Alanna Schepartz To Deliver First Chemical Biology Lecture

Alanna Schepartz, the Milton Harris ‘29 Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry, has been chosen to present the inaugural Chemical Biology Lectureship by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The lectureship, which is jointly sponsored by the ACS Division of Biological Chemistry and the ACS journal Chemical Biology, recognizes outstanding scientific research in the field of chemical biology.

“The fact that the award exists is a tribute to the continued growth and significance of chemical biology as a discipline, and having the work of so many of my current and former students recognized all at once is a real treat — for them and for me,” Schepartz said.

The Schepartz Laboratory group at Yale focuses on designing and developing new molecules as tools to monitor, manipulate or mimic interactions between and among proteins in live cells.

The ACS has honored Schepartz for her contributions in three specific areas of chemical biology: protein-DNA recognition and transcriptional activation; the development of miniature proteins that bind specifically and with high affinity to protein and DNA ligands; and the development of ß-peptides as protein ligands and as building blocks of protein-like structures.

“In addition to her scholarly work, Professor Schepartz has also made important contributions to the community through her service on the BNP Study Section and as an associate editor for the Journal of the American Chemical Society,” the announcement states. “She is also a dedicated teacher, mentoring more than 60 graduate students and postdoctoral associates while teaching introductory organic chemistry to undergraduates.”

Her work on developing the first synthetic protein in the lab was named as one of the year’s “most important research advances” in the field of chemistry by Chemical & Engineering News in 2007. In addition to many other honors, Schepartz was recently awarded the 2008-2009 Frank H. Westheimer Prize by Harvard University.

Schepartz will present the ACS Chemical Biology Lecture at the society’s national meeting, held March 21-25 in San Francisco.