Women in STEM- Elizabeth Blackburn
By: Chelsea Resendiz
Who is Elizabeth Blackburn ?
Elizabeth Blackburn is an American scientist who was born on November 1948, she is married to John Sedat and has one child. Elizabeth Blackburn revived the Nobel prize in 2009.
Why is she so important ?
Elizabeth discovered Telomerase-an enzyme that makes telomere DNA protective caps, these protective caps allow cells to split without damaging the cell during cell division. They also discovered short telomere =fast aging, while long telomere = slowed aging (not as fast).
Education
Blackburn completed her BSc (1970) & MSc (1972) in biology at the University of Melbourne. Blackburn completed her Phd at the University of Cambridge in England.
Titles&Prizes
Nobel prize -2009
In 2001 president Bush appointed her to the council on Bioethics, she was later dismissed in 2004.
Times Magazine named Blackburn one the 100 most influential people of 2007.
Blackburn is widely honored by many other Medical Societies.