Susan J. Baserga
William H. Fleming MD ’57 Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Professor of Genetics, and Professor of Therapeutic Radiology
research interests
Ribosome Biogenesis; The Nucleolus; Ribosomopathies; Cancer; Human Disease; Eukaryotic Organisms; RNA Biology; Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Biography
Dr. Baserga has a long-standing interest in fundamental aspects of ribosome biogenesis, the nucleolus, human diseases of making ribosomes (ribosomopathies), and on the impact of ribosome biogenesis on cell growth, cell division and cancer. Her laboratory uses a wide-array of biochemical, genetic, and biophysical techniques to study the process and regulation of ribosome biogenesis, and utilizes model systems including yeast, mammalian cells, zebrafish and frogs (Xenopus tropicalis).
See all of Dr. Baserga’s publications here.
Mentorship
Dr. Baserga is committed to the education of the next generation of scientists and takes much pride in preparing them for positions in science-related fields. She has had 9 undergraduate, 15 pre-doctoral and 8 post-doctoral trainees who have been very successful as gauged by their publication records, by their success at garnering post-doctoral and faculty positions, and by their ability to obtain their initial grant funding. In addition to mentoring and advocating for her laboratory trainees, Dr. Baserga was Associate Director of the Yale MD/PhD program for 11 years, and is now the Program Director for the largest graduate student training grant at Yale University. In 2014, she won the Charles W. Bohmfalk Prize for teaching the basic science of biochemistry to medical students at the Yale School of Medicine. And, in 2016, she won the William C. Rose award from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) for scientific excellence and mentoring. She has served for 5 years on BRT-A, one of the NIH study sections that reviews pre-doctoral training grants, and has reviewed training grants for 2 more years on Special Emphasis Panels, one of which she chaired. In 2015, she reviewed NRSA fellowship applications for the NIH, and in 2016 reviewed nationwide Institutional Beckman Scholar Program applications that benefit undergraduates who want to pursue science as a career.
Education and training
| Institution and location | Degree | Year | field of study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale College, New Haven, CT | B.S., summa cum laude | 1980 | Biology |
| Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT | M.D., cum laude | 1988 | Medicine |
| Yale University, New Haven, CT | PH.D. | 1988 | Human Genetics |
| Yale University, New Haven, CT | Post-doctoral fellowship | 1988-1993 | Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry |
Curriculum vitae
Check out Dr. Baserga’s full curriculum vitae here.