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Elizabeth H. Blackburn
<html> <head> <title>Elizabeth H. 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Blackburn</b></font><p><b>AKA</b> Elizabeth Helen Blackburn<p><b>Born:</b> <a href="/lists/848/000106530/" class=proflink>26-Nov</a>-<a href="/lists/947/000105632/" class=proflink>1948</a><br><b>Birthplace:</b> Hobart, Australia<br><p><b>Gender:</b> Female<br><b>Race or Ethnicity:</b> White<br><b>Sexual orientation:</b> Straight<br><b>Occupation:</b> <a href="/lists/179/000068972/" class=proflink>Scientist</a><p><b>Nationality:</b> United States<br><b>Executive summary:</b> Co-Discoverer of telomerase<p>Elizabeth H. Blackburn is a biochemist and physicist at the University of California at San Francisco, known for her groundbreaking research into the the structure and role of telomeres. These tiny structures cap the ends of chromosomes, contributing to the stability of gene cells, and Blackburn's early work showed a relationship between the size of telomeres and a chromosome's ability to reproduce. In 1984, working with her student <a href="/people/890/000208266/">Carol W. Greider</a>, Blackburn isolated telomerase, a newly-discovered enzyme which synthesizes new telomeres in DNA and determines the length of telomeres. In subsequent research, Blackburn has shown that telomeres shrink and cannot reproduce properly when telomerase is defective. Her work has important implications for researchers in cancer, fungal infections, and the aging process.<p> Among non-scientists, Blackburn first made headlines in 2004, when she was fired from President <a href="/people/360/000022294/">George W. Bush</a>'s Council on Bioethics for her continued advocacy of human embryonic stem cell research, which the Bush administration considered unethical and refused to fund. In 2009 she was a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, an honor shared with her colleague Greider and with <a href="/people/907/000208283/">Jack W. Szostak</a>. Her husband, John Sedat, is also a professor of microbiology at University of California at San Francisco.<p><b>Father:</b> Harold Blackburn (physician)<br><b>Mother:</b> Marcia Jack Blackburn (physician)<br><b>Husband:</b> John Sedat (molecular biologist, m. 1975, one son)<br><b>Son:</b> Benjamin (b. 1986)<br><p> High School: University High School, Melbourne, Australia (1966)<br> University: <a href="/edu/740/000068536/">BS, University of Melbourne (1970)</a><br> University: <a href="/edu/740/000068536/">MS, University of Melbourne (1971)</a><br> University: <a href="/edu/214/000081968/">PhD Molecular Biology, Cambridge University (1975)</a><br> Scholar: <a href="/edu/480/000068276/">Molecular and Cellular Biology, Yale University (1975-77)</a><br> Scholar: <a href="/edu/556/000068352/">University of California at San Francisco (1977-78)</a><br> Teacher: <a href="/edu/470/000068266/">Molecular Biology, University of California at Berkeley (1978-86)</a><br> Professor: <a href="/edu/470/000068266/">Molecular Biology, University of California at Berkeley (1986-90)</a><br> Professor: <a href="/edu/556/000068352/">Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California at San Francisco (1990-)</a><br> Administrator: <a href="/edu/556/000068352/">Chair, Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, UC San Francisco (1993-99)</a><br><p> <u>American Cancer Society Medal of Honor</u> 2000<br> <u>Australia Prize</u> 1998<br> <u>Clowes Memorial Award</u> 2000<br> <u>Eli Lilly Research Award for Microbiology and Immunology</u> 1988<br> <a href="/honors/044/000111708/">Benjamin Franklin Medal</a> 2005 (by the Franklin Institute)<br> <u>Gairdner Foundation International Award</u> 1998<br> <u>Harvey Prize</u> 1999<br> <u>Heineken Prize for Medicine</u> 2004<br> <u>Horwitz Prize</u> 2007 (with <a href="/people/890/000208266/">Carol W. Greider</a> and Joseph Gall)<br> <a href="/honors/161/000118804/">Lasker Award</a> 2006 (with <a href="/people/890/000208266/">Carol W. Greider</a> and <a href="/people/907/000208283/">Jack W. Szostak</a>)<br> <u>National Academy of Science Award in Molecular Biology</u> 1990<br> <u>Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize</u> 2009 (with <a href="/people/890/000208266/">Carol W. Greider</a>)<br> <a href="/honors/214/000068010/">Nobel Prize for Medicine</a> 2009 (with <a href="/people/890/000208266/">Carol W. Greider</a> and <a href="/people/907/000208283/">Jack W. Szostak</a>)<br> <u>Alfred P. Sloan Award</u> 2001<br> <u>Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences</u> 2006 (with <a href="/people/890/000208266/">Carol W. Greider</a>)<br> <a href="/org/811/000055646/">American Academy of Arts and Sciences</a> 1991<br> <u>American Academy of Microbiology</u> 1993<br> <a href="/org/766/000051613/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> 2000<br> <a href="/org/370/000064178/">American Cancer Society</a> <br> <a href="/org/171/000123799/">American Society for Cell Biology</a> President (1998)<br> <a href="/org/171/000123799/">American Society for Cell Biology</a> Board of Directors (2006-)<br> <a href="/org/792/000055627/">Genetics Society of America</a> 2000<br> <a href="/org/469/000164974/">Institute of Medicine</a> 2000<br> <a href="/org/692/000054530/">National Academy of Sciences</a> 1993 (Foreign Associate)<br> <u>National Institute of General Medical Sciences</u> <br> <a href="/org/592/000071379/">National Science Foundation</a> <br> <a href="/gov/918/000116570/">President's Council on Bioethics</a> (2002-04)<br> <a href="/org/793/000055628/">Royal Society</a> 1992<br> <a href="/event/582/000051429/">Naturalized US Citizen</a> 2003<br> <a href="/lists/946/000129559/">Australian Ancestry</a> <br> <p> <b>Author of books:</b><br> <i>Telomeres</i> (<tt>1995</tt>, with <a href="/people/890/000208266/">Carol W. Greider</a>)<br><p> <br> <p> <table> <tr> <td align=right valign=middle style="padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 22px; font-style: italic; color: #ff3333;">New!</span><br> <a href="http://mapper.nndb.com/" class="fotmlink" style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; color: #dd0000;">NNDB MAPPER</a></td> <td valign=middle align=right style="border-left: 1px solid #bbb; padding-left: 5px;">Create a map starting with</td> <td valign=middle align=right><a href="http://mapper.nndb.com/start/?id=208264"><img src="/woman.gif" border=0 style="padding: 2px;"></a></td> <td align=left valign=middle> <a href="http://mapper.nndb.com/start/?id=208264">Elizabeth H. 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