Laurie Boyer awarded Genzyme Fellowship
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Oct. 5, 2006) — Postdoctoral
scientist Laurie Boyer has been selected by a Whitehead
committee to receive the Genzyme Postdoctoral Fellowship
at Whitehead Institute. The $90,000 award, sponsored
by the Cambridge-based biotech company, completely funds
Boyer’s position—including all expenses—for
one year.
Boyer works in the labs of both Whitehead Members Rick
Young and Rudolf
Jaenisch where she focuses on analyzing the regulatory
circuitry in embryonic stem cells. In particular, she
is interested in the molecular chain of events that
grant embryonic stem cells such unique properties, in
particular, the potential to develop into virtually
any kind of cell type.
“Laurie has done a fantastic job in helping us
define the genetic and epigenetic control mechanisms
in both human and mouse embryonic stem cells,”
says Jaenisch.
| “Over the next year my research will focus
on understanding the mechanisms that control how
specific sets of genes are turned on or off in embryonic
stem cells in order to allow for cellular specification,”
says Whitehead postdoc Laurie Boyer. “I believe
that this work will have broad implications for
understanding development and disease.” |
In the fall of 2005, Boyer and colleagues published
findings in the journal Cell that revealed
for the first time how the master regulators in human
embryonic stem cells control the genome. The research
team led by Boyer discovered that three proteins (belonging
to a larger class of proteins called “transcription
factors”) preside over an important group of developmental
genes. By controlling these networks, these three proteins
keep stem cells at the developmental starting gate.
As they gradually switch off, the stem cell immediately
begins its journey toward a specific tissue type.
Boyer has also co-authored two recent publications,
appearing in Nature and Cell in April
2006, that demonstrate how another network of developmental
regulators, called Polycomb group proteins, controls
the embryonic stem cell genome in both humans and mice.
These papers mark the first successful attempts at mapping
an embryonic stem cell’s regulatory network on
a genome-wide scale.
Boyer, who has co-authored a dozen research papers,
received her PhD in Biomedical Science from the University
of Massachusetts Medical School. She was then granted
the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award
to continue her training as a postdoctoral fellow at
Whitehead Institute.
“Over the next year my research will focus on
understanding the mechanisms that control how specific
sets of genes are turned on or off in embryonic stem
cells in order to allow for cellular specification,”
says Boyer. “I believe that this work will have
broad implications for understanding development and
disease.”
“Laurie has outstanding intellectual, technical
and leadership capabilities,” says Richard Young.
“Her studies create an important foundation for
much future work in the embryonic stem cell field.”
This is the third year that Genzyme has partnered with
Whitehead to provide support for outstanding postdoctoral
research. Last year’s Genzyme Fellow was Leah
Cowen from the Lindquist lab, and in 2004 Konrad Hochedlinger
from the Jaenisch lab received this fellowship.
|
