:Cathy Drennan

Drennan grew up in New York with her parents (a medical doctor and anthropologist).{{Cite journal |last=Viegas |first=Jennifer |date=2024-11-08 |title=Profile of Catherine Drennan |url=https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131160248 |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=121 |issue=46 |doi=10.1073/PNAS.2420751121|pmc=11573533 }} She received a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Vassar College, working in the laboratory of Professor Miriam Rossi.{{Cite news|url=https://blog.f1000.com/2011/11/23/section-head-profile-cathy-drennan/|title=Section Head profile: Cathy Drennan - F1000 Blogs|date=2011-11-23|work=F1000 Blogs|access-date=2018-02-10|language=en-GB}} After college, Drennan spent time as high school science and drama teacher, in a quaker run school in Iowa.{{Cite web|url=https://sbgrid.org/tales/surprise-surprise|title=SBGrid Consortium - Tales - Catherine Drennan - Massachusetts Institute of Technology|website=sbgrid.org|language=en|access-date=2018-02-10}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ibiology.org/speakers/catherine-drennan/|title=Catherine Drennan • iBiology|work=iBiology|access-date=2018-02-10|language=en-US}} 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".{{Cite web|url=https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/biochem/catherine-l-drennan-phd|title=Catherine L. Drennan, Ph.D. {{!}} Biological Chemistry {{!}} Michigan Medicine {{!}} University of Michigan|website=medicine.umich.edu|date=9 October 2015 |language=en|access-date=2018-02-10}}{{Cite thesis|last=Luschinsky|first=Drennan, Catherine|date=1995|title=Crystallographic studies of FMN and vitamin B(12) dependent enzymes: Flavodoxin and methionine synthase.|hdl=2027.42/104452|url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/104452|type=Thesis |language=en}}

After her PhD, she joined Douglas Rees as a postdoctoral fellow in the California Institute of Technology.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctlo.caltech.edu/events/54413|title=Is the Classroom Lecture Becoming Extinct or Simply Evolving? -- Talk & Discussion by Dr. Catherine Drennan, MIT. - Caltech Center for Teaching, Learning, & Outreach (CTLO)|website=www.ctlo.caltech.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-02-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210235110/https://www.ctlo.caltech.edu/events/54413|archive-date=2018-02-10|url-status=dead}} 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. {{Cite web |title=First class |url=https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/people/042721/first-class |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=www.asbmb.org |language=en}}

Drennan is dyslexic, but believes this has advantages in science, "don't listen to what anyone tells you what you can or cannot do...there is no dyslexia ceiling".{{Citation|last=DyslexicAdvantage|title=MIT Professor Catherine Drennan on Her Dyslexia and Its Advantages|date=2016-01-31|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ennIWco_H3Y|accessdate=2018-02-10}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.elishevaschwartz.com/podcast/what-every-person-with-dyslexia-should-know-with-mit-professor-cathy-drennan/|title=What Every Person With Dyslexia Should Know with MIT Professor Cathy Drennan {{!}} Elisheva Schwartz|website=www.elishevaschwartz.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-10}} At high school, Drennan was told "she was probably not even going to graduate high school because of her dyslexia".{{Cite web|url=http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/success-stories/catherine-drennan|title=Catherine Drennan|website=dyslexiahelp.umich.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-02-10}}

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.{{Cite web|url=http://drennan.mit.edu/education/group-members/catherine-l-drennan/|title=Catherine L Drennan {{!}} Drennan Lab|website=drennan.mit.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-10}} She is interested in the future of college classrooms and creating a positive learning environment for diverse groups of students.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gradoffice.caltech.edu/events/54413|title=Is the Classroom Lecture Becoming Extinct or Simply Evolving? -- Talk & Discussion by Dr. Catherine Drennan, MIT. - Caltech Graduate Studies Office|website=www.gradoffice.caltech.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-02-10}} She is recognized for her contributions to science pedagogy.{{Citation|last=University of Michigan|title=2017 U-M Winter Commencement Bicentennial Alumni Award Video|date=2017-12-18|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_FbeaJc5T0|accessdate=2018-02-10}} In 2006 Drennan was named an HHMI Professor and awarded a $1 million grant to support educational initiatives for "Getting Biologists Excited about Chemistry".{{Cite web|url=http://educationgroup.mit.edu/HHMIEducationGroup/?page_id=1986|title=Dr. Catherine L. Drennan « The Education Group|website=educationgroup.mit.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-15}}

