Lawreen Connors
{{Short description|American biochemist (1954–2024)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lawreen Connors
| image = Lawreen Connors 2015.png
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| caption = Connors in 2015
| birth_name = Lawreen Marie Heller
| birth_date = August 9, 1954
| birth_place = Ogdensburg, New York, U.S.
| death_date = October 20, 2024 (age 70)
| death_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
| other_names =
| occupation = Biochemist, medical researcher, college professor
| years_active =
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Lawreen Marie Heller Connors (August 9, 1954 – October 20, 2024) was an American biochemist, medical researcher, and college professor. She was a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Boston University School of Medicine from 1998 until she retired in 2022. Her research focused on the protein amyloid, and the related disease, amyloidosis. She was director of the Amyloidosis Center at Boston University, and co-director of the Amyloid Pathology Diagnostic Testing Laboratory.
Early life and education
Heller was born in Ogdensburg, New York, the daughter of Warren Heller and Helen Amelia Fleming Heller. Her father was a cardiologist.{{Cite news |date=August 14, 1975 |title=Dr. Warren Heller Elected to College of Cardiology |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=jou19750814-01.1.13&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------- |work=The Journal |pages=13 |via=NYS Historic Newspapers |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |access-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211165433/https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=jou19750814-01.1.13&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------- |url-status=live }} She graduated from Ogdensburg Free Academy in 1972. She graduated from Boston College in 1976, with a double degree in chemistry and mathematics.{{Cite book |last=Boston College |url=https://archive.org/details/subturriundertow1976bost/page/279/mode/1up |title=Sub turri = Under the tower : the yearbook of Boston College |date=1976 |publisher=[Boston] : The College |others=Boston College Libraries |pages=279 |via=Internet Archive}} She completed a master's degree at Tufts University, and a Ph.D. in biochemistry at Boston University.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-22 |title=Dr. Lawreen M. (Heller) Connors, 70, formerly of Ogdensburg |url=https://northcountrynow.com/stories/dr-lawreen-m-heller-connors-70-formerly-of-ogdensburg,268748 |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=North Country Now |language=en |archive-date=2024-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211175600/https://northcountrynow.com/stories/dr-lawreen-m-heller-connors-70-formerly-of-ogdensburg,268748 |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last1=Sanchorawala |first1=Vaishali |last2=Skinner |first2=Martha |date=2024-11-27 |title=In memoriam: Lawreen Connors, Ph.D. |journal=Amyloid |language=en |pages=1–2 |doi=10.1080/13506129.2024.2432979 |issn=1350-6129|doi-access=free }}
Career
Connors was a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Boston University School of Medicine beginning in 1998. Her research involved studies in the structure and development of the protein amyloid, and the related disease, amyloidosis. She was director of the Amyloidosis Center at Boston University, and co-director of the Amyloid Pathology Diagnostic Testing Laboratory. She was active in the International Society of Amyloidosis. She was named the Charles Brown Professor for Amyloidosis Research in 2020, and retired from Boston University in 2022, as emeritus professor.
Publications
Connors' work was published in academic journals including Archives of Internal Medicine,{{Cite journal |last1=Ng |first1=Belinda |last2=Connors |first2=Lawreen H. |last3=Davidoff |first3=Ravin |last4=Skinner |first4=Martha |last5=Falk |first5=Rodney H. |date=2005-06-27 |title=Senile Systemic Amyloidosis Presenting With Heart Failure: A Comparison With Light Chain–Associated Amyloidosis |url=http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/archinte.165.12.1425 |journal=Archives of Internal Medicine |language=en |volume=165 |issue=12 |pages=1425–1429 |doi=10.1001/archinte.165.12.1425 |pmid=15983293 |issn=0003-9926|url-access=subscription }} Biochemistry,{{Cite journal |last1=Klimtchuk |first1=Elena S. |last2=Gursky |first2=Olga |last3=Patel |first3=Rupesh S. |last4=Laporte |first4=Kathryn L. |last5=Connors |first5=Lawreen H. |last6=Skinner |first6=Martha |last7=Seldin |first7=David C. |date=2010-11-16 |title=The Critical Role of the Constant Region in Thermal Stability and Aggregation of Amyloidogenic