Catherine Dulac
Encyclopedia
Catherine Dulac is a biologist notable for research on the molecular biology of olfactory signaling in mammal
s, particularly including pheromones. She developed a novel screening strategy based on screening cDNA libraries from single neuron
s and a new method of cloning genes from single neurons. As a postdoc, Dulac discovered the first family of mammalian pheromone receptors with Nobel laureate Richard Axel
. Dulac is an Howard Hughes Medical Investigator
at Harvard University
's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.
from the University of Paris
in 1992. She worked with Nicole Le Douarin on developmental mechanisms, and did a postdoc with Richard Axel
at Columbia University
where she identified the first genes encoding mammalian pheromone receptors.
Dulac joined the faculty of Harvard
in 1996, and was promoted to associate professor in 2000 and full professor in 2001. She is currently an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
.
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, particularly including pheromones. She developed a novel screening strategy based on screening cDNA libraries from single neuron
Neuron
A neuron is an electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information by electrical and chemical signaling. Chemical signaling occurs via synapses, specialized connections with other cells. Neurons connect to each other to form networks. Neurons are the core components of the nervous...
s and a new method of cloning genes from single neurons. As a postdoc, Dulac discovered the first family of mammalian pheromone receptors with Nobel laureate Richard Axel
Richard Axel
Richard Axel is an American neuroscientist whose work on the olfactory system won him and Linda B. Buck, a former post-doctoral scientist in his research group, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004....
. Dulac is an Howard Hughes Medical Investigator
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Biography
Dulac grew up in Montpellier, France, and graduated from the École Normale Supérieure de la rue d'Ulm, Paris, and earned a Ph.D. in developmental biologyDevelopmental biology
Developmental biology is the study of the process by which organisms grow and develop. Modern developmental biology studies the genetic control of cell growth, differentiation and "morphogenesis", which is the process that gives rise to tissues, organs and anatomy.- Related fields of study...
from the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in 1992. She worked with Nicole Le Douarin on developmental mechanisms, and did a postdoc with Richard Axel
Richard Axel
Richard Axel is an American neuroscientist whose work on the olfactory system won him and Linda B. Buck, a former post-doctoral scientist in his research group, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004....
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
where she identified the first genes encoding mammalian pheromone receptors.
Dulac joined the faculty of Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1996, and was promoted to associate professor in 2000 and full professor in 2001. She is currently an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a United States non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded by the American businessman Howard Hughes in 1953. It is one of the largest private funding organizations for biological and medical research in the United...
.
Notable papers
- Kimchi T., Xu, J., and Dulac, C. "A Functional Circuit Underlying Male Sexual Behaviour in the Female Mouse Brain," Nature, v.448, pp. 1009–1014 (2007).
- Tietjen I, Rihel JM, Cao Y, Koentges G, Zakhary L, Dulac C. "Single-cell transcriptional analysis of neuronal progenitors.", Neuron, v.38, pp. 161–75 (2003).
- Pantages, E., and Dulac, C. "A New Family of Candidate Pheromone Receptors in Mammals," Neuron, v.28, pp. 835–845 (2000).
- Liman, E., Corey, D., and Dulac, C. "TRP2: A Candidate Transduction Channel for Mammalian Pheromone Sensory Signaling", PNAS, v.96, pp. 5791–5796 (1999).
- Belluscio, L., Koentges, G., Axel, R.Richard AxelRichard Axel is an American neuroscientist whose work on the olfactory system won him and Linda B. Buck, a former post-doctoral scientist in his research group, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004....
, and Dulac, C., "A Map of Pheromone Receptor Activation in the Mammalian Brain," Cell, v.97, pp. 209–220 (1999). - Dulac C. and Axel R.Richard AxelRichard Axel is an American neuroscientist whose work on the olfactory system won him and Linda B. Buck, a former post-doctoral scientist in his research group, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004....
, "A Novel Family of Genes Encoding Putative Pheromone Receptors in Mammals," Cell, v.83, pp. 195–206 (1995).
Other
- Dulac, C. "Sex and the Single Splice," Cell, v.121, pp. 664–666 (2005).
- Dulac, C. and Grothe, B. "Editorial: Sensory Systems." Current Opinion in Neurobiology, v.14, pp. 403–406 (2004).
- Dulac, C. and Torello, A.T., Review, "Molecular Detection of Pheromone Signals in Mammals: From Genes to Behaviour." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, v. 4, pp. 1–13 (2003)
- Dulac, C. "The Physiology of Taste, Vintage 2000", Cell, v.100, pp. 607–610 (2000).
Awards & Honors
- 1998 Searle Scholar
- 2006 Richard Lounsbery Award
- 2006 Elected Member, American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
- Scientific Advisory Board, Senomyx
Further reading & External links
- Research Summary & Profile, Harvard University
- Faculty Profile, Harvard University
- HHMI profile
- "Pheromones Control Gender Recognition in Mice", Jan. 31, 2002 (HHMI Research News)
- "Harvard Portrait: Catherine Dulac",
- "Making the Paper: Catherine Dulac", Nature, v.448 (Aug. 30, 2007).