Constance Cepko
Encyclopedia
Constance "Connie" Cepko is a developmental biologist and geneticist
, who works at Harvard Medical School
.
, Maryland
, went to college at the University of Maryland
and completed her Ph.D at MIT under the direction of Nobel Prize
winner Phillip Sharp Ph.D
.
that she used to understand the development of the retina
. Cepko's laboratory has identified several genes required for retinal development. She has awards including being elected to the National Academy of Sciences
in 2002.
In 2011 she received the Alfred W. Bressler Prize in Vision Science for her work in retina development. Cepko is widely published in scientific journals.
In addition, she is notable for being an mentor.
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
, who works at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
.
Education
She was born LaurelLaurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, went to college at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
and completed her Ph.D at MIT under the direction of Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner Phillip Sharp Ph.D
Phillip Allen Sharp
Phillip Allen Sharp is an American geneticist and molecular biologist who co-discovered RNA splicing. He shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Richard J...
.
Career
As a Post-doctoral fellow she studied retroviral vectorsViral vector
Viral vectors are a tool commonly used by molecular biologists to deliver genetic material into cells. This process can be performed inside a living organism or in cell culture . Viruses have evolved specialized molecular mechanisms to efficiently transport their genomes inside the cells they infect...
that she used to understand the development of the retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
. Cepko's laboratory has identified several genes required for retinal development. She has awards including being elected to the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 2002.
In 2011 she received the Alfred W. Bressler Prize in Vision Science for her work in retina development. Cepko is widely published in scientific journals.
In addition, she is notable for being an mentor.
External links
- Constance L. Cepko, Ph.D. Neuroscience at Harvard.
- Biography of Constance L. Cepko Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesProceedings of the National Academy of SciencesThe Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, usually referred to as PNAS, is the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences...
- HHMI Summary