Drennan has studied enzymes that employ vitamin B12 since she was a graduate student.{{Cite news|url=https://news.mit.edu/2015/map-light-sensing-protein-0928|title=A natural light switch|work=MIT News|access-date=2018-02-10}} Her research focus is metalloproteins and metalloenzymes, and developing structural approaches to visualize enzymes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cifar.ca/profiles/catherine-l-drennan/|title=Catherine L. Drennan - CIFAR : CIFAR|website=www.cifar.ca|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-10}}{{Cite web|url=https://drennan.mit.edu/research/research-interests/|title=Research Interests {{!}} Drennan Lab|website=drennan.mit.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-10}}{{Cite web|url=http://drennan.mit.edu/research/publications/|title=Publications {{!}} Drennan Lab|website=drennan.mit.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-10}} Her group uses X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy to characterize metalloproteins in action.{{Citation|last=iBiology|title=Catherine Drennan (MIT/HHMI) Part 1: Introduction to Metalloproteins|date=2014-03-30|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8IU53mS7M0|accessdate=2018-02-10}}{{Citation|last=iBiology|title=Catherine Drennan (MIT/HHMI) Part 2: Metalloproteins and Medicine|date=2014-03-30|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZE0TUTZtpQ|accessdate=2018-02-10}} She is interested in conformational change during catalysis.{{Cite web|url=https://biology.mit.edu/faculty/catherine-drennan/|title=Catherine Drennan – MIT Department of Biology|website=biology.mit.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-10}} Her work also contributes to protecting the environment, as metals act as molecular helpers in chemical reactions.{{Cite web|url=https://publications.nigms.nih.gov/chemhealth/chemist_drennan.htm|title=Cathy Drennan - Meet a Chemist - ChemHealthWeb - Science Publication - National Institute of General Medical Sciences|website=publications.nigms.nih.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-02-10}} Drennan is the author of over 100 Protein Data Bank submissions.{{Cite journal|last=Bank|first=RCSB Protein Data|title=RCSB PDB - Search Results|url=http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/results/results.do?tabtoshow=Current&qrid=B7ECD54|language=en}}

• 2000
• Surdna Foundation Research Award
• Cecil and Ida Green Career Development Chair{{Cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/annualreports/pres01/16.03.html|title=Department of Chemistry: Reports to the President 2000-2001|website=web.mit.edu|access-date=2018-02-10}}
• 2001 - Searle Scholar{{Cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/annualreports/pres02/11.03.html|title=Department of Chemistry: Reports to the President 2001-2002|website=web.mit.edu|access-date=2018-02-10}}
• 2002 - Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers{{Cite web|url=https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/pecase_archive.htm#2002|title=The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Program Archive|last=|first=|date=|website=grants.nih.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-02-10}}
• 2003 - ASBMB–Schering–Plough Research Institute Scientific Achievement Award{{Cite web|url=http://www.asbmb.org/awards/young/|title=ASBMB Young Investigator Award|website=www.asbmb.org|access-date=2018-02-10}}
• 2004 - Harold E. Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award{{Cite web|url=https://president.umich.edu/honors-awards/umbaa/winter-recipients/cathy-l-drennan/|title=Cathy L. Drennan {{!}} Office of the President|website=president.umich.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-02-10}}
• 2005 - Everett Moore Baker Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching{{Cite web|url=http://awards.mit.edu/awards-convocation/winners/2005-recipients|title=2005 Recipients {{!}} Awards Convocation|website=awards.mit.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-02-10}}
• 2006 - Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor
• 2008 - Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator{{Cite news|url=http://www.hhmi.org/scientists/catherine-l-drennan|title=Catherine L. Drennan, PhD {{!}} HHMI.org|work=HHMI.org|access-date=2018-02-10|language=en}}
• 2017 - Winter Commencement Bicentennial Alumni Award{{Cite news|url=https://record.umich.edu/articles/jesmyn-ward-urges-patience-persistence-path-success|title=Jesmyn Ward urges patience, persistence on path to success|work=The University Record|access-date=2018-02-10}}
• 2020
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences member{{Cite web|url=https://www.amacad.org/new-members-2020|title=New Members|website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences|language=en|access-date=2020-04-28}}
• Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Award, The Protein Society {{Cite web |last=McElvery |first=Raleigh |date=2020-03-13 |title=Cathy Drennan earns Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Award |url=https://biology.mit.edu/cathy-drennan-earns-dorothy-crowfoot-hodgkin-award/ |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=MIT Department of Biology |language=en-US}}
• 2021- American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Fellow {{Cite web |title=2021 ASBMB Fellows |url=https://www.asbmb.org/about/asbmb-fellows/2021-asbmb-fellows |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=www.asbmb.org |language=en}}
• 2023
• Structural Science Society (ACA) Fellow{{Cite web |title=Fellows |url=https://www.amercrystalassn.org/fellows |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=www.amercrystalassn.org}}
• National Academy of Sciences member{{Cite web |date=2023-05-03 |title=Catherine Drennan elected to National Academy of Sciences – MIT Department of Chemistry |url=https://chemistry.mit.edu/chemistry-news/catherine-drennan-elected-to-national-academy-of-sciences/ |access-date=2023-10-13 |language=en-US}}

• Jennifer Viegas: Profile of Catherine Drennan. PNAS. Vol. 121 (46), November 2024, e2420751121. doi:10.1073/pnas.2420751121.

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Category:Living people

Category:University of Michigan alumni

Category:American women biochemists

Category:American crystallographers

Category:Vassar College alumni

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Scientists with dyslexia

Category:American scientists with disabilities

Category:21st-century American women scientists

Category:21st-century American biochemists

Category:Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers