Jacqueline Barton
Encyclopedia
Jacqueline K. Barton is an American chemist. She is the Arthur and Marian Hanisch Memorial professor
of Chemistry
at California Institute of Technology
. The primary focus of her research is transverse electron transport along double-stranded DNA
, its implications in the biology of DNA damage and repair, and its potential for materials science
s applications.
in 1974. She went on to graduate study at Columbia University
, where she studied inorganic chemistry under the supervision of S.J. Lippard
.
, where she worked with R.G. Shulman
She earned tenure at Columbia University in the 1980s. During that time her main focus was the use of organo-ruthenium complexes to probe the physical conformations of DNA. Upon her marriage to fellow chemist, Peter Dervan
, she moved to Caltech. She was named chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of California Institute of Technology
, effective July 1, 2009.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
. The primary focus of her research is transverse electron transport along double-stranded DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, its implications in the biology of DNA damage and repair, and its potential for materials science
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
s applications.
Education
Barton received her B.A. (summa cum laude) from Barnard CollegeBarnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
in 1974. She went on to graduate study 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 studied inorganic chemistry under the supervision of S.J. Lippard
Stephen J. Lippard
Stephen J. Lippard is an American bioinorganic chemist and the Arthur Amos Noyes Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.-Career:...
.
Career
After earning her Ph.D. from Columbia in 1979, Barton held post-doctoral appointments at Bell Labs and Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where she worked with R.G. Shulman
Robert G. Shulman
Robert G. Shulman is a biophysicist and Sterling Professor Emeritus of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry and a Senior Research Scientist, Diagnostic Radiology at Yale University....
She earned tenure at Columbia University in the 1980s. During that time her main focus was the use of organo-ruthenium complexes to probe the physical conformations of DNA. Upon her marriage to fellow chemist, Peter Dervan
Peter Dervan
Peter B. Dervan is the Bren Professor of Chemistry at California Institute of Technology. The primary focus of his research is the development and study of small organic molecules that can sequence-specifically recognize DNA, a field in which he is an internationally recognized authority...
, she moved to Caltech. She was named chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
, effective July 1, 2009.
Awards and honors
- Alan T. Waterman Award of the National Science FoundationNational Science FoundationThe National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
(1985) - Fresenius Award (1986)
- American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical SocietyThe American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
Eli Lilly and CompanyEli Lilly and CompanyEli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...
Award in Biological Chemistry(1987) - American Chemical Society Award in Pure Chemistry (1988)
- Mayor of New York's Award in Science and Technology (1988)
- American Chemical Society Baekeland Medal (1991)
- Fellow of the 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...
(1991) - MacArthur FoundationMacArthur FoundationThe John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. Based in Chicago but supporting non-profit organizations that work in 60 countries, MacArthur has awarded more than US$4 billion since its inception in 1978...
Fellowship (1991) - Garvan MedalGarvan-Olin MedalThe Francis P. Garvan–John M. Olin Medal is an annual award that recognizes distinguished service to chemistry by women chemists. The Award is offered by the American Chemical Society , and consists of a cash prize and a medal. The medal was designed by Margaret Christian Grigor.Any individual...
of the American Chemical Society (1992) - Tolman Medal of the American Chemical Society (1994)
- Havinga Medal (1995)
- Paul Karrer Medal (1996)
- Nichols Medal of the American Chemical Society (1997)
- Weizmann Women & Science AwardWeizmann Women & Science AwardThe Weizmann Women & Science Award is a biennial award established in 1994 to honor an outstanding woman scientist in the United States who has made significant contributions to the scientific community...
(1998) - elected American Philosophical Society (2000)
- elected National Academy of Sciences (2002)
- Ronald Breslow Award in Biomimetic Chemistry from the American Chemical Society(2003)
- ACS Gibbs MedalWillard Gibbs AwardThe Willard Gibbs Award, which consists of an eighteen-carat gold medal, the Willard Gibbs Medal, was founded in 1910 by William A. Converse. The medal was named after J. Willard Gibbs. The award recognizes "eminent chemists who .....
(2006) - National Medal of ScienceNational Medal of ScienceThe National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
(2011)