On March 13 1944 Susan Gerbi was born in New York City.
Susan is a distinguished molecular biologist whose pioneering work has significantly contributed to our understanding of DNA replication and chromosome structure.
Susan developed a passion for science early in life and was driven by a natural curiosity about the inner workings of living organisms. Her academic journey began at Barnard College, where she first pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology.
She gained her PhD from Yale University in 1970. Her doctoral research focused on elucidating the mechanisms of DNA replication in eukaryotic cells, laying the foundation for her groundbreaking career, and her work with Joseph Gall helped devise a method to map the start site of DNA replication.
Career
Following her doctoral studies, Susan embarked on a prolific academic career, holding positions at prestigious institutions such as Yale University and Brown University.
In addition to her research endeavours, Susan has been an active advocate for science education and outreach and has mentored numerous students and postdoctoral researchers and helped nurture the next generation of scientists. In particular she has been involved in initiatives aimed at promoting STEM education among underrepresented groups and has served on advisory boards for scientific organisations and journals.
Awards and recognition
Susan has received many awards throughout her career, the most recent a Distinguished Research Achievement Award in 2021 from Brown University, where she is currently a Professor of Biochemistry and a Professor of Biology.
She is also a founding member and past chair of the Women in Cell Biology Group of the American Society for Cell Biology and a founding board member of the Rosalind Franklin Society, whose mission is to recognise, foster and make known the important contributions made by women in the life sciences.
In 2013, she was honoured by the National Women’s History Project as one of 18 women recognised in the Women’s History Month theme of “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics”.
Many of Susan’s undergraduate and graduate students have also won awards for their research.
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