Cathy Drennan

Drennan grew up in New York with her parents (a medical doctor and anthropologist). She received an Bachelors in Chemistry from Vassar College, working in the laboratory of Professor Miriam Ross.[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 "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]

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".[7][8] At high school, Drennan was told "she was probably not even going to graduate high school because of her dyslexia".[9]

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.[10] She is interested in the future of college classrooms and creating a positive learning environment for diverse groups of students.[11] She is recognised for her contributions to science pedagogy.[12] In 2006 Drennan was named an HHMI Professor and awarded a $1 million grant to support educational initiatives for “Getting Biologists Excited about Chemistry”.[13]

Drennan has studied enzymes that employ vitamin B12 since she was a graduate student.[14] Her research focus is metalloproteins and metalloenzymes, and developing structural approaches to visualise enzymes.[15][16][17] Her group use X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy to characterise metalloproteins in action.[18][19] She is interested in conformational change during catalysis.[20] Her work also contributes to protecting the environment, as metals act as molecular helpers in chemical reactions.[21] Drennan is the author of over 100 Protein Data Bank submissions.[22]

2020 - American Academy of Arts and Sciences[23]

2017 - Winter Commencement Bicentennial Alumni Award[24]

2008 - Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator[25]

2006 - Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor[25]

2005 - Everett Moore Baker Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching[26]

2004 - Harold E. Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award[27]

2004 - Dean’s Educational and Student Advising Award

2003 - ASBMB–Schering–Plough Research Institute Scientific Achievement Award[28]

2002 - Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers[29]

2001 - Searle Scholar[30]

2000 - Cecil and Ida Green Career Development Chair[31]

2000 - Surdna Foundation Research Award[31]