - Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator[30]
  • 2017 - Winter Commencement Bicentennial Alumni Award[31]
  • 2020
    • American Academy of Arts and Sciences member[32]
    • Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Award, The Protein Society [33]
  • 2021- American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Fellow [34]
  • 2023

References

  1. ↑ "Section Head profile: Cathy Drennan - F1000 Blogs". F1000 Blogs. 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  2. ↑ "SBGrid Consortium - Tales - Catherine Drennan - Massachusetts Institute of Technology". sbgrid.org. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  3. ↑ "Catherine Drennan • iBiology". iBiology. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  4. ↑ "Catherine L. Drennan, Ph.D. | Biological Chemistry | Michigan Medicine | University of Michigan". medicine.umich.edu. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  5. ↑ Luschinsky, Drennan, Catherine (1995). Crystallographic studies of FMN and vitamin B(12) dependent enzymes: Flavodoxin and methionine synthase (Thesis). hdl:2027.42/104452.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "Is the Classroom Lecture Becoming Extinct or Simply Evolving? -- Talk & Discussion by Dr. Catherine Drennan, MIT. - Caltech Center for Teaching, Learning, & Outreach (CTLO)". www.ctlo.caltech.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-02-10. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  7. ↑ "First class". www.asbmb.org. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  8. ↑ DyslexicAdvantage (2016-01-31), MIT Professor Catherine Drennan on Her Dyslexia and Its Advantages, retrieved 2018-02-10
  9. ↑ "What Every Person With Dyslexia Should Know with MIT Professor Cathy Drennan | Elisheva Schwartz". www.elishevaschwartz.com. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  10. ↑ "Catherine Drennan". dyslexiahelp.umich.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  11. ↑ "Catherine L Drennan | Drennan Lab". drennan.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  12. ↑ "Is the Classroom Lecture Becoming Extinct or Simply Evolving? -- Talk & Discussion by Dr. Catherine Drennan, MIT. - Caltech Graduate Studies Office". www.gradoffice.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  13. ↑ University of Michigan (2017-12-18), 2017 U-M Winter Commencement Bicentennial Alumni Award Video, retrieved 2018-02-10
  14. ↑ "Dr. Catherine L. Drennan « The Education Group". educationgroup.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  15. ↑ "A natural light switch". MIT News. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  16. ↑ "Catherine L. Drennan - CIFAR : CIFAR". www.cifar.ca. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  17. ↑ "Research Interests | Drennan Lab". drennan.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  18. ↑ "Publications | Drennan Lab". drennan.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  19. ↑ iBiology (2014-03-30), Catherine Drennan (MIT/HHMI) Part 1: Introduction to Metalloproteins, retrieved 2018-02-10
  20. ↑ iBiology (2014-03-30), Catherine Drennan (MIT/HHMI) Part 2: Metalloproteins and Medicine, retrieved 2018-02-10
  21. ↑ "Catherine Drennan – MIT Department of Biology". biology.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  22. ↑ "Cathy Drennan - Meet a Chemist - ChemHealthWeb - Science Publication - National Institute of General Medical Sciences". publications.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  23. ↑ Bank, RCSB Protein Data. "RCSB PDB - Search Results". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  24. 1 2 "Department of Chemistry: Reports to the President 2000-2001". web.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  25. ↑ "Department of Chemistry: Reports to the President 2001-2002". web.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  26. ↑ "The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Program Archive". grants.nih.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  27. ↑ "ASBMB Young Investigator Award". www.asbmb.org. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  28. ↑ "Cathy L. Drennan | Office of the President". president.umich.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  29. ↑ "2005 Recipients | Awards Convocation". awards.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  30. 1 2 "Catherine L. Drennan, PhD | HHMI.org". HHMI.org. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  31. ↑ "Jesmyn Ward urges patience, persistence on path to success". The University Record. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  32. ↑ "New Members". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
  33. ↑ McElvery, Raleigh (2020-03-13). "Cathy Drennan earns Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Award". MIT Department of Biology. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  34. ↑ "2021 ASBMB Fellows". www.asbmb.org. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  35. ↑ "Fellows". www.amercrystalassn.org. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  36. ↑ "Catherine Drennan elected to National Academy of Sciences – MIT Department of Chemistry". 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
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