Helen Saibil

{{short description|British molecular biologist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

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| name = Helen Saibil

| honorific_suffix = FRS FMedSci

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|08|12}}

| birth_place = born in Québec, Canada

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| occupation = Scientist

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| known_for = determining the structure of a protein assembly used by the immune system to kill unwanted cells

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| education = McGill University

| alma_mater = King's College London

| thesis_title = Diffraction studies of retinal rod outer segment membranes

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| thesis_year = 1977

| discipline = Molecular biology

| sub_discipline = Structural biology

| workplaces = Birkbeck, University of London

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| main_interests = Molecular chaperones
Protein misfolding

| website = {{URL|http://www.bbk.ac.uk/biology/our-staff/academic/helen-saibil}}

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{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage= | video1 = [https://vimeo.com/13774664 Helen Saibil: Visualization of Electron Microscopy Structures & Multi-scale Assemblies]}}

Helen Ruth Saibil FRS FMedSci (born August 12, 1950){{cite news|title=Births|url=http://www.multiculturalcanada.ca/node/97412|accessdate=17 October 2015|work=The Canadian Jewish Review|page=4|date=August 25, 1950|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304200017/http://www.multiculturalcanada.ca/node/97412|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}} is a Canadian-British molecular biologist and Professor of Structural Biology at the Department of Crystallography of Birkbeck, University of London.[http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/people/helen_saibil.htm Saibil, Helen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823062531/http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/people/helen_saibil.htm |date=2007-08-23 }} Profile at Birkbeck, University of London[http://people.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/~ubcg16z/ Saibil, Helen] Personal webpage Her research is largely focuses on molecular chaperones and protein misfolding.

Saibil completed undergraduate studies at McGill University in 1971 followed by a PhD at King's College London, receiving her thesis in 1977 entitled Diffraction studies of retinal rod outer segment membranes.{{cite book|title=Theses and Dissertations Accepted for Higher Degrees|date=1978|publisher=University of London|location=London}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Saibil_Helen/CV |title=Academy of Europe:CV |last=Kaiser |first=Dana |date=25 October 2015 |website=Academy of Europe |access-date= 3 September 2018}} Saibil went on to work at CEA Grenoble and the University of Oxford.[http://www.oist.jp/ws4/lecture12.html OIST Workshop page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811113120/http://www.oist.jp/ws4/lecture12.html |date=2007-08-11 }} Conference biography Saibil has been at Birkbeck since 1989, and was elected to the Royal Society in 2006{{cite web|title=Female Fellows of the Royal Society|url=https://royalsociety.org/~/media/Royal_Society_Content/about-us/fellowship/Female-Fellows.pdf|website=The Royal Society|accessdate=17 October 2015}} and the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2009.[http://www.bbk.ac.uk/news/news-releases/20060524 Helen Saibil FRS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615024324/http://www.bbk.ac.uk/news/news-releases/20060524 |date=2011-06-15 }} Birkbeck press release[http://royalsociety.org/publication.asp?id=7703 Fellowships announcement] Royal Society page

Her research interests are on the operation of macromolecular machines using three-dimensional electron microscopy in the areas of molecular chaperones and assisted protein folding/unfolding, misfolding into amyloid, and protein refolding in membrane pore formation.{{Cite web |last=London |first=King's College |title=Helen Saibil |url=https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/helen-saibil |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=King's College London |language=en}}