Immunoglobulin Light Chain |journal=Biochemistry |volume=49 |issue=45 |pages=9848–9857 |doi=10.1021/bi101351c |issn=0006-2960 |pmc=4080313 |pmid=20936823}} Amyloid,{{Cite journal |last1=Connors |first1=Lawreen Heller |last2=Lim |first2=Amareth |last3=Prokaeva |first3=Tatiana |last4=Roskens |first4=Violet A. |last5=Costello |first5=Catherine E. |date=January 2003 |title=Tabulation of human transthyretin (TTR) variants, 2003 |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/13506120308998998 |journal=Amyloid |language=en |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=160–184 |doi=10.3109/13506120308998998 |pmid=14640030 |issn=1350-6129|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |last1=Phull |first1=Pooja |last2=Sanchorawala |first2=Vaishali |last3=Connors |first3=Lawreen H. |last4=Doros |first4=Gheorghe |last5=Ruberg |first5=Frederick L. |last6=Berk |first6=John L. |last7=Sarosiek |first7=Shayna |date=2018-01-02 |title=Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in systemic transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) |journal=Amyloid |language=en |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=62–67 |doi=10.1080/13506129.2018.1436048 |issn=1350-6129 |pmc=6157907 |pmid=29424556}} Circulation Research,{{Cite journal |last1=Brenner |first1=Daniel A. |last2=Jain |first2=Mohit |last3=Pimentel |first3=David R. |last4=Wang |first4=Bo |last5=Connors |first5=Lawreen H. |last6=Skinner |first6=Martha |last7=Apstein |first7=Carl S. |last8=Liao |first8=Ronglih |date=2004-04-30 |title=Human Amyloidogenic Light Chains Directly Impair Cardiomyocyte Function Through an Increase in Cellular Oxidant Stress |url=https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.RES.0000126569.75419.74 |journal=Circulation Research |volume=94 |issue=8 |pages=1008–1010 |doi=10.1161/01.RES.0000126569.75419.74|pmid=15044325 }} Circulation,{{Cite journal |last1=Connors |first1=Lawreen H. |last2=Sam |first2=Flora |last3=Skinner |first3=Martha |last4=Salinaro |first4=Francesco |last5=Sun |first5=Fangui |last6=Ruberg |first6=Frederick L. |last7=Berk |first7=John L. |last8=Seldin |first8=David C. |date=2016-01-19 |title=Heart Failure Resulting From Age-Related Cardiac Amyloid Disease Associated With Wild-Type Transthyretin |journal=Circulation |volume=133 |issue=3 |pages=282–290 |doi=10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.018852 |pmc= 4718760|pmid=26660282}}{{Cite journal |last1=Liao |first1=Ronglih |last2=Jain |first2=Mohit |last3=Teller |first3=Paige |last4=Connors |first4=Lawreen H. |last5=Ngoy |first5=Soeun |last6=Skinner |first6=Martha |last7=Falk |first7=Rodney H. |last8=Apstein |first8=Carl S. |date=2001-10-02 |title=Infusion of Light Chains From Patients With Cardiac Amyloidosis Causes Diastolic Dysfunction in Isolated Mouse Hearts |url=https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.104.14.1594 |journal=Circulation |volume=104 |issue=14 |pages=1594–1597 |doi=10.1161/circ.104.14.1594|pmid=11581134 }} Blood,{{Cite journal |last1=Ward |first1=Jennifer Ellis |last2=Ren |first2=Ruiyi |last3=Toraldo |first3=Gianluca |last4=SooHoo |first4=Pam |last5=Guan |first5=Jian |last6=O'Hara |first6=Carl |last7=Jasuja |first7=Ravi |last8=Trinkaus-Randall |first8=Vickery |last9=Liao |first9=Ronglih |last10=Connors |first10=Lawreen H. |last11=Seldin |first11=David C. |date=2011-12-15 |title=Doxycycline reduces fibril formation in a transgenic mouse model of AL amyloidosis |url=https://ashpublications.org/blood/article/118/25/6610/29265/Doxycycline-reduces-fibril-formation-in-a |journal=Blood |volume=118 |issue=25 |pages=6610–6617 |doi=10.1182/blood-2011-04-351643 |issn=0006-4971 |pmc=3242721 |pmid=21998211 |archive-date=2024-09-17 |access-date=2024-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240917143719/https://ashpublications.org/blood/article/118/25/6610/29265/Doxycycline-reduces-fibril-formation-in-a |url-status=live }} American Heart Journal,{{Cite journal |last1=Connors |first1=Lawreen H. |last2=Prokaeva |first2=Tatiana |last3=Lim |first3=Amareth |last4=Théberge |first4=Roger |last5=Falk |first5=Rodney H. |last6=Doros |first6=Gheorghe |last7=Berg |first7=Alan |last8=Costello |first8=Catherine E. |last9=O'Hara |first9=Carl |last10=Seldin |first10=David C. |last11=Skinner |first11=Martha |date=2009-10-01 |title=Cardiac amyloidosis in African Americans: Comparison of clinical and laboratory features of transthyretin V122I amyloidosis and immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0002870309006176 |journal=American Heart Journal |volume=158 |issue=4 |pages=607–614 |doi=10.1016/j.ahj.2009.08.006 |pmid=19781421 |issn=0002-8703|url-access=subscription }} American Journal of Physiology,{{Cite journal |last1=Mishra |first1=Shikha |last2=Guan |first2=Jian |last3=Plovie |first3=Eva |last4=Seldin |first4=David C. |last5=Connors |first5=Lawreen H. |last6=Merlini |first6=Giampaolo |last7=Falk |first7=Rodney H. |last8=MacRae |first8=Calum A. |last9=Liao |first9=Ronglih |date=July 2013 |title=Human amyloidogenic light chain proteins result in cardiac dysfunction, cell death, and early mortality in zebrafish |journal=American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology |volume=305 |issue=1 |pages=H95–H103 |doi=10.1152/ajpheart.00186.2013 |issn=0363-6135 |pmc=3727100 |pmid=23624626}} Molecular & Cellular Proteomics,{{Cite journal |last1=Lavatelli |first1=Francesca |last2=Perlman |first2=David H. |last3=Spencer |first3=Brian |last4=Prokaeva |first4=Tatiana |last5=McComb |first5=Mark E. |last6=Théberge |first6=Roger |last7=Connors |first7=Lawreen H. |last8=Bellotti |first8=Vittorio |last9=Seldin |first9=David C. |last10=Merlini |first10=Giampaolo |last11=Skinner |first11=Martha |last12=Costello |first12=Catherine E. |date=August 2008 |title=Amyloidogenic and Associated Proteins in Systemic Amyloidosis Proteome of Adipose Tissue |journal=Molecular & Cellular Proteomics |language=en |volume=7 |issue=8 |pages=1570–1583 |doi=10.1074/mcp.M700545-MCP200 |doi-access=free |pmc=2494907 |pmid=18474516}} Arthritis & Rheumatology,{{Cite journal |last1=Prokaeva |first1=Tatiana |last2=Spencer |first2=Brian |last3=Kaut |first3=Maurya |last4=Ozonoff |first4=Al |last5=Doros |first5=Gheorghe |last6=Connors |first6=Lawreen H. |last7=Skinner |first7=Martha |last8=Seldin |first8=David C. |date=November 2007 |title=Soft tissue, joint, and bone manifestations of AL amyloidosis: Clinical presentation, molecular features, and survival |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.22959 |journal=Arthritis & Rheumatism |language=en |volume=56 |issue=11 |pages=3858–3868 |doi=10.1002/art.22959 |pmid=17968927 |issn=0004-3591|url-access=subscription }} Journal of Proteome Research,{{Cite journal |last1=Chan |first1=Gloria G. |last2=Koch |first2=Clarissa M. |last3=Connors |first3=Lawreen H. |date=2017-04-07 |title=Blood Proteomic Profiling in Inherited (ATTRm) and Acquired (ATTRwt) Forms of Transthyretin-Associated Cardiac Amyloidosis |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00998 |journal=Journal of Proteome Research |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=1659–1668 |doi=10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00998 |pmid=28196416 |issn=1535-3893|url-access=subscription }} Stem Cell Reports,{{Cite journal |last1=Leung |first1=Amy |last2=Nah |first2=Shirley K. |last3=Reid |first3=Whitney |last4=Ebata |first4=Atsushi |last5=Koch |first5=Clarissa M. |last6=Monti |first6=Stefano |last7=Genereux |first7=Joseph C. |last8=Wiseman |first8=R. Luke |last9=Wolozin |first9=Benjamin |last10=Connors |first10=Lawreen H. |last11=Berk |first11=John L. |last12=Seldin |first12=David C. |last13=Mostoslavsky |first13=Gustavo |last14=Kotton |first14=Darrell N. |last15=Murphy |first15=George J. |date=November 2013 |title=Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Modeling of Multisystemic, Hereditary Transthyretin Amyloidosis |journal=Stem Cell Reports |language=en |volume=1 |issue=5 |pages=451–463 |doi=10.1016/j.stemcr.2013.10.003 |pmc=3841264 |pmid=24286032 }} and Journal of Cardiac Failure.{{Cite journal |last1=Lohrmann |first1=Graham |last2=Pipilas |first2=Alexandra |last3=Mussinelli |first3=Roberta |last4=Gopal |first4=Deepa M. |last5=Berk |first5=John L. |last6=Connors |first6=Lawreen H. |last7=Vellanki |first7=Nirupama |last8=Hellawell |first8=Jennifer |last9=Siddiqi |first9=Omar K. |last10=Fox |first10=Jonathan |last11=Maurer |first11=Mathew S. |last12=Ruberg |first12=Frederick L. |date=September 2020 |title=Stabilization of Cardiac Function With Diflunisal in Transthyretin (ATTR) Cardiac Amyloidosis |journal=Journal of Cardiac Failure |volume=26 |issue=9 |pages=753–759 |doi=10.1016/j.cardfail.2019.11.024 |issn=1071-9164 |pmc=7758872 |pmid=31805416}} She was also on the editorial board of the journal Amyloid.
Personal life
Lawreen Heller married Michael K. Connors. They had three children and lived in Woburn, Massachusetts. She died from breast cancer in 2024, at the age of 70, in Boston. The Dr. Lawreen Connors Research Scholar Fund was established at Boston University, in her memory.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-28 |title=Dr. Lawreen M. (Heller) Connors |url=https://lynch-cantillon.com/obituaries/2024/10/20/dr-lawreen-m-heller-connors/ |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=Lynch Cantillon Funeral Home |language=en-US}}
References
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Category:Boston College alumni
Category:Tufts University alumni
Category:Boston University School of Medicine faculty