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Cathy Drennan

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Catherine (Cathy) Drennan is an American biochemist and crystallographer. She is the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Biochemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a professor at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Cathy Drennan
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma materVassar College
University of Michigan
Scientific career
InstitutionsMIT
ThesisCrystallographic studies of FMN and Vitamin B12 Dependent Enzymes: Flavodoxin and Methionine Synthase
Martha L. Ludwig
Other academic advisors
Douglas C. Rees
Websitedrennan.mit.edu

Early life and education

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Drennan grew up in New York with her parents (a medical doctor and anthropologist).[1] She received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Vassar College, working in the laboratory of Professor Miriam Rossi.[2] After college, Drennan spent time as high school science and drama teacher, in a quaker run school in Iowa.[3][4] She received her PhD in biological chemistry from the University of Michigan in 1995, working in the laboratory of the late Professor Martha L Ludwig. Drennan's thesis is titled "Crystallographic studies of FMN and Vitamin B12 Dependent Enzymes: Flavodoxin and Methionine Synthase".[5][6]

After her PhD, she joined Douglas Rees as a postdoctoral fellow in the California Institute of Technology.[7] During her time as a postdoctoral fellow, in 1997, she started and led the undergraduate poster competition at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) annual meeting. She also served on the ASBMB Education and Professional Development Committee.[8]

Drennan is dyslexic, but believes this has advantages in science,[1] "don't listen to what anyone tells you what you can or cannot do...there is no dyslexia ceiling".[9][10] At high school, Drennan was told "she was probably not even going to graduate high school because of her dyslexia".[11]

Research

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Drennan joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Drennan focuses on innovation in education and fundamental research.[12] She is interested in the future of college classrooms and creating a positive learning environment for diverse groups of students.[13] She is recognized for her contributions to science pedagogy.[14] In 2006 Drennan was named an HHMI Professor and awarded a $1 million grant to support educational initiatives for "Getting Biologists Excited about Chemistry".[15]

Drennan has studied enzymes that employ vitamin B12 since she was a graduate student.[16] Her research focus is metalloproteins and metalloenzymes, and developing structural approaches to visualize enzymes, a process Drennan's lab group refers to as “structural metalloenzymology."[17][18][19][20] Her group uses X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy to characterize metalloproteins in action.[21][22] She is interested in conformational change during catalysis.[23] Her work also contributes to protecting the environment, as metals act as molecular helpers in chemical reactions.[24] Drennan is the author of over 100 Protein Data Bank submissions.[25]

Awards and honors

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  • 2000
    • Surdna Foundation Research Award[26]
    • Cecil and Ida Green Career Development Chair[26]
  • 2001 - Searle Scholar[27]
  • 2002 - Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers[28]
  • 2003 - ASBMB–Schering–Plough Research Institute Scientific Achievement Award[29]
  • 2004 - Harold E. Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award[30]
  • 2005 - Everett Moore Baker Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching[31]
  • 2006 - Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor[32]
  • 2008 - Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator[32]
  • 2017 - Winter Commencement Bicentennial Alumni Award[33]
  • 2020
    • American Academy of Arts and Sciences member[34]
    • Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Award, The Protein Society[35]
  • 2021- American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Fellow[36]
  • 2023
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References

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  1. 1 2 Viegas, Jennifer (November 8, 2024). "Profile of Catherine Drennan". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 121 (46). doi:10.1073/PNAS.2420751121. PMC 11573533.
  2. ↑ "Section Head profile: Cathy Drennan - F1000 Blogs". F1000 Blogs. November 23, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  3. ↑ "SBGrid Consortium - Tales - Catherine Drennan - Massachusetts Institute of Technology". sbgrid.org. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Catherine Drennan • iBiology". iBiology. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Catherine L. Drennan, Ph.D. | Biological Chemistry | Michigan Medicine | University of Michigan". medicine.umich.edu. October 9, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  6. ↑ Luschinsky, Drennan, Catherine (1995). Crystallographic studies of FMN and vitamin B(12) dependent enzymes: Flavodoxin and methionine synthase (Thesis). hdl:2027.42/104452.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "Is the Classroom Lecture Becoming Extinct or Simply Evolving? -- Talk & Discussion by Dr. Catherine Drennan, MIT. - Caltech Center for Teaching, Learning, & Outreach (CTLO)". www.ctlo.caltech.edu. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  8. ↑ "First class". www.asbmb.org. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  9. ↑ DyslexicAdvantage (January 31, 2016), MIT Professor Catherine Drennan on Her Dyslexia and Its Advantages, retrieved February 10, 2018
  10. ↑ "What Every Person With Dyslexia Should Know with MIT Professor Cathy Drennan | Elisheva Schwartz". www.elishevaschwartz.com. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Catherine Drennan". dyslexiahelp.umich.edu. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Catherine L Drennan | Drennan Lab". drennan.mit.edu. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Is the Classroom Lecture Becoming Extinct or Simply Evolving? -- Talk & Discussion by Dr. Catherine Drennan, MIT. - Caltech Graduate Studies Office". www.gradoffice.caltech.edu. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  14. ↑ University of Michigan (December 18, 2017), 2017 U-M Winter Commencement Bicentennial Alumni Award Video, retrieved February 10, 2018
  15. ↑ "Dr. Catherine L. Drennan « The Education Group". educationgroup.mit.edu. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  16. ↑ "A natural light switch". MIT News. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Research – Drennan Lab". drennan.mit.edu. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Catherine L. Drennan - CIFAR : CIFAR". www.cifar.ca. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Research Interests | Drennan Lab". drennan.mit.edu. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Publications | Drennan Lab". drennan.mit.edu. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  21. ↑ iBiology (March 30, 2014), Catherine Drennan (MIT/HHMI) Part 1: Introduction to Metalloproteins, retrieved February 10, 2018
  22. ↑ iBiology (March 30, 2014), Catherine Drennan (MIT/HHMI) Part 2: Metalloproteins and Medicine, retrieved February 10, 2018
  23. ↑ "Catherine Drennan – MIT Department of Biology". biology.mit.edu. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Cathy Drennan - Meet a Chemist - ChemHealthWeb - Science Publication - National Institute of General Medical Sciences". publications.nigms.nih.gov. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  25. ↑ Bank, RCSB Protein Data. "RCSB PDB - Search Results". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  26. 1 2 "Department of Chemistry: Reports to the President 2000-2001". web.mit.edu. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Department of Chemistry: Reports to the President 2001-2002". web.mit.edu. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  28. ↑ "The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Program Archive". grants.nih.gov. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  29. ↑ "ASBMB Young Investigator Award". www.asbmb.org. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Cathy L. Drennan | Office of the President". president.umich.edu. Archived from the original on January 28, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  31. ↑ "2005 Recipients | Awards Convocation". awards.mit.edu. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  32. 1 2 "Catherine L. Drennan, PhD | HHMI.org". HHMI.org. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Jesmyn Ward urges patience, persistence on path to success". The University Record. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  34. ↑ "New Members". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  35. ↑ McElvery, Raleigh (March 13, 2020). "Cathy Drennan earns Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Award". MIT Department of Biology. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  36. ↑ "2021 ASBMB Fellows". www.asbmb.org. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Fellows". www.amercrystalassn.org. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Catherine Drennan elected to National Academy of Sciences – MIT Department of Chemistry". May 3, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
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