Fall 2009 Faculty and Staff Honors and Awards
Mary J.C. Hendrix, PhD, Medical Research Institute Council Professor and president and scientific director of the Children's Memorial Research Center, was recently reappointed to the National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors for a second term beginning in July 2009. Dr. Hendrix was first appointed to the board in December 2004. It was established in 1996 to assist and advise the director of the National Cancer Institute on all aspects of the extramural program. It is charged with oversight of the full portfolio of extramural programs of the National Cancer Institute; advising extramural division directors on scientific policies, both present and future; and concept review of research and resource activities supported by the extramural divisions. The major goal of the Hendrix Lab is to identify genes that contribute to cancer metastasis, with a particular focus on the molecular basis of tumor cell plasticity and the convergence of embryonic and tumorigenic signaling pathways.
Nadereh Jafari, PhD, director of Genomics Core Facility at the Center for Genetic Medicine, was promoted to research associate professor on September 1, 2009. The Core supports Northwestern and external investigators by providing traditional and next-generation sequencing, genotyping, and gene expression profiling services, and many others. She previously served as the director of the Microarray Core Facility, which merged with the Genotyping Core in 2006 to form the current facility.
Beth Herbert, Center for Genetic Medicine staff member, was recently promoted to associate director of communications. Herbert also serves as the associate editor of Science in Society, Northwestern's science outreach e-magazine. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BA in English and is currently an MA candidate in Northwestern's creative writing program.
Carol LaBonne, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology in Weinberg College, was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). Along with her board appointment, LaBonne was recently appointed the director of the Interdepartmental Program in Biological Sciences (IBiS) in the Weinberg College. LaBonne's research group uses molecular genetic and genomic approaches to study the development of a group of embryonic cells called the neural crest.
Judith Schiffman, MSW, assistant director of the Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling at the Center for Genetic Medicine, was promoted on September 1, 2009 to assistant professor, clinical, in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Feinberg. Schiffman is a clinical social worker and has worked extensively with children and their families. She has a special interest in developmental issues in children with chronic illness and disability and their siblings. She has been with the graduate program since its inception and she designed the sequence of psychosocial courses. Schiffman is responsible for teaching courses in psychosocial aspects of genetic counseling, women’s health issues in genetic counseling, developmental disabilities and their impact on the family, and an advanced genetic counseling seminar. Schiffman is also on the faculties of the Institute for Clinical Social Work and the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Program, in which she teaches a two-year course on infant observation.
Maureen Smith, MS, CGC, clinical director of the NUgene Project at the Center for Genetic Medicine, was promoted on September 1, 2009 to assistant professor of obstetrics & gynecology in the Feinberg School. She also recently received the 2009 Natalie Weissberger Paul National Achievement Award from the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). Smith currently serves on the membership committee at NSGC and has served on numerous other committees within the organization since she joined. She was the recipient of the Regional Leadership Award in 2004 for her outstanding achievements and volunteer activities on behalf of the society and the profession.
Erik Sontheimer, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology at Weinberg College, along with postdoctoral fellow, Luciano Marraffini, received the 2009 Nestle Prize for their paper entitled, “CRISPR Interference Limits Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococci by Targeting DNA,” published in the December 08 issue of Science. [L.A. Marraffini and E.J. Sontheimer, Science 322, 1843 (2008)]. This award is given annually by the American Society for Microbiology for the best paper in the area of bacteriophage research. Sontheimer and Marraffini’s winning paper explains the discovery of a particular DNA sequence that provides a defensive means to block the spread of antibiotic resistance. The Sontheimer research group studies the roles of RNA molecules in gene expression, with an emphasis on genetic interference pathways.
