Dr. Ann E. McDermott

Ann McDermott, Ronald and Esther Breslow Professor of Biological Chemistry at Columbia University, develops and applies magnetic resonance methods to probe the structure, flexibility and function of proteins. Her group investigates allosteric regulation and timing of potassium ion channels, which play crucial roles in diverse contexts, from bacteria to the human nervous system. Her research group has determined the structures and characterized the dynamics of amyloids whose formation is a critical step in cellular signaling in humans. She discovered and characterized a novel polarization mechanism associated with the photochemical reactions in the photosynthetic reaction center. She holds a B. Sc. from Harvey Mudd College, and a Ph. D. from the College of Chemistry at U. C. Berkeley, where she worked with Kenneth Sauer and Melvin Klein, and postgraduate training at MIT and the Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory with Robert Griffin. She has served as Associate Dean for Scientific Initiatives, Chair of Chemistry for Columbia University, on the Board of Trustees for Harvey Mudd College, the Board of Directors for the New York Structural Biology Center, and the Scientific Advisory Board for Brookhaven National Laboratories. She is the recipient of the Pure Award in Chemistry, the Eastern Analytic Symposium Award for Achievement in Magnetic Resonance, the Gunther Laukien award in NMR, and she is an elected member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